John's Westland Whirlwind

[JohnRatzenberger]

Thought that may be the case, would you mind letting me know what the kit cost when you bought it so i have a guide line before venturing onto evil bay?

I don't keep track of purchase price, but I looked for some period reviews and it seems to have been about 30 USD or 18 GBP back then, probably dearer now considering both inflation and rarity ....

[flakmonkey]

Looks like a nice kit John, I was sorely tempted by the old Airfix kit for this build but discretion proved to be the better part of valour. Somebody, I'm sure, does a 1/48 Whirlwind but I can't remember who and it probably costs about the same as a BMW.

[AndrewR]

Looks like a nice kit John, I was sorely tempted by the old Airfix kit for this build but discretion proved to be the better part of valour. Somebody, I'm sure, does a 1/48 Whirlwind but I can't remember who and it probably costs about the same as a BMW.

Classic Airframes

http://modelingmadness.com/reviews/alli ... rwhirl.htm;

[JohnRatzenberger]

Looks like a nice kit John, I was sorely tempted by the old Airfix kit for this build but discretion proved to be the better part of valour. Somebody, I'm sure, does a 1/48 Whirlwind but I can't remember who and it probably costs about the same as a BMW.

Classic Airframes

http://modelingmadness.com/reviews/alli ... rwhirl.htm;

Yes, I have one of those also .... I happen to be onbe of those who really like Classic Airframes kits and hope they return soon.

[flakmonkey]

I had all but forgotten the CA kit, wasn't it one of their first releases? There was, I'm almost certain, an all resin kit in 1/48 too. Maybe Planet Models or something. Either way I suppose sooner or later I'll have to get one. Very pretty aeroplane the Whirlwind, with a thoroughly undeserved bad reputation in some quarters.

[JohnRatzenberger]

OK, for my latest adventures ....

If you look back at the photos, you'll see where I noted some rather hefty ejector pins on the wing insides. I took them out today using photo-etch saws, in this case, the Hasegawa Tri-Tool family. They are very sharp but very flexible so you can lay them down, even bend them down, such that they ride along on a surface. Way nifty -- I have the same sort of things for woodworking. A very useful tool for any modelers tool box.




That's the good news. I started to put together the cockpit. As the instructions clearly show, the floor and both sides are of equal length and form a nice box. As the parts laying there show, that isn't how it works. Then. looking at the drawing in the lower right, one can see it matches the parts, but not the other drawing. At this point I put it away for a while and will come back to it later .... There are zero locator marks in the fuselage to get this right so I ned to play with it.

[Chris]

the illustration is quite a bit off.

[AndrewR]

the illustration is quite a bit off.

Doesn't remotely resemble...

[JohnRatzenberger]

Today, I decided to assemble the cockpit 'box' with the back edges aligned, much like the lower right drawing. I did so and they would not fit in the fuselage. This is not my first Pavla kit, so I am absolutely un-surprised at this and took the cockpit box apart. Plan B, under way now, is to glue the floor to one side of the fuselage, then fit the cockpit sides as best I can. Right now the floor is drying ... tomorrow is a new day ....

[JohnRatzenberger]

And here we are. Given the cockpit 'box' of the instructions is a no-go, I did what I have done before with Pavla, started assembling the cockpit piece-by-fitted-piece into the fuselage halves ....




If you look at my other Whirlwinf thread in Aviation modeleing, you'll see it's a trend ....

[AndrewR]

Your picture is taking a very long time to load John, and just comes up as a blue square with a question mark on it... (Safari on iPad).

[Softscience]

Yes, I have one of those also .... I happen to be onbe of those who really like Classic Airframes kits and hope they return soon.

They're certainly a challenge. I have their Fokker D XXI, and it absolutely horrifying. I would really like to build it someday, but I will need help, so if you have some CA tips, do share.


Now back to your regularly scheduled (and really swell looking) whirlwind

[Dirkpitt289]

Now back to your regularly scheduled (and really swell looking) whirlwind

[AndrewR]

Your picture is taking a very long time to load John, and just comes up as a blue square with a question mark on it... (Safari on iPad).

But looks mighty fine when I switch to Opera on the ipod!

[JohnRatzenberger]

Your picture is taking a very long time to load John, and just comes up as a blue square with a question mark on it... (Safari on iPad).

But looks mighty fine when I switch to Opera on the ipod!

Must have been a net glitch -- its same size, location, etc as the others .... Then again the blue could have been my language as I fiddled with the cockpit ...