Subject: Re: Gallery Article - Westland Whirlwind
From: "Steve Bamford" <[email-masked]>
To: "Aibara Darius @Consult" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2003 14:02:34 -0700

----- Original Message -----
From: "Aibara Darius @Consult" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2003 5:28 AM
Subject: Gallery Article - Westland Whirlwind

Steve

One more for the pending articles box!

Regards

Darius

Gallery Template #04
"1:48 Classic Airframes Westland Whirlwind"
by "Darius Aibara"
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This is one of Classic Airframes original releases which they followed by
another early WWII RAF Aircraft - the Fairey Battle.  The kit comprised
limited run injection moulded fuselage and wing parts with finely engraved
detail.  The cockpit interior, guns and wheels were cast in resin with the
main gear legs made of white metal.  A small photo-etched fret contained the
instrument panel and wing radiator details.  You get two vac-formed canopies
.  I invariably make a slip with the knife when there is only one canopy,
but when two are supplied I experience no problems.  Consequently I have a
growing supply of spare vac-formed canopies (if anyone needs a spare).
I prepared the plastic parts as per a vac-formed kit, carefully sanding the
mating edges and then assembled the kit as per the instructions.  The resin
cockpit sidewalls needed to be thinned to get them to fit between the
fuselage halves but apart from that there were no major fit problems.  The
connection of the separate prop blades to the resin spinners was difficult
as a butt jointed affair - in hindsight I should have reinforced the joints
with steel rod as the prop blades are wont to "ping off" at the slightest
encouragement.
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The assembled fuselage and wings were primed with the usual grey spray auto
primer and the brush painted with Humbrol enamels - including the sky
fuselage band.  The kit-provided resin underwing ordnance was used, however
the resin bomb racks are incredibly delicate.  The white metal undercarriage
legs needed to be drilled to accept steel rod axles to mount the main
wheels.  The resin tailwheel leg is not strong enough to support the tail
and duly collapsed when the aircraft was finally set on its wheels.  I
removed the tailwheel and mounted it on a new steel rod leg which does the
job admirably.  My source of steel rod for all this reinforcement is a bulk
supply of steel mapping pins which are carefully snipped to the correct
length.   The kit decals were utilised and some light weathering applied
using pastels.  All in all an enjoyable kit of an unsung RAF hero.
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Photos and text © 2003 by "Darius Aibara"

 <<Westland Whirlwind.zip>>

Darius Aibara
TPS Consult

Tel:  020 8256 4090
Fax: 020 8256 4082

www.tpsconsult.co.uk

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