discussion Wonwings Diary-a blog with a difference.

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The Avro Avian monoplane

Avro Avian Monoplane.

Only four Avro Avian Monoplanes were actually built,two of them I managed to trace,these are G-AAYV which had a Genet Major Radial engine for the 1930 Kings Cup race,this was eventually converted to a biplane.

She was sold to Mr.S.H.Beech who flew here from Meir airfield,Stoke on Trent,passing onto the London Transport Flying club at Broxbourne in 1936,eventually being written off in 1939.

The other British civil one was G-AAYW which belonged o Flight Lt.R.L.R.Attcherley at Market Drayton during June 12930,passing on to W.L.Handley at Elmdon in June 1940,the official records state scrapped during 1939-45 war,however there is a bit more to it than this,an ATC Squadron at Tamworh,Staffs were given the aircraft for instructional purposes,their gratitude was shown by eventually burning her,then pushing the wreck into a pond,the aircraft was replaced with a Bristol Bulldog.

This was one of two models made for the 50th Anniversary of the Air Training Corps by myself,the models were made from scrap balsa wood with the rib spacing represented with strips of Bond writing paper glued across the wings,the wheels are pre-war cloth antique dressmakers buttons with the centre filled in with milliput,the undercarriage units were made from bamboo stripped from one of those cheap £1 ( or dime store ) Chinese blinds,rigging wire is 22 swg piano wire,propeller was carved from scraps of Jelutong,panel lines were added with a 0.01 artists sketching pen,paint used was Tamiya acrylics with a coat of Johnsons over the top to give a nice realistic sheen.

Here is an old picture of the other model of the machine in civilian colours,the two models were both made over a two week period of activity in order to get them ready for the exhibition.

 

[Guest]

Barry,

I distinctly remember making the Starfire when I was very young. It was by a more unusual manufacturer that the standard Airfix or Frog fare and I am sure I was given it as a present by a relative.

 

[wonwinglo]

Richard,it was probably by Lincoln International if it was a larger scale,or Comet/Kleeware did a smaller one,the model above I believe is a much later Revell offering,the Lincoln one had no undercarriage and was very basic.

When you think of the period she was well ahead of her time.

Barry,I distinctly remember making the Starfire when I was very young. It was by a more unusual manufacturer that the standard Airfix or Frog fare and I am sure I was given it as a present by a relative.

 

[Guest]

Richard,it was probably by Lincoln International if it was a larger scale,or Comet/Kleeware did a smaller one,the model above I believe is a much later Revell offering,the Lincoln one had no undercarriage and was very basic.When you think of the period she was well ahead of her time.

That was what I thought when I saw your thread and I had no idea it was so old. When you think it was only a few short years ofter the 262's and Meteor's it was a long way ahead of it's time.

Maybe my kit was the Revell one, from what I remember it was similar in construction to yours.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The Gloster Javelin fighter.

Gloster Javelin.

The Gloster Javelin was designed for the R.A.F as an all weather fighter aircraft,its classic delta shape made for a tough machine,it had a few drawbacks firstly they took a rather long take off run,and the mechanics hated it for major maintenance,but it served its purpose at a time when the R.A.F was still learning quickly about large jet aircraft.

This model was built from the Hawk kit many years ago,Frog did a far better model of her which you can still see on occasions and there is also a Heller kit of this model if you can still find it ?

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The Arado AR.234C Blitz

Arado Ar.234.

The Arado AR.234 Blitz was the worlds first jet powered bomber,despite the fact that the original intentions were for it to be a fast reconnaisance aircraft.Work on the Arado AR.234 began in 1940 and was the result of a design study called E.370,the protype emerged in 1943,a shoulder wing design with two engines underslung beneath the wings,the fuselage cross section was so narrow that the undercarriage could not retract into it,the outcome was a jettisonable take off trolley,and retractable skids which the aircraft could return to earth.

There were considerable delays with the new Jumo 004B-0 engines which were finally delivered in February of 1943,meanwhile taxying tests were carried out culminating in the first flight in mid June,the third prototype had rocket assisted take off bottles ( RATOG )gear fitted together with a pressurised cockpit and early ejector seat.The engines were gradually uprated from 1,852 lbs to 1,962 lbs but the seventh machine in the 'A' series crashed after an engine fire killing the chief Arado test pilot Flugkapitan Selle.

The 'B' series had a conventional landing gear fitted,to alleviate the problems of not being able to move the AR.2324A around without fitting the launch trolley,the aircraft suffered thrust control problems and the BMW 003A-1 was fitted into the later 'B' series.

Operational evaluation took place over France in the reconnaisance role,during this time they defied interception.The bomber version became operational experimentally in the Stabstraffel of KG.76 on night fighter operations.

The AR.234C was fitted with four BMW003A-1 engines in 1944 and is the one shown here in model form.

The Frog kit came complete with a FZG 76 Flying Bomb model, and represented a projected plan to piggy back the bomb and launch them over populated cities at night.

Max speed 460 mph at 20,000 feet,she could climb to that height in 18 minutes.

Max range with bomb load 1,013 miles.

A truly awesome machine for its time which if developed earlier could have easily changed the path of WW.2.

 

[Guest]

Howdy Barry,

Funny you should bring up the Javelin, I just completed one the other morning (like 3 am) while waiting to go into work.

The model is sold by testors and is 1:72 scale.

And then you mention the Arado bomber, I am heading to Little Rock today and had been giving serious consideration into buying a model I had seen there of the Arado with a V 1 Buzz Bomb strapped to the top of the jet.

So, I am not sure if this is a good thing, but me and you are thinking alot alike lol.......one of us should be worried.



Have a good day,

Greg

View attachment 14837

View attachment 127363

 

[wonwinglo]

How incredible Greg ? perhaps there is some telepathy beam in operation,I really cannot explain our like subject matter ?

Nice Javelin,and the Arado must be the same model as above,nobody else made a kit of this V-1 combo.

 

[Guest]

The Arado 234 Frog kit gave th option of a or c varients inc a V1 to Stick on it this kit is very very very basic and gives a lot of problems with the canopy !! Hobby crft of Canado do a 1/48 version of the A which is now rebadged as revell the c varient is just retooling If like me you are a huge fan of the 234 you can purchase a Combat models 1/32 kit of this aircraft

the out line is superb but as its a vac it does require a lot of extra effort! That being said the kit does come with the map plans pack which makes life so much easier

 

[wonwinglo]

To be honest Nigel, it was built so long ago that I just cannot remember anything about the canopy problems ? very basic as you say,but it filled a gap in the German lineup until much better models came along.

Just think of the damage Mr Hitler could have done with this machine, had they discovered decent metals for the engines ? it does not bear thinking about.

Luftwaffe aircraft are such fascinating subjects to build.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The Douglas Skynight.

Douglas Skynight.

The Douglas Skynight was developed as a direct U.S.Navy requirement for a turbojet powered carrier based night fighter.

The type emerged as a cantilever mid wing monoplane of all metal construction,the wings incorporating hydraulic folding for storage on carriers,the circular section fuselage mounted hydraulically operated speed brakes,provided side by side accomodation for the pilot and radar operator.An unusual feature of this aircraft was an escape tunnel,extending from the rear of the cabin to the underside of the fuselage.Powerplant was two Westinghouse J34-WE-24 Turbojets,these were mounted on the lower edges of the forward fuselage,just beneath the wing roots.

The first prototype made its first flight in 1948,but while Douglas were still testing the aircraft an order for 20 aircraft was received under the designation F3D-1,the first of these were flown in 1950 and the type was filtering into service a year later.A improved Skynight under the designation F3D-2 was to enter service with a total of 237 units being made by Douglas,this had autopilot and updated avionics equipment.

The Skynight saw extensive service in Korea,this all weather fighter accounting for the majority of the victories scored by the U.S.Navy and Marine Corps.The type was re-designated the F-10A & F-10B with the introduction of the Tri-service designation system in September 1962,the aircraft soldiered on as ECM machines in Vietnam until 1969.

This model was made from a rare Matchbox kit of the type,many years before I remember battling with the smaller 1=96th scale offering made by Comet.

It represents an important but relatively forgotton jet fighter which served well in service.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Chedhams Yard wins top TV award.

http://www.scale-models.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2199&page=60&highlight=CHEDHAMS+YARD

Scale-Models backed the winner ! Chedhams Yard has won the 2006 BBC.2 Restoration Village £1 million pound award as a worthy restoration project.

Congratulations to all concerned at Wellesbourne, who worked so hard to get this little piece of important social history onto the map.

 

[Guest]

Barry,

Having missed the program this year maybe you could give me a little background to this place. I really enjoyed watching it last year but I felt so despondant at all the places that were so deserving but didn't win.

 

[wonwinglo]

Well like all this type of thing,sadly there can only be one winner leaving many other historic buildings crumbling away,however having said that this time there were some places that were no more than ruins ! to rebuild some of them would have taken a lot of money and labour and they would be virtually new buildings.

This does leave a dilemma,and that is what can be considered worth restoring as opposed to a virtual rebuild and thus loosing the appeal and character of the original ? there are bound to be arguments for and against this and many of the contestents will no doubt feel very left out,but as mentioned there is only one project that will benefit from the main prize,although I understand some of the surplus funds are used for other projects.

What made Chedhams yard stand out was because it was quite unique,it was so because the doors had been closed overnight and everything left intact until re-discovered,in fact it was not just the row of shed like buildings but all of those thousands of tools inside,the plans are to make it into a working place where the crafts of yesteryear can be still practised,and thus the traditions carried on,I hope that all of those delightful hand tools can be incorporated into a building alongside to preserve them for posterity,after all they are part and parcel of the character of the place.

It would be nice to make another visit to Chedhams yard before the place is restored,whether the organisers have any plans for this I really do not know ? but just to absorb times past and see all of building in its original glory is something that will never be forgotton.

So the restoration should be done in a sympathetic manner taking all of this into account,it will be interesting to follow the project as it develops.

Barry,Having missed the program this year maybe you could give me a little background to this place. I really enjoyed watching it last year but I felt so despondant at all the places that were so deserving but didn't win.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The North American P-82 Twin Mustang.

North American Twin Mustang.

Although the P-51 had demonstrated exceptional range for a fighter,being able to escort from England bomber squadrons operating to the farthest targets in the Third Reich and over Czechoslovakia,northern Italy and Poland,even greater range capability was required in the Pacific theatre.

This led to the development of the North American P-82 Twin Mustang protype,which joined two P-51 fighters by eliminating one port and one starboard wing and both tailplanes,uniting the two components with a parallel chord wing and a new tailplane with elevator,the revised main landing gear comprised a single unit on each fuselage.Testing of the three prototypes led to a USAAF order for 500 P-82B fighters but only 20 had been built by the time that the war had ended.

Twin Mustangs operated by the US 5th Air Force were among the first US aircraft to operate over Korea.One flown by a pilot of the 68th Fighter ( All-Weather) Squadron,destroyed the first enemy aircraft in the Korean war.

Max Speed 461 mph at 21,000 feet,service ceiling 39,000 feet,range 2,240 miles.

About the model-Just like the real machine my model was made by grafting together two examples of the Airfix P-51 Mustang kit,this entailed making the centre wing from 4 laminations of plastikard,which was scraped and sanded to shape,likewise the tailplane which was also plastikard sheet.

The model has been photographd straight out of its storage box,so the dust and marks are for real and I did not clean her up in any way,prefering to keep her original.

No doubt today there are kits for the Twin Mustang,but back then the selection was pretty poor,and you just had to make do with what you had got,so it was two weeks pocket money on two seperate weeks to buy two Mustang kits !

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The Lockheed Hudson.

Lockheed Hudson.

The first American built aircraft to be used operationally by the RAF during World War 2,the Lockheed Hudson stemmed from urgent British requirements in early 1938 for a maritime patrol/navigational trainer aircraft.Faced with the problem of producing these aircraft as quickly as possible,Lockheed proposed a militarised version of the Lockheed 14 Super Electra,as then enviasaged the new aircraft was generally similar to the Lockheed 14-WF62,except for the introduction of a new fuselage that incorporated a nose and dorsal gun turret,a bomb bay in the centre fuselage,and a navigators position within the fuselage,to the rear of the wing trailing edge,however as the British Purchasing commission were seeking a maritime reconnaisance aircraft rather than a bomber,this configuration was not accepted.The BPC suggested that the navigator should be positioned closer to the pilot ,and on the following day Lockheed produced a mock up accomodating him in a glazed nose section.This proved good enough to provide contract negotations to begin leading to an order in late June 1938 for 200 B14L aircraft as the type was then designated by Lockheed,there was a provision in the contract that 250 would be accepted provided that total was delivered before the end of December 1939.A total of 2,941 were built being supplied to the U.S.Army and RAF Lease-lend contracts,besides being in service with British and Commonwealth air forces,some aircraft went to the Chinese air force,Portuguses Naval air arm and British Overseas Airways Corporation.

Max Speed:246 mph,Service ceiling:25,000 feet,Range:1,960 miles

Built from the old Airfix kit plus a few missing replacement parts donated by another wreck,not a bad model for its age.

 

[Guest]

Another poor chap coming home on one!!

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The Messerschmitt Bf.110.

Messerschmitt Bf.110

In 1936 the Luftwaffe published specifications for a long-range strategic fighter. The Messerschmitt Bf 110 was designed in 1934 and made its first flight on 12th May 1936.

The Messerschmitt BF 110 was an all-metal twin-engine aircraft, with a three crew housed in a long enclosed cockpit. Powered by two Daimler Benz engines, it had a maximum speed of 336 mph (540 km) and had a range of 680 miles (1,094 km). It was 39 ft 7 in (12.07 m) long with a wingspan of 53 ft 4 in (16.25 m). The aircraft was armed with 5 machine-guns and two 20 mm cannons.

The aircraft performed badly during the Battle of Britain and was redesigned. The installation of radar equipment made it the best night fighter in theLuftwaffe. The Messerschmitt A. G. company produced over 5,900 of these aircraft between 1936 and 1945.

This is the old Frog model of the Bf.110,the kit still crops up now and again.

A word about the finish which was achieved with Humbrol paint,firstly a thin coat of light grey was applied with a brush,whilst this was still wet, a soft toothbrush is dipped into a tray of thinned darker colour this was held about a foot away from the model,using a domestic knife the blade is drawn across the toothbrush and moved around,up and down and across etc,the two colours start to fuse and give a most realistic mottle effect,the secret is keeping the base colour just tacky enough to grab the spatter coat,I have used this technique on most of my Luftwaffe subjects with great success for years now,people think they have been airbrushed ?

Wear old clothes and do the job outside otherwise you will have a great representation of mottled furniture !

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The Antonov AN-2 'Colt' Biplane

The Small Air Force

Antonov AN.2 Biplane

The AN-2 prototype was first flown on August 31, 1947, and the aircraft is still in production, although the Antonov Bureau has not produced any since 1960. The An-2s designer, Oleg Antonov, had been an aircraft designer during the Second World War. He then formed his own bureau with the intention of creating an aircraft capable of almost any task. He succeeded. Originally designed for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in the former Soviet Union, the aircraft was soon adopted by the Soviet Air Force and built for its client states. It is ideally suited to less developed countries because it requires little maintenance and is easy to fly.

The An-2's admittedly-antiquated design gives it extremely short take-off and landing (STOL) capabilities. This is partly achieved not only by the high-lift double wings, but by the use of the drooping ailerons which can be lowered 20 degrees to compliment the flaps. The wings are covered in fabric aft of the front spar and the tailplane is also covered with fabric, making field repairs easy. It has a crew of two in a heated crew compartment and a single bay running the length of the aircraft.

More than 12,000 Colts have been produced

The most unusual use of one of these machines was as an aerial bridge,the trip from one field to another crossed a small lake,a distance of one mile ! and there were some defections from the East in one Antonov,agricultural field workers bribed the crop spraying pilot to fly them at low level across to the west,this was successful and achieved by flying only a few feet above the ground,all this while being fired at.

This model was built from the VEB Plastikart kit,a relatively crude collection of parts that require lots of filing and shaping with plastic like metal,another example has been reworked but this one has been built virtually as is from the kit to show what it looks like.It was exchanged for other kits from a correspondent in the former DDR Eastern Germany before the wall came down.

There are other more recent kits available for the AN-2 which are finely detailed.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The Avro Anson 1

The Small Air Force

Avro Anson 1

The Avro 652 Anson was designed in 1933 as a civilian aircraft, but was militarised by the addition of a forward-firing gun in the lower port nose and an Armstrong Whitworth dorsal turret armed with a single Lewis gun. Although the Anson entered service a couple of years or so before WW2, it served in the RAF's Coastal Command during the entire conflict on reconnaissance, rescue, and anti-submarine duties. Ansons were also extensively used in a variety of aircrew training roles and for communication and liaison, both during, and after WW2. Many versions of the Anson were built in the UK and in Canada (21 marks). Canada in particular took the Anson to heart. The last Ansons were retired from the RAF in 1968, making it the longest serving aircraft on active duty in the RAF's history

I still get a thrill from this early Airfix kit of the Avro Anson 1,they were brave enough to attempt a brilliant but little modelled subject and got it right as well,the model captures the subject well and even when built from the box it turns out a nice model,just a pity that they were not a bit more adventurous with the decals with later issues to extend its life,as they did with many other kits.

There are still plenty of these around so go and buy one to build up,never mind keeping it in the box build it and make a good job of a real piece of aviation history.