1/72 Westland Whirlwind MK.I - Your Favorite Aircraft of All Time GB

[jjp_nl]

Username: jjp_nl
First Name: Jelmer
Category: Intermediate
Scale: 1/72
Manufacturer: Special Hobby
Model Type: Westland Whirwind Mk.I
Aftermarket Parts: Essentially none, but it’s a multi-media kit that comes with both PE and resin bits



I’ve been having doubts about joining yet another GB, fearing I might, again, fail to get it done in time, or end up putting a project on the shelf of doom for indefinite time…but with a good many personal favs in the stash I figured I just might as well join in and see what happens.

The problem is picking a good subject. I don’t have one particular favourite a/c I just have to build. There’s plenty out there I just have to have a kit of. After looking at the stash I picked the Westland Whirwind. If anything, this to me has to be one of the most elegant British designs of the early war years. A nice and slick design with it’s somewhat oversized yet streamlined nacelles and…bristling with a 4x20mm battery that could prolly take care of just about anything that ended up in front of it. I don’t really think a lot about ‘what-ifs’ when it comes to a/c that basically didn't make the cut, but looking at the Whirlwind I just can’t help but think what might have happened if the problems with the Rolls Royce Peregrine engine would have been sorted out, or if a different and more reliable power plant of sorts would have been installed (Merlin any1?). What a powerful fighter/fighter bomber it could have been in great numbers.

Out of three different versions of this kit I have in my stash I picked this one because I like the dark earth/dark green scheme the best on this baby. So, what does one get upon opening the box? Two sprue of plastic parts. Surface detail is very nice indeed (I expect this short run kit to have some fit issues, so better be careful not to ruin the subtle and crisp details), but sprue attachement point are a little heavy it seems. A sheet of decals including markings for 4 aircraft (two in the dark earth/dark green scheme and two more in dark green/ocean grey scheme) Upon turing the bag holding the decals around one finds a small sheet of PE parts. Next is a small bag of resin parts, and last but not least a neatly packaged canopy.

Small as this kit is (all in all not that much bigger then say a Hurricane in 1/72) I expect it to be a build that will take some time and careful work given the multi-media, short run nature of it but with this GB running until sometime in May I figure it must be possible to finish in time. Off to get some sleep now, and intend to be back tomorrow with the actual work commencing.

Jelmer

[brucejscott]

Nice choice Jelmer! Very interesting subject. Have fun with it.

[Vic Balshaw]

Not often you see one of these crop up. It's a nice looking machine and don't worry about finishing or not, the fact is your having fun making it.

[Wurger]

[jjp_nl]

So, on to the first update of this build.

PIC 1: This shows the wheel bays. Fit of the parts was only so so, a few gaps remained. What I did was mix some CA with talcum powder. You'll get a bit of a paste similar to your average putty. Apply to gaps as usual. Wait for a few minutes to allow it to set up like regular CA, and take out the sanding gear. The Talcum powder makes the CA more suitable to fill larger gaps and it also makes it a bit easier to sand.
PIC 2: Next I glued the wing halves. Fit was quite OK I must say, but the nacelles had some minor gaps to them and a minor step here and there. Sanded it out as good as possible, and again went in with the CA/Talcum Powder mix.
PIC 3: As the CA/Talcum Powder mix set up on the nacelles I moved on to do some work on the interior. PE Instrument panel was glued on the plastic back plate.
PIC 4: The basic interior bulkheads and floor were glued into one of the fuselage halves.
PIC 5: The PE seatbelt was also glued onto the seat.
PIC 6&7: The last two pics show the nacelles after I sanded down and polished the joins that were touched up with the CA/Talcum Powder mix. Came out as I'd hoped. some minor irregularities remain, but a bead of Mr.Surfacer should take care of the down the line. Some minor scribing needs to be done also to restore a panel line here and there that was very faint to begin with, and sanding all but obliterated it down the line.

So, sofar this is coming along nicely. I'm not sure if I'll use all the PE parts for the interior. Some are so d*mn small I can barely see them, let alone glue them in place in an orderly fashion. Little can be seen of it anyway when all is closed up and canopy put on top.

[rochie]

nice work
i soooooo want one of these in 1/48 scale

[jjp_nl]

i soooooo want one of these in 1/48 scale

Me too...but I so don't have the money to pay for one of these Classic Airframes kit...if at all found

[Wurger]

Looking good.

[Airframes]

Good stuff Jelmer, somewhere I have an article and profiles, in a magazine. If/when I find them, I'll e-mail it to you.

[jjp_nl]

Would be great Terry! Funny you should mention an article though. It was an article in Jan '12 FlyPast about the rescue of John Van Schaick that kinda reminded me I had a few kits of the Whirwind lying around. I've got three or four books about it too (in PDF). Given the limited numbers produced and minor role in the war I found it quite surprising that quite a few truly excellent photographs exist of the thing.

[meatloaf109]

I'm a cockpit and gear nut, that is one nice looking I.P. 'specially in 1/72! Kudos to you, sir!

[jjp_nl]

I'm a cockpit and gear nut, that is one nice looking I.P. 'specially in 1/72! Kudos to you, sir!

Thank you!

[Vic Balshaw]

Can't believe how good that PE instrument panel looks particularly when reminded of the scale. Nice work Jelmer.

[Wayne Little]

Now Jelmer, there is no pressure to finish on time.....but....get crackin' man....want to see this one done!

[jjp_nl]

Thanks for the encouragement Wayne I have good hope this build wil actually be finished in time. You will prolly have to forgive me for cheating a little on the super small PE parts for the interior though. I almost can't see them, nor do I have the appropriate tool to place these super small parts in the appropriate positions. I iight give it a shot nonetheless, but we'll see what comes of that. If I can't manage them and fear it'll end up in a giant CA spill in the cockpit I won't let them bog me down