A Whitley story...in scale

[Alex Kontiveis]

Dedicated to all Whitley's Boys who have flown with this machine, dedicated to my friend Elliott Smock who restores this machine!

Introduction

Why have I chosen this bomber? Here is the answer. By the time I read this, I didn't make a second thought.

Flight Sergeant D. L. Lord

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Died on active service, 13 August 1942, England. This Poem is written by his mother.



"He was such a lad - barely 21,

For him life had only just begun,

And took our beloved yougest son,

But God said his job of work was done.



The blow was cruel - the anguish great,

Why should this have been his fate?

God only knows and His will be done,

He said, ‘Come home to Me, my son’.



His leave was due and we prepared,

We little knew how he had fared,

The message came, the night - how long,

But God decided, and we were wrong.



The 16th dawned - the 17th too,

The day he said, ‘I’ll be seeing you’,

He came, but what a different way,

Still, silent - not a word to say.



We met him - saw his resting place,

We could not gaze upon his face,

We lift our eyes up to the skies,

God is our help and He is wise.



We gave a son of whom we’re proud,

A brave courageous lad - no coward,

Now we must carry on - we three,

Of his sacrifice worthy to be.



What of our two brave sons abroad?

Bless them and keep them safe, O Lord.

Encircle them within Your arm,

And bring them home away from harm."



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Bibliography

* Roberts, R.N. The Whitley File. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians), 1986.
* Wixey, Ken. Armstrong Whitworth Whitley (Warpaint Series No. 21). Denbigh East, Bletchley, UK: Hall Park Books, 1999.
* The Whitley Boys: 4 Group Bomber Operations 1939 to 1940
* Armstrong-Whitworth Aircraft since 1913
* Pilot’s notes
* Profile 153 - The Armstrong Whitworth Whitley

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the following Gentlemen for their kind offer in helping me!

* Elliott Smock (Whitley_project). Elliott restores a Mk.V
* Johan Bloemers.(http://www.crashsiteslimburg.nl)
* Hendon Museum
* David Briggs
* IPMS MALTA

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Lets get started!
I bought Sanger’s Vac “kit”…but God makes it a Kit!! As far as you can see this is a piece of plastic…nothing more. I will use the two fuselage halves. Everything else are gonna stay in the dark.



I cut the two halves, sanding for days. As soon as this procedure was finished…I marked the areas that I going to open or rebuild them (in red color) according to 1/48 Whitley’s plans.









Surgery!!!!





I used evergreen sticks (L) in order of making the lips for connecting the two halves later. The Vac's plastic thickness is like a paper!!!







The most painful work, concerns the small windows on fuselage.
Next step… I have to build the basic sections for placing the internal Structure.

....That will be my next episode.

PS. I would be grateful to you if you share with me any objections...

Thank U
Alex

[kev35]

Objections?

How can anyone object, this is 'master modelling' at its finest and I look forward to seeing more.

Regards,

kev35

[Nashio966]

I can only reiterate kev's sentiments above, Cannot wait to see moar!

[Alex Kontiveis]

TNX guys!

There is not something interesting yet on my first post. But I have to make the first step...somehow.

I will be late for my next post...(I need lot of work!!!). But I believe that you wont regret it!

Cheers
Alex

[Alex Kontiveis]

Hi guys..
This is my last post for this year.



Yes… I know I’m late. But I had to build a huge number of sections and join them together. This step was the most important of the whole build. Too many dry fits, too many resets in order to achieve the correct fitting according to Whitley’s technical plans.
At first I had to build the cockpit floor, Main fuselage’s floors and then all the bulkheads.









The most difficult part of this build, were the bomb-bays cells. The main structure built was next. The cockpit floor, the rear fuselage’s floor, the bulkheads, radio-operator’s little cabin, and all the major components from nose to tail!

As soon as this boring part was finished we stepped forward to its final dry fit, checking gaps etc. Everything is good enough and we proceeded directly to its primer. I used Primer for car’s plastic parts.

At this point I would like to say that I didnt pay attention on the LEFT rear fuselage side during attaching the frames of its structure. Its a blind part... Mostly I did a rough work in order to strengthen the left side as well as the right one.

The most boring part and dangerous part of such a build is now finished. We shall continue next with the interesting making of all the interior’s items such as seats, instrument panel, devices etc.
Thank U for your attention. I would be grateful to you, If you post any objections so far, concerning the technical accuracy of all these. I can fix them if its possible…
PS. Forgive my poor English!

My best wishes and a Happy new Year to U and your Families!

[DCK]

A massive job!!!

[Col.Mitchell]

Great job Alex ...

Will keep you busy here ,,,
More, more ...

[Whitley_Project]

Wow - looking great Alex! Well done. I've sent some pics through of the correct shades of finish for the fuselage interior, including cockpit green.

Excellent work!

[Alex Kontiveis]

TNX guys. I really appreciate your interest.

Yes Elliott. I did received your pics. I have already sent you a feedback.
Thank U.

QUESTION
What was the color of the instrument panel? Green with black the square panel front of the pilot's controls or... overall black like Halifax and Lancaster?

According to my pics...I think that the first choice (green and black) fits better...

What's your opinion guys, Elliott?


(source: A.W. Whitley Pilot's notes)

[Alex Kontiveis]

Today I’m gonna show you, the Whitley’s seats… Totally three (the third one, radio-operator’s seat is already built, located on his Bulkhead). You can see it in my previous post.



[size=5"]PILOT’S SEAT [/size] WITH ARMOUR PLATE ADDITION. (Yellow copper)

Handmade Built , with the functional arm rest as well as I did for my Lancaster’s seat
dimensions : 2,3 cm x 0,7 cm





CO-PILOT’S – NAVIGATOR’S SEAT

Functional also… The seat can be rotaded 360 degrees
dimensions: 1,9 cm x 0,8 cm



Yes I’m married!!!



That’s all for today guys! Thank’s for looking

[bookman]

Am I the only-one to have read that poem of a mothers grief at losing her young son without a tear in their eye. My Dads first ever flight whilst in the ATC 1944 was aboard a Whitley flying from RAF Oakley/Worminghall. Later in Wellingtons from Brize Norton. Thankfully my [Young Aviator] is still with us at age 84 and a half.

[mantog]

Most impressive Alex, I look forward to reading your updates! Keep up the (very) good work :-)

Mantog

[Alex Kontiveis]

TNX guys...

I'm glad you like it. Although my progress so far is something like a foreword in my whole subject... I believe that my following updates will be more interesting...

Alex

[Matthewop]

Am I the only-one to have read that poem of a mothers grief at losing her young son without a tear in their eye. My Dads first ever flight whilst in the ATC 1944 was aboard a Whitley flying from RAF Oakley/Worminghall. Later in Wellingtons from Brize Norton. Thankfully my [Young Aviator] is still with us at age 84 and a half.

i know that too!

[winters112]

Hey
firstly amazing work, cant believe my eyes
secondly keep it up

great.
Anyway I ordered the kit for myself today, and have a few questions.
Could you provide me with information about the cockpit and nose section (technical drawings maybe?), some kind of information on the turrets so I can build them, and out of what material did you built the Interior? I would have used plastic but it seems more metallic to me =)

Thanks if you could help me make a similar good model. Want to make it to remember the Crew of Whitley Z9132 which crashed in the north sea.

Regards

Christopher

[Whitley_Project]

Hi Alex - any more pics on this amazing project?

[Alex Kontiveis]

Hi Alex - any more pics on this amazing project?

Hi Elliott,
I'm working very carefully and you are gonna see a huge update soon. In fact I will post ALL the Whitley's interior from nose to tail..

Keep waiting please...

here are some shots... of my work, few weeks ago...





stay tuned...

[CeBro]

Looks great,

Cees

[inkworm]

Looks amazing already, can't even begin to imagine what the finished product will look like.

[Alex Kontiveis]

TNX guys

Lets make one step forward!!!

Posting this update we have finished the Chapter FUSELAGE INTERIOR

Here are some items before assembling the cockpit







We begin by showing the most interesting small items

This is Elsan. Although the toilet will be not visible at last... I couldn't resist!!!



...a toilet paper, always necessary!!


Lets go to Visible items!!

The Astrograph's device



Navigator's table lamp



Wireless Operator's devices



...a table ruler



...a divider



The CSBS bomb sight... That small device has more pieces than a 1/48 Kit. One week of work!



The poor Turkey!!! Unfortunately, the Whitley's interior was very poor compared to other RAF bombers... I tried to add as more items as I could..

Elliott will tell me more in case I missed something...








That's all for today. I hope you like it.

Alex

[Wyvernfan]

A masterpiece in miniature.. there's no other words for it.!

[Tin Triangle]

Absolutely jaw-droppingly amazing!!! Quite a work of art, and a truly excellent reference.

By the way, I think you probably mean "dividers" (a device for measuring distances on maps) rather than "Diabetes" (a medical disorder caused by being unable to control levels of sugar in the blood)!

[Alex Kontiveis]

A masterpiece in miniature.. there's no other words for it.!

Hi Wyverfan,
I'm not sure if that model is gonna be a masterpiece when its done, but I can assure U that I will make an effort for a Good C.C. Whitley.
Thank U so much

Alex

Absolutely jaw-droppingly amazing!!! Quite a work of art, and a truly excellent reference.

By the way, I think you probably mean "dividers" (a device for measuring distances on maps) rather than "Diabetes" (a medical disorder caused by being unable to control levels of sugar in the blood)!

Yes... You are right!!! I feel so stupid!!! Dividers! I will correct it ASAP!

Thank U for your kind words! I appreciate it!

Alex


Please do not Hesitate to make your Hardest critique...

[turrettek]

Hi Alex,

I've just been directed to your thread by a mate who's also into that sort of thing, and what a massive job you've undertaken! Not a modeller myself, but I can appreciate your attention to detail which is awesome. I've just completed the restoration of an FN4a turret for the Ulster Aviation Society, and logged 1400 hours on it, not including research, so I know how much effort you're putting into your project, mind you, I reckon the full size work is easier!
What type of turrets are you building for your model?

Keep up the good work!
John

[Alex Kontiveis]

Hi John,

Thank you for your good words.
I'm gonna build an FN.16 NOSE turret equipped with one Vickers K machine gun and one rear FN.4 turret.

Alex

[winters112]

I dont know what to say!
Btw I received my whitley "kit" aswell. Its really a crap piece of plastic :diablo:

Sanger must want it, that you put a massive effort in the kit to get at least something near an aircraft out of it
Keep up the good work, Ill take some things out of it and will rebuilt them as far as I can. Some piece must have been very tricky.
But one question is left: I thought the Whitley was equipped with an Mk 7 bomb sight?

regards

Christopher

[critter592]

Absolutely stunning work, Alex.
I shall be using this thread as a reference for when I build my next Whitley; the ageing 1:72 Frog offering.

A question - Are you a Watchmaker by trade?

The detailing of those FUNCTIONING (!!) seats, etc. are truly amazing. Many of the other smaller details look functional as well; all add to the effect that you could climb aboard and fly her.

Although judging by the state of the Elsan, she has just returned fron a pretty "hairy" trip! :diablo:

Am I the only one to have read that poem of a mothers grief at losing her young son without a tear in their eye.

No.

[Alex Kontiveis]

Hi guys
Long time since my last update…
This build goes rather slow… many problems are rapidly rising and still everything are temporary…
Here you can see my work so far… The fuselage is closed already and wrapped with aluminum as usual. That was the easy step… The big problem was the 20 oval Lilliputian windows on fuselage… I had to re-make them from the beginning. More than 50-60 efforts in order to achieve the uniformity!!!
Another hard point was the framing which is build with evergreen strips. Ofcourse nothing is finished yet. Although I managed to make very good moulds for the front gun turret’s cupola, the canopy needs more work. I will rebuild her and I will make a new mould for vacuuming her once again.
Many items from the cockpit are cannibalized, because of the hundreds dry fits and test work…
Oh God! That’s definitely an Odyssey for me. I hope you like it!

















PS... Hey Chris, I have forgotten U. As soon as I complete the final mould work on the canopy, I will send your stuff. . Canopy need lots of work yet...

[winters112]

Alex
Nothing more that I can say!
Did you receive my Emails? Or are you very busy?

Ähm I do have few Questions.
1. What dod you mean with maken the Stringer and Frames from evergreen?
2. How did you do the riveting?
3. Did you wrapped the aircraft in aluminium foil? or what is that, and why did you do that?
4.How did you make it that the fields between the rivets look so different from each other?
5. How are you doing the cockpit canopy? cant figure it out.

Hope you can answer them all. I want to get better aswell =)

Best regards

Christopher

P.S. waiting for an answer on my mail hope youll find some time soon =)

[Alex Kontiveis]

Hi Chris
Yes I did receive your e-mails. I'll have to make some modification on my canopy's moulds as far as you can see on my pics above. Then I will send you a copy plus the turret's cupola. As I told U, my steps are not the same as yours... To many things are gonna be changed till the final result. That's why I'm afraid that my Canopy will not fit on yours...

I began wrapping my models (the heavy projects) with aluminium sheet, several years ago. Actually since 2007. That's very familiar to me... Take a look on my Lancaster or on my Kenneth Taylor's P-40.

I didnt understand question No4...What do you mean by that?

The canopy's frame is done by using evergreen strips, glued together with Poly cement. I used canopy's mould in order to place them in correct shape. Sanded several times to reduce their weight. I used Mr Surface primer to check her finishing. That procedure, cost to me, more than one month of work with many resets of course!!!

Another Tip you can use for yours, is 1mm tape instead of strips. That's more safe.

Cheers
Alex