Most typical scales of currently flying LMA Wellingtons

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Timothy Huff
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Most typical scales of currently flying LMA Wellingtons

Postby Timothy Huff » December 7th, 2019, 6:48 pm

Could anyone venture an opinion, (preferably educated!) as to the scale of Wellington, circa 1/4 to 1/6th scale, of the models most often seen flying?

It seems to me they're mostly of very similar size, and probably built to a single scale, if so, what is it please?

The reason I'm asking is that I hope shortly to produce drawings for a much lighter, simpler and appropriately scaled pair of FN5 turrets suitable for MK Ic and MK II Wellingtons, and for the front turret is Mk III's onwards. if nearly everyone is building their Wimpys to the same scale, then that would be most useful to know what that is!

Cheers,

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Rob Buckley
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Re: Most typical scales of currently flying LMA Wellingtons

Postby Rob Buckley » December 7th, 2019, 7:48 pm

LMA Secretary - I've got a reasonable idea where you live!

Timothy Huff
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Re: Most typical scales of currently flying LMA Wellingtons

Postby Timothy Huff » December 7th, 2019, 7:56 pm

Many thanks indeed, that's the one!

Scott Edwards
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Re: Most typical scales of currently flying LMA Wellingtons

Postby Scott Edwards » December 9th, 2019, 12:56 pm

Hi Tim,

SLEC says their Wellington is 1/5 but it isn't. Full size is 26.26m and the SLEC kit is 3.96m. That makes the scale 1:6.6

A true 1/5 model would be well over 17 foot span. Yikes !

If you want any actual measurements from the SLEC Wellington, please let me know.

Timothy Huff
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Re: Most typical scales of currently flying LMA Wellingtons

Postby Timothy Huff » December 11th, 2019, 2:23 am

Thankyou, that would have been a costly error had you not told me as I'd have taken 1/5th to be just that! Assuming the wing design is correct, perhaps a measurement of the SLEC wingspan might be most useful to establish scale?

Manish Chandrayan
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Re: Most typical scales of currently flying LMA Wellingtons

Postby Manish Chandrayan » December 19th, 2019, 6:36 pm

Tim
Given that the SLEC/Nijhuis kit is not very scale, my suggestion would be to go by the supplied turret mouldings dimensions rather than pure scale dimensions. I am just starting to build one and could measure up the turret mouldings.
And if you are going to come up with a simpler turret and interior count me in as customer :)

Timothy Huff
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Re: Most typical scales of currently flying LMA Wellingtons

Postby Timothy Huff » December 28th, 2019, 4:11 pm

Hi Manish,

I have replied via email to you, having only seen your post above last night. let me know if you havn't received it?

Tim

Manish Chandrayan
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Re: Most typical scales of currently flying LMA Wellingtons

Postby Manish Chandrayan » January 6th, 2020, 10:49 am

Tim, Happy new year to you and your's. I did receive your e-mail. But I must admit that your detailed work is beyond my reach. Your turrets are a masterpiece project. I was thinking more on the lines of a very basic turret interior.

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Re: Most typical scales of currently flying LMA Wellingtons

Postby Timothy Huff » January 15th, 2020, 6:01 pm

Hi Manish

That's to be expected really, my project was not optimised for simplicity or to a price, or come to that with the notion of making further ones in mind! That said, much of the hard work was involved in establishing the dimensions, movement arcs and discovering what was - and wasn't - practicable to make and assemble.

If you like, I could supply you with some line-drawings of the CAD drawings for the parts as currently drawn, and you could "red-spot" the images with the parts you're interested in and return, along with a scale and/or the internal diameter of the turret-ring as a scale. I could then advise you of the price for a limited number of amended parts which you could use as the basis for a turret or two. There's a lot that can be done to make a turret design more affordable, particularly doing away with the pneumatically operated elevation and rendering some sheet parts as shapes I can make from non-3d printed material. It's the movement side of things that really adds to the costs. Likewise the working collimating sight. The "fixed ring" I designed worked well, but was far from cheap to make, so again, I'd look to simplify that greatly.

There's no reason why you would need even to buy "all the parts" required for a turret. I would suggest the "red-dotted" parts in the attached image to be sensible start. "Green-dotted" parts could be made from cheaper materials. (By no means an exhaustive list) So basically, I'd make the guns, the gun-cradle, the hydraulic stack in the middle of the turret, the box it sits on, the gun-cradle and axle and the front face of the turret cupola if needed.

I am seriously looking at taking on commissions based on, but not nearly as expensive as, the turrets I built, with a view to specialising in producing turrets and scarf-rings etc. Please don't assume that they necessarily cost the earth to make - which I why I think I suggested we meet to talk it over. As I see it, we'd be using my CAD drawings as a basis for producing a simpler kit of principle visible parts, with greater use of non-3d printed materials, for you to paint and assemble. But to look into this, we would really need to meet, preferably here in Oxfordshire so I can explain all the options, and where expense or complexity can be avoided.

(EDIT) The other way we can reduce costs would be to get the 3d printed parts produced in China.

Cheers,

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Timothy Huff
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Re: Most typical scales of currently flying LMA Wellingtons

Postby Timothy Huff » November 26th, 2020, 12:35 am

Just by way of an FYI, I am actively working to provide a non-functioning* FN5 turret at 1:6.6 scale for the SLEC/Nijhuis Wellington. The 3d printing side is straight-forwards, the cupola is another matter, as it cost over £300 just making the moulds, and the vac-forming in polycarbonate was another £150. Obviously I'd be sharing this cost over several sales, but it would be helpful to gauge interest in these for new-builds or retrofitting at 1:6.6 scale. It would also be helpful to know the height of the clear plastic cupola on these models.

*non functioning means no driven elevation, although if it's practical, I'll make the sight-bar linkages operate by hand movement of the guns if able, and make provision for the turret to traverse.

The other thing I'm looking at is a non-structural 12 and half frame, ie the frame which sits directly behind the pilot, which is in clear view through the cockpit windows. When Covid is a thing of the past, I'd be most interested to find someone with one of these Wellingtons in order to examine the areas of the turrets, so that what's designed works with the air-frame as built.


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