Wellington Bomber build

[Arthur Fielding]

Hi
Its that time of year again when I start to plan the winter build, and having read and reread the Steve Vodrey Wellington build and watched three of them flying on U tube, against my better judgement I fancy having a go. I have built and flown "twins " before but nothing that big. So before I commit my self I would appreciate advice from any one who has built the SLEC Wellington.Is the kit accurate, that is do all the parts fit ? What are your thoughts on a 3 peace wing? With a three peace wing and 2 OS 33 petrol's ( cos I have some ) could I realistically keep the weight under 20k ? Whilst I understand and appreciate the 20k rule it is something I do not wont to get involved with, as I have no interest in flying for the public, I just build and fly for my own satisfaction, but of cause the model still needs to be legal. Again any input on "mods " or improvements etc would be appreciated
Thanks for your time.
Arthur.

[Rob Buckley]

Arthur

I assume you’re thinking of splitting the wings just outboard of the nacelles so the model will sit on it’s wheels and the outer panels come off? Have a measure of how much space you’ve got in your workshop, storage facility & vehicle as it will start to get a big, heavy unwieldy lump with all the heavy bits on & two light bits taken off. The benefit of the base design is that with the tailplanes & wings taken off you’re left with 3 long thin not too heavy bits to move round and store.

The kit is fairly accurate, and most of the bits fit. It’s pretty obvious & easy to fix where they don’t. The ribs, spars and the joiner tubes (the important bits) all line up and you end up with a basically square structure.

If you’re still set on a 3 piece wing, you’ll need to think of a new way to join the outer sections, as due to the wing’s dihedral, the joiner tubes will be sticking out of the bottom skin before they are far enough outboard to put the outboard panels on. If you build it light you’ll probably be still under 20Kg, but it will be getting tight...

[Steve Vodrey]

Hi Arthur.
Thanks for your interest in my article. The last person I spoke to about it said he threw it in the bin immediately ...
As regards your proposed alterations I agree with Rob's comments. The standard set up with a two piece wing are easy to store and transport. The fuselage is the longest piece anyway at 9 foot so I see no point in splitting the wings. I have a 120 inch Ziroli B25 that has a fixed centre section and the body is very heavy to load up and difficult to store. Why change it from the original Tony Nijhuis design? The kit is accurate but time consuming to build and this time would only be increased by your proposed modifications.
The two OS 33 petrol engines you have will power it albeit over power it. The rear facing carburettors will be difficult to get to for adjustments not to forget the pesky batteries and ignition units. I prefer the Zenoah 26 option (no batteries required).
Whatever option you go for I wish you well but I would register it on the over 20Kg scheme to be on the safe side. The airframe examiners don't bite...
Steve