30" span Westland Whirlwind - 2014's 1st New Build

Yes, I know I've got too many builds going on at the moment....but hey, too much is never enough for me!

This one will be based on the Easy Built Kit which is a free-flight model of 30" span for twin-rubber motors (www.easybuiltmodels.com/d06.htm). It's described as a display model, but the 1940s original model was designed to fly and I suspect that the description is required because it'll be a bit of a challenge to get it to perform. There'll be lots of mods to the kit too. The model is one piece and will have to be designed to knock apart in the inevitable crash.

I'll be aiming to get it finished for the BMFA's new FF Kit Scale competition at the BMFA FF Nats at the end of May. It'll also be eligible for the SAM 35 Masefield Trophy at Old Warden in July, the BMFA Scale Nats in August and the Peterborough Flying Aces Comp in September.

Here's a rundown on the kit, which is currently £27.95 from SAMS Models (see item G6013 0n www.samsmodels.com/site/Catsectiong.html). The box contains print and strip wood, a plan, caonopy, wheels, wire, instructions coloured tissue and tissue markings:



I'll be finishing it as the prototype in silver. There's several reasons for this. It's a free flight model and if it flies, at some point it'll end up in trees, bushes and fields - camouflage finishes are not good for conspicuity! Silver pigment is one of the lightest pigments and has good covering power - lighter models fly better. Finally, prototype aircraft normally have the weapons missing, so there's less to catch and break off on the inevitable crash landings.

I started cutting the bits out two years ago, this is the story so far:

sheesh
not another project.
i thought you were not starting any more new ones this year.

I'M NOT TALKING TO YOU ANYMORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HMMMMMPH!!! - am addicted to the peanuts 12" models now you go and introduce another size I like !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This will be a lovely build to watch

Am now looking at Sam's puss moth and the De Havilland D.H.2.

That was last year Tony, I told you on Chat that I've got three to start this year: the Whirlwind, an ANEC IV and a 150% Bandit or similar. That'll be it in the short term though........

Andy
I would have thought the nacelles of the Whirlwind were rather short for rubber power or are you going for a Coup d'Hiver performance!

On the contrary Q, they're quite large. Rubber twins can be more efficient than singles and as the nacelle is quite fat, I'll be able to get a much longer motor in there than on an equivalent fuselage length. As an added plus, most of the nacelle is below the wing, so I'll be able to carry the rubber to the back of the nacelle without it impinging on the main spar. Further, the majority of the rubber will be well forward, so there will not be a requirement for excessive nose weight.

However, even given all of that, the flight time requirement for the intended competition in May is only 30" and to achieve a flight score at the August Nats it'll only need to fly for 20". I'm hoping for 40" - 50" still air time which will also make it competitive in the other two comps.

Brings back memories of that 4 motored Halifax i got the plans of when i was a kid, frightened me to death! best of luck with this one, great bit of history, and yet another of our aircraft that someone should have shoved one to the back of a hangar, and hid for 50years

Does it take off from the ground because I am surprised it only has to fly 20" surely you could get it to glide further otherwise

The take off is not marked in BMFA FF outdoor rubber so I'll be building the Whirlwind with no UC. That'll reduce the weight and complexity, it'll also leave more room in the nacelles for rubber and make the model look more realistic in flight. 20 seconds doesn't sound very long, but it's surprising how difficult it appears to some modellers.

With few exceptions, BMFA Scale models are marked subjectively for their appearance in flight. For free flight models this includes take off (except outdoor rubber), climb, transition to descent, approach, landing (not for outdoor models) and an overall mark for realism. You can find full details of the marking schemes in the BMFA Rule Book on the BMFA site. Here's a link to last years BMFA Scale Rule Book, a new one for 2014 has been agreed but has yet to appear on the site - www.bmfa.org/Portals/0/Documents/Rule%20Books/Ru13-sca.pdf

I finally managed to get into the model room after a two week layoff and make some progress on the WHirlwind. The first job was to strip some 1.5mm balsa into 1mm, 1.5mm and 3mm strips -



I'd already spent an hour or so sorting the parts into boxes of the various components - wing, fus, nacelles, empennage - so I was able to get on with the fus. The outline on the plan is one strip of 1/16" balsa. It looked a bit unstable to me, so I laminated the outline from two pieces of 1.5mm x 1mm. The first job, therefore, was to place a straight edge on the outline and put some holding blocks of 1.5mm balsa along the outline. The 2 x 1.5mm x 1mm could then be held with further blocks of 1.5mm pinned in place.




Formers were then added and a single stringer placed (but not yet glued) to hold the formers upright.

I finally managed to get into the model room after a two week layoff and make some progress on the WHirlwind. The first job was to strip some 1.5mm balsa into 1mm, 1.5mm and 3mm strips -



I'd already spent an hour or so sorting the parts into boxes of the various components - wing, fus, nacelles, empennage - so I was able to get on with the fus. The outline on the plan is one strip of 1/16" balsa. It looked a bit unstable to me, so I laminated the outline from two pieces of 1.5mm x 1mm. The first job, therefore, was to place a straight edge on the outline and put some holding blocks of 1.5mm balsa along the outline. The 2 x 1.5mm x 1mm could then be held with further blocks of 1.5mm pinned in place.




Formers were then added and a single stringer placed (but not yet glued) to hold the formers upright.

yay some building is getting done.
nice one sir.

I've also found the picture of the prototype I'll be modelling -

a very weird looking aircraft.