Trumpeter 1/48 Wellington MkII conversion kit ?

Modeling Subjects Aircraft
1

Hello,

I was wondering whether a conversion set existed or not, to convert Trumpeter’s 1/48 Wellington to a MkII.

I’d love to build a Merlin engined Wellington…

Do you know such a conversion kit ?

In addition, I have read some Mk IIs served as the 40mm Vickers gun testbed… but I found no reference at all on the internet as regards this mounting… I’d like to know more. Can you help?

Thanks

Regards,

Richard

2

Let me check something on that 40mm gun mounting… I may have a book with some info on it. If it’s the one I’m thinking of, the gun was mounted in a large, low dorsal turret. Give me some time, I may be able to get a scan off for ya.

3

There will be a resin conversion set soon produced by Model Aircraft Monthly. It will have Merlin engines, spinners/props, three styles of exhaust, 4,000ib cookie and enlarged bomb bay/doors and enlarged tailplanes. There will be a historical/reference article and a model build. When I spoke to the editor Neil Robinson in October he had already built the Wellington. After I gave him a lot of photographs of 305 Squadron Wellington IIs he decided he wanted to paint it in 305 colours. The problem was that it had to be one that was modified to carry cookie. The only example I could find that definitely could caused another problem as he had built the model without triangular fuselage windows. So I don’t know how it will finally turn out. The article and conversion kit should be out soon, maybe in the next edition.

The 40mm Vickers S cannon was installed in the prototype Mk II L4250 in an upright dorsal turret originally designed for the Boulton Paul P.92. Later it was remounted in a larger streamlined turret with an automatic predictor sight. Because this installation was complex and heavy the geodetic structure flexed so the centre section near the turret was covered with stressed metal skin instead of fabric. Called type 416 the turret altered the directional stability of the aircraft so the tail was replaced with a braced twin-tail arrangement.

Another S Gun was mounted in the nose of Z8416 and called type 439. It was controlled by a gunner seated amidships. A dorsal blister housed a sight, rangefinder and predictor.

4

Hi antoni,

Wow ! thats very good news [:)]

I’ll be looking for this 1/48 resin conversion kit as soon as its available ! Do you know where I could buy it ?

Got any pic of the converted model ?

Do you know if the gun mounted in the nose of Z8416 and called type 439 was forward firing only ?

Thanks a lot for the information !

Best regards,

Richard

5

That’s the same pic I had, but better quality. So… never mind. I guess. [;)]

6

Thanks Lucien !

Cheers

Richard

7

It will be avialable from the publishers http://www.sampublications.com/sampubs.htm

Some might eventually be stocked in model shops loike the Aviation Megastore.

I have not seen the model so don’t have any photographs. When I was last in touch with the editor in November it hadn’t been painted.

As far as I know the type 439 was forward firing only. The only photo of it I have seen was taken through a chain link fence and had blurred lines across it.