Armstrong-Whitworth Whitley Bomber

Highlander · Sep 23, 2005, 10:49 PM

Hi, Ya'll!

I just wanted to show the end result of my secret project for the last year. My best flying buddy built a twin and I got really envious. I wanted to build something really unique and very cool, pushing my model building efforts a bit. Well, I certainly did that! . I really like RAF bombers and felt this would be a really different model that would satisfy my goals.

The Armstrong-Whitworth Whitley bomber was one of the early 'heavy' RAF bombers of the war. One of the most interesting design features was that the real aircraft had no flaps. The design featured a really high (8 degree, I think?) wing incidence. The Whitley saw most action as an early night bomber and was quickley replaced by the more famous Wellington, Halifax, Sterling and Lancaster bombers. The Whitley later served as a glider tug.

You Brits probably will appreciate this effort more than most of us Yanks as it probably will seem more familiar to you. Does anyone know of any other flying models of the Whitley out there? I have seen some older plans available on the Web somewhere.

This model is almost entirely scratch built, fabricated from foam components from www.nastytoesaviation.com and is fiberglassed using the 0.75 oz. glass cloth and water-based polyeurathane. The tail is sheet balsa and the canopy, gun turrets and cowling are custom made and vacuum-formed by me and another club modeler. What a chore!!! The finish is hand painted with water based acrylics. Motors are GWS 350s with 5.3 'C' gear and the scale GWS 9 X 7 X 3 blade props. The wingspan is about 46" and wings are detachable using a removable double hardwood dowel spar system. Weight is 46 oz. (ouch) and will be underpowered slightly at 150 Watts. [Edit: Turns out to be plenty of power!

]

Highlander · Sep 23, 2005, 10:51 PM

I'm really proud of her and will maiden this weekend. (I hope) Tally Ho, Lads... Lets go stick it to the Jerrys!

Night bomber paint scheme

.

Highlander · Sep 23, 2005, 10:52 PM

More pics...

Highlander · Sep 23, 2005, 10:53 PM

Even more pics...

Highlander · Sep 23, 2005, 10:55 PM

Still more pics...

Highlander · Sep 23, 2005, 10:57 PM

Sorry, last set of pics...

Ju388 · Sep 23, 2005, 11:45 PM

OH THIS IS SO SWEET! And thanks for the link to Nastytoes never heard of them but looked at their website very cool.

Whitley is a great subject going to subscribe to this thread. I wanna hear about the maiden. Bet it flies sweet like a big trainer!

vise101 · Sep 24, 2005, 12:31 AM

BEAUTIFUL!!!!!
Really looking forward to the maiden report.
Great work.

Kevin

Large One · Sep 24, 2005, 01:43 AM

Hi Highlander,

I'm a Highlander too. My Grandmother was a McCloud of the clan McCloud

Seriously though, that is a beautiful rendition of the Whitley. A couple of those shots look like the real deal sitting in the desert. Good luck on the maiden.

Rich

leccyflyer · Sep 24, 2005, 02:28 AM

Beautifully done Highlander - I could just give her a big Whitley Kiss!!

Looking forward to the maiden report (and video)

tim hooper · Sep 24, 2005, 02:45 AM

That looks superb! Good luck on the maiden - just don't let those rudder linkages get too close to the ground!

tim

kestrel2003 · Sep 24, 2005, 03:00 AM

Very elegent plane! Any inflight pics?

Work in Progress · Sep 24, 2005, 03:01 AM

She looks terrific! it is very pleasing to see one of the more obscure early-war bombers modelled. I hope your tailplane has lots of positive incidence, almost as much as the wing.... and when you fly, remember that she will naturally adopt a nose-down attitude, so if she's a bit light on power, on the climb-out don't pull the nose up, just let her "levitate".
Looking forward to a flight report!

ZRS4 · Sep 24, 2005, 03:22 AM

thats a beautiful example of the Whitley Personality!! :Always different -Never Boring!"

hope she takes to the air with the same grace she shows on tha ground!

please let us see some pics if you can?

Bomberguy · Sep 24, 2005, 03:36 AM

Wow! Great model. Really needs a Deans Antenna though

Good luck on the maiden!

Thanks for the link to nastytoes

Sep 23, 2005, 10:49 PM	#1
Highlander Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Lubbock, Texas, United States Posts: 874	Armstrong-Whitworth Whitley Bomber Hi, Ya'll! I just wanted to show the end result of my secret project for the last year. My best flying buddy built a twin and I got really envious. I wanted to build something really unique and very cool, pushing my model building efforts a bit. Well, I certainly did that! . I really like RAF bombers and felt this would be a really different model that would satisfy my goals. The Armstrong-Whitworth Whitley bomber was one of the early 'heavy' RAF bombers of the war. One of the most interesting design features was that the real aircraft had no flaps. The design featured a really high (8 degree, I think?) wing incidence. The Whitley saw most action as an early night bomber and was quickley replaced by the more famous Wellington, Halifax, Sterling and Lancaster bombers. The Whitley later served as a glider tug. You Brits probably will appreciate this effort more than most of us Yanks as it probably will seem more familiar to you. Does anyone know of any other flying models of the Whitley out there? I have seen some older plans available on the Web somewhere. This model is almost entirely scratch built, fabricated from foam components from www.nastytoesaviation.com and is fiberglassed using the 0.75 oz. glass cloth and water-based polyeurathane. The tail is sheet balsa and the canopy, gun turrets and cowling are custom made and vacuum-formed by me and another club modeler. What a chore!!! The finish is hand painted with water based acrylics. Motors are GWS 350s with 5.3 'C' gear and the scale GWS 9 X 7 X 3 blade props. The wingspan is about 46" and wings are detachable using a removable double hardwood dowel spar system. Weight is 46 oz. (ouch) and will be underpowered slightly at 150 Watts. [Edit: Turns out to be plenty of power! ] Attached Thumbnails 64.2 KB · Views: 185 63.0 KB · Views: 176 58.2 KB · Views: 183 61.9 KB · Views: 166 92.2 KB · Views: 216 Last edited by Highlander; Oct 12, 2005 at 12:15 AM.

Sep 23, 2005, 10:51 PM	#2
Highlander Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Lubbock, Texas, United States Posts: 874	Finished Product... I'm really proud of her and will maiden this weekend. (I hope) Tally Ho, Lads... Lets go stick it to the Jerrys! Night bomber paint scheme . Attached Thumbnails 89.9 KB · Views: 388 88.5 KB · Views: 232 89.9 KB · Views: 278 86.5 KB · Views: 197 69.5 KB · Views: 287

Sep 23, 2005, 10:52 PM	#3
Highlander Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Lubbock, Texas, United States Posts: 874	More pics... Attached Thumbnails 63.8 KB · Views: 252 87.8 KB · Views: 193 67.6 KB · Views: 170 65.1 KB · Views: 242 84.2 KB · Views: 199

Sep 23, 2005, 10:53 PM	#4
Highlander Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Lubbock, Texas, United States Posts: 874	Even more pics... Attached Thumbnails 85.6 KB · Views: 165 73.4 KB · Views: 177 67.5 KB · Views: 208 65.4 KB · Views: 167 90.8 KB · Views: 176

Sep 23, 2005, 10:55 PM	#5
Highlander Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Lubbock, Texas, United States Posts: 874	Still more pics... Attached Thumbnails 62.0 KB · Views: 191 69.5 KB · Views: 163 62.9 KB · Views: 187 61.3 KB · Views: 162 70.9 KB · Views: 224

Sep 23, 2005, 10:57 PM	#6
Highlander Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Lubbock, Texas, United States Posts: 874	Sorry, last set of pics... Attached Thumbnails 61.2 KB · Views: 150 63.8 KB · Views: 226

Sep 23, 2005, 11:45 PM	#7
Ju388 Registered Snoozer Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Baytown Texas Posts: 171	OH THIS IS SO SWEET! And thanks for the link to Nastytoes never heard of them but looked at their website very cool. Whitley is a great subject going to subscribe to this thread. I wanna hear about the maiden. Bet it flies sweet like a big trainer!

Sep 24, 2005, 12:31 AM	#8
vise101 Vertically challenged. Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Peachland B.C. Canada Posts: 312	BEAUTIFUL!!!!! Really looking forward to the maiden report. Great work. Kevin

Sep 24, 2005, 01:43 AM	#9
Large One Fe Fi Fo Fum Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Useless Loop, Australia Posts: 1,269	Hi Highlander, I'm a Highlander too. My Grandmother was a McCloud of the clan McCloud Seriously though, that is a beautiful rendition of the Whitley. A couple of those shots look like the real deal sitting in the desert. Good luck on the maiden. Rich

Sep 24, 2005, 02:28 AM	#10
leccyflyer Get One Up! Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Cheshire, England Posts: 9,302	Beautifully done Highlander - I could just give her a big Whitley Kiss!! Looking forward to the maiden report (and video)

Sep 24, 2005, 02:45 AM	#11
tim hooper Single-task at best... Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Telford, UK Posts: 6,546	That looks superb! Good luck on the maiden - just don't let those rudder linkages get too close to the ground! tim

Sep 24, 2005, 03:00 AM	#12
kestrel2003 No Guts No Glory Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Switzerland Posts: 945	Very Very Nice Very elegent plane! Any inflight pics?

Sep 24, 2005, 03:01 AM	#13
Work in Progress Light and floaty does it Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Cambridge, Great Britain (UK) Posts: 2,783	She looks terrific! it is very pleasing to see one of the more obscure early-war bombers modelled. I hope your tailplane has lots of positive incidence, almost as much as the wing.... and when you fly, remember that she will naturally adopt a nose-down attitude, so if she's a bit light on power, on the climb-out don't pull the nose up, just let her "levitate". Looking forward to a flight report!

Sep 24, 2005, 03:22 AM	#14
ZRS4 V-8's Rock Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 2,871	thats a beautiful example of the Whitley Personality!! :Always different -Never Boring!" hope she takes to the air with the same grace she shows on tha ground! please let us see some pics if you can?

Sep 24, 2005, 03:36 AM	#15
Bomberguy Turrets Syndrome? Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Marina Del Rey California Posts: 1,510	Wow! Great model. Really needs a Deans Antenna though Good luck on the maiden! Thanks for the link to nastytoes

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