RoR Step-by-Step Review 20130322* - Right On Replicas · 2013. 3. 22. · flying lessons. They also branched into manufacturing, starting with sport types, ... followed by Testors

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RoR Step-by-Step Review 20130322* Wedell Williams 121 Gilmore Air Racer 1:32 Scale Kit # 0050-32521-01 Review

Wedell Williams Incorporated was organized during 1928 by pilot/designer James Robert Wedell and millionaire Harry Palmerson Williams. The Louisiana firm offered charter services, passenger flights, and flying lessons. They also branched into manufacturing, starting with sport types, then they ventured into producing racing aircraft. During 1931, Jimmy Wedell achieved a credible second place in the Thompson Trophy event, better only by Lowell Bayles in the Gee Bee “Z”. Among those impressed by the performance was Roscoe Turner, who contracted for a brand new Wedell Williams Racer. Actually, since members of the W-W group were occupied with their own efforts, a major portion of the fabrication was conducted by Don Young, Turners ace mechanic. Since formal drawings for previous racers did not exist, most dimensions were obtained by direct measurement of a nearby aircraft. The finished machine was test flown by Jimmy Wedell and accepted by Roscoe Turner. However, at the insistence of Harry Williams, a second test was performed with ballast added to the seat, simulating the extra weight of Turner. During a high speed pass, one wing failed and Wedell just managed to escape by parachute before the aircraft was totally destroyed. A second, strengthened aircraft passed all tests and became the famous 121 “Gilmore Red Lion”. For the Modeler: This Williams Brothers Model Products kit is 1:32 scale and consists of ~75 highly detailed plastic pieces molded in grey and one clear canopy piece. The radial engine is multi-piece construction for added details. The fuselage features recessed panel lines and the kit comes with colorful waterslide decals for three versions; NR61Y, No 121 'Gilmore Red Lion', NR278V, No 44 'Miss Patterson' and NR536V, No 92 'Miss New Orleans' and well-Illustrated instructions. Size: Length: 8-3/4" & Wingspan: 9-3/4". This kit went together very well with the exception of the decals. It would have been fun watching these beauties fly around pylons in the 1930’s…….. Keep learning and have fun.


Fig 01) This is the box art and parts layout of the kit. I started the kit by washing and rinsing all the parts to remove any mold release or foreign debris that could contaminate paint. Engine Assembly

Fig 02) Remove the Engine components and propeller removed from the trees

Fig 04) Using Testors liquid cement, I glued the center and rear of the engine together.


Fig 05) The push rod tubes on the Front Crank Case had a lot of flash, so I removed them and replaced them with .06 brass tubing. I cut 18 pieces to the approximate length.

Fig 08 & 09) To get the black coloring, I use a product called Blacken-it. I start by placing all the brass pieces into a plastic cup. Add the Blacken-it. The process takes about 5 minutes. Stir the brass pieces every minute for an even coating. After 5 minutes, drain the fluid back into the Blacken-it container, and place the now black pushrod tubes onto a paper towel. Spray the tubes with water to stop the blackening process. The tubes are ready to apply to the engine. Fig 11) After removing the flash from the cylinders, I sprayed them with Testors Acryl Flat Black.

Fig 13) The exhaust stacks are so small, that I temporarily attached them to a piece of styrene with Testors Liquid Cement and Painted the Exhaust Stacks with Testors Enamel Silver

Fig 15 & 16) The prop was a polished aluminum. To accomplish this, I use Alclad

Chrome. The first coat is Alclad Gloss Black. After the Gloss Black dries (typically overnight), I applied the Alclad Chrome in very light coats, followed by Testors Acryl Flat Black to the backside of the propeller.


Fig 17) To help hold the motor during painting and assembly, I glued a piece of scrap styrene with Testors liquid cement to the back of the motor. I’ll remove this before I install the cowing to the engine.

Fig 18 & 20) To weather the cylinders, I use a silver pencil, sand paper and a paint brush. First rub the silver pencil on the sand paper, then gently rub the paint brush in the fine silver dust. This is then brushed onto the cylinders giving an appearance of being weathered. Cylinder on the left is un-weathered, cylinder on the right is weathered. I sprayed the crank case with Testors Acryl Neutral Gray, then after it dried, I applied a water color wash of black and brown to simulate oil stains. Using Testors liquid cement, I glued the all 9 cylinders to the crank case. Fig 21) The inside of the cowl is bare aluminum. I sprayed the inside of the Cowl halves with Testors Enamel Chrome Silver.


Fig 22 & 23) To fit the Cowl halves, the tops of the cylinders must be sanded down so the cowl fits tightly over the engine. This picture shows the gap in the cowl halves before sanding the cylinders. Cylinders have been sanded down to fit the cowl. Before I install the cowling I’ll touch up the cylinders with flat black paint.

Fig 24) Now the Cowl halves fit around the engine.


Fig 25, & 29) To make the spark plug wires, I use electrical wire. Pull out an individual strand, cut to length, make the required bend with your fingers, then dab the end of the wire in super glue and place the end on the spark plug. The Pushrod Tubes were installed to the engine with Super Glue as well.

Fig 31) I attached the Exhaust Stacks to the Engine with Super Glue. The Engine is complete and ready for the Cowl Halves


Fig 32 & 33) The Cowl was placed over the Engine then Tamiya Tape was applied over the seams to hold the halves together. Testors Liquid Cement was applied to the inside of the Cowl Halves. Take note that the Oil Sump must be in line with the lower seam.

Fig 34 & 36) The seams of the cowl are filled with Tamiya Putty and sand the seams with 400 grit sandpaper and primed the cowl with Tamiya Primer. Set aside the Engine and Cowl; they’re ready to be installed to the Airframe after finish painting.


Cockpit Assembly

Fig 37) Cockpit components removed from the tree

Fig 38 & 40) The Cockpit floor was missing the control stick tube so I replaced it with some 1/16 styrene and a 3/32 brass tubing to attach the control stick. Like everyone else that builds models, I lose parts. In this case, I lost the control stick. I made a new one using 1/16 styrene for the stick and 3/32 brass tubing for the grip.


Fig 39) The compass had a very large sink in the top that I filled with Squadron Products Putty.

Fig 41 & 42) The Roll Cage Structure on the Wedell Williams Racer was bare aluminum. To get this appearance, I use Alclad paints. First coat is Gloss Black Base coat. After the Gloss Black base coat dries overnight, the second coat applied is Alclad Chrome paint.

Fig 44) The floors, Rear Bulkhead, and stick grip were made of wood. I painted these using Testors Enamel Wood Paint. After the wood paint dried, I applied very light brush coat of Testors Enamel Dark Brown.


Fig 45) Painted the roll cage tubes on the Rear Bulkhead with Testors Enamel Chrome

Fig 46 & 47) Applied the Instrument Panel Decal.

Fig 48) Painted the Throttle quadrant Testors Enamel Semi-Gloss Black. The knobs are painted red, black, and blue

Fig 50) The compass is too small to hold while painting so I attached it to a piece of styrene, then painted it with Testors Acryl Flat Black, then made some small white lines on the top.


Fig 51) The Aluminum seat had a leather cover. I painted this on using Testors Enamel Leather.

Fig 52) The cockpit is now glued together using Testors Liquid Cement. I used tape to hold it together while it dried.

Fig 54) I glued the compass to the cockpit floor using super glue, and the cockpit is complete.


Fig 55) The Cockpit is ready to be installed into the Airframe after the inside of the fuselage is painted. Undercarriage Assembly

Fig 57) Undercarriage components removed from the tree.


Fig 58) The under carriage on the Gilmore Red Lion #121 was slightly different than the #92 plane. I glued the upper mount to the wheel pant.

Fig 60) Glued the Tire and Wheel halves together using Testors Liquid Cement and painted the Tires with Testors Enamel Rubber.

Fig 61) Painted the Wheels with Testors Enamel Aluminum. After this dried, I placed the Tires and Wheels between the Wheel Pant Halves, then applied Testors Liquid Cement to the Wheel Pants and set aside to dry.

Fig 63) Applied Squadron Products Putty to the seams and low spots on the Wheel Pants and sanded the seams getting them ready for Paint. The Under carriage is now ready for paint. They will be installed after the finish painting is complete


Airframe

Fig 64) Airframe components removed from the tree.

Fig 65) Glued the Wing Halves together using Testors Liquid Cement.

Fig 67 & 68) The Gilmore Red Lion #121’s Aileron’s were trimmed straight. I did this by applying a piece of tape where I wanted to trim the trailing edge. Using a sharp #11 X-acto blade, I carefully scribe along the tape, until the trailing edge of the aileron is removed. Fig 69) The fuselage has holes for all rigging configurations. I need to plug this hole so I pushed a piece of 3/32 diameter styrene and applied Testors liquid cement. After it dried, I sanded it smooth with the fuselage on the inside and out.


Fig 71 & 72) The inside of the fuselage is bare aluminum. To accomplish this look, I use Alclad paints. I sprayed a coat of Alclad Gloss Black base coat. After the base coat has dried (typically overnight), I applied a coat of Alclad Chrome in very light coats. Part of the cockpit is enclosed with fabric. To accomplish this, I applied a coat of Testors Acryl Flat White.

Fig 74) After the Flat White paint dried, I installed the cockpit using a combination of Testors Liquid Cement and Super Glue. The Super Glue was only used to hold the cockpit in place while the Liquid Cement dried.


Fig 76) Glued in the Pitot Tube to the leading edge of the Left Wing

Fig 77) Glued the Fuselage halves together using Testors Liquid Cement and held together with small clamps.

Fig 80) After the fuselage halves dried overnight, I removed the clamps and applied Squadron Products Putty to the seams. I used Tamiya tape to keep the putty where I wanted it and minimize sanding later.

Fig 81) Glued the wings onto the fuselage using Testors Liquid Cement.


Fig 82) The Landing Gear pockets on the bottom of the Fuselage are in different locations depending on which version you are making. Gilmore Red Lion #121’s Landing Gear was on the inboard edge of this pocket. There are small rectangular pieces that get glued in to fill the void. Unfortunately, these blocks were not big enough to fill the gap.

Fig 84) I always dip clear components in Future Floor Polish. This makes clear parts look better by removing any fine scratches. Start with a clean container, Future, and your part. Fill the container with Future trying to keep air bubbles from forming as you pour. Slowly dip the canopy into the bath of Future, then slowly remove it. Place is on a clean surface making sure only one or two corners are touching the

surface. This will allow excess Future to run off. After about 5 minutes, I carefully move the canopy allowing excess Future to flow away from the canopy. Fig 86) Glued the Horizontal Stabilizers on with Testors Liquid Cement. There are two positions the Stabilizers can be attached. Gilmore Red Lion #121’s Stabilizer were placed at the front of the slots.

Fig 88) Sanded the seams down using 400 grit wet & dry sand paper. I also leveled out where the wings and land gear meet, then applied more Squadron Products Putty where needed.


Fig 90) Masking the canopy is simple. Don’t try this until the Future has dried, typically overnight. I use Tamiya Tape, a sharp razor blade and a tooth pick. Start by applying a piece of tape to the canopy along one of the panel lines. In this case, I used the center of the canopy and let the rest overlap.

Fig 91 & 92) Using a toothpick, burnish the tape to the canopy, then with a sharp razor blade, cut the tape along the panel line, and re-burnish. Continue this until the entire canopy is covered.

Fig 94) To attach the canopy, I apply Micro Krystal Klear to the entire canopy edge and place into position. I used a small piece of tape on the top of the canopy that I could hold while positioning it.


Painting

Fig 95) I cut a piece of wood that fit perfectly into the engine mount hole to hold the airframe while painting. I applied a coat of Tamiya Primer. This will show how good or bad the seams are. Any seam that needs attention, received some Squadron Products Putty. Since the wings were removable to transport the Aircraft to each race, I did not fill those seams.

Fig 96) After sanding the filler with 800 and 1200 grit sand paper, I applied another coat of Tamiya Primer.

Fig 97) The airframe of Gilmore Red Lion #121 was painted overall Cream. I had to custom mix paint to get the color I wanted. Using Testors Acryl Paints, I used 95% Flat White, 4% Insignia Yellow and 1% Brown.


Fig 98, 99, & 100) Painted the entire Airframe, Landing Gear, and Cowl, Cream.


Fig 103) The Wings, Stabs, and Vertical Fin had a Red Race Track. I masked off everything with a fine line tape, then the rest of the airframe with blue painters tape.

Fig 107, & 108) Painted Testors Acryl Insignia Red to the unmasked areas.

Fig 109 & 110) After removing the masking tape, I found several areas that needed to be cleaned up due to the Insignia Red bleeding through.


Fig 111 & 112) Using a combination of a #11 X-acto blade, Cream Paint and Insignia Red Paint, I cleaned up the rough areas.

Fig 113, 114, & 115) Applied a coat of Future Floor Polish to the Airframe, Under Carriage, and Cowl.


Fig 116, 118, & 120) I applied the Decals to the Airframe using the manufacturer’s recommendations. The items I use to apply decals are a container of warm water, Microscale Micro Sol, a small paint brush to apply the Micro Sol, a razor blade for cutting out the decals, and the decals. Not shown are paper towels. Microscale Micro Sol. This product when applied to the decal will soften the decal so it sits perfectly onto the surface of the aircraft. To start the decal process, first carefully trim the decal away from the sheet. Next, place the decal into your warm water for approximately 10 – 20 seconds then remove and place onto a dry paper towel. Depending on the decal, the adhesive may take several minutes to soften. After about 3 to 4 minutes, the decal slides on the backing paper. Carefully place into position on the aircraft. At this point, the decal can be moved around into the desired position. When you’re satisfied, dab the paper towel onto the decal soaking up any water that may be on the surface. Now apply the Microscale Micro Sol using the paint brush. Cover the entire decal and surrounding area. After about 3 minutes the decal will start to wrinkle up. Don’t panic. This is normal as the decal softens. WORD OF CAUTION – Do not attempt to move the decal now. You will be sorry. Trust me!


Fig 121) The Decals on the Cowl did not fit at the front. This is the first real issue I have come across with these kits. Not a big deal though.

Fig 123) Mixing paints again to get a match to the decals, I started with Testors Acryl Insignia Red, and Flat Black. I used mostly Insignia Red and slowly added Flat Black until I had a match. The 3 containers have 3 different results.

Fig 124 & 125) Painted the Cowling where the decals did not cover. Unfortunately, It’s not perfect, but will have to do.


Fig 129 & 130) Applied a coat of Future to seal in the decals and blend in the touched up Cowl. Glued the Landing Gear on using Super Glue.

Fig 131 & 132) Masked off the airframe for the Wing walks using Tamiya tape and brown masking paper from Home Depot. Sprayed the Wing Walks with Testors Acryl Flat Black

Fig 133) Removed the masking tape and paper after 20 minutes of drying. The Wing Walks are complete.


Fig 134) Painted the Pitot Tube with Testors Enamel Chrome Silver.

Fig 135) Glued the Engine and Cowl on with Super Glue.

Fig 136) Removed the Tamiya Masking from the Canopy.


Fig 148) For the rigging, I used the smallest music wire I had on hand. The holes are molded into the fuselage and wings and landing gear. Start by making a slight bend on one end. This bend will go into a hole on the wing. Place the wire into the hole in the wing, then rotate it getting it as close to the fuselage hole as possible. This shows us how long the wire needs to be. Cut the wire about 1/8” longer than it needs to be. Now bend the end of the wire that was just trimmed about 1/8” short of end. Make sure to bend it the same direction as the first bend so the wire appears to be straight in the top view. Now, place the wire in the holes and evaluate the length. If it’s too long, the wire will be bowed between the holes. If it’s too short, you’ll see your bends before they enter the holes. When you’re happy with the length, apply a thick Super Glue to the end of the wire and reinstall. Take your time. The Wedell Williams Racer is complete. She’ll sit proudly with my race plane collection.

999 This kit went together very well with the exception of the decals. It would have been fun watching these beauties fly around pylons in the 1930’s…….. Keep learning and have fun.


More Information on the Wedell Williams Racers The 121 Gilmore Red Lion flown by Roscoe Turner. Aircraft specifications are as follows: Wing Span: 26 feet, 2 inches Length: 23 feet, later shortened to 21 feet 3 inches Top Speed: Varied. Early speeds in the 160 mph range, and later a 305 max was recorded. Engines varied by plane and pilot over time. Meanwhile, Wedell Williams updated two earlier racers, 44 “Miss Patterson” and 92 “Miss New Orleans”, in preparation for the 1932 racing season. Thus, three similar appearing aircraft participated in the Cleveland National Air Races with remarkable success, as shown below. Bendix Trophy 1st - 92 Miss New Orleans flown by James H. Haizlip 2nd - 44 Miss Patterson flown by James R. Wedell 3rd - 121 Gilmore Red Lion flown by Roscoe Turner 1000 cu in Free for all 1st - 92 Miss New Orleans flown by James H. Haizlip 2nd - 44 Miss Patterson flown by James R. Wedell Thompson Trophy Race 1st - 44 Miss Patterson flown by James R. Wedell 2nd - 121 Gilmore Red Lion flown by Roscoe Turner 3rd - 92 Miss New Orleans flown by James H. Haizlip Aerol Trophy Race (Women) 1st - 92 Miss New Orleans flown by Mary Haizlip Shell Petroleum Corp Speed Dash 2nd - 44 Miss Patterson flown by James R. Wedell 3rd - 121 Gilmore Red Lion flown by Roscoe Turner 4th - 92 Miss New Orleans flown by James H. Haizlip Shell Petroleum Corp Speed Dash for Women 1st - 92 Miss New Orleans flown by Mary Haizlip Aero Club of Poland Altitude Competition 2nd - 44 Miss Patterson flown by James R. Wedell

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RoR Step-by-Step Review 20130322* - Right On Replicas · 2013. 3. 22. · flying lessons. They also branched into manufacturing, starting with sport types, ... followed by Testors