1/72 Frog Westland Wallace into a Wapiti

[Ron Bell]

The Wallace kit is ancient and its level of detail shows it but its an easy kit to work with so I had at it. The Wallace wsa based on the DH-9 and the Wapiti was based on the Wallace so all three aircraft had many components in common. However, the Wapiti had a Bristol Jupiter engine, mostly seen uncoweled in photos, and a rear gunner's position but the kit comes configured as the aircraft that flew over Mt. Everest with a pressurized rear cockpit so that had to be modified back to a gunner's position. The engine was salvaged from the spares bin as was the prop. The Wapiti was shorter than the Wallace, but I never found the location of that shortening, so I'm afraid that fell to the 'fudge factor". I added the bomb racks under the wings. Please excuse the crew figures as they are rather tragic and I'm not at my best painting them anyway. But, in my display case it looks like a Wapiti. 

Edited May 11, 2025 by Ron Bell

[ghodges]

Nice looking build and interesting interconnections between all of them. Your write up implies that the plane was modified to account for the passenger(s) in the rear for the Everest flight.... but not the pilot? Also, as I am totally unfamiliar with this plane, where was it used/stationed as a bomber, the Middle East perhaps?

In any case your skills are showing once more as I couldn't tell where all of the modifications were done without you're telling us it's all so smoothly blended in! It also appears you're still a master at stretching sprue!

 

Gil 

[Ron Bell]

Neither the pilot nor observer were in pressurized areas although the observer's was enclosed. They did have special oxygen systems and wore many layers of clothes. I have no idea why the observer's area was enclosed but not the pilots.  As to the Wapiti's use, it served in Iraq and India as a bomber and army cooperation a/c and was also flown by Canada and Australia right up through the beginning of WW II. 

[philp]

Nice conversion on this old kit Ron.  It looks the part and if you want some hints with figures, I cheat with mine.  A brown wash gives that almost looks like I tried look and if I am really feeling adventurous I will do a little dry brushing.