Heather Kavanagh Posted March 19, 2018 Share Posted March 19, 2018 When Airfix still produced the various RAF airfield vehicle sets, the models they contained were always useful for bashing into different vehicles. In the past, for my model railway hobby, I bashed the AEC refueller into a short wheelbase GPO tractor unit. I also used the Austin ambulance as the basis for a horse box under construction by a coach builders on a layout operated by my club. These days, I’m always on the lookout for suitable period vehicles to populate potential dioramas of my 1940 interest bubble, or to act as set dressing in photos of aircraft builds. One vehicle that’s always eluded me has been the RAF Standard Light Ambulance. (It would be lovely to have the Albion Heavy Ambulance, but if we are being honest about it such exotic beasts were not likely to appear on your average fighter aerodrome.) It took a while for the penny to drop with me, but obviously the Bomber Resupply Set’s Standard “Tilly” was ideal fodder for bashing into something like the 14hp Light Ambulance. Pulling my dog-eared copy of the Airfix Magazine Guide No 27, “Modelling RAF Vehicles”, which has been in my gluey fingers since my Battle of Britain obsession first took hold in the late 1970s, I turned to page 46. There was Gerald Scarborough’s line drawing of the ambulance, to 1/76th scale. A nice, relatively simple box body would be pretty easy to build onto the Tilly chassis and cab. Ah. The Tilly in the Resupply Set is 1/72nd - or so I thought. Turns out either Mr Scarborough or Mr Airfix are pulling a little fast one on us. Either the drawing is actually 1/72nd scale, or the new kit is actually 1/76th… either way, the kit parts match the published drawing pretty much spot on. Whatever, it meant it was easier to build a new body for the kit Tilly, as I could measure straight from the drawing and not have to do any mental arithmetic to convert scale. /media/tinymce_upload/33cb2d0fba75a947aec36dbfedf6bcd3.jpg The first job was to assemble the kit chassis and front end. The chassis is shorter than needed, but it’s probable the real thing was simply extended to take the longer body. The kit also has the earlier pressed metal radiator grille, but that wasn’t a bother to me. I hoped I could use the kit doors, but found they didn’t quite fit as I intended with the new body. I bodged about with some sheet styrene and strip, then decided I was going about it all the wrong way. After doodling some ideas on construction, I put the bits to one side for a while to let things ferment. /media/tinymce_upload/df64204780369a89e153bfd692770e7f.jpg Coming back after a couple of weeks, I had worked out how to extend the chassis rails, and that I needed to build new cab doors. The kit ones are meant to open with hinges at the front, where the ambulance doors are hinged to the rear. Various plastic strips and bits of sheet were bodged together to get me this far. Pleased with that. /media/tinymce_upload/99e30ab5125a8a26fa46632dfadecbeb.jpg /media/tinymce_upload/aa90b6d0cd8491aab7320bc1b67a2513.jpg After some further styrene bodgery - something I enjoy a lot, and frankly need to do more often: it's probably the MEK fumes that do it! - I got to this point. The cab roof is a lamination trimmed and sanded to shape. The rear body has been built up to the right height, and a solid chunk of styrene sheet cut and sanded to the right roof shape added on top. Both roofs are currently just sitting in place as I need to get some paint inside eventually. I am quite pleased with the way it’s turning out. It may not be a 100% accurate model of a 14hp light ambulance, but it’s good enough for me. I plan to hang canvas curtains in the rear so I don’t actually need to model an interior there. The only question is livery: I suppose it ought to be dark green, but did it sport large red crosses on white circles? Or was it a bit more discreet? Something I shall have to research a bit. Next, I guess it's get some paint on the interior, and then fit the roofs and head for the finishing line. More soon, I hope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Symmons Posted March 20, 2018 Share Posted March 20, 2018 Hi Heather.Now thats an interesting build and you make it look so easy I'm tempted to give it a try.Remember we do this for fun John the Pom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Kavanagh Posted March 30, 2018 Author Share Posted March 30, 2018 Apart from some suitable red crosses, which I hope I have in my stash, and a little detail painting, this is more or less done. Quite happy with how it turned out, though it's a bit rough and ready in places. /media/tinymce_upload/cc8924ffa0e3cc615a6ed566c333f265.jpg /media/tinymce_upload/10beb61d4be7b7caeff997f41c739af5.jpg It'll look nice, beside the watch office, parked next to the Crossley crash tender. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spadgent Posted March 31, 2018 Share Posted March 31, 2018 i mande a tilly a while back and lets say it was the oposite end of the spectrum to yours Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Kavanagh Posted April 1, 2018 Author Share Posted April 1, 2018 Thanks! It's a tiny model, and I have to admit I begin to struggle to see things this small without magnification. Keep at it. The more you build the better you get. At least, that's what I keep telling myself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spadgent Posted April 2, 2018 Share Posted April 2, 2018 yeah i do the samei might make another car somtime as the last year and a half have been aircraft, tank (4) and ship builds (2) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Kavanagh Posted April 9, 2018 Author Share Posted April 9, 2018 /media/tinymce_upload/16762d7ea149f8211ba7b461a05c7c91.jpg /media/tinymce_upload/48093de509374df7bc42ba910eff7820.jpg I had to order in some suitable red cross transfers. My memory let me down, as I thought the ones in the old RAF Emergency Set might have given some useful ones, but they were too big. These came from Scalelink, and are originally BW Models sets. The side crosses are still too big, but what can you do? Anyway, a tiny bit of weathering, and this can live next to a crash tender on a diorama one day. A fun little exercise. I wonder what I could turn the Bedford MW into... 😇 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted April 9, 2018 Share Posted April 9, 2018 Looks nice Heather 😎 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Kavanagh Posted April 9, 2018 Author Share Posted April 9, 2018 Cheers m'dear! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spadgent Posted April 9, 2018 Share Posted April 9, 2018 niceone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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