Corgi AA34803 Vickers Wellington Mk III RCAF No.419 Sqn

Corgi AA34803 Vickers Wellington Mk III RCAF No.419 Sqn

The Vickers Wellington was a medium-range bomber. It was designed in the mid-1930s by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R.K. Pierson at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey. The Wellington was widely used in the first two years of WWII before being replaced by larger designs like the Avro Lancaster. The Wellington had a unique geodetic construction system that was designed by the famous Barnes Wallis. This construction system built up the fuselage from a number of steel channel-beams that formed into a large network. This gave the plane tremendous strength, as any one of the stringers could support some of the weight, even on the opposite side of the plane. The Wellington's strength was such that even with huge holes cut out of them, the plane could still return home when other planes would not have survived.

However, the construction system had a distinct disadvantage in that the construction time was considerably higher than for other designs using monocoque construction techniques. The Wellington was particularly effective in North Africa, where it could fly faster than most of the Italian fighters and carry heavier bomb loads than the Italians.

The first prototype of the Wellington was deployed in 1937, and it first flew on June 15th, 1936. Some Wellingtons were used as trainers until 1953. The Mk1C was crewed by six people: a pilot, radio operator, navigator/bomb aimer, observer/nose gunner, tail gunner, and waist gunner. It had two 1050hp Bristol Pegasus XVIII engines that could fly at 235 mph, a ceiling of 19,000ft, and a range of 1805 miles. It was equipped with eight machine guns and could carry 4500lbs bombs. The Mk.X introduced a fuselage structure of light alloy instead of steel. There were also prototypes and a small production series (about 60) of the MkV and the MkVI, with early cabin pressurized systems that did not enter service. Wellingtons were built with Pegasus, Hercules, Merlin, or Twin Wasp engines. The total number of Wellingtons built was 11,461 of all versions, including 3,804 Wellington MkX.

No.419 Sqn was the third Canadian crewed bomber squadron to be formed in the UK. Document number 1 served first with Nos.115 and 75 squadrons and went on to fly for another RCAF squadron, No.427, before being pensioned off for training duties with No.16 OTU. The bomber was finally SOC (Struck Off Charge) on 30 April 1945.

Corgi's Vickers Wellington series is most notable for its replication of the "geodetic" type construction, similar to the construction method used to build airships. This construction method is replicated on the simulated fabric-stretched wings and tail surfaces, which are clearly visible through the windows on the fuselage. Releases with configurable bomb load subassemblies have open bomb bay doors that expose an internal bomb load. The robust metal landing gear is quick and easy to install for ground display. Each release features a 90-degree rotating gunner's turret, and some include an array of delicate photo-etched metal antennas.

The Vickers Wellington Mk III was designed to meet a British Air Ministry specification for a two-engine bomber. It was first flown on June 15th, 1936. Used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, the Wellington defended itself with machine guns: two in the front turret, four in the rear turret, and an additional two in beam positions. Later in the war, the Wellington served as maritime patrol and anti-submarine. It was equipped with radar and used as an Early Warning and Control aircraft, operating at an altitude of some 4,000ft over the North Sea, controlling Mosquito fighters intercepting He 111 bombers.