WINGNUT WINGS DH.9a NINAK Post War Instructions Manual

www.wingnutwings.com

Richard Alexander 2015

e AMC DH.9a (Aircraft Manufacturing Company de Havilland 9a) bomber arrived late in the Great War and was born out of the
necessity to find a replacement for the under performing DH.9. Intended as a replacement for the 275-350hp Rolls Royce Eagle
powered DH.4, with the pilot and gunner repositioned closer together for improved communications, the DH.9 was in fact a great
leap backwards due in no small part to the inferior performance and unreliability of its 230hp Puma engine.

Due to the workload at AMC the initial design work for the improved DH.9a was undertaken by Westland Aircraft Works who
modified AMC built DH.9 C6350 to accept a 350hp Rolls Royce Eagle VIII engine in anticipation of the imminent arrival of the
plentiful 400hp Liberty V12 engine from America. With its larger wings and re-designed nose, C6350 started flight testing in
February 1918. e 2nd prototype, and the 1st to be fitted with a Liberty engine, was AMC built C6122 which took to the air on 19
April 1918. In July 1918 it appeared that the supply of Liberty engines could dry up so a 3rd prototype, Westland built B7644, was
produced to accept the 350hp Eagle VIII, but as it turned out the supply of Liberty engines proved to be enough for RAF needs.

Remarkably, an initial production order for 400 DH.9a was placed with the Whitehead Aircraft Co in January 1918, a month before
the 1st prototype flew. e DH.9a was manufactured by Whitehead, AMC, Mann Eggerton & Co and e Vulcan Motor &
Engineering Co as well as numerous rebuilds and small post war production orders from the likes of the de Havilland Aircraft Co,
Handley Page Ltd, HG.Hawker Engineering Co Ltd and Short Bros amongst others. An American order for 4000 USD-9A was placed
with the Curtis Aeroplane and Motor Company but was canceled due to the Armistice and it appears that only 13 USD-9A were built,
all prototypes. At least 2700 unlicensed copies were built in the newly formed Soviet Union as the Polikarpov R-1. Post war
developments (as provided in this model) included improved undercarriage, an auxiliary radiator, additional gravity petrol tank and
leading edge wing slats. Further developments included a raised 'hump back' fuselage and oleo suspension undercarriage.

e DH.9a ‘Ninak’ (Nin = 9, ack = A) entered front line service with the RAF and USMC in late 1918 and went on to lengthy post war
service with the RAF in Germany, Russia and the Middle East and saw service in Canada, Australia and in the Soviet Union and China
(as the Polikarpov R-1).

Early aircraft colours are contentious at the best of times and we have done our best to provide what we consider to be accurate
painting information. Towards the end of 1918 the RAF replaced PC10 with AMAPD (AMA Protective Dope) which contained
pigments giving a 'dark chocolate brown appearance' and AMAPDT (AMA Protective Dope Tropical) dark reddish brown for aircraft
destined for service in the tropics. In the 1920s most aircraft were silver doped overall with their aluminium engine cowlings
frequently unpainted. Steel components, fittings and brackets were usually painted black unless overpainted with silver. e
Polikarpov R-1 appears to have initially been finished overall in a pale finish (white or silver?) and later with a dark olive green
'zashchitnyi' (protective) finish on the upper surfaces and light blue-grey undersides. Almost all Polikarpov R-1 featured extensive
political slogans.

Handbook on the DH.9a Aeroplane, Air Ministry, 1924 - Schedule for DH.9a - Windsock International v20 #3 2004, Windsock

International v20 #4 2004 - Windsock Datafile 139 & 141, AMC DH.9a ‘Ninak’volume 1 & 2, John Alcorn 2010 - e DH.4/DH.9 File, Ray

Sturtivant & Gordon Page, Air Britain 1999 - de Havilland DH.9a (RAF 1918-30), Profile Publications, Chaz Bower 1973 - FliegerRevue

Extra #24, 2009 e Vintage Aviator Ltd - RAF Museum Hendon - 1914-18 Aviation Heritage Trust - Colin Owers - Private Collections

.303 (7.7mm) Vickers gun and 1 or 2 .303 (7.7mm) Lewis gun on Scarff ring. Up to 660lb (300kg) of bombs.

400hp Liberty V12

February 1918 to 1928

Approximately 2000

120mph (193kph)4815lb (2184kg)

30’ 3” (9.22m)

45’ 11” (14m)

18,000’ (5486m)

Wingspan: Length: Max Weight: Max Speed:

No. manufactured: Production: Engine: Ceiling:

Armament:

References:

Warning: Choking hazard. Keep small parts and plastic bags away from children. Use glue and paint in a well
ventilated area. Always wear protective eyewear when cutting and a protective mask when painting,
gluing and sanding. Do not breathe dust from polyurethane resin parts (if included).
Beware of sharp edges on metal parts.

Assembly: Read all the instructions carefully before starting assembly.

Use glue intended for plastic models.
Assemble metal and resin parts (if included) using Cyanoacrylate (CA) or epoxy glue.
Before assembly select a marking option and note optional parts required in instructions.

Rigging: If installing rigging please drill out all location holes with a 0.5mm drill bit to a depth of at least 1mm.

Painting: Only use paints

designed and suitable for plastic model kitsets.

Decals:

Cut out each decal as required. Soak in warm water for 15 seconds. Slide off backing paper onto gloss

painted

surface of model (not just clear coated plastic). For large decals it is helpful to apply a drop of water to the
area they are being applied to. is will make it easier to maneuver them into the correct position.

Hints & Tips: Please visit our website for additional photos, hints and tips to assist you in getting the best result from
your Wingnut Wings model.

Part Number

Photo Etch Part

Decal

Paint Colour

Attention

Do Not Cement Drill

Other Side

Option

Cement For Metal

Choose

Remove

Construction Step

Federal Standard

HumbrolTamiya

All colours

a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

i

j

k

l

m

n

o

p

q

r

s

33481

30045

30219

26405

35164

36314

34095

30111*

35042

30340*

11350

54

12

27004

27001

27003

74

113

62

121

106

65

11(x1) + 34(x1)

160(x1) +121(x2)

102

98*

85

66

93*

60

X31

XF6

X10

XF16

XF56

XF60

XF9

XF52

XF55

XF82

XF12

XF16(x2) + XF19(x1)

XF9(x1) + XF55(x2)

XF67

XF68*

X18

XF69

XF78*

XF7

Brass

Copper

Gun Metal

Aluminium

Steel

Mustard Yellow - matt

Rust

Leather - semi gloss

Clear Doped Linen (CDL) - semi gloss

Battleship Grey - semi gloss

Grey-Blue - semi gloss

Aluminium Dope - gloss

Red Oxide Primer bled through linen - matt

Zashchitnyi Olive Green - semi gloss

Dark Wood* - semi gloss

Black - semi gloss

Rubber - matt

Light Wood* - semi gloss

Red - matt

Note: Apply clear varnish to achieve the desired gloss or semi-gloss finish. *See our website hints and tips for painting wood.

H

G

D x2

E

C

F

J

R x2

Decals

Photo Etch

BA

COCKPIT

Pilot’s control

column

Observer’s
rudder bar

Pilots rudder bar

Paint fuel

tank bag

Observer’s

control column

not always fitted

Grease pump for

Constantinesco (CC)

synchronizing system

Pilot’s throttle

Tailplane

elevating gear

Observer’s

throttle

Paint metal

brackets & fittings

Very flare pistol

Radiator

shutter lever

Lewis gun

magazine

Lewis gun

magazine

COCKPIT continued

Paint leather padding

Pilot’s seat

Accumulator

(battery)

Engine ignition

switch

Remove

Instrument

board lamp and

electrical wire.

Pattern 253

compass

Compass

Instrument board

Safety belts

Optional camera

Paint camera knobs

RAF Mk.II

Compass

Paint

padding

Instrument board detail from F1010 after full restoration to
WW1 specifications. Note that post war instrument panels were
noticeably different.

Pilot’s seat, throttle and tailplane elevating gear details

.

Note the aluminium magazine for Vickers ammunition.

Control column with firing handle for the Vickers. Note
the bomb sighting hole in the floor.

Observer’s throttle , seat and Lewis gun ammunition
drums . Note the interior colour of the linen fuselage
covering.

Observer’s windshield storage detail and empty hole for his
RAF Mk.II compass.

Accumulator (battery), grease
pump for the Constantinesco
(CC) Vicker gun synchronizing
system and empty bracket for
the Very flare pistol. e switch
board controlled the instrument
board lights.

ENGINE BAY

Paint metal

brackets and fittings

PAINTING GUIDE

Note detail this

side only

RIGGING GUIDE

Engine bearers

Rigging material not supplied

LIBERTY V12 400hp ENGINE

PAINTING GUIDE

is side only

Prop shaft

Sump

Crank case

Camshafts &
rocker boxes

Water

pipe

Tube for spark

plug leads

Water

pipe

Water

pipe

Magnetos

Cylinders

Intake

manifold

Carburettor