There is not enough No in the world. If you value your sanity stay away from the Hobbycrap Vampires.

@Ivanhoe: CMK do some very nice 1/72 scale kits of the Venom and Vampire. Alternatively if you want to go big Revell have re-released the Matchbox 1/32 scale Venom. Simple kit with reasonably good fit for its age but the details are typical Matchbox, can be built with wings either folded or ready for flight. I think A Model also do kits of the Venom and Vampire although again I'm unsure of fit and they are short run so this would have a bearing also. I agree with Jessica stay away from the Hobbycraft offerings there IS a reason they're cheap.

@jessica: Count me in Miss! I just love De Havilland aircraft and Tasman kits from here in New Zealand are now once again on the market so it'll give me an excellent opportunity to get one of their DH89A Dominie/Rapides! Based on the Heller kit but with extra detail parts!

Well I was so close to buying the new trumpeter Vampire yesterday. But an untouchable deal that couldn't be passed up came along and bumped it. Shame

Thanks Chris ! I'm gonna build it 'cause I bought it. Darned shame about that fuselage. With all the reference material available and surviving examples left and modern CAD design you think that they would have been much closer to correct than what it is. I just hope for a good fit and lots of detail.

CAD might very well be a part of the problem, "shapes" are really hard to capture in 3D and it is very easy to end up with slightly "balloony" and rounded shapes, quite like what seems to be the case with the Trumpeter kit.

Speaking from own experience :-)



Magnus

Tee Hee! I had a very similar experience today, that has a direct bearing on my entry for this campaign. Previously, I said I would use this campaign as an excuse to do all 3 twin booms. I have a Sea Vixen already, so today I went to my local model shop to pick up the new Airfix 1/72 Vampire. Before I could find it, my eyes were drawn to a rather large box in their clearance section, ie the Airfix 1/72 Nimrod, which they had been selling previously for £24.99 - clearance price was...... wait for it.......... £15.99!!!

Needless to say, I took the guys arm off, but the best part is, when I got home, I checked a few online sources to see what the Nimrod is selling for, and Hannants are charging £49.99 claiming it is a limited edition kit!!!

So yes, I am changing my entry to the Nimrod!

Thanks Magnus I didn't know that about CAD design but it makes sense.
Anyway, my Trumpeter Vampire arrived Tuesday. Kind of disappointed. Maybe it's all the armor with the high parts counts I've built over the years. Just a guess, 50 parts in this kit and the detail seems a bit soft. Hopefully by the time of the Campaign's start there will be some after market goodies to spice up the build.
A good weekend all !
Tom

@IvanHoe: Check the CMK and pavla websites they usually have a lot of resin detail parts for 1/72nd scale kits at usually pretty good prices. And shipping shouldn't be much of an issue since you're not dealing with USPS!

You shouldn't need great lots of aftermarket to spice up the cockpit; Vampires were fairly sparse inside. New drop tanks are probably a must, and you should really reshape the nose as was done in the Britmodeller thread I linked to earlier. BTW, it's still going on, and by now both kits are assembled. It's clear which of them is the better shape.

Hi Guys and Girls I've got my hands on both the 1/72nd and 1/48 scale Beech 18's and I've already got a 1/48th scale Otter but the 1/72 scale one is proving difficult to find anybody got a set of floats or an entire 1/72 Otter that I might purchase, beg, borrow or steal?

Hi Guys and girls please disregard previous statement as it's in entirely the wrong campaign!

Time for a bump and a teaser

Is that a DH4 Jessica? Sorry WW1 vintage biplanes or later not really my forte.

It is indeed. So is this one:

Wow this must be in the twenties? A DH4 with a passenger compartment by the looks of it? Now wouldn't that be an interesting conversion?

Conversion? Now why would you want to do a silly thing like that?

I was thinking of a DH-4 myself. I've got the Airfix one knocking about somewhere. As good an excuse as any to build it. From what I can remember its slightly better than most of their other efforts in WW1 aircraft.

Have a 1/48 Trumpeter Vampire kit I will be using.

You may want to read through this thread to see what you're getting into.

Everything I've read says that the Trumpeter kit fits well and is easy to build. It's just a pity they made such a mess of the shapes

i really should be in this group build as i recently got a classic airframes kit with aeroclub correction bits, and it fits in with a long term project to build 607 squadron aircraft....

or maybe i'll just buy the alley cat version as it comes with the correct decals and its a better kit ! ....

paul

Hi, guys and gals. My new SAMI mag has a build on the Trumpy Vampire. What the writer did was ignore the "9" and built the kit as a "5". He used decals for a 5 varient and called it good. I guess that would work, maybe. Just don't put it next to an Alley Cat version. I still don't understand how Trumpy missed the starboard extension for the a/c. I mean, good lord, that's why it's a "9". right? Happy Gluing, JT

Yes I had read about the Trumpy being a 5 instead of a 9. Am looking for decals to make a 5

I have enlisted in this campaign.
Am thinking of doing a Mossie, not quite sure yet.

Cheers Rob.

OK I'm not committing until nearer the start time, but if I do I'll join with the AZ models 1/48 DH60M Moth.

Somebody left the window open and the moths are getting in