This is going to be fun I think. I have reviewed the new Airfix kit here where you can read up on the details and also get a closer look on what's in the box!


Boxart, I think the Vampire has always been a real looker in silver and dayglo! I'll go for a similar scheme but with Swedish markings.

Then, by pure coincidence, I happened to buy a decal sheet with Norwegian Vampires earlier this week. So there will be company for the T.11 (or rather the export variant T.55) in the form of a Norwegian F.3 based on a true classic: the ancient Heller kit of the FB.5! I'll have to install a pair of rounded wingtips and do a bit of rescribing but that I think I'll manage.


A very tasty decal sheet.


Heller plastic...


...and even more Heller plastic. I got these from a friend who bought a truckload of these for the Marivox Vampire Mk 1 project. When he had taken all he needed for the Mk 1:s he still had almost a truckload left . A few of these plastic-only kits ended up in my stash...


And finally a start on the twoseater. Several customers ordered the planes without ejection seats, Sweden was one of those. A bit of cruel surgery to the ejection seat (a seat that looks like a good base for some extra detailing by the way!) and some scribing and I have a passable bakelite Spitfire-type bucket seat!



Magnus

An update that has very little to do with the main subject of this build: a pair of new wingtips for the Vampire F.3.


I tried to build the bulk of them from plasticard so as to minimize the use of putty.

I've also managed to rescribe the wings. Not too difficult since they are flat enough to allow the use of a steel ruler and an Olfa P-cutter. Fuselage will be trickier!



Magnus

Hi, nice start on these Vampires !

Great job on the T11 seat 'transformation'.

I like the Swedish Vampires.....I'd like to have decals to build one T11 from Swedish air force......do you know where I can find this please ?

Cheers Pierre.

Pierre! Decals are on their way from Xtradecal, one green and one silver (the very one you see in the avatar below) Swedish machine, within about two months time... I did the research so they should be among the best decals ever made on this planet !



Magnus

Nice! i've been looking for decals for a Swedish vampire for ever. Thought i would have to buy the Marivox one to get the decals

Jakob

Jakob! With Xtradecal and a bit of help from Flying Colors (numbers) you should be able to build just about any J 28C-2 och C-3 you like!



Magnus

Nice! I have been planing to build all the Swedish fighters in 1/72 (at least from the J8 and forward) since maestro models are going to release a J33 the J 28 have been the only one i haven't found any decals for. But now i have Thanks!

Jakob

Hi Magnus,

Thanks a lot for this great new about the Swedish decals for the Vampire by Xtradecal !

So I just need to wait for them....

Cheers Pierre.

Hi Magnus,

great to see you started with the Vampire.

And you come with a surprise build of a Heller kit. Nice scratch building. Will it be the NMF one?



Jelger

Jelger! They were all silver painted so a silver machine it will be!



Magnus

I had the box in my hand today. To my surprise it was quite a small box. Fair price as well. It was difficult to resist...

Did you buy it? And was it used in Holland? I can't remember ever seeing a Dutch Vampire but that is as usual not the same thing as they didn't exist !

The Airfix boxes are quite small but well filled nowadays!



Magnus

Not yet, but will do for sure at a later moment. The Royal Dutch Airforce didn't use Vampires. But if I build one, something like this would be very nice (and exotic):


A Rhodesian AF T11

However, painting the nose can be a bit complicated, but at least I know where to find decals, as MAV decals produces them.

Well, future plans... First finishing a Canberra (still waiting for masks) and my Jolly Rogers F-4b...



Jelger

Jelger! That's a beautiful paint scheme!

Still concentrating on the F.3...


Moulds are a bit tired with quite a lot of surface imperfections to fill. I did an F.1 a decade ago, on that one I made intake ducting from Milliput that I sanded and smoothed. On this one I painted it all black instead!


I am not sure if this was the most clever of ideas... Time will tell!



Magnus

Hi Magnus,

Nice to see your Vampire progress.

Are you thinking to use a resin cockpit for this one ?

Cheers Pierre.

Nope! I very seldom use resin cockpits anymore, I am usually quite content with just detailing some of the more obvious parts (on jets usually just the seats). When, as in this case, the cockpit is almost all black I find it even less worthwhile :-) !



Magnus

That's what i like about your builds, you show that one necesarily don't need tons of AM to end upp with a stunning model.

Looks like good progress!

Jakob

Jakob! Thanks for your kind words!


Parts set up for painting. Belts have been made from masking tape: cheap, self-adhesive and flexible !


You gotta love black cockpits: very little detailing required !



Magnus

In the middle of the fast phase of this project, suddenly they look like the real thing!


The new Airfix kit is cleverly engineered...


...intake trunking, top of the wing and tail booms laid out...


...intake trunking installed...


...wing straddling fuselage pod...


...checking the fit of the tail booms...


...and two complete Vampires!



Magnus

Lovely work Magnus. As always your build log thread carries a lot of very useful information and techniques for the rest of us.

Cheers, D

Excellent, Magnus!
The Airfix Vampire looks quite nice, I was keen on seeing how it builds up and it seems Hornby have done a nice job.

Hi Magnus,

I did the same thing you did, the air intake parts should be glued before I think. I glued them after so In my case I sanded the internal side a little bit and the part fitted well.

Cheers Pierre.

Great progress Magnus! Nice to see both birds side by side. The Airfix-parts seem to fit well.

Today, I was in the Aviation Megastore to buy a kit for a Benelux group-build on Benelux.kitmaker.net and the idea was also to bring the Vampire back home. But they were all sold out! So quite a popular kit! Will wait for new ones to arrive.




Jelger

Damian! Thanks! I'll try to keep it as educational as possible in the future as well!

Giacomo! Hornby certainly has done their homework on this one!

Pierre! Are you nearing completion? What nationality are you doing?

Jelger! With care fit is marvellous. A bit more care than I exercised I might say ...

Off skiing this week so no updates do be expected! I did however bring the projects with me, there might be some spare time to do some sanding and filling...



Magnus

Hi Magnus,

I'm doing a chilean one.....desert scheme from an Aztec decal sheet. If you want I have more exotic schemes one this decal sheet that I can share with you.

The model is painted and I'm about to finish the cockpit (I decided to glue some cockpit parts after the paint job to avoit to break them). Have to place decals and do the wash job. Landing gear parts still need to be painted.

Cheers Pierre.