Hi all!

I got my Trumpeter 1/48 Wyvern today!

This is Trumpeter´s best so far!

Everything is crisply moulded in the "standard" light grey plastic, all surface details are recessed and not as overdone as earlier.

All control surfaces are moulded in place (no more pins and hinges), the wheels are moulded in plastic with separate hubs ( not weighted!), the instrument panel is a etched part with acetate backing, propeller(s) only consists of 17 parts(!) and can be built contra-rotating!

Wings can be built folded or extended, flaps down or up and there´s lots of things to hang under the wings ( Rockets x8, wing tanks x2, 1000lbs bombs x2, torpedo, centre line tank and two RATOG bottles).

Decals are provided for three aircrafts, all in the same scheme of Dark Sea Grey over Sky.
One option is J, WN325 830Sqn, HMS Eagle 1956, Suez (Operation Musketeer?), complete with the sripes!
The other two aircrafts are 388, WN335, 831Sqn, HMS Ark Royal 1957 and 278, WL879 813Sqn, HMS Eagle 1958.

A first look at the decals gives a good impression beeing printed in register with good colors.

Instuctions are in the usual clear Trumpeter style with color callouts for Gunze Sangyo only!

Everything oozes quality and it screams "Build me, Build me"!
Resistance is (as we all know!) futile so i´ll sign on the Suez Campaign with this kit!

Well, this was a first impression right out of the box, i´ll have to see if it holds up when I start glueing parts together!

Don´t think i´ll make it until deadline, but i just have to build the beast right away!

More info (and pics) later!

Cheers!

Stefan E

Yes, post some pics as soon as you can, please!
That's one kit I just have to get. I built the 1:72 version and it was really good, but this sounds better.
Overstated recessed panel lines? The 1:72 wyvern is not that old, and it had a little too subtle panel lines, IMHO.
Photo-etched instrument panel is a really welcome change, the smaller scale kit had that thick clear moulded panel with acetate dials, which was really quite useless because of the thickness of the clear part.

Btw, does the kit come with seatbelts of any kind? (1:72 kit was lacking in that aspect)
And one more thing, you said there's lots of stuff to hang under the wings. Are the holes for mounting the armament already there or do they have to be drilled? (the other flaw in the small scale kit. I didn't use the rockets, so I had to fill up the eight pairs of holes in the wings... Strangely, rest of the holes are left for the modeler to drill, which is the way to go, IMHO)

Okey
Now I have to see that model next time the coffee is varm,
You have an Albatros to build my friend, and I´m a Dragon
Cheers mate
Lars

Hi Stefan!

Maybe you could write a review for it!

Jean-Luc

Hi All!

Eetu;




Yes, you get etched seatbelts!




Yes, all the holes are there, but flashed over so you´ll have to drill out the holes corresponding to the choosen armament!
I agree, this is the best way to do it!

Lars; You know the coffee is always hot and strong here!

Jean-Luc;






Sure, i just did!
But i´ll include some pics and submit it as a review, coming up soon!

Thanks for the feedback guys!

Cheers!

Stefan E

Hi all!

As I have submitted the Wyvern for the SUEZ campaign, I´ll end this tread.
Please follow the build in the SUEZ; Trumpeter Wyvern tread.

See ya...

Stefan E

Hi Stefan

One area that's worrying me is the tail - it just seems very thin compared with photos in the 4+ Publications book. I'm wondering if there's a way to insert a plug to give a bit more thickness, but this could have a nasty knock-on effect on the stabilizer roots - which seem slightly off themselves...

All the best

Rowan

Hi Rowan!

As a life-long aviation buff I’m almost embarrassed to confess that there’s still so many aircrafts I know nothing about!

Ask me about Spitfires instead, my all time favourite aircraft, and maybe i know something about it!
But these (all too rare) moments is what makes modelling such an interesting hobby!

Ever since I laid my eyes on the Classic Airframes version of this machine, I’m in love with it!
It falls in all three of my “categories”; weird, ugly and beautiful!
In the same way as the F-4 Phantom or the JA-37 Viggen does.
The Wyvern has that sinister “no-nonsense, we mean business” purposeful look, simply put: an aircraft with attitude!

I have trawled the net and come up with very little pics and no drawings of the real thing.
There are several build-ups of different kits with lots of pics, but I can’t find much on the real aircraft.

I have seen the 4+ book, but I don’t own a copy (yet!), but will buy it soon.

But I can agree that the fin is very thin on the model.
But I can’t tell if, or how it’s “out of scale”.
Probably it would be possible to "fatten" it up a bit, without messing with the stabilizer roots too much.
The kit has a little insert that goes between the fuselage halves and will assure the stabs get the correct dihedral.
This gives some margin to do as you suggests.

Do you think the stabs are out of place in the kit? How?

I wish I could give you a better answer, but I’m afraid I can’t!
I´ll pass the accuracy question to those who know better then me!

Cheers!

Stefan E