Pavla have released four options if you want to increase the amount of detail in your A Model 1/72 scale Vampire Mk I. You can purchase the whole cockpit suite including both early and later canopies. A set of wheels and a jet pipe. Another option is to acquire just the pilots seat. Finally the two canopies are available as a set. The releases include:

DH 100 Vampire Mk I cockpit and canopies.
All the parts, twelve in all, are contained in a vac formed transparent plastic blister package and there were no signs of any damage. Included are:

• 1 x instrument panel with gunsight.


• 2 x side panels.


• 1 x spade grip control column.


• 2 x rudder pedals.


• 1 x cockpit floor incorporating the rear bulkhead.


• 1 x pilots seat.


• 1 x oil tank.


• 1 x wall for the rear of the canopy.


• 2 x canopies.


• 2 x small sheets of instructions.

This set includes an excellent looking instrument panel with some fine low relief representations of the instruments. Cast onto the instrument panel is a gunsight. You will have to fabricate the glass of the gunsight yourself, use a piece of the clear plastic packaging for this. The rudder pedals are fitted behind the instrument panel. The side panels will require a little thinning of the plastic interior of the kit. So a bit of dry fitting is in order before gluing in place. The detail on the side walls is very well done, particularly the trim wheel. The seat likewise is nicely detailed with cast harnesses and a cushion. Interestingly the seat on the real thing was built from polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride or bakelite to give it's more familiar name. The seat comes with a cast seat adjusting lever. The seat is attached to the floor as does the spade grip control column, the column has some fine detail on it. The floor has the rear bulkhead incorporated on it and details on the bulkhead include cables and fuse boxes. The floor and bulkhead are joined to the block by some very fine attachment points, which will make removal from the block much easier. There is a little flash to clean off around the rear bulkhead. There is some sort of bottle or tank to fit behind the rear bulkhead as well as a small wall. The kits version of the resin part will need to be removed from the fuselage, just behind the bulkhead
There are two types of canopies supplied. One is the early three piece canopy and the other is the later style canopy including the windscreen and one piece canopy. The canopies are slightly blown just like the real thing. As usual with Pavla canopies there is a little excess plastic between the components so they can be cut with a little excess plastic and then sanded down to fit. I like the detail incorporated in the early canopy such as the grilled vent in the rear none glazed part and the windscreen frames.
The two small sheets of instructions have black line exploded drawings to aid the construction of the cockpit. There is a helpful diagram illustrating what areas need to be thinned and the parts that need removing. Nothing too drastic and should be easily within the capabilities of anyone that has had a few kits under their belt. The instructions supply information about the colours of parts.
Ref no: C72100.
Price: TBA

DH 100 Vampire Mk I wheels and jet pipe.
Four parts included with this release contained in a resealable plastic bag. The set includes:

• 2 x main wheels.


• 1 x nose wheels.


• 1 x jet pipe.

The wheels are very nicely cast. The main wheels have three spokes and a tiny hole for the valve. The nose wheel features the distinctive double tread of the Vampire. The wheels are joined to their blocks with a longish but thin attachment which will make removal much easier. The jet pipe is complete, which is always much better than the two part plastic ones, no seam to try to eradicate. Inside the pipe is a fine representation of the rear part of the turbine shaft.
Ref no: U72-127.
Price: TBA

DH 100 Vampire Mk I pilots seat.
See above.
Ref no: S 72067.
Price: TBA

DH 100 Vampire Mk I canopies.
See above.
Ref no: V 72-83.
Price: TBA

Conclusion.

These are very fine releases from Pavla and will add hugely to the quality of the A Model Vampire MkI. I have been a little unfair magnifying the resin parts so much, but they are excellent and as such highly recommended.