Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'AlleyCat Trumpter build off'.
-
Finally finished these today. The build thread and comparison can be found here http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234933298-alleycat-vs-trumpeter-dh-vampire-fb9-build-off-calling-bloodsucker-fans-now-with-added-trumpeter-ness/ First up we have the AlleyCat resin Vampire FB9, finished using the kit decals as WX207 "F" 213 Sqn, Deversoir, Egypt 1949-52. Built OOB and brush painted with a mix of Pollyscale, Tamiya and Xtracrylix paints. Final varnish is GW Purity seal aerosol. A lovely kit, and simple to build. Next up is Trumpeter's attempt at an FB9, but finished as an FB5 S/N 10090 57S.10 of Escadrille 57S, French Aeronavale 1960. Markings from the Eurodecals sheet. Painted using Humbrol acrylic rattle can MIdnight blue, plus Xtracrylix Sea Blue for the drop tanks ( to break up the overal colour a little. This model was not built from the box What can one say in conclusion? Alleycat's model is accurate: Trumpeter's is not. Alleycat's model is twice the price and requires some experience in resin, white metal & PE. Plus while its an easy build it does require some filler: Trumpeter's is CAD tooled and will fall together if built out of the box. Alleycat gives you 3 marking options which all seem well researched with interesting schemes: Trumpeter's 2 schemes are nice but the codes are little big, and the colours of the roundel blue are too dark. The 503 Sqn blue in the flashes seems too bright too. Trumpeter had a chance with this kit, to finally deliver an accurate 1/48th injection moulded Vampire. Alas they fluffed up big time with accuracy on this kit, delivering instead a caricature of the Vampire, thats oversized in some areas, undersized in others, and plain wrong in a few places. A cursory glance on the interent would have shown their designers that some of the model's feature were not right, but for whatever reason it seems no one bothered to check these things at all before tooling the kit. Some of these errors can be simply fixed, some require more work, and even then you will not have a truly accurate Vampire. To my mind such laziness & complacency from a 21st century model manufacturer smacks of the ultimate insult to the customer - thats you and me. If you aren't concerned with accuracy and want a well fitting model then Trumpeter will deliver the goods: If you are on a budget and can wield a scalpel, sanding stick and plasticard, then you can improve Trumpeters model with just a little work. If you want an accurate Vampire - go with Alleycat. Anyway - hope you like the pics. All comments welcome as usual Jonners