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Vampire Trainer refurbishing 1/48 - saved from the bin?


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Want to show some of my Vampire refurbishing project:

This is an old Hobbycraft Vampire kit with all its know errors I never finished.

Found it in the attic some time ago and decided not to throw it away (yet)

so I tried to correct the dihedral/ anhedral issue, and hope to improve the front canopy- fuselage transition.

some pics:

IMG_5666_1_zps264795fb.jpg

IMG_5668_1_zpsc589709a.jpg

IMG_5670_1_zps523f3d1c.jpg

the canopy itself will be a big challenge though......

Thanks for looking and any kind of comment!!

Edited by exdraken
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  • 3 weeks later...

although no too many replies till now, I will keep on posting some progress, hope you don't mind!

IMG_5921_1_zps75e51fe3.jpg

IMG_5916_1_zps8f4378fd.jpg

IMG_5913_1_zps812511a6.jpg

IMG_5911_1_zps776fe831.jpg

mainly cleanup and seam work, the canopy was also troubling me quite a bit!

hope you start to like her a bit more now ;)

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I think the too bulbous nose is making the canopy appear to sit too high. I think I would try adding a few mm to the nose. Although your model will then be a little too long, it will allow you to rework the nose to the more pointed appearance of the original and might make the canopy look a bit more in proportion to the nacelle. The other thing you could try, if you can get the canopy separated from the model, is to have it open. This will break up the outline of the aircraft, thus drawing the eye away from the problem.

Hope that helps a bit.

Martin

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Thanks for your input Martin!

actually I did not know about those inaccuracies till now!! but crosschecked with my CA kit I had somewhere in my stash to build at a later date... the canopy is hardly comparable to say the least ;)

not sure if I can improve on that now :(

at the same time I noted that my intakes are not too well either....

Regards, :)

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  • 4 weeks later...

I`ll stay tuned as I like british jet trainer of the sixties!

I built this kit too, and it was a lot of fun to improve this kit. I`ve built one in restoration condition with wooden structure, a fact what make this airctaft absolutely fascinating.

It`s not an easy task to built this old canadian kit, but if you like this one, so there is no obstacle.

I`m curious what`s coming out!

Greetz Dirk

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thanks for the detail pics!

very helpful!

one of the main problems i think I have found, is that the front windscreen is too steep on the hobbycraft kit ... no way I can correct this....

I try now o correct the shape transition between the fuselage sides and the canopy, as it slopes? down in a characteristic way... maybe the nosejob will also improve the looks...

IMG_5960_1_zpsb31963dd.jpg

IMG_5958_1_zpsb16220fa.jpg

IMG_5961_1_zpsd3e9e29f.jpg

we will see!

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  • 1 year later...

hmmmmm

nearly binned her,

but finally sanded a lot, and a lot more.... and decided to give her one more try

canopy was also remodeled, to a not so good effect....

IMG_4422_1_1_zps9a826e4a.jpg

IMG_4426_1_1_zpsc8dc2107.jpgIMG_4428_1_1_zps0117e5ba.jpg

looking better in black, but still no beauty!

IMG_4555_1_1_zps38b56fc3.jpg

IMG_4550_1_1_zps874ae3b1.jpgIMG_4556_1_1_zps9fd77378.jpgIMG_4559_1_1_zps01ae3027.jpg

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I'd heard it had faults, but don't give in, every model is a blank canvas to which you sculpt and paint to your satisfaction. So far it's looking good.

The Vampire is yet another type that operated locally- about a mile behind the house I lived in at RAF Worksop- a bit before my time though, I was born 7 years after the station closed for good.

Remember as well, the T11 is preserved in large numbers and many uk museums have at least 1 example.

Regards Rad

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  • 1 year later...

not sure if I should even update this thread...

repainted her again,

maked the lower wing numbers, not sooo great. :(

IMG_4422_11_1_zpsww8tssi3.jpg

IMG_4426_11_1_zpsqngdwp04.jpg

marked the tail for a white fin flash base and painted with tamia rattle can and Revell enamels.. both only worked partially well

IMG_4537_1_1_zpsczwq2mzu.jpg

IMG_4536_1_1_zps6ziglmgi.jpg

red will be next.... :banghead:

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Looking good and, more importantly, it looks more like a T.55 now.

I tried doing the same whilst in Sweden and worked on and off on it over six years. Very little of the original kit remained. Unfortunately it was 'Mombasa's' when we moved to Kenya...

Just might have to get another and crack on again... What am I saying...

Christian, exiled to africa

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