Simon Cornes Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 I am contemplating shelling out for one of the AIMS conversions and I was wondering whether anyone on BM has any experience of the conversion? Knowing The Rev M, I suspect that it will all be very good but I can't see any rerefence to it in any recent threads, only those that started a few years ago when it first became available and I don't think that they go to completion. I presume that it is intended for the Revell 88A-1 kit but I wondered if the A-4 would be okay as the 188 has a longer span tailplane and mainplane and the 'G' fin and rudder? As it happens, I was given an A-4 at Christmas! As its a fairly expensive conversion, I may also be in the market for a part built example, if anyone has had a go and then given up! Many thanks Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imatt88 Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 Simon, I've never built one, but everyone I've talked to about it, says its the cats meow. Great castings and easy to work with. The only caveat is the price tag. I, too, was looking into buying one, plus Pastor John's Ju 88 Mistel conversion as well. Problem is, funds ran low. Had to put it on the back burner If you've got the money, jump on it. HTH, Cheers, Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Cornes Posted January 5, 2014 Author Share Posted January 5, 2014 Thanks Ian, I have never seen one of these conversions for sale, second hand, which suggests that this is indeed the dog's danglies or that whoever buys one decides never to sell it on because it costs so much! John has confirmed the price including postage. Think I may wait for SMW to a) confirm I really want it and to save at least the postage! Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brewerjerry Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 Hi Never knew this was available. I couldnt justify buying the new A-4, becsuse i already had the A-1. but now i sm thinking i could buy this and convert the A-1, and buy the A-4. cheers jery 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Cornes Posted January 6, 2014 Author Share Posted January 6, 2014 See how BM is bad for your wallet! Looking around the web and at the AIMS website you realise this is one hell of a conversion but I would love to hear from someone who has actually built it! Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heraldcoupe Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 Have you checked out this build on LSP? Cheers, Bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Cornes Posted January 6, 2014 Author Share Posted January 6, 2014 Thanks for the comments guys. Regarding LSP, I can't access the site - my office PC won't let me due to 'protocols' and McAfee is also warning me that it is a nasty place to visit so I am stuck. I bet its a really good write up Bill!! Of course, this is fate putting obstacles in my way so that I can't buy it!! Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heraldcoupe Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 McAfee is also warning me that it is a nasty place to visit so I am stuck. This is strange as I am using McAfee and it gives me no such warnings. Cheers, Bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Cornes Posted January 7, 2014 Author Share Posted January 7, 2014 Don't know if this will copy and paste but mine says Warning: Dangerous Site Whoa! Are you sure you want to go there?http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showto... may be risky to visit. Why were you redirected to this page? When we visited this site, we found it exhibited one or more risky behaviors. In my book that means 'Nasty' !!! I found a useful revue on www.scaleplasticandrail.com and that tells me this is a very 'detailed' conversion - good for an annual project maybe with nothing else on the bench?More thought required I think! Cheers Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Don't know if this will copy and paste but mine says Warning: Dangerous Site Whoa! Are you sure you want to go there?http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showto... may be risky to visit. Why were you redirected to this page? When we visited this site, we found it exhibited one or more risky behaviors. In my book that means 'Nasty' !!! a few months ago Britmodeller was giving similar warnings via google! Note is says maybe risky. A quick look there, I note Iain Ogilvie is a moderator there, and a member here as Iain(32SIG) so maybe PM him ask if knows of any problems. HTH T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Cornes Posted January 8, 2014 Author Share Posted January 8, 2014 Thanks Troy. I may well do that! Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Cornes Posted January 8, 2014 Author Share Posted January 8, 2014 Well, Bil and Troy, I thought I would take a big chance and dare to look at the LMS site. On one hand a good thing - I didn't go blind and I don't think my legs have dropped off so not that nasty! On the other hand, a bad thing because I really fancy this conversion now, even though it is so expensive. Simon PS is James H Mister Hago ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicholas mayhew Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 JamesH is Jim Hatch - owner of both Scale Plastic and Rail and Large Scale Modeller (I review / am on Staff of both) He is NOT Jamie Haggo The 188 conversion is definitely not for beginners, and you better like vac canopies My assessment of it would be that if it had Bette instructions and an injection moulded canopy I would give it a stab; in its present form I would not be brave enough You had better have extensive 188 references, above average skills and a lot of time if you want to do the project justice HTH Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Cornes Posted January 9, 2014 Author Share Posted January 9, 2014 Thanks for clarifying Nick! I certainly agree with you about skills and time, if one is lacking then you need the other in spades! Also agreed about the canopy and I would hope its the sort of plastic that doesn't yellow! Almost scope for an after, after market resin copy!! Probably worth an extra fiver on the price!! Still mulling over whether to jump but a tremendous long term project - unless you're going to belt through the build like Jim Hatch but I think work might get in the way for me!! The only other slight grumble would be the lack of weighted wheels after going to all the trouble to make detailed resin wheels but you can't get everythinmg all of the time!! Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewE Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 I have one of these conversions to do as well but until I have the room to display the completed kit I shall unfortunately not be starting it. An injection moulded canopy would be very nice but I think the cost would be prohibitive in this scale for the very small number of sets produced. It is expensive but the first batch of these conversions that were produced by AIMS were actually cast by other suppliers and the total cost the John of producing each set was only just less than the sale price. Given how cheap the donor kit is however the total price for the full package is not too bad. Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 That build on LSP. The last entry is November 2011. I hope he carried on. The cockpit alone was fabulous. Colour me envious. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Cornes Posted January 9, 2014 Author Share Posted January 9, 2014 Agreeed Pete, the cockpit looks great and I assume all the colours are correct? There was a lot of red detail!! Like you say, I hope he finished it but if he was building the Mistel conversion at the same time then I bet he did! This is one reason why I am reluctand to do a Work In Progress thing on BM - mind you, at the speed I work/time I have available, it could take a very long time!! Would have been nice to have seen pictures of the finished job though! Andrew, regarding canopies, I was actually thinking cast clear resin. In view of the number of after market conversions that are available with clear resin canopies - I'm thinking A2Zee 1/48th Canberra stuff - these are typically manufactured in the Czech Republic or similar I think and turn out very well when give the Klear treatment - or so I believe. Cheaper than injection moulding and better than vac form. I understand that Pastor John had the kits produced in Eastern Europe - at least the resin parts - so maybe not so expensive as limited run resin stuff instead of vac form? But then I appreciate that John may not have had more than 100 kits produced and I really don't know how the mould makers would produce a canopy with that amount of framing? Maybe vac form is best after all? Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 I have a bit of a thing for the 188, and loved the work Jim did on his conversion using the AIMs set. I don't know whether it was ever completed, but it certainly made me want one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewE Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 Pastor John does the vast majority of the casting himself. The only parts I am aware of that were not done by him were the cockpit section in the first batch of Ju-188's (produced in the UK) and the bomb racks which I think are from MDC. A clear cast resin canopy might work but it would be a very large piece and not sure how thin you would be able to get it. Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 Vacform canopies aren't too tricky if you cut them carefully. Don't let it put you off 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Ogilvie Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 Agree with Mike on vac canopies - and personally I much prefer them to clear resin. Tackled with care they're really no major hassle to use. Iain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Cornes Posted January 9, 2014 Author Share Posted January 9, 2014 Looking at the photos on that 'Other Site' then MDC's logo is on quite a lot of photo etch frets so they seem to do more than the bomb, racks and etch for just those bits. As far as the canopy was concerned, I was thinking 'multi part' again - probably 3 - but I don't suppose John will want the hassle of anything like that if the conversion sells 'as is' As Nick said, extensive references would make life somewhat easier but Pastor John admits that some things are not clear from the available references he has - but then you can't be wrong if no one can prove otherwise!- not that it matters, I would have though that any of John's conversions produces something very impressive - and large!! Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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