stevehnz Posted June 3, 2019 Share Posted June 3, 2019 Just a place holder for now, a Novo (?) FB.5. I think its Novo, came as a bagged kit from I think TAHS maybe 30-40 years ago, the destructions are all in cyrillic script but pretty sure thats what it is, the sprues & all match frog ones. will put up some photos in a day or two. Steve. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted June 3, 2019 Share Posted June 3, 2019 Glad you made the commitment Steve and I’m sure you won’t regret it. This little Vampire kit is proving to be pretty popular so it’ll great to see another one built and on display. I suspect it’ll be a Kiwi bird no doubt? Cheers and best of luck.. Dave 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted June 3, 2019 Author Share Posted June 3, 2019 1 minute ago, Rabbit Leader said: I suspect it’ll be a Kiwi bird no doubt? Yup. Steve. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 Hi Steve Do you have decals for your vampire ? If it's a Novo one they are unlikely to be useable. Look forward to seeing your photos, and following the build. cheers Pat 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted June 7, 2019 Author Share Posted June 7, 2019 (edited) Hi Pat, no decals with the kit but although I do have some Frog Vampire decals I'm intending to use some Oldmodels decals for an RNZAF Vampire early in its service while still camo'd as received form the RAF & before they were given the all over silver finish that they carried for most of their service. The difficulty with that is whether to finish the undersides in PRU Blue (My choice) or MSG as is sometimes shown. I've a memory stick somewhere with info on this on it. Steve. Edited June 7, 2019 by stevehnz 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted June 10, 2019 Share Posted June 10, 2019 On 6/7/2019 at 3:53 AM, stevehnz said: Hi Pat, no decals with the kit but although I do have some Frog Vampire decals I'm intending to use some Oldmodels decals for an RNZAF Vampire early in its service while still camo'd as received form the RAF & before they were given the all over silver finish that they carried for most of their service. The difficulty with that is whether to finish the undersides in PRU Blue (My choice) or MSG as is sometimes shown. I've a memory stick somewhere with info on this on it. Steve. In RAF service I am pretty sure the camo version had PRU Blue unders, like my Hornets. RAF then switched to silver unders on the Hunter, and later Light Aircraft Grey so MSG must be a NZ variation? Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted June 10, 2019 Author Share Posted June 10, 2019 Not sure if I was right with MSG, probably meant LAG. Some photos I've seen do seem to show a paler shade that I'd expect from PRU Blue. It'll be interesting to see what the decal instructions say on the subject, if anything. Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandboof Posted June 26, 2019 Share Posted June 26, 2019 Will be watching Steve Good luck Martin H 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted June 26, 2019 Author Share Posted June 26, 2019 (edited) Thanks Martin, I've been a bit slow on the off with this, & as the Frog squad GB is the last to finish of a couple I'm interested in, I won't be rushing it. I've decided to do a 112 sqn Vampire in the Sharkmouth GB, in this case a Heller one. Steve. Edited June 26, 2019 by stevehnz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted July 20, 2019 Share Posted July 20, 2019 Hi Steve Have you had a chance to frighten your vampire, since we last heard from you ? 🧛♂️ Cheers Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted July 31, 2019 Author Share Posted July 31, 2019 Hi Pat, simple answer is no, & sorry, its not going to happen. I'd started a Revell Vampire, the repopped Heller one in the Shark mouthed GB & comparing the Frog Vampire with that just defeated my mojo. I then thought I'd dig out a Frog Tempest I have only to find several components, one fuselage half & wing half had totally distorted while in storage. It didn't used to be like this & goodness knows what has caused it, I had a frog Corsair do the same years ago, I think they are Frog Spawn rather than Frog originals but so maybe it had to do with the plastic in them but its has dispirited me totally for this build. I'm going to struggle to get the Shark Mouth build done & as for the D-day Spitfire I got & the Do.27 for the Year of my Birth GBs, I don't know. Having a stinking cold just now isn't helping my objectivity any either. Steve. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted July 31, 2019 Author Share Posted July 31, 2019 Hold it right there! After writing the above, I had a light bulb moment, I recalled that somewhere, I thought I had some original Frog Vampire decals, more remarkably, I was able to find them. I also started to think I'd been doing rather too much of that ie overthinking this GB, so its going to be very much build it like we used to, so its on again, OOBish but no rebuilding or detailing other than some tidying up of components & a bulkhead let into the lower nose to stop the lead shot falling out through the U/C bay, no fancy nose wheel recesses or anything like that, fingers crossed, this one will progress now. Steve. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted July 31, 2019 Share Posted July 31, 2019 My wife has a nasty habit of changing her mind like that Steve.... it drives me bonkers! Good to hear you're back on the Vampire horse, so get onboard and ride this little baby home. Cheers.. Dave 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted July 31, 2019 Share Posted July 31, 2019 Hi Steve Good to read you are going ahead. I will watch with interest. All the best Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted August 1, 2019 Author Share Posted August 1, 2019 (edited) Well here is the off, sprue shouts, along with high quality instructions & the original Frog decals I had tucked away. Building two Vampires at once helps to focus one on the issues & although this kit is very different to the Revell one I'm doing in the Sharkmouth GB, a lot of the same solutions are needed, just more so on this one. I've let a floor into the cockpit to hold the nose weight in place, so far I've only filled under & behind the pilots seat & if I need more, there is space to drop it into the nose through the cockpit. A lot more filler on this bird than the Revell one, sink marks galore. The dark spots on the left wing above (also the port wing ) are not dirt or paint, they're in the plastic. Steve. Edited August 1, 2019 by stevehnz 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted August 1, 2019 Share Posted August 1, 2019 Great to see this one started and puttied.. Like all our kits Steve, they deserve to be built! Cheers and all the best.. Dave 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted August 1, 2019 Author Share Posted August 1, 2019 Thanks Dave, I've just put the last of the lead in the nose after taping it all together & doing a balance test, certainly no room to spare in a Vampire. Steve. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted August 1, 2019 Share Posted August 1, 2019 2 minutes ago, stevehnz said: .... certainly no room to spare in a Vampire Unless its got a flam'n big nose like this one! (sorry, shameless RL model plug.... well Pat does it!) 5 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted August 1, 2019 Author Share Posted August 1, 2019 (edited) Yeah, I reckon you'd fit enough in there. Show off. Mind you, it is rather nice, don't go expecting anything to that standard. Steve. Edited August 1, 2019 by stevehnz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Law Posted August 1, 2019 Share Posted August 1, 2019 Good to see this happening Steve. I wish someone would do a good 1/48 Vampire. Everytime I look at a kit I hear it isn't accurate. It is a pain as I remember seeing them on the airbases and they fit into my current obsession on late war jets. Even though they didn't fly in the war they were far enough along in their development to fit my theme. That's a really nice build Dave. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandboof Posted August 3, 2019 Share Posted August 3, 2019 Great to see this on the go Steve Martin H 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean Posted August 3, 2019 Share Posted August 3, 2019 Hi Steve, it is a sweet little kit and not very big at this scale. Since I built the same Vampire, I have always wanted to do a Swedish plane... Go figure why! Keep having fun! JR 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted August 3, 2019 Author Share Posted August 3, 2019 (edited) Well, seeing as I'll have some spare Swedish decals after this & another kit to do one day, if it hasn't gone & warped on me, I was thinking of doing something similar. I'm guessing you still have the Swedish decals spare but if not I think the original Frog decals are not hard to come by if that's the way you want to go, it is an attractive scheme. Steve. Edited August 3, 2019 by stevehnz 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean Posted August 4, 2019 Share Posted August 4, 2019 14 hours ago, stevehnz said: Well, seeing as I'll have some spare Swedish decals after this & another kit to do one day, if it hasn't gone & warped on me, I was thinking of doing something similar. I'm guessing you still have the Swedish decals spare but if not I think the original Frog decals are not hard to come by if that's the way you want to go, it is an attractive scheme. Steve. Hi Steve, you are right, a Swedish Vampire does look very neat! Yes, I still have the Frog Swedish decals, even after several decades, and they still look OK. What I do not have is a Vampire. Cheers JR 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted August 15, 2019 Author Share Posted August 15, 2019 Hmmm, I've missed a few stages on this, I tend to get into the groove & forget photos, sorry. It definitely looks like a Vampire now, quite a bit of filler rquired & I haven't been obsessing with exactness but I have enhanced the cannon muzzle recesses & added the intake vanes to it, such a distinctive feature of Vampires, that I couldn't leave it naked in this area. I should be able to get some paint on it soon but the Revell one I'm building in the Sharkmouth GB will get the first attention due to the earlier finish date of that group. Like the Sharkmouth one, I've temporarily fixed the U/C doors with blue tac so I can put the underwing decals in place then cut around them & prise the doors out of their recesses with the serial in the correct place. That's the plan anyway. Steve. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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