Wez Posted September 26, 2020 Share Posted September 26, 2020 This is a placeholder for the moment, I'll put some pictures up once I've retrieved the kit from the Hoard. My second entry for the GB is the French built, Nene engined version of the Vampire which first appeared in 1980. I can remember the 15 year old grinned himself to death on the bus ride home from Ryde to Newport (Southern Vectis route 1 if you're interested), having bought this kit at Ryde model shop. I'd just made the Novo version of the Frog Vampire and was going to use this kit to make an 8 Sqn RAF Vampire FB.9. Imagine my disappointment when I found that the Mistral was not just a French built Vampire but a Vampire puissance supplémentaire (extra power), extra bulk, different shapes and features compared to a Vampire - stupid Heller! Naturally, Heller went on to release the Vampire proper of which I bought and made several. I built the Mistral in the overall blue scheme as used by the Aéronavale, this one will be built as an overall silver jet as used in the Magreb (North Africa) in the 1950's/1960's. Obviously, I've forgiven Heller for my mistake in my callow youth, but this kit has lingered long enough to get its place in the sun. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fightersweep Posted September 26, 2020 Share Posted September 26, 2020 Another one! How are we all going to keep up with all of this Heller goodness over the next four months?? I wouldn't be too hard on yourself over the Mistral. I bought one back in 83 or so. I went down the looks like a Vampire, walks like a Vampire, quacks like a Vampire route. I probably wouldn't have noticed the difference at the time anyway, and the only reference I had access to was in the library, or my modelling buddy's Dad's collection of Encyclopedia of Aircraft by Orbis....and by 83, that was nowhere near completion. I wasn't as hung up on accuracy as I maybe should have been. Hence my "Battle of Britain" collection having it's fair share of Heller Mk II Hurricanes and Airfix Ju-88A-4s. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted September 26, 2020 Share Posted September 26, 2020 Believe it or not I only found out this week that Heller supplied different fuse pieces in this Mistral box compared to their initial Vampire kit. I only thought they changed the intake parts... now that I know, I want one and that overall Aeronaval scheme really looks quite chique! Good luck with this one Wez. Cheers.. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted September 27, 2020 Author Share Posted September 27, 2020 8 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said: Believe it or not I only found out this week that Heller supplied different fuse pieces in this Mistral box compared to their initial Vampire kit. I only thought they changed the intake parts... now that I know, I want one and that overall Aeronaval scheme really looks quite chique! Good luck with this one Wez. Cheers.. Dave Different fuselage, intakes, mainwheels (IIRC) and an ejector seat. It's really a Vampire on steroids. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted September 27, 2020 Author Share Posted September 27, 2020 Hmm, just been looking in the Wez Heller Hoard, the Mistral is not where I thought it was (thinks, now may be a good time to ask the Wonderful Mrs Wez to provide me with a spreadsheet that I can manage the stash with). Therefore, it must be in the alternative Hoard which is a bit less accessible. Now as Mr Wez has been an utter Muppet and inflamed the cartilage in his left knee, this means one of two things: 1. Ask the Wonderful Mrs Wez to explore that part of the Hoard which is less accessible which you KNOW she wouldn't like to do... 2. ...do I just access the alternative Hoard location against medical advice and incur the wrath of the Wonderful Mrs Wez (which would be her expressing her utter disappointment rather than disapproval), hmm, what is a chap to do... ... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted September 27, 2020 Share Posted September 27, 2020 I’d be asking Mrs.Wez to do the deep sea diving, however it sounds like you need some ‘runs on the board’ or ‘brownie points’ before she’s going to take that first step. Ask yourself, how would a typical Frenchman handle the situation? Go down the road and spoil her with Choclate’ and a bottle of bubbly... you never know, you might end up getting more than your little Mistral. Let’s us know how you go.. no need for photographic evidence. Cheers.. Dave 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted September 27, 2020 Share Posted September 27, 2020 A nice one, Wez. A great choice Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted September 27, 2020 Share Posted September 27, 2020 Great one Wez Look forward to following your progress with this one. cheers Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted September 30, 2020 Author Share Posted September 30, 2020 Lookee what I've found and I didn't have to resort to any diversion antics to access this! I had to go into the cellar last night to find a reference for a future GB and this was on the shelf nearby so not in the loft alternative stash, but the alternative, alternative stash. I really do need to get the Wonderful Mrs Wez to provide me with a spreadsheet to keep track of these things! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alt-92 Posted September 30, 2020 Share Posted September 30, 2020 1 hour ago, Wez said: alternative, alternative stash Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted October 2, 2020 Author Share Posted October 2, 2020 The Mistral was a French built version of the DH Vampire the latter being the first jet operated by the French. The Mistral is best described as a Vampire on steroids, it used the Rolls Royce Nene in-lieu of the DH Goblin fitted to the Vampire, this provided half as much power again which would have been very useful indeed in those desert climes. The British and Australians had fitted the Nene to Vampires and these featured supplementary intakes to feed the double sided impeller of this engine (the Goblin was a single sided impeller), these supplementary intakes were ugly great things that spoilt the Vampire's good looks and weren't particularly aerodynamic. The French approach was quite elegant, just fit bigger intakes! Simple really. The Mistral had an ejection seat which the Vampire didn't, it also had the later style mainwheels presumably for bigger brakes to cope with the extra weight. The type was used both in Europe and North Africa, particularly extensively in the latter theatre. So in readiness for the kick off tomorrow: Here's the main fuselage and boom parts, the plastic is in good condition, some later mouldings of the Vampire weren't as good. Here's the wings, canopy and ancillary parts, the canopy is in very good condition considering it was rattling around in the bag with the rest of the parts. Also shown is the decal sheet, I will be using some of these but the roundels are hopelessly cock-eyed! And here's one of the references specifically for a North African based Mistral (which is what I want to do), the decal sheet is Xtradecal's X72192 for Foreign Vampire operators, it will provide those decals I don't use off of the kit decal sheet. My other references for the type will come from my Vampire references and a few French websites, this one in particular providing a lot of detail. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted October 5, 2020 Author Share Posted October 5, 2020 Made a start on the Mistral at lunchtime, separated the main components from the sprues and did a bit of gluing... ...I couldn't let this kit go without a bit of drilling, I drilled out the cannon ports, the originals lacked depth (apologies for the poor photo)... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 Where do you get those great books from Wez? They look like Fantastic modelling inspiration, especially if building subjects from this theatre of operations. Excellent stuff. I might have to chip in with a Yellow Texan! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted October 5, 2020 Author Share Posted October 5, 2020 17 minutes ago, Rabbit Leader said: Where do you get those great books from Wez? They look like Fantastic modelling inspiration, especially if building subjects from this theatre of operations. Excellent stuff. I might have to chip in with a Yellow Texan! I got them from Amazon Dave, it was Martin @RidgeRunner put me onto them. There's some truly fascinating types used by the French in North Africa in the period covered and these books don't cover the Aeronavalé, only the Armée de l'Air. You've got all sorts ranging from French types left over from WWII, German types manufactured in France, types taken over from the allies, stuff obtained through MAP as well as French manufactured types, really interesting stuff. If you're interested in a Texan, both books contain lots and I mean lots of photos but to be fair, you'd find a lot of them here. A yellow Texan would be great! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 Appreciate the reply @Wez and all the associated links. I’ve always liked these post war Colonial theatres like Indo China, Malaya, Algeria, Indonesia etc and think they make a great change to the high percentage of WW2 models we normally model. Cheers and thanks.. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 Corr... how goods that website! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 38 minutes ago, Rabbit Leader said: they make a great change to the high percentage of WW2 models we normally model. 😊 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted October 6, 2020 Author Share Posted October 6, 2020 7 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said: I’ve always liked these post war Colonial theatres like Indo China, Malaya, Algeria, Indonesia etc and think they make a great change to the high percentage of WW2 models we normally model. I have to agree Dave, I often find them more compelling with a huge variety of equipment, markings etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted October 6, 2020 Share Posted October 6, 2020 Absolutely Dave @Rabbit Leader and Wez @Wez I know there is a massive following and interest in all things WW2, and the same for the SEA campaign, but my interest allows lies in difference and so, like you both, I love anything about these other theatres and regions of the world and their aviation history. I just wish I had more time and more patience (and space) because I'd be building many more models of machines from a bygone age and from far-flung places Martin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted November 22, 2020 Author Share Posted November 22, 2020 More progress (at last)! Here's the instrument panel... ...followed by the ejection seat with a harness made from buff coloured Washi tape, the face curtain from khaki coloured Washi tape and the firing handle from red painted fuse wire... ...then there's the thorny issue of getting enough nose weight in, this is made from some sections of lead flashing glued in, it's got a fair bit of heft to it now... ...getting it this far was held up by the control stick pinging out of the tweezers, I was about to make one from scratch when I dropped something else and ended up finding the stick as an extra bonus. So here's the pod having been glued together... ...the wings and tailbooms have already been glued together so I'm hoping once I've dealt with the wingtip nav lights, this little beauty will start coming together fairly quickly. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinxman Posted November 22, 2020 Share Posted November 22, 2020 5 hours ago, Wez said: ...getting it this far was held up by the control stick pinging out of the tweezers, I was about to make one from scratch when I dropped something else and ended up finding the stick as an extra bonus. I love it when the carpet monster takes pity and throws something back at you. Usually when you've scratched a replacement though...😀 I think my tweezers are on a commission-based deal with said monster. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 She's coming along Wez @Wez. I see you employ domestic tools just like me ;). I think Mrs RR wonders where her pegs disappear too! She probably knows! Martin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted November 26, 2020 Share Posted November 26, 2020 Looking good Wez. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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