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Bat out of Hell! Vampire FB.9, 213 Sqn, RAF Deversoir, Egypt 1954


Wez

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I must be mad, I'm crap at completing models in time for group builds and that includes my own group builds (2DNF this year)!  So I've decided to do a WIP thread which may be more suited to my glacial build pace.

 

I've chosen as my subject the new Airfix kit of the Vampire F.3 which also contains the parts to allow an FB.5 or in this case, the tropicalised FB.9 to be built.  The build will be largely SFTB except where I feel e few tweaks are necessary.

 

True confession time, I love the diminutive Vampire, it's easily one of the most attractive and what's more potentially, colourful subjects out there!  I've been looking forward to this kit for some time and I'm pleased to report at first glance it's a beauty.

 

Onwards, here's the kit and the box...

 

The kit

 

...some references...

 

References

 

...and the decal options from Xtradecal sheet X48124, these  quite Modeldecal Sheet 101 as a reference which is a good start, the subject aircraft is the choice second from bottom, overall silver with black nose and tail markings, a yellow tail bullet and the yellow and black sqn markings.

 

Decals

 

Wish me luck!

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Thanks for the encouragement everyone.  Unfortunately I won't be able to start the job until Thursday at the earliest and I'm away this weekend, don't expect rapid progress!

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Great subject choice Wez, I’ve just ordered two (one for a mate who’s building an RC kit) as well as the same Xtradecals sheet. I don’t suspect I’ll get mine for a few weeks so will follow on with keen interest. I think I’ll also go down the FB.9 path too although am tossing up with either the silver No. 60 Sqd. scheme or a camouflaged example from No.213 Squadron. I want to throw a set of rockets under mine so that might sway me either way. 
 

Cheers and best of luck.. Dave 

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20 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said:

Great subject choice Wez, I’ve just ordered two (one for a mate who’s building an RC kit) as well as the same Xtradecals sheet. I don’t suspect I’ll get mine for a few weeks so will follow on with keen interest. I think I’ll also go down the FB.9 path too although am tossing up with either the silver No. 60 Sqd. scheme or a camouflaged example from No.213 Squadron. I want to throw a set of rockets under mine so that might sway me either way. 
 

Cheers and best of luck.. Dave 

 

Dave,

 

Thanks and hopefully you won't be disappointed.

 

Unfortunately the kit doesn't come with rockets, I don't know if a couple of (well, four actually), spare Mossie ones will do the trick or whether you need ones with rails.  IIRC the Special Hobby 1/72nd Vampire series includes rockets, I need to take a look sometime.

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I’ve also started this kit, a couple of days ago. I have the new kits world instrument panel and seat belts, which were fitted last night. These decals are good but I am not sure about the background colour to the IP?

However build so far is going well. I am just at the stage of joining the fuselage top/ bottom, which I won’t get to at least till next week due to an operation tomorrow first thing morning.

 

One question two lengths of main u/c are supplied which Mark of Vampire had the longer version legs?

Sammy

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2 hours ago, Wez said:

Unfortunately the kit doesn't come with rockets


Thanks Wez, yes I did notice no rockets, nor recessed flashed over holes in the lower wing piece on this kit. I’ve got a few spare rockets left over from the Airfix Sea Fury, so not entirely sure if they are suitable at this stage. 

 

10 minutes ago, sammy da fish said:

 

One question two lengths of main u/c are supplied which Mark of Vampire had the longer version legs?

Sammy


Someone mentioned this in another thread and the longer stoke undercarriage leg parts are used for the FB.5 & 9 versions. I didn’t know this at the time, however does explain why photos of earlier F.3’s always show them sitting with their tail lower to the ground than other versions. 
 

Cheers.. Dave 

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1 hour ago, sammy da fish said:

I’ve also started this kit, a couple of days ago. I have the new kits world instrument panel and seat belts, which were fitted last night. These decals are good but I am not sure about the background colour to the IP?

However build so far is going well. I am just at the stage of joining the fuselage top/ bottom, which I won’t get to at least till next week due to an operation tomorrow first thing morning.

 

One question two lengths of main u/c are supplied which Mark of Vampire had the longer version legs?

Sammy

 

There's been some comments on the background colour for their IP's, all the pictures I've seen of Vampires are in the words of the Rolling Stones "Black as night, black as coal!"

 

Good luck with the op old mate.

 

1 hour ago, Rabbit Leader said:


Thanks Wez, yes I did notice no rockets, nor recessed flashed over holes in the lower wing piece on this kit. I’ve got a few spare rockets left over from the Airfix Sea Fury, so not entirely sure if they are suitable at this stage. 

 


Someone mentioned this in another thread and the longer stoke undercarriage leg parts are used for the FB.5 & 9 versions. I didn’t know this at the time, however does explain why photos of earlier F.3’s always show them sitting with their tail lower to the ground than other versions. 
 

Cheers.. Dave 

 

Thanks for that Dave, Mr Observant here hadn't noticed that.  Of course the longer stroke undercarriage was AFAIK to take into account of the increased weight of the FB Mks when carrying bombs.

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Suerly the "stroke" of an undercarriage is the amount of travel between fully extended and fully compressed. As such this does not mean that the aircraft actually sits lower or higher as that position is different and can be unrelated.

 

Gondor

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Methinks it has to be a little more complicated.  (As is everything, really.)   If version A has an oleo which is fully compressed at a given weight, then this is at the limits of the aircraft's "sit".  The purpose of a longer stroke on version B is to raise the aircraft to permit heavier loading, so at the same weight as version B the oleo is still extended and the aircraft will sit higher.  The precise ground angle of the aircraft will differ with the cg: if we assume that at the same weight as Version A, version B has the same ground angle, then the tail will be sitting higher because the whole aircraft is sitting higher.  At higher weights the whole aircraft will lower, but as the cg is forward of the undercarriage position then the heavier aircraft will sit nose down tail high.  For both reasons Version B will appear tail high.  Whether the distances and angles concerned will be perceptible may be another matter, but if it has been so observed then yes it was.

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I have one waiting...for Christmas! My nearest and dearest "confiscated" it on arrival to use as a Christmas present, so I didn't even get to look at the box!

Watching the Hornby Hobbies program on "Yesterday" was interesting and helpful, real potential there. 

I'll be following this thread with vicarious interest! 

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