Dave C Posted December 28, 2021 Share Posted December 28, 2021 Has anyone built the 1/72 Dragon FB4 and would you recommend the kt? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Humm Posted December 28, 2021 Share Posted December 28, 2021 As far as I know, the only 1/72 scale single seater Venom kits are the 1956 FROG kit, the RAREplane vacform, the Aeroclub short-run kit and the forthcoming AccsGB kit. Dragon have only done the two seat NF3 and Sea Venom, and the latter got roasted on here for inaccuracy when it was first issued. Apparently it goes together well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalea Posted December 29, 2021 Share Posted December 29, 2021 All of which makes one a little cautious about running off and buying the AccsGB boxings. One wonders if any of the Dragonn /Cyberhobby technology has been transferred. I can wait for the first impressions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denford Posted December 29, 2021 Share Posted December 29, 2021 9 hours ago, Richard Humm said: Dragon have only done the two seat NF3 and Sea Venom, and the latter got roasted on here for inaccuracy when it was first issued. Can you refer me to the said critique. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NAVY870 Posted December 29, 2021 Share Posted December 29, 2021 13 minutes ago, Denford said: Can you refer me to the said critique. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Swindell Posted December 29, 2021 Share Posted December 29, 2021 10 hours ago, Richard Humm said: As far as I know, the only 1/72 scale single seater Venom kits are the 1956 FROG kit, the RAREplane vacform, the Aeroclub short-run kit and the forthcoming AccsGB kit. Dragon have only done the two seat NF3 and Sea Venom, and the latter got roasted on here for inaccuracy when it was first issued. Apparently it goes together well. CMR did a range of single seat Venoms as well, plus there were "solids" from Keilkraft, Skyleada and Veron back in the day 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
71chally Posted December 29, 2021 Share Posted December 29, 2021 Dragon/Cyberhobby didn't do single seater Venoms. I would wait for the new AccsGB Venom FB.4 to hit the shelves (delayed due to decal issues apparently). https://ua-hobby.com/products/1-72-dh-112-venom-mk-4-suez-crisis-accsgb-72-620 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave C Posted December 29, 2021 Author Share Posted December 29, 2021 Sincerest apologies guys, I made an error the Dragon kit is the Vampire FB.5 https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/DN5085 So a new query, is this Dragon kit an improvement over their Sea Venom and is it better or worse than the old Frog model Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted December 29, 2021 Share Posted December 29, 2021 1 hour ago, Dave C said: Sincerest apologies guys, I made an error the Dragon kit is the Vampire FB.5 https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/DN5085 So a new query, is this Dragon kit an improvement over their Sea Venom and is it better or worse than the old Frog model Personally I would avoid it and go for the Special Hobby kits are the most recent and build up well, they're far more accurate than the Dragon kit (although there is no argument there is no truly accurate 1/72nd Vampire out there). The wing trailing edges are a bit on the thick side but as far as I'm concerned, the SH kits look more like a Vampire than the Dragon kit. The old Heller kit is still a neat kit but it has raised panel lines which some people don't like. SH have just issued the FB.9 version which includes the extended starboard intake fairing found on that mark and many FB.5s. They've also issued an F.1 and F.3, Xtrakit and Azur have also FB.5 issued versions of the kit although some boxings don't include the extended fairing (ironically, the F.1 boxings do). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave C Posted December 29, 2021 Author Share Posted December 29, 2021 5 hours ago, Wez said: Personally I would avoid it and go for the Special Hobby kits are the most recent and build up well, they're far more accurate than the Dragon kit (although there is no argument there is no truly accurate 1/72nd Vampire out there). The wing trailing edges are a bit on the thick side but as far as I'm concerned, the SH kits look more like a Vampire than the Dragon kit. The old Heller kit is still a neat kit but it has raised panel lines which some people don't like. SH have just issued the FB.9 version which includes the extended starboard intake fairing found on that mark and many FB.5s. They've also issued an F.1 and F.3, Xtrakit and Azur have also FB.5 issued versions of the kit although some boxings don't include the extended fairing (ironically, the F.1 boxings do). Many thanks Wez, I will take your advice & go with the SH FB.9 and see if the Azur FB.5 is still available at a reasonable price Apologies one last question, is the 1/72 Airfix Vampire T.11 accurate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Humm Posted December 29, 2021 Share Posted December 29, 2021 Yes, Airfix used the one owned by the Vampire Preservation Group as the basis for the kit. It's probably the most accurate injection moulded 1/72 scale Vampire around, with the Heller FB.5 being the runner up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
71chally Posted December 30, 2021 Share Posted December 30, 2021 20 hours ago, Dave C said: I will take your advice & go with the SH FB.9 and see if the Azur FB.5 is still available at a reasonable price Special Hobby also did an FB.5 and F.3 (also released by Revell), I would go for those personally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giorgio N Posted December 31, 2021 Share Posted December 31, 2021 If going with the Special Hobby kit, better choose one of the issues with the corrected intakes. The first issues had very small intakes but this was corrected starting IIRC with the first F.3 issue, later boxes should all have the corrected parts. The original small intakes are quite noticeable and don't look good 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted December 31, 2021 Share Posted December 31, 2021 On 29/12/2021 at 22:21, Richard Humm said: Yes, Airfix used the one owned by the Vampire Preservation Group as the basis for the kit. It's probably the most accurate injection moulded 1/72 scale Vampire around, with the Heller FB.5 being the runner up. I'd agree, the Airfix T.11 is a very good kit, they did a great job with that one. 5 minutes ago, Giorgio N said: If going with the Special Hobby kit, better choose one of the issues with the corrected intakes. The first issues had very small intakes but this was corrected starting IIRC with the first F.3 issue, later boxes should all have the corrected parts. The original small intakes are quite noticeable and don't look good Good tip Giorgio, unfortunately I'd already bought a job lot of the earlier issue before I noticed/found out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The wooksta V2.0 Posted December 31, 2021 Share Posted December 31, 2021 I'd choose with the SH F1 kit, as it gives the parts for quite a few versions. Did that have corrected intakes? Got some Quick boost intakes tucked away too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k5054nz Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 On 12/29/2021 at 11:32 PM, Dave Swindell said: CMR did a range of single seat Venoms as well, plus there were "solids" from Keilkraft, Skyleada and Veron back in the day Not sure if it's been mentioned (apologies if so) but fairly early on Frog did one too. I'd love one but I expect I'd need to sell an organ or three to afford it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Swindell Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 8 hours ago, k5054nz said: Not sure if it's been mentioned (apologies if so) but fairly early on Frog did one too. I'd love one but I expect I'd need to sell an organ or three to afford it! 2nd post 🙂 Also released under the Triang label 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 ISTR there was a conversion published in an old Scale Aircraft Modelling which took a Frog Sea Venom and Vampire and cut and shut them into a Venom FB.4 which was, AFAIK, the only way of getting a single seat Venom for a long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giorgio N Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 1 hour ago, Wez said: ISTR there was a conversion published in an old Scale Aircraft Modelling which took a Frog Sea Venom and Vampire and cut and shut them into a Venom FB.4 which was, AFAIK, the only way of getting a single seat Venom for a long time. A bit like what was done in this model: http://hsfeatures.com/venomtm_1.htm I've been contemplating an easier cross-kitting exercise with the Aeroclub Venom FB and one of the many Frog Sea Venom cones on the market. Yes the Aeroclub kit includes all the parts needed but I feel that the Frog wings would be easier to detail. Of course now that a kit has been announced I may just build the Sea Venom as is and sell the Aeroclub kit.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWFK10 Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 2 hours ago, Wez said: ISTR there was a conversion published in an old Scale Aircraft Modelling which took a Frog Sea Venom and Vampire and cut and shut them into a Venom FB.4 which was, AFAIK, the only way of getting a single seat Venom for a long time. Neil Robinson covered this conversion in an Operation Musketeer article he wrote for an early issue of PAM News. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viscount806x Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 1 hour ago, AWFK10 said: Neil Robinson covered this conversion in an Operation Musketeer article he wrote for an early issue of PAM News. Confirmed here. PAM #14 - mid 1976. I did the conversion back in the 1970s and it worked very well, using the front pod end of a Frog Vampire FB.5 and remainder of the Frog Sea Venom. Nowadays one might think that this sort of modelling is nonsense but options were limited at the time as in fact they still are in a way - until AccsGB come to the rescue-albeit at a price ! It's still a viable and satisfying conversion using these now cheap kits today and such a good modelling skill enhancing exercise. At the time these were quite recent kits (Vampire 1971, Sea Venom 1973). I did try to use the remaning bits & pieces to create a Vampire NF but never quite got there with that one and it all seemed such a waste, things were much different then with not so much cash sloshing round. Thanks for the memory. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWFK10 Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 1 hour ago, viscount806x said: Nowadays one might think that this sort of modelling is nonsense but options were limited at the time as in fact they still are in a way - until AccsGB come to the rescue-albeit at a price ! It's still a viable and satisfying conversion using these now cheap kits today and such a good modelling skill enhancing exercise. Not me! I did this conversion last year and I completely agree with you. I have an Airfix Sea Hawk in the stash and I may get round to building it with the corrections that are outlined in the same article. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The wooksta V2.0 Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 Giorgio, you may as well just build the Aeroclub kit as a clothes horse for decals. It's a typical late 80s limited run kit so needs a bit of clean up but fairly easy to assemble, nothing I'm sure you couldn't handle. The lack of cockpit interior isn't much of an issue being black. I'd a few tucked away plus one to finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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