Jump to content

Classic Airframes DH Vampire T.22


Recommended Posts

Thought I'd blow the dust off this one and give it a go. Here's the obligatory Box shot...

VampireBuild001.jpg

Hopefully going too turn out some thing like this

Im going to add Aeroclub's Vac formed canopy, corrected intakes and wheels, plus the Flightpath set.

I heard that there are a few problems with this kit, anyone who's built one and can give me a few pointers i be most grateful. :winkgrin:

Rich

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Rich,

Funny you should say that.

I think I've read somewhere :undecided: about geting the booms to line up is a bit of a bugger!

Hopefully your's will be a bit more shinier than the pic?

Do like a good NMF Jet you know.

Adrian

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hi just a note be careful when doing the unpainted areas as they are not silver but a very pale grey almost a natural steel finish due to the skins being anodized from factory and paint does not stick to it very well even when using aircraft acid etch primer

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...

Hi Peeps,

Finally got this one back out again now that I've finished the PR.9 for the GB.

The cockpit and bang seats are now at the stage to fit into the fuselage with just few little bits to do but you get the general idea...

VampireBuild005.jpg

VampireBuild011.jpg

VampireBuild010.jpg

VampireBuild004.jpg

The IP came for the flightpath set, it really sets it off and would recommended it to anyone who's got this kit.

VampireBuild008.jpg

I've also got round to building the flaps also from the Flightpath set, these look the lovely when built up.

VampireBuild007.jpg

I wish I could same the same about the fit :banghead: they sit too proud of the wing when installed so I've had to resort to the dremel to grind away the inside of the top of the wing.Here i had a little accident and grinded a bit too much away so have had to cut the damaged part away and insert a replacement trim tab,, which needs sanding down.

VampireBuild006.jpg

This what they will roughly look like when installed.

Next up is fitting the cockpit tub, this shouldnt present too many dramas as I've already dry fitted it as you can see.

VampireBuild002.jpg

The only problem I've got is the jet pipe which is a strange oval shape so I've ordered some 9mm brass tubing to replace it.

Thats all for now

Cheers

Rich

Edited by Rich F
  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wish I could same the same about the fit :banghead: they sit too proud of the wing when installed so I've had to resort to the dremel to grind away the inside of the top of the wing.Here i had a little accident and grinded a bit too much away so have had to cut the damaged part away and insert a replacement trim tab,, which needs sanding down.

Hello Rich -

Just a couple of points, if I may:

Firstly - there appears in your photos [erroneously] to be a wedge-shaped mistmatch between the trailing edge of our inner flap assembly & that of the kit wing - this will vanish once you re-install the similarly shaped piece you were left with after cutting along flap outline, as marked on the kit lower wing. This is mentioned in the instructions.

In all other respects though, there can be no mis-match in the fit of our flap assemblies if you use our flap housings as the guides for marking out and removing the required areas from the kit lower wings - at the same time keeping the trailing edge of our outer flap housings in line with the aft edges of the kit wing moulding. Let these guide you rather than the kit lines.

You say that the flap units sit proud of the lower kit wings when installed, and that you had to take material out of the upper wing. This is always a compromise [unless we make our entire airframes from sheet metal] as the mouldings in many kits are so over-thick. This is surely better than compromising of the depth of the flap housings. All this notwithstanding though - your photos seem to show the flap assemblies mounted too far into the wing. The etched front walls of our flap housings should be set level with the lower wing surfaces and there should then be a corresponding gap visible between this surface and the fwd. edges of the lowered flaps. This does appear to be the case in your photos.

With Regards,

David Parkins,

Flightpath

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi David,

It seems i have caused some confusion, the photo showing the flap assembly attached to the wing half perhaps was a bit misleading. The flap assembly is NOT attached and is just sat loosely (and not positioned well it seems) between the booms, I have test fitted it and all seems well.

I was in no way discrediting your set when i mentioned the poor fit, as with most limited run kits, the fit is normally mediocre at best.

Hope this helps clarify things.

All the Best

Rich

P.S. Any idea when the 1/72 Canberra ladders will be available?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 10 years later...

After just finishing my F-4E I've decided to dig this one back out from the shelf of doom. I can't believe its been over 10 years since i last worked on this! 😮

 

Looking at Hendie's Vemon thread has inspired me to give it another go.

 

I love this video aswell, lots of great shots of two seats Vampires and Harry Enfield narrating whats not too like! Infact the whole series is great, best of British when we were world leaders in the aviation Industry.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brzT-3G40_k

 

I can't even remember why i gave up on this one, which is a bit worrying!

 

Anyhow this how she looks at the moment, still lots of work left do...

IMG_E3314

 

IMG_E3315

 

IMG_E3316

 

IMG_E3317

 

IMG_E3318

 

 

Here's what i am aiming for, an RN T.22. I'm not sure which one i will be doing yet as i need to check the decals stash for the appropriate serials.

(Photo's are from Adrian Balch's book 'De Havilland Twin Booms') I'll take them down if anyone has any objections.

 

IMG_E3319 IMG_E3320

 

Updates to follow in the not too distant future, give a decade or two! 😄

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, Rich F said:

I can't believe its been over 10 years since i last worked on this! 

 

that seems like a perfectly reasonable furlough between Classic Airframes kits to me!  No need to rush things is there?

 

 

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I've been slowly plugging away on this one again, lets hope i don't lose my mojo and shelve it for a another 10 years.

 

Anyway after rescribing the fuselage and wings after a vigorous sanding session, I added a few panel lines and filled a couple that where either not present or were fictitious.

 

I also added the intake vanes, i looked at using the kit offerings, but after a couple of dry fitting/reshaping attempts i gave up and decided to make my own from plastic strip, not perfect but i think they pass muster. Once these were done i drilled out and filed the cartridge ejection chutes. Not sure how I'm going to represent these yet as the holes are minuscule, still looking pretty rough me thinks!

IMG_3390 IMG_3387

 

Then on to the booms, I was dreading this as these really don't match up. To help with alignment i first drilled 2 holes through each boom where the elevator would sit and using 0.5mm plastic rod as pins i glued these through the booms into the elevator section. Before this was allowed to dry i offered up the boom assembly to the fuselage with a feeling of trepidation fearing the worst!

IMG_3389

 

IMG_3388

After much cursing and fiddling i managed to get them aligned, sort of. I think they are out slightly in every plane of axis but when i tried to straighten out say the vertical axis it would throw the horizontal axis out, very frustrating! Anyway its set now just hope its not to noticeable once shes on her pins. 

 

IMG_3385

 

IMG_3386

 

This is where i am at now, where the booms join the wing there is much filling and sanding to be had! I've used Tamiya putty for the large gaps and Mr Surfacer 500 for the smaller gaps. I have a feeling i am going to need a few rounds of this before i get close to blending the two together!

 

That all for now.

 

Cheers

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Brings all  the pain back for me. I had all the same issues but you have done a great job. I  remember trying to fit the belly plate and watching it drop into the rest of the fuselage. In the end I used a series of plastic strips to hold ot on place and sanded down the outer edges to get a reasonable fit. I later built an Alley Cat FB5 and it was a complete joy. I hoped they would  do the two seaters as well but no joy there.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, Rich F said:

 

Then on to the booms, I was dreading this as these really don't match up. To help with alignment i first drilled 2 holes through each boom where the elevator would sit and using 0.5mm plastic rod as pins i glued these through the booms into the elevator section. Before this was allowed to dry i offered up the boom assembly to the fuselage with a feeling of trepidation fearing the worst!

 

I've done the same with mine but I've used brass rod rather than plastic. About to offer the whole lot up - wish me luck! Hope it goes as well as yours.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

Still plodding along with this, although even by my sloth like model building speed i have to agree progress is some what slow!

 

Anyway here's what i have achieved since my last update.

 

The airframe is pretty much finished bar undercarriage, flaps and canopy. 

I've added some of the flightpath goodies such as access hatches, strengthening plates and an antenna plate under the wing. Also added some rivets from archer around the wing spar, some small tubing for the pitot probe and some scratch built antenna blade mountings which looking at my DH twin boom bible seem to be in different places depending on which aircraft you choose.

IMG_E3886 IMG_E3891 IMG_E3887 IMG_E3889

 

IMG_E3888 IMG_E3892 IMG_E3890

Once i was happy with the finish i gave it an undercoat using Alcad's grey microfiller. Then i noticed a couple of flaws which i duly filled and after a quick rub down i gave it a coat of Mr Color white ready for the silver and the fluorescent red.

IMG_E4269 IMG_E4270

I remember seeing a online pic at the back end of a vampire showing the turbine inside the jetpipe but for the life of me i cannot recall where i saw it, anyway i am the process of replicating this from an old 1/72 drop tank tip and some plastic strip. If anybody has any pics of this area i would be grateful.  

IMG_3993

 

Next up will be the fluorescent red, for which i will use a custom mix of Humbrol's 19 gloss red and 209 fluorescent orange, wish me luck!

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Crikey what a cracking build, added to faves as I will pilfer, ahem use as reference for mine when I do it, will be in 72nd scale using the Airfix kit.  

Great work looks flippin amazing.

All the best

Chris

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Coming along very nicely. I might do the same thing re the ejection ports on the underfuselage on my build, too. I also used a brass tube for the exhaust on mine but utilised the turbine bits from the Flightpath set. You can't see it now, anyway as the jetpipe's so long.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/6/2020 at 7:51 PM, bigbadbadge said:

Crikey what a cracking build, added to faves as I will pilfer, ahem use as reference for mine when I do it, will be in 72nd scale using the Airfix kit.  

Great work looks flippin amazing.

All the best

Chris

Thanks Chris, help yourself, pilfer what you need ;) I have a feeling the Airfix kit might be a tad easy build...

On 7/8/2020 at 12:45 AM, Bell209 said:

Coming along very nicely. I might do the same thing re the ejection ports on the underfuselage on my build, too. I also used a brass tube for the exhaust on mine but utilised the turbine bits from the Flightpath set. You can't see it now, anyway as the jetpipe's so long.

Cheers Rob, after seeing Hendie's solution to the ejection ports i thought I'd give it a go at improving them, although mine are not as elegant as his!

Regarding the turbine bits, your probably right as it will be hard to spot, I'll carry on with it and see how it turns out. 

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

A Little bit more progress to report, not getting much time at the bench at the moment, but I'll keep plugging away at it.

 

After the white coat i and a rub down with various lighter grades of micromesh, i experimented with which colour to put down first, turns out dayglow red covers better over white than it does silver, so thats what i started with. I used a 50-50ish mix of humbrol 209 fluorescent orange and 19 gloss red. which turned out quite nice me thinks...

IMG_E4321

 

IMG_E4320

 

Next up i was masking the dayglow red which looking at the real thing was not easy as i thought. All the photos i have seen of RN 2 seat vampires have different demarcation patterns for the nose area. Not having a frontal pic of XA128 i short of made up what i think looked right in the end. After the masking i gave it a coat of Aclad's white aluminium which i think gives it the finish i was after...

 

IMG_E4490

 

IMG_E4491

 

All was going well until i peeled the tape off and this happened...

 

IMG_E4492

 

Doesn't look like much to fix, just hope i can get a close match for the custom day glow red mix again.

 

The finish line is almost in sight now!

 

Cheers

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am in the middel of this one as well. It had languished on the shelf of doom for 10 years but Corona gave me the boost I needed. Very similar issues encountered as you but your boomd to wing fit is better than mine. 

Looking forward to seeing this one being finished. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 weeks later...

A bit more progress done,

 

I managed to repaint the peeling on the nose with a close match so no dramas there.

 

Next up was decaling, I used a mix of kit decals for the RN markings/stencils and fantasy workshop/model decals for the numbering, this was followed by a wash using promodeller dark wash. After this i attached the canopy but this was far from straightforward. 

Unfortunately my cockpit glazing was missing from my kit when I bought it so vacuform was my only choice. Having had little success in the past when working with these I wasn't looking forward to it. After marking and carefully cutting it away from the surrounding sheet I sanded it as smooth as I could. At this point my Flightpath Vampire detail set came to the rescue as the canopy framing on the vacuform piece is quite vague to say the least so the metal framing really helped define this.

I used Mig Ammo Ultra glue to stick the canopy to the jet, I would definitely recommend this as it holds very firm which is impressive as the mating surface area between the canopy and the cockpit is  quite small. Once it had dried I filed the seamline with some vallejo plastic putty as smoothed it over with some water. It still needs a bit of work too blend it it but its looking better than it was. 

 

This is where I am it now...

IMG_E4808

 

IMG_E4809

 

IMG_E4810

 

Couldn't resist adding the seats, has a bit of a sports car look about it!

 

Thanks for looking. 

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...