SPA Modeler

This is going to be my next new start project. Hobbycraft’s 1/48 Vampire F.1 that I will be dressing up with some Eduard PE, a bit of scratch work, and Xtra Decals. I will be doing it in markings of 54 Squadron in the immediate post war era- RAF ‘46.



Take that all you Hortens and Huckbeins!


I’ll be kicking this off on my days off in a couple of days...

The Dornier Do 335 appears to be on the run, as well!



Subscribed.

The history: https://www.baesystems.com/en/heritage/ ... d-vampire#

I have never heard of this a/c before. This also led me to the Vultee XP-54, another twin boom from the same time period.

It’s one of the great unsung aircraft. First jet to land on and take off of an aircraft carrier. First jet to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. It set many speed and altitude records early on. The design was a practical answer to getting maximum thrust out of early centrifugal flow jet engines. It later morphed into there more powerful Venom/Sea Venom. And later, DeHavilland would create the ultimate twin boom jet fighter in the Sea Vixen. Venoms would serve in air arms around the world for decades, often being those countries first jet aircraft.
Oh yeah, like it’s older brother the Mosquito, it also sported molded plywood as part of its construction.

Stikpusher wrote:It’s one of the great unsung aircraft. First jet to land on and take off of an aircraft carrier. First jet to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. It set many speed and altitude records early on. The design was a practical answer to getting maximum thrust out of early centrifugal flow jet engines. It later morphed into there more powerful Venom/Sea Venom. And later, DeHavilland would create the ultimate twin boom jet fighter in the Sea Vixen. Venoms would serve in air arms around the world for decades, often being those countries first jet aircraft.
Oh yeah, like it’s older brother the Mosquito, it also sported molded plywood as part of its construction.

Thanks, Carlos. It's an incredible aircraft; thank you so much for the history. When I started researching I was looking for images and finding a lot of intriguing photos and color schemes for different countries as well as detail shots of the plywood sections/construction from aircraft that are no longer in service. I really like looking at HD shots for construction details.

is this the profile?



Question: does the kit permit modeling with flaps down? Questions, rather: will you take photos of sprues? What is "Hobbycraft?" Did they become "Idea Brand" later on? Is this a Chinese company?

Yup, that’s the profile of the Vampire. It is another aircraft that I think would look right at home in Sky Captain with its unusual profile lines.

speedgraflex wrote:
Question: does the kit permit modeling with flaps down? Questions, rather: will you take photos of sprues? What is "Hobbycraft?" Did they become "Idea Brand" later on? Is this a Chinese company?

The kit is molded with all flying surfaces is the neutral positions. If I wanted to do flaps down, it would require some surgery. I believe that Eduard made a PE set to do that. But I will not be going that route.

I will gladly take some sprue shots before I start construction. I just need to remember to do so....

Hobbycraft is a model producer from Canada. I believe that they started out from War Eagle, who did vacuform kits back in the 70’s and early 80’s. Some of their early kits were clones or Knick offs of other company’s kits. Later they began doing their own original toolings. Some kits are clunky, but others, the later toolings, were quite nice. They also do some kits that are the only game in town in a given scale. Want a 1:48 P-35, MS-406, F-94A or B, or P-59? They do it. Also they do some aircraft that compare well to their Asian completion, such as their F4U family, which came out around the same time as Tamiya’s. And cost around 1/3 less. Nowadays Academy has some of their molds for a much higher price, in new boxes. But their kits many times require modeling skills, especially the older ones. I like the ones that I’ve built so far.
They are still around, but not turning out kits like they were years ago. I don’t think that they have anything to do with Ideal.

Oh yeah, this will be interesting!

The Vampire was a very popular post-war fighter. Wikipedia counts 32 countries who had the Vampire. There was also a double seated Trainer version, where the pilots sat next to each other, not after each other.

I guess there will be needed a lot of weight in the front fuselage to avoid it to sit on it's "behind".

Will follow!



- Kari

Yes, I have read various reviews of this kit and all emphasize the need for nose weight... among other issues. Thank goodness I have plenty of lead birdshot and a new bottle of CA glue to handle that situation.

Besides the two seat trainer, there was also a two seat Night Fighter version with an air intercept radar in the nose in the same side by side configuration. I read that the Swiss did not retire their last Vampires until the 90’s. Pretty impressive for a WWII design.

And then there was the Venom which was a direct development of the Vampire

tempestjohnny wrote:And then there was the Venom which was a direct development of the Vampire

Yup, but as far as kits of the Venom go in 1/48, there is just the old Glencoe reboot of somebody’s ancient molds, or the Classic Airframes short run multi media kit. No mainstream company has tackled it in injection plastic. I keep hoping that perhaps Airfix will correct this oversight. They are slowly working their way thru other UK jets of this era in 1/48. I would love to do a Suez Venom.

Great choice of builds Stik - My Daughters favourite aircraft.

Stikpusher wrote:Yes, I have read various reviews of this kit and all emphasize the need for nose weight... among other issues. Thank goodness I have plenty of lead birdshot and a new bottle of CA glue to handle that situation.

Besides the two seat trainer, there was also a two seat Night Fighter version with an air intercept radar in the nose in the same side by side configuration. I read that the Swiss did not retire their last Vampires until the 90’s. Pretty impressive for a WWII design.

Stikpusher wrote:

tempestjohnny wrote:And then there was the Venom which was a direct development of the Vampire

Yup, but as far as kits of the Venom go in 1/48, there is just the old Glencoe reboot of somebody’s ancient molds, or the Classic Airframes short run multi media kit. No mainstream company has tackled it in injection plastic. I keep hoping that perhaps Airfix will correct this oversight. They are slowly working their way thru other UK jets of this era in 1/48. I would love to do a Suez Venom.

The two seat trainer version of the vampire was the T.11.

The Venon NF and Sea venom were both two seaters used by the FAA and the RAF and had a few minor differences - most notibly I guess was the tail hook on the Sea venom. In RAF service they were, as Stik said mainly used as night fighters and used as a stop-gap to replace the Meteor night-fighters until the Javelin arrived in service (at least that's what I think from memory ) - I seem to recal reading that they were pretty well thought of except for the worrying tendancy of the guns to go off whilst on the ground.

IIRC there was also a single sea version of the Venom, which was an up-rated version of the Vampire.

I have on old FROG Sea Venom kit I'd like to convert to an RAF night fighter one day.