1/48 Hobbycraft de Havilland Vampire FB52, Iraq, 1955

Started by Spiros Pendedekas · 104 · 4 years ago · 1/48, de Havilland, Hobbycraft, Iraq, Vampire
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    Spiros Pendedekas said 4 years, 1 month ago:

    Thanks Tom @tcinla!

    For a (possibly bizarre) reason, I believe that any kit "deserves" to be built, like serving its purpose, no matter how bad it was designed and manufactured (translation: El Cheapo is my other name, I wouldn't spend money on another "better - more expensive" kit - LOL).

    Joke aside, a subtle feeling of satisfaction is evident upon finishing kits that fall into the above category, maybe with a couple of improvements, in order to make them "presentable".

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 4 years, 1 month ago:

    Thanks George @gblair!
    I DO use MEK as my liquid glue since 2000. It's a bit on the thin side, but I am used to it, being happy with it...
    Of course, happiness could be explained as a side effect of this regular fumes sniffing (LOL!)

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 4 years, 1 month ago:

    Sanded smooth, ready for the paint shop!

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    Eric Berg said 4 years, 1 month ago:

    Thanks Spiros for all that info on making that liquid styrene. Very, very helpful. I will give it a try.

    Looking forward to your Vampire debut when it emerges from the paint shop.

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 4 years, 1 month ago:

    Glad my info was if some help, Eric @eb801

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    Erik Gjørup said 4 years, 1 month ago:

    Eric (@eb801), careful now - it may be addictive!

    Spiros (@fiveten), going from looking Vampireish to looking the part!

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 4 years, 1 month ago:

    Thanks, my friend @airbum!

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 4 years, 1 month ago:

    Air intake fillets!

    The Vampire has two very characteristic aerodynamically shaped struts at each air intake.
    The supplied parts from the Hobbycraft kit were a bit simplistic, so I resorted to my beloved childrens' ice cream cups; I cut four fillets and glued them at the intakes, at a slight inwards angle, as per the Vampire pics. Here are the results:

    Cheers!

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    Greg Kittinger said 4 years, 1 month ago:

    Nice little touch!

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 4 years, 1 month ago:

    Thanks Greg @gkittinger!
    Headed to the paintshop for the underside blue. Here are the results:


    Blue is a bit denser in reality, I think the camera sensor was confused from the underlying pic color...
    Cheers, DH100GB!

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    George R Blair Jr said 4 years, 1 month ago:

    Nice fillets, Spiros (@fiveten). I also really like how a coat of paint brings everything together. Looking forward to the rest of the paint.

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 4 years, 1 month ago:

    Thanks George @gblair!
    The Hobbycraft fillets were unrealistic: not only were they out of scale (which I understand), but also were shallow (which might mean unneseccary smplification/omission.
    Yep, paint settled nicely here! A coat of future is drying (to protect the sensitive matt paint), yours truly being impatient to start masking and painting the top!

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    Erik Gjørup said 4 years, 1 month ago:

    It really pays off to bribe the QC - you get a lot of building material from the empty icecream cups. Nice touch with the improved inlet guides my friend! Moving along rapidly this one!

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 4 years, 1 month ago:

    Thanks my friend @airbum!
    Adding some extras may help this questionbly reputated kit strengthen its posture!
    So, here she is masked, at the paint shop:


    And here she is with brown applied (and drying...):

    Cheers, DH100GB!

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    Erik Gjørup said 4 years, 1 month ago:

    Aaahhhh - looking at paint drying. . . patience my friend, patience 🙂