Kitbashing a Vampire into Something Wild

[Hawkeye]

Lovely paint job.  Although it's desert tones, it reminded me of the way water shimmers in a shallow tropical bay.  Maybe blues & greens for a future build?

The lighting doesn't really bring out the two greens very well. After reading your comment about colors I kicked myself in the butt for not doing it in a winter scheme. All I had to do was look outside for inspiration for that. A black and white scheme would have been cool, more SciFi looking I would think...hey it is only paint and I could redo it easy enough at this stage.

[John Howling Mouse]

Lovely paint job.  Although it's desert tones, it reminded me of the way water shimmers in a shallow tropical bay.  Maybe blues & greens for a future build?

Exactly.  This is phenomenal.

[Hawkeye]

Chapter III is ready!  http://hawkeyes-squawkbox.com/2010/01/05/kitbashing-a-vampire-into-a-rocket-plane-pt-iii/

It now packs a bite!

[Ed S]

WOW.  It looks even better with this camo.   

Ed

[Hawkeye]

WOW.  It looks even better with this camo.   

Ed

Same camo, just taken with a different camera.

[philp]

Did you pick markings yet?  Earth based or Alien? 50's or Future?

[Doc Yo]

 The cannon/Mg fit is unlikely, ( no offense ) but looks sharp, and thats what counts. The only thing it needs
now is a launch tower...

[Sisko]

That is one amazingly cool conversion.

Take a aircraft we know and make some changes so that is un-recognisable.

Top shelf stuff hope to see more!

[Hawkeye]

The cannon/Mg fit is unlikely, ( no offense ) but looks sharp, and thats what counts. The only thing it needs
now is a launch tower...

This Cannon/MG set up worked very well in the Mig-15 and 17. And the Vamp had a four MG setup in the same position...I say plausible.





Nothing firm on markings yet but I did pull out some RAF sheets to consider my options.

[Doc Yo]

 As my great uncle, Texas Lefty One-eyed Yo once said " Ah reckon thet depends on whut yew call a cannon"

Technically, the MiG had a cannon and a bigger cannon. ( 23mm & 37 mm ) while the fit on the Vampire was
four 20 mm cannon. As I understand it, the definition depends on the smallest diameter shell that can carry
a useful explosive charge.

by the way, thats a very nice looking Do 335 in your banner-and the B-32 looks real good too.

[Weaver]

The cannon fit on the MiGs (TWO 23mm & one 37mm BTW) didn't actually work that well, because it was difficult to synchronise the very different ballistics of the two different weapons. Sabre pilots in Korea remarked on seeing big tracers go past them on one side and small ones on the other when under fire from a MiG.

Having said that, you can get two different calibre guns to match, if at least one of them is designed with that in mind. So you could have, say, a fast-firing 13mm HMG and a slower 23mm cannon whose muzzle velocities and sectional densities match and whose rounds therefore stay together as they travel downrange.

Tony Williams has done some theoretical work on this on his (very excellent) website:

http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/miltech.htm

Probably the most relevent article is this one, but lots of the others are useful too:

http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/ideal.htm

[Hawkeye]

The mixed gun/cannon configuration worked well if employed right. The Me109 were fired separately, each having their own firing button. Yes, the trajectories of dissimilar weapons is hard to compensate for. But in this application, the heavy machine gun would be used to fire at a higher rate from longer ranges whereas the cannon would be used for closer in attacks were the deflection angle is lower.

Streak up into the sweet spot behind an enemy bomber such as an He111, place the cross hair just aft of the pilot and pump a couple HE rounds into the mid fuselage...that'll ruin that crews day. If you're a little off left or right, those big engines are vital as well.  Got an active gunner shooting back at you, then give him a short squirt with the machine gun.

Three things to consider with aircraft armament.
1. Accuracy
2. Volume
3. Force

In many cases it is hard to get all three from the same platform though the .50 cal in multiples did the best job IMO. Accurate, fast rate of fire with a hard hitting round. So I'm giv'in my little rocket powered Hot Rod the best of both worlds:

[Hawkeye]

http://hawkeyes-squawkbox.com/2010/01/08/kitbashing-a-vampire-into-a-rocket-plane-pt-iv/

Main Gear legs are on, one step closer to being completed. Decals coming up next.

[tanktastic43]

Wonderfull. 'nuff said. 

tt43.

[PACOPEPE]

Precious camo; congratulations, reminds me of the scene of Vietnam; similar to Mig 17.


Fran