Vacform question(s)

[McColm]

Hi got a few 1/72 vacform kits in the stash;
HS/BAe Nimrod MR.1/2
VC10
Lockheed Constellation Super G/EC-121
Victor K2

Although most parts are the same lengths, the wings on the Victor are not the the same, top slightly shorter than the lower half. Is this normal?
The engine air intake lines up, but not the jet pipes.
Thinking of using AlleyCat and FreightDog parts to improve the appearance.

On the Connie you get a clear canopy but no instructions on how to fit it, not that you'll see a great deal of detail when fitted. Although in the Heller/Airfix kit you do get two nose cones.ls there a preference?

[Hobbes]

Parts not lining up is not unheard of, especially for these small-run kits. Solving those problems is part of the fun of building them. 

[PR19_Kit]

Quite normal in the sort of  vacforms you're talking about, but when you're dealing with top-of-the-line kits like Rareplanes it's a different story, they're  very good indeed.

[kitnut617]

who manufactured them ?

[PR19_Kit]

The Nimrod's Formaplane I think. I had one before the Airfix one came out.

[kitnut617]

Yeah! I've got one too Kit, along with 4 Airfix ones 

The VC10 might be an Airways Vacuform, got one of those too

[McColm]

The Nimrod's Formaplane I think. I had one before the Airfix one came out.

RarePlanes do the other three, although the gentleman who owned the moulds died last week, read it in December issue of the Airfix Magazine.

[PR19_Kit]

A Rareplane Connie?

I've never heard of that one before.............

[kitnut617]

A Rareplane Connie?

I've never heard of that one before.............

Big Book shows they did Kit, although it also says all the Rareplane rights, moulds, & patterns were sold to Hannants in 1988 ------ I don't think Nigel Hannant has popped his clogs though --

[NARSES2]

No it's Gordon Steven's the founder who's died

[PR19_Kit]

No it's Gordon Steven's the founder who's died

And who was one SUPERB modeller! I saw his original vacform B-17 C in an NM finish at a London IPMS meeting around 1965 or so, and that went on to be the first Rareplane. It was AWESOME to behold.

Gordon did most of the Maintrack X-Plane series masters which we love so much on here too.

[kitnut617]

No it's Gordon Steven's the founder who's died

And who was one SUPERB modeller! I saw his original vacform B-17 C in an NM finish at a London IPMS meeting around 1965 or so, and that went on to be the first Rareplane. It was AWESOME to behold.

Gordon did most of the Maintrack X-Plane series masters which we love so much on here too.

Well there was a RAREjets brand and a WARBIRDS (WWI stuff) brand that Gordon had

[McColm]

A Rareplane Connie?

I've never heard of that one before.............

The TWA Lockheed L-1049-82, reg N7102C, 'The United States', fleet number FN102, as delivered in April 1955.
Or you could build the Lockheed EC-121H Warning Star 53-533 operated by the 960th Sqdn.
My kit lacks the large radome and one of the bulkheads.
The kit comes with a communication radome to be fitted to the upper fuselage and a part which doesn't appear in the instructions too small to be the speed pack.
I'll need to research the EC-121H.

The decals in my kit are for TWA "Star of Windsor or Star of Capri"

[McColm]

Can you use plastic parts on vacform kits?
I have the 1/72 Convair B-36 Peacemaker in plastic and vacform. I was thinking of using the cockpit from the Monogram on the vacform kit along with the wings and landing gear.

[PR19_Kit]

Why not? They're both made of styrene, one's just a lot thinner than the other.

You need to be  careful about how you do the joins, and the structural bits would best be the injection bits.

See my 'Welkin III' thread from post #38 onwards.

http://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php/topic,44811.30.html

But why not just build the Monogram kit as is? It'd be a lot less work than the vacform and it'd probably look better in the long run too.