Airfix 1/48 Vampire-RAE Meteorological Research Flight. Completed

[PR19_Kit]

I like the Vampire..twin boom aircraft i like alot even tho i cant sit in one of these and yes i have tried 
Looking forward to this Nick 

One of them was the first jet I ever flew in, with 23 Sqdn.  but I can't remember where that was. I could just fit in it then, when I was 17-18 or so.

When I tried to get in an ex-FA T22 at Yeovilton some years ago, there was NO way I could have closed the canopy, even without The Hat. 

[Wardukw]

Kit it seems like me aint the only one   
This plane..well fuselage was under this dudes house ..its a complete plane ..even has the 20mm cannons which are not the original guns for this plane but at the same it used and these were rescued from the sea ..rusty as hell but not that bad really.
I came across this bird when a mate asked me for a lift and low and behold..a Vampire jet fighter.
As for me..well i was about 115kgs at the time and still 6'2..strangely i still am 
As for the canopy..umm yeah ..no..not a chance...guess ppl in those days were alot shorter and way thinner.

[NARSES2]

I've been thinking about a canard Vampire with the booms coming out the front of the wings.

Sharpen the leading edge of the canard and it's a cable cutter 

[Tophe]

I've been thinking about a canard Vampire with the booms coming out the front of the wings.

Would that be a triplex-boomer? (the canard foreplanes being hold by boom1+ boom2 + central pod)

[Tophe]

Would that be a triplex-boomer? (the canard foreplanes being hold by boom1+ boom2 + central pod)

I may add principle sketches, on P-38 basis, that may apply to Vampire as well:

from left to right: triplex-boom, twin-boom, twin-boom.
= link http://www.kristofmeunier.fr/P38_persp_L_ap.jpg

[AeroplaneDriver]

Well after almost 2 months away from the bench I FINALLY made it back with tonight and made some progress on my Vampire. 

As originally planned it will be an RAF Meteorological Research Flight aircraft with some modifications for inflight icing studies.

It's looking a bit cartoonish in its colours at the moment but Im hoping with some decals and weathering it looks a bit less "Captain Scarlet".  I'm wishing it'd used grey for the base instead of white but masking everything to repaint the white will completely kill my newly found Mojo. So I'll rely on weathering to tone it down

The metallic intake and leading edge areas are heated for anti-icing and the black painted strip on the leading edge it to make icing easier to detect if it spreads beyond the heated areas.  The barber pole probe will also have a further extension added during "fiddly bits" stage. 

[Wardukw]

That's looks very cool ..strangely those colours work with that shape and they don't look out of place for its intended job...weathering will tone it down but it's still gonna look very bright and colourful 

[Old Wombat]

Scheme looks perfectly appropriate to me, mate,

(But, then, I think most research plane schemes look a bit cartoonish )

And the back story/idea works well.

[Tophe]

Good news!
The new nose is great, even if the front end of the boom is outside the photo frame.
Uh, concerning the rear, I don't understand, with at least 2 possibilities;:
1/ this is another boom, rear, completing the nose boom; there is no jet exhaust, this is a glider
2/ what is inside the jet exhaust is a pencil to hold it correctly, temporarily, of course later the jet exhaust will be a clean nozzle.
Which one?

[Captain Canada]

Oooh that's looking sweet !

[AeroplaneDriver]

As hoped it looks better with decals on I think. A little light weathering next then fiddly bits and onto a stand for an inflight display.

Tophe, the stick in the engine is purely a handle for painting. 

[NARSES2]

Roundels bring her to life   

[Tophe]

Tophe, the stick in the engine is purely a handle for painting. 

I understand, and the new photo is perfect (this whif model is perfect)

[Wardukw]

Yeah that looks great man...the decals really brought it to life  

[Old Wombat]

Yep, stickery things have done the job of bringing the scheme together nicely!