Of course it was the colour scheme that really attracted me to the build and thanks to Model Art Decals’ excellent set of French Vampire markings I was able to create a model finished in the overall blue plumage that I like so much!
Projects for this Model Airplane International can come from the most unexpected of places. Whilst working on the Meteor F.8 that you can read about here, I wondered about doing something else from that period, but had no idea what that would be. I didn’t really fancy the idea of a kit I had already built (I hardly ever have enthusiasm to repeat a build) so began to look elsewhere…
Several weeks went by before I found myself at the IPMS Bolton show. Having spoken to a number of friends, I made a beeline towards Jean Pierre Deprez, genial owner of Model Art decals. Conversation flowed as it always does, swinging from RAF subjects and then on to his home teams, the French Air Force and Navy. It was at the point that I mentioned my desire to do something different as I perused his latest decal sheets. There, amongst the displayed items was a sheet for the De Havilland Vampire, an aircraft that I was particularly fond of, having already built two examples from Alley Cat resin kits, back in the day, several images of which, you can see here:
With the sheet in hand, my gaze fell upon a dark blue Aeronavale example. Announcing that that would be a perfect subject for a new build, Jean Pierre donated the sheet to us to use and I was off. All I needed was the Airfix kit to go with it and I was good to go.
Over the next few weeks I worked on the model, the results of which you can both see here and then read about in the May edition of Model Airplane International when that arrives next month. As it turned out, the kit was very easy to build and thanks to the inclusion of some simple Eduard additions such as their Vampire Seat Belts and then a LööK set that offered a beautiful instrument panel, the model looked pleasingly-detailed once complete.
Of course it was the colour scheme that really attracted me to the build and thanks to Model Art Decals’ excellent set of French Vampire markings I was able to create a model finished in the overall blue plumage that I like so much!
For more on this model and how I put it together, please look out for the May edition of Model Airplane International, available from your favourite stockists, next month.
HERE ARE SOME NEW POSTS FOR YOU TO ENJOY!
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- FROM THE WORKBENCH: AIRFIX 1/48 DE HAVILLAND VAMPIRE FB.5
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- FOR GOODNESS SAKE, JUST BUILD IT!
LATEST COMMENTS…
I sure wish Airfix would upsize the Swift to 1/48.
Oh, God. Too many kits! I’d love to build a Whitley but it will never get finished, or maybe even…
I’m a member of a local Gundam builders club. Most of the members there are young, and I can’t help…
Excellent article. I have been amazed by the spectacular results by some famous modelers and in recent years got to talk…
You obviously don’t follow my work very closely, Spencer!
SPENCER POLLARD'S KIT BOX 
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