Vacform kits tricks and tips anyone?????

[Sergei]

As mentioned in my 1/144 civils post one aspect of aircraft models and modelling that does not seem to have been covered so far is the vacform kit.

I must admit to having approached vacforms with some trepidation but was really prompted into having a crack at one by the desire to add a Shorts Empire flying boat to my collection. For a first attempt this was not too bad.....

http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/cc511/Sergei1957/Empire.jpg

although it was some way off being perfect.

The latest vacform has been the Airspeed Ambassador which is nearing completion. This has been one of those projects that has been picked up and put down again at various stages over the past seven years. It has been painted a couple of times and stripped and repainted. I have to thank Chris for unwittingly giving me some valuable pointers towards getting the finish I was looking for. There is still some tarting up to do and the main undercarriage doors need completing. But this is how it looks at present. It will go beautifully with my pre-red square BEA DC3 and Viscount.


http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/cc511/Sergei1957/Ambassador.jpg

The main difficulty with vacforms is cutting out the components from the plastic sheet and preparing them for assembly. The wings especially seem to be tricky. The instructions generally advise you to run a marker pen around the component to give you a clear line to cut to. The difficulty arises in sanding the cut component down to size and this does require a good deal of patience and practice and most importantly a perfectly flat surface. Thank god for filler.

I should take delivery of Welsh Models' British Midland liveried HP Herald and Air Anglia F27 this week and I will post pictures of the raw kit and some progress shots - as long as I don't c0ck them up (the models that is). I also have Welsh Model's 1/144 Twin Pioneer that has been waiting in the wings for about eight years. This might push me to getting it made as well.

If anyone has experience of vacform kits and has any accumulated wisdom to share it would be much appreciated. But for anyone keen to fill 1/144 gaps a visit to the Welsh Models website should whet your appetite!!!

[Acklington]

Brave man Sergei! But I admire anyone who likes Ambassadors! :)

Many years ago I was trying to build all the various marks of Gloster Meteor, and had to resort to vacuform builds for the T.7 front fuselage; NF.14 fuselage; and a complete F.8 kit, completed as a U.16.

As you say, the most important thing was a perfectly flat surface, covered in a very large sheet of sandpaper. The main problem was applying uneven pressure during the sanding, and ending up with joint gaps. Yes, thank goodness for filler!

Time spent in making internal 'bulkheads' was always well spent, as it kept the fuselage and larger components to the correct profile. Also reinforcing strips were very useful, especially along the inside of fuselage joints - they also helped stop the filler from falling through! :LOL:

I enjoyed making internal cockpit floors, etc; and wheel bays. These acquired skills were transfered to later plastic kits. Also making all manner of small parts, which vacuform kits did not provide in those days. I used plastic kit undercarraiges, wherever possible. The right choice of glues was important, and I would first test scrap offcuts for strength and corrosive effects.

Painting was never a problem, as normal enamels worked perfectly well. But transfer sheets were very poor or non-existant, until good quality aftermarket sets became available.

I still have some unmade vacuform kits, but those aircraft types are now available in plastic or resin. So unless there is an avid vacuform collector out there somewhere, I guess those vacuform kits are so much junk. :unsure:

[Sergei]

I'd love to see some photos Acklington.

The Herald and F27 arrived today so I will shortly post some photos of what you get for your GBP15.65 each. Then it will be time for the marker pen and the scalpel.....

[Acklington]

I'd love to see some photos Acklington.

Request granted, after some serious dusting! :o

http://i52.tinypic.com/6r0ye1.jpg

http://i51.tinypic.com/j7atub.jpg

http://i52.tinypic.com/34qsj1c.jpg
This FAA Meteor T.7 is a real dogs dinner of parts - the front fuselage and belly tank is the vacuform conversion kit (F.8, I think), with scratch built cockpit interior. The windscreen and rear fuselage and tail is from the Airfix F.3. The wings are really RARE - original FROG F.8, but with scratch built air intakes. The undercarraige is Airfix F.3. The drop tanks are FROG F.4. The canopy I scratch built, but forgot to 'downsize' the mould to take account of the thickness of accetate, so it ended up too big, which is why it is in the open position! :LOL: All the control surfaces were cut out/replaced, to give a bit of action.

http://i52.tinypic.com/xla6oi.jpg
This was a full F.8 vacuform kit - nice surface detail - but all the U.16 conversion and small parts are my own work. Turned out pretty nice, except that I didn't get enough dihedral on the wings.:(

http://i53.tinypic.com/14dm1xl.jpg
This NF.14 fuselage, tail and canopy was vacuform. I added FROG F.4 wings and extended the wingtips. The undercarraige and tanks are FROG F.4. The model hasn't stood the test of time, with yellowed varnish, and transfers. The fuselage is a bit 'banana shaped, even allowing for the camera lens close-up distortion.

http://i56.tinypic.com/9qdb7s.jpg

http://i56.tinypic.com/154ca45.jpg

http://i53.tinypic.com/fuy4j.jpg

http://i55.tinypic.com/20hantf.jpg

http://i53.tinypic.com/2145uuf.jpg

http://i52.tinypic.com/1zgb4gz.jpg

http://i55.tinypic.com/1z20t1d.jpg

http://i55.tinypic.com/21c5w1z.jpg

http://i53.tinypic.com/2qktjs1.jpg

http://i52.tinypic.com/fd6qdh.jpg

Which is all why I now collect diecast! ;)

[Craig]

You guys have my respect tackling Vac-form. I'd love the K4 VC-10, but the prospect of all that filling and sanding, I hate it!

[Sergei]

Acklington, all I can say is "Wow!!"

I know what you mean Craig. I really have to be in the mood to get a vacform underway. It should be slightly different this time though as I really want a Herald in the cabinet with the other old airliners.

Having re-visited Welsh Models' website I see from the news section that they are producing full resin kits of both the Herald and the Hermes. I was expecting just some resin parts not a full kit. Looks as though I will have both BEA and British Midland liveried Heralds!

[fozzy45]

My only tip with vacforms is don't do it:eek: I have lost count on the number of times I ended up kicking the cat the last time I made one!

[Acklington]

Thanks Sergei, and given that these efforts are now 20 to 30 years old, I'm only just starting to remember what I did at the time.:wacko:

The original FROG F.8 donated its fuselage to a new F.8 combined with newer and more accurate FROG F.4 parts.

I then chopped the FROG F.8 engine intakes off the wings, to go on the NF.14conversion - thus giving it the required larger air intakes.

The Airfix F.3 rear fuselage was originally part of my "scrapheap diorama", suitably weathered and with panels missing. This is when the elevators were removed, and it was painted as a T.7. Later on I obtained the vacuform front fuselage, and with the FROG F.8 wings, and 'scrapheap' rear fuselage, I had the makings of the T.7 you see today. I had to repair the missing panels and 'scrapheap' damage, and scratchbuild new engine intakes to replace those that had gone to the NF.14.

I still feel sorry that I dismembered the original rare FROG F.8 model, and still have a hankering to scrap the three models containing its parts, and bring it all back together again! :unsure:

[sniperUK]

Beautiful collection of Meatboxes ,I certainly need a few two seaters. I tried the Welsh models Belfat at one stage, gave up after a while and I have a vac-form Sycamore in the stash but I dont know if I will ever start it.

[Wingroot II]

great looking Meteors. I have enough trouble with vac form canopies let alone full kits.Great job:)

[chris1966m]

wow Guys, superb vacform builds :cool :cool :cool :cool

[DCRanger]

I am regularly amazed at the talents oh forum members. These far exceed anything I ever did even in plastic kit form and I never dared to attempt resin models. Got any WIP photo's?

[Sergei]

Will post some "before" shots later today.

[Sergei]

As promised here are a couple of photos of what you get in the packet from Welsh Models.
First the Air Anglia F27. The vacform sheet includes propellers but for the princely sum of around GBP3.50 you can upgrade to white metal ones which is worth doing because I draw the line at cutting out and cleaning up propellers. The landing gear is cast metal and should clean up nicely. The molding is fairly crisp and the decals are by Twosix and are excellent.
http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/cc511/Sergei1957/F27Raw.jpg

The British Midland Herald kit comes with metal props, landing gear and resin engine nacelles. Again the decals are by Twosix and are very good. From past experience considerable patience has to be exercised as they are very thin - and I mean thin.

http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/cc511/Sergei1957/HeraldrawII.jpg

As you can see when the components are isolated the kit is very simple. Compared to an injection moulded kit you spend the largest proportion of time cleaning up the components prior to assembly followed by filling and sanding.

You will just have to wait now for the next exciting episode!!!

[DCRanger]

Thanks Sergai, looking forward to the next instalment.:)