1/5th scale Vampire

[David Jones]

I wasn’t going to write a build thread for this model, but I’ve been advised that some people might find it interesting. Its not as in depth as previous threads I’ve done, but I think you will get the idea.

I volunteered to build a 1/5th scale de Havilland Vampire for my mate, Mike Whitehead, while he was working away in Saudi Arabia. The model is from the Kerry Sterner plan, with a laser cut kit from Belair, and a wood pack from Slec. The kit and wood pack were collected at the LMA show at Cosford last year, and I started construction in early September.

I started by constructing the tail plane and fin/rudder assemblies. I like to start with the tail feathers on a plan build to get into the swing of things and learn how the designer has thought it through.

[David Jones]

The assembly is straight forward, though horse shoeing the mini servos and wiring for the rudders into the fins proved a bit fiddly. Once done, the assembly was put to one side.

[David Jones]

Next up was the wings, which are really in three sections, a removable outer panel which is built at the same time as the mid panel, which in turn is later joined to the centre section forming part of the fuselage. These panels were built as per the plan, the only modifications I did was in the system for retaining the outer panel. The plan shows a retaining bolt which screws into a block in the joiner tube, and which is accessed via the wheel well. I wasn’t keen on this method, so I pinched an idea from the Zirolli Mitchell build, and made up a ply tongue that slides into the outer section, and is retained by a 4mm bolt, accessed from underneath the wing.

One method of forming the wheel wells is by utilising foam and lining it with 1/16” balsa. I decided to make up formers out of 1/ 4” balsa and made the walls up out of 1/32” rolled ply. With the top sheeting completed, the wings were then put to one side.

[David Jones]

The fuselage is built around a balsa crutch, supported on blocks cut to a fixed height to keep the centre line at 0 degrees incidence. The formers are added in turn and then the wing root rib is added, care being taken to ensure that the centre line of the root rib is at 0 degrees. Once satisfied that all is correct, the stringers are then added.

[David Jones]

The one piece top hatch extends pretty much the entire length of the fuselage, the stringers at the join being spruce strip, which are then separated after the planking has been added. The top of the wing roots are also sheeted at this stage and the nose leg was fitted.

[David Jones]

The fuselage was then removed from the blocks and I couldn’t resist putting everything together for a quick photo.

[David Jones]

Fibreglass mouldings are available for the air intakes inside the wing. I decided to save Mike some money and made my own up. Utilising the contours shown on the plan, I made up formers from 1/4” balsa and faced them with 1/32” rolled ply.

[David Jones]

The stringers and bottom planking were then added and sanded to shape.

[David Jones]

The inboard flaps were then made up and provision provided for the servo mounts and hatches.

[David Jones]

I then returned to the wing panel to make up the outboard flaps and speed flaps. The method shown on the plan for hinging the speed flaps didn’t look very convincing to me, so I scrapped the idea of cut down Robart hinges and used Kavan flat hinges instead. Even now I’m not fully convinced that they would be strong enough to be deployed in flight. Time will tell, if they are not used in flight they will still be an interesting feature for static display.

[David Jones]

Back to the fuselage again. The nosecone was made up from soft balsa block and carved to shape, as were the fairings for the air intakes.

[David Jones]

The plan shows the booms being permanently fixed, but Mike wanted the boom/tail plane assembly removable for ease of transport. We came up with a system where I replaced the boom bearers fitted in the wing. The new bearers have a longer tongue that extends through the second rib in the boom. A sleeve is made up from two pieces of 1/4” liteply and the tongue is secured with 2 x 4mm bolts into captive nuts. For added strength, the boom bearers are lined on both sides with 1/16” ply.

[David Jones]

The boom bearer fairings on the wing were then made up as per the plan.

[David Jones]

Removable wing tanks were the next order of the day. These were made up starting with a 1/8” liteply core, the mounting tabs being laminated on both sides with 1/16” ply. The formers and stringers were added and the tanks planked and sanded to shape. The nose and tail ends were made up from soft block and the pylons are 1 /2” balsa on each side, shaped fore and aft. The tanks are retained to the wing by 2 x 4mm bolts through R5 into captive nuts where the outer panel joins. The bolts are recessed into R5 to allow for a flush fit.

[David Jones]

The underside of the mid sections of the wings were sheeted and sanded. The areas around the main legs and nose gear were then covered in cling film and layers of glass cloth were used to form shaped pieces from which the U/C doors will be cut. The openings for the U/C were then cut out.

[David Jones]

The final work to be done was to make up the fairings/pods where the fins join the booms. These took some time to carve and sand to shape, the outer fairings having to be split in the area of the removable servo hatches. I could have omitted to make these, but now they are done, I think they do add some character to the finished model.

[David Jones]

This is now the end of my input into the project. To get to this stage has taken 400 hours, which I suppose will prove to be the half way mark. The model will be handed over to Mike later this year for finishing. He hopes to be back in the UK round about Christmas time, so in effect it will be his winter project. I’ve taken a total of 125 photos throughout the build which I can make available to anyone who may be contemplating doing one in the future. I hope this thread has been of interest to those who have read it, and I will return to it as the finishing process progresses. Dave Jones.

[dave tilbury]

thanks for sharing Dave........excelllent work

just need to finish mine now.......

cheers

dave

[David Jones]

It's almost three years since my last entry regarding this build. I'd handed the model over to Mike for him to finish it in 2012, he ended up working abroad a lot longer than he thought he was going to, hence the long delay. Since his return he's been plodding on with getting the model glass clothed, a coat of primer and all the installations ready for test flying. I'm glad to say we are almost there.

The first mod to the model, after some discussion, was to scrap the idea of a one piece hatch. The hatch was cut into three sections resulting in his being able to have a for and aft hatch, with a fixed center section, making the top of the fuselage more rigid.

[David Jones]

The engine, a Wren 100, the radio gear and all ancilliary equipment has now been installed and so it was time for an engine run up, which we managed to do this weekend.