FROG 1:72 VICKERS VIMY MK.IV

 

Reviewer: Steve Hedworth  (contact via SMAKR webmaster)
Kit Review submitted:  February 2009

Aircraft History:

The Vimy was to have been at the forefront of the Allied bombing campaign had the war continued into 1919. However, of over 1,000 ordered only one had reached France by the end of the war. Consequently, only about 220 were built post war and the first squadron to equip with the type was No 58 in Egypt, during July 1919. Later, the type served with No’s 7 and 9, in Great Britain, and No’s 45 and 216 in the Middle East. 

Most Vimys had been replaced as bombers by 1925 but those of 502 squadron remained in Northern Ireland until 1929. About 80 aircraft were re-engined with radial engines and employed as trainers. Some were still flying in the late 30’s.

The basic design was modified after the war to create the Vimy Commercial, one of the first civilian airliners. This in turn was adapted for the RAF as the Vernon and served as a bomber transport in the Middle East. Sixty aircraft were built and they served with 45 and 70 squadrons.

The Kit:

It was described as old in 1980. On my most recent inspection of a moulding from Maquette the parts have flash and ejection marks but nothing that couldn’t be easily fixed with a knife and a little filler. An earlier Frog kit had holes in the lower wing but again easily repairable. Ribbing is prominent on the upper surfaces and tail unit but less so on the under sides. Raised stitching on the fuselage sides.

Instructions:

Fourteen step, exploded views.

Construction:

Please bear with me. I originally built this kit about 30 years ago. It survived several house moves over the years but finally succumbed during a period of storage prior to my last remove. It resembled a plane crash for many years until the beginning of 2008 when I began to rebuild it. Luckily most of the parts had survived although some were broken or twisted.

I built the kit from the box and rebuilt it in the same mode replicating a thirty year error. I have since re-discovered a magazine article that highlights several errors in the original Frog design. I will refer to this as construction progresses but my build is OOB.

Construction starts in the pilot’s cockpit and is pretty basic. Seat, floor, column and pilot. A dashboard can be added plus whatever else you want. Engines are next and represent an early version. A later model can be achieved by filling in the gap for the exhaust manifolds and cementing the rear section of pipe, minus the manifolds, to the rear of the engine nacelles. Struts are added and care is needed. The struts have cut outs which aid positioning and when assembled are set aside to dry.

The rest is straight forward. The upper wings are three piece and require cleaning up and small amounts of filler when joined. Aerilons are two piece and there are two per wing. Lower wings are one piece and possess prominent maintenance walkways which some may want to tone down.

The biplane tail unit parts are preassembled and then the fuselage is brought together. The pilot’s station, crew seats and windows are captured at this stage. Although I had forgotten the article referred to, it clearly states that the rear cockpit and associated windows are 22mm, or 0.8 ins, too far to the rear and should be repositioned. This also requires modifications to the mid upper decking and a method is described in the above.

Transparencies need to be added to the nose. I filed an aperture and cut a clear section of plastic for my main window. As my kit was already built I only fitted this window but there should be three. If building from scratch I would drill some pilot holes alongside the main window and enlarge them with a needle file to reproduce the side window openings.

Next add the lower wings. When the fuselage/wing set up has dried to your satisfaction the two completed engine units are added to the lower wings. If you have the struts straight the two units will act as a trestle and support the top wing in place. Reinforce with CA and then the rest of the struts can be added easily. Of course, as with all biplanes you should be painting under surfaces, for example, and any potentially difficult areas, as you go along.

As for the “engine trestles”, if you’re not convinced then construct some supports from cardboard. I had to do this as I was rebuilding a wreck and most of the engine struts were broken. Thanks to the strength of CA the struts proved capable of bearing the weight of the upper wing.

The tail unit is next and 30 years ago I installed it crooked. It remains so as at some stage it has received a dose of CA and I didn’t want to cause any more damage by dismantling it.

The bomb racks, bombs, undercarriage, nose and tail skids are fitted simply enough. The nose skid is reportedly the wrong shape and should be triangular in profile. I’m still prepared to live with the kit version but I suppose it could be reshaped with a good eye and a sharp file. The kit Scarff rings are best replaced by Aeroclub parts and windscreens were cut from clear plastic.

Rigging wire is invisible thread. Upper wing holes were half drilled and lower all the way through in order to tension the thread which was secured with CA.

Colour Schemes:

Choice of two. The Farnborough aircraft is chocolate brown which Frog state is PC10. The article states that Nivo green would be more appropiate. The Middle East craft is Aluminium Silver.

Decals:

There is a choice of two aircraft. One is home based at Farnborough and operated from there during 1919-22. The other was flown in Egypt by No 70 squadron in 1921.

Accuracy:

Several inaccuracies according to my magazine article. The wing span is a scale foot short, the height is too high. I have checked this with my ruler and it appears to be about a scale half foot or so. I can live with these but the rear cockpit is more serious being a scale four feet out of position.

Conclusions:

This is the only game in town and can be made into a presentable model of the type. I have recently acquired a Maquette Vimy/Vernon in order to make the latter so I will have a spare Vimy fuselage. When time permits I‘ll try and find another way of moving the rear cockpit. For the moment I still think the kit looks OK as it is. Recommended with reservations but do plenty of research before starting.


© Steve Hedworth 2009

References:


© Steve Hedworth 2009

 

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