I am about to start a vacuform project- the XP-47H. It has a new vacuform fuselage, the rest coming from donor kit. This is an old product picked up at a show. Got to wondering- haven’t seen new vacuform stuff in awhile. I know many modelers do not like working in the medium. Has this forced the idea to disappear? Or are the cottage shops still turning out this stuff?
I have built vacuformed aircraft and cars. Does vacuform exist in other genres?
Ship sails. But you knew that.
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I’ve built two radial engine vac kits in past couple of years, from a US company. Pretty sure it’s Dare Hobbies, awful stuff to work with, but in fairness I think it’s the shapes that cause the issues.
If patient they build into a good looking engine, I use them on balsa scale free flight kits, adds lots of realism.
Patrick
There was a company called SubTech, that used to make vac formed kits of the USS ALBACORE and the USS MARLIN. I picked up a MARLIN kit about 10 years ago, and recently started building it. The MARLIN is in 1:35 scale and about 44" long. IIRC, the ALBACORE was 1:72 scale and about the same length.
In the past several yearrs Dumas Products (the model boat people) have been releasing quite a few boat kits with vac formed hulls. I’ve built the USS WHITEHALL and the CAROL MORAN and installed radio control in both. The Dumas hulls are in two halves, split along the keel. The keel joint is reinforced with some fiberglass tape and CA. Dumas offers two submarines, 6 tug/tow boats, 1 stern wheeler, and 2 warships. Depending on the kit, the deck and superstructure may be wood or plastic.
Here’s my Dumas USS WHITEHALL, built up as PCE 875.
And the CAROL MORAN.
In the 70s vacuum formed kits were being put out by several companies. Some of them were quite good, others questionable. Their advantage was that they offeren kits of aircraft that otherwise were not available. In the late 70s someone brought a constellation to the nationals in atlanta. The builder made it as a detailed cut-a-way and did quite well with it.
I have a couple waiting to be built and I’m looking for a model of the C-140 and T-39.
Hi DON !
You would be surprised how Vac Form is going .Spaceships , Tanks Etc .The last one I did was a Pembroke high wing twin engined civilian version . Great plane and decent build . the only surprise was having to install my own guide pins and tabs .Even had a full interior ! T.B. It was by Rare-Planes
Those ships are great. I really like the tug.
Yes, in the 70’s I wanted a 1/48 Il-2 Sturmovik. Vac form was the only option. I never built it, ended up tossing it. Of course now there are injection molded choices.
I do have a Blackburn Iris kit. Maybe somedayI’ll build it.
Thought I’d mention something about building vacuform aircraft that makes the result easier and sturdier. On the XP-47H that I am working on- the subject of the OP- I was making the keel last night. After cutting out and trimming the fuselage halves, I traced the outside of one side on a piece of quarter inch basswood. I then drew a line all the way around, on the inside of the previous lines, estimating the thickness of the plastic. Also, I mark cutouts for cockpit, tail wheel well, and other places where parts intrude on the inside of the fuselage.
I then cut out this “keel” cutting between the two sets of lines. I then sand, little by little, till the keep sits just inside the fuselage. This will take some beveling or rounding of the edge, depending on how curved the fuselage section is in this area.
When it is ready, I glue the first fuselage half to the keel with the edge of the fuselage half sitting halfway on the keel, making sure there are no gobs of glue on the keel on the half where the second side will fit. When dry, I glue on the second half of the fuselage. This keel prevents having to glue a butt joint of the thin plastic to thin plastic- it provides a “ledge” to glue the plastic sides to. And, it greatly stiffens the fuselage. This is a technique that many vacuform builders do, rather than glue a strip of styrene to form a ledge to aid the gluing.
That is a great tip, Don. I’d also assume it would really help getting the wings mounted to a spar that’s nice and rigid.
This thread reminds me that Gordon Stevens, the founder of Rareplanes, passed away at the end of October, at 88 years of age. He was a real pioneer in that arm of the hobby.
I built a “Rare planes” vaccuform airplane this year. Its not a good looking build but it was my first ever and it was a learning experience. Next time I’m up to doing one I’ll do a much better job. I solved all my problems one by one and even built a fairly good propeller from sheet styrene. I built a stick figure frame out of styrene and attached all the parts to it. I made a mess of the radiator and it fell out after I built the kit and I elected against fixing it out of fear of breaking my internal frame. maybe I’ll take pictures of the finished airplane, but I probably I wont.
You really don’t see it much in Armor or Autos. I used one years ago, and thought the detail was just soft. Can’t even remember what it was.
There was a series of Indy racing cars a number of years ago- vintage cars from the thirties- forget the brand.
I recall seeing vac form armour in 1/76 scale; a Brumbar upper hull, IIRC.
Never bought 'em, though. As Doog said, the detail was soft.
Easier to use sheet styrene to scratch build hulls.
Hi Guys !
I’ve done about a dozen or so vacuform kits over the years. The XP 47H was my second attempt. Some kits are great, some need a lot of work. But the fun is in that they are a different build. I’ve used the “keel” method as well as cutting bulkheads. While building a U2 recently I poured “Durhams (sp)water putty” into the fuselage half(s) in the nose and the wing roots. You have to glue some plastic “T’s” for anchors onto the parts because water putty doesn’t stick to plastic. But thats a bonus, it doesn’t attack the plastic. Level it as best you can with a knife or popsicle stick, let dry, and sand away. Super glue works for assembly. On the particular U2 kit, I think it is Rareplanes, the wings had location tabs on the root. I taped the assembled wings to the fuselage half before pouring the putty and these made very nice wing attachment points. The putty makes a nice “stiffener” where parts are thin or where you will want to represent cutouts or drill holes later. I’ll fill vacuform drop tanks, tail booms, fuselage nose and tail, etc, with putty for ragidity. I like vacuforms as a change of pace. They are more challenging than the standard plastic kit but not as challenging as a scratch build. I think vacuforms are a good “primer” for scratch building. But either way, its fun.
Back in the 1970s, you had no choice if you wanted something out of the ordinary. But today we are spoiled rotten with injection kits of very esoteric subjects. With the advancements in resin kits, their level of detail really make vacs obsolete.
I first attempted a vac-form kit when I was in intermediate school, but it demanded too much of my limited skills. I never finished any vac-form I bought, but I did successfully scratchbuild a BI-1 rocket fighter with a vac fuselage and canopy using male molds. I also built a multi-media kit (Modelkasten Oskar) which had a big vac hull. I reinforced the insides with paper towel strips soaked in CA glue, much like doing a fiberglass layup, and it yielded a super strong yet light structure.
I still have a Rareplanes XP-67 Moonbat. I should give it a try!
A Moonbat! Sure, give it a go. As a long time MDC employee, I’d love to build an XP-67!
But Don, the XP-67 is in MPM’s sweet spot… Aw nuts does that mean I have to build the Rareplanes vac so that an injected kit appears? Well, I really shoud build it, just to say I have finished a commercial vac kit.
Sure give it try
I built one came out nice and looks great with other experimental AC
During my F-106 phase many moons ago, I drooled over and bought the Combat Models vac F-106 in 1:32 scale. Sigh!!! What was I thinking?
Thinking about tossing it but haven’t decided yet.