Vultee Vengeance Cockpit

Pete's Hangar

Reviewed by Brett Green

Frog's old Vultee Vengeance from the 1960s is a simple kit but quite respectable in general outline. Fortunately, it does not suffer from the attention of the "mad rivetter" often at work during that decade - surface details are by way of finely raised panel lines. This is quite acceptable in 1/72 scale.

However, the original kit was lacking in cockpit detail. Furthermore, the large glasshouse canopy does not meet today's modellers expectations, and the clear parts in subsequent re-releases of the kit under the Novo label were even worse.

By creating a highly detailed multi-media cockpit for the Vengeance, Pete's Hangar has made an interesting and bold selection for their first 1/72 scale detail set.

Pete's Hangar's Vengeance cockpit comprises six parts in salmon-pink coloured resin, five cast brass parts and a vacform canopy (with a spare supplied). The resin parts are delicately detailed and very well cast. The focus is the main cockpit section, with pilot's side consoles, armour plate bulkhead, radio and rear console cast in place. The cockpit sidewalls, rear bulkhead and instrument panel are supplied as separate parts. I especially like the instrument panel with its crisply recessed dials. Rudimentary detail for rudder pedals is also cast onto this part.

The cast brass parts are positively luxurious. The seats are smoothly contoured with subtly different designs for the pilot and the navigator/gunner.

The twin .303 machine guns are particularly nice. They are presented with the flexible shell ejection chutes in place. A separate part is supplied for the flexible mount. A brass control column is also provided.

The set is rounded out by the vacform canopy. This is beautifully produced - very clear and with crisp canopy frame details. The inclusion of a spare is a nice touch. The  standard looks to be about the same as we would expect to see from Falcon of New Zealand.

Instructions are supplied on a double-sided A5 sheet. Several scrap drawings supplement text describing how to prepare the kit and the conversion parts. General painting instructions are also provided. The instructions point out a few shortcomings of the conversion - lack of the pilot's seat framework due to the delicacy of this structure in 1/72 scale; and some missing details in the rear cockpit owing to the absence of surviving aircraft for reference. The instructions also suggest methods of scratchbuilding additional parts such as the folding rear table.

Pete's Hangar is to be commended for putting so much effort into an old but fundamentally sound subject like the Frog Vengeance. This cockpit set will represent a vast improvement over the kit parts.

Anybody considering building a 1/72 scale Vengeance should check out Pete's Hangar's cockpit.

Recommended.

Thanks to Peter from Pete's Hangar/Aussie Decals for the review sample.

 Inquiries may be made directly to Pete's Hangar's email address

Pete's Hangar products are available at hobby shops & retailers
including Snowy Mountains Models

Review Copyright © 2002 by Brett Green
This Page Created on 08 September, 2002
Last updated 22 July, 2003

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