New built British Vampire (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter cnq
- Start date
cnq
Sergeant Major
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Thank you guys.
I've only started to building models after 25 years. One of the reasons is the cost of pre-painted figure/vehicle has gone up so much that I could no longer keep up so this is the only cheaper way to stay in the hobby.
wayne556517
Lieutenant General
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Brilliant..................{bravo}}
johnnybach
Major General
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That one brought back a few memories!
One of the most amusing things I ever saw - was an FMT3 ( Accident report form). A handwritten document - explaining the what and why of an accident involving an Army and other vehicle.
Let me explain. I was once stationed at a vehicle repair depot near Cardiff - and not far from RAF Saint Athan, (South Wales), sometime in the sixties. There was to be an Air Display at St. Athan - and one of the static displays was to be a Vampire Jet ( Not sure of which version - but think it was a MarkIII). One of these 'planes was being transported by road, along with outriders - but was delayed by a series of Roadworks. As it was getting dark, it was decided that the vehicle and load was too wide to continue safely on its way from Cardiff to St. Athan ( around 25 miles down a narrow road) - and so it would be better to leave it on the "Square" of this little Army depot oon the outskirts of Cardiff for the night - and continue on the last lap the following day. The low-loader was required elsewhere next day - so the Jet was off-loaded and temporarily left on the Camp Square.
Alas - no-one thought to leave a lamp or two - as the square was unlit!! - which had serious consequences - for the jet!
After the usual vehicle numbers, the Driver's Statement FMT3 read something along these lines.
"I was proceding across the square at "Camp X" when I was in collision with an unocupied, stationary Mark III Vampire jet, that the driver had parked on the square with no parking lights on! I collided with the front right side of the vehicle because I didn't see it due to its camoflauge paintwork until too late. There was paintwork damage to my vehicle."{eek3}
A later inspection showed that he Jet aircraft was severely damaged - as the air-frame had been twisted - and was BLR'd ( beyond local repair) - and remained as a static display right where it was for several years afterwards - as it was deemed un-economic to repair. We used to let the local kids play on it for quite a while afterwards.
As to the vehicle that hit it - Just a scrape or two of paint off the "Champ" ( a Rolls-Royce engined precursor to the Land-Rover. As to the driver............. he was believed and a reprimand went to the people who off-loaded the jet - and left it in an unlit position with no lights.
I believe to this day, that there was a little tear stain on the driver's statement - though it could have come from some later reader!
PS. Nice model - and a good idea to use the cheaper plastic kits. No-one would know - unless you pick it up. More fun to put together and paint-it-yourself anyway - I heartily approve.
johnnybach
One of the most amusing things I ever saw - was an FMT3 ( Accident report form). A handwritten document - explaining the what and why of an accident involving an Army and other vehicle.
Let me explain. I was once stationed at a vehicle repair depot near Cardiff - and not far from RAF Saint Athan, (South Wales), sometime in the sixties. There was to be an Air Display at St. Athan - and one of the static displays was to be a Vampire Jet ( Not sure of which version - but think it was a MarkIII). One of these 'planes was being transported by road, along with outriders - but was delayed by a series of Roadworks. As it was getting dark, it was decided that the vehicle and load was too wide to continue safely on its way from Cardiff to St. Athan ( around 25 miles down a narrow road) - and so it would be better to leave it on the "Square" of this little Army depot oon the outskirts of Cardiff for the night - and continue on the last lap the following day. The low-loader was required elsewhere next day - so the Jet was off-loaded and temporarily left on the Camp Square.
Alas - no-one thought to leave a lamp or two - as the square was unlit!! - which had serious consequences - for the jet!
After the usual vehicle numbers, the Driver's Statement FMT3 read something along these lines.
"I was proceding across the square at "Camp X" when I was in collision with an unocupied, stationary Mark III Vampire jet, that the driver had parked on the square with no parking lights on! I collided with the front right side of the vehicle because I didn't see it due to its camoflauge paintwork until too late. There was paintwork damage to my vehicle."{eek3}
A later inspection showed that he Jet aircraft was severely damaged - as the air-frame had been twisted - and was BLR'd ( beyond local repair) - and remained as a static display right where it was for several years afterwards - as it was deemed un-economic to repair. We used to let the local kids play on it for quite a while afterwards.
As to the vehicle that hit it - Just a scrape or two of paint off the "Champ" ( a Rolls-Royce engined precursor to the Land-Rover. As to the driver............. he was believed and a reprimand went to the people who off-loaded the jet - and left it in an unlit position with no lights.
I believe to this day, that there was a little tear stain on the driver's statement - though it could have come from some later reader!
PS. Nice model - and a good idea to use the cheaper plastic kits. No-one would know - unless you pick it up. More fun to put together and paint-it-yourself anyway - I heartily approve.
johnnybach
Last edited:
Jack
Major
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2011
- Messages
- 6,347
That one brought back a few memories!
One of the most amusing things I ever saw - was an FMT3 ( Accident report form). A handwritten document - explaining the what and why of an accident involving an Army and other vehicle.
Let me explain. I was once stationed at a vehicle repair depot near Cardiff - and not far from RAF Saint Athan, (South Wales), sometime in the sixties. There was to be an Air Display at St. Athan - and one of the static displays was to be a Vampire Jet ( Not sure of which version - but think it was a MarkIII). One of these 'planes was being transported by road, along with outriders - but was delayed by a series of Roadworks. As it was getting dark, it was decided that the vehicle and load was too wide to continue safely on its way from Cardiff to St. Athan ( around 25 miles down a narrow road) - and so it would be better to leave it on the "Square" of this little Army depot oon the outskirts of Cardiff for the night - and continue on the last lap the following day. The low-loader was required elsewhere next day - so the Jet was off-loaded and temporarily left on the Camp Square.
Alas - no-one thought to leave a lamp or two - as the square was unlit!! - which had serious consequences - for the jet!
After the usual vehicle numbers, the Driver's Statement FMT3 read something along these lines.
"I was proceding across the square at "Camp X" when I was in collision with an unocupied, stationary Mark III Vampire jet, that the driver had parked on the square with no parking lights on! I collided with the front right side of the vehicle because I didn't see it due to its camoflauge paintwork until too late. There was paintwork damage to my vehicle."{eek3}
A later inspection showed that he Jet aircraft was severely damaged - as the air-frame had been twisted - and was BLR'd ( beyond local repair) - and remained as a static display right where it was for several years afterwards - as it was deemed un-economic to repair. We used to let the local kids play on it for quite a while afterwards.
As to the vehicle that hit it - Just a scrape or two of paint off the "Champ" ( a Rolls-Royce engined precursor to the Land-Rover. As to the driver............. he was believed and a reprimand went to the people who off-laded the jet - and left it in an unlit position with no lights.
I believe to this day, that there was a little tear stain on the driver's statement - though it could have come from some later reader!
johnnybach
Some sympathy is in order - bumping into a Vampire in the dark cannot be fun!
johnnybach
Major General
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johnnybach
Major General
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Buster
Command Sergeant Major
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Sure did! - and if the guy who hit it, is still around - I'll bet he's still boring people to death with the story!^&grin (just like me! - oops!
As an aside - the lads in the paint workshop painted a little white "vampire jet" on the door of his wagon afterwards, for a "kill"!{sm4}
That's a great story jb, too bad the Vampire was too far gone to salvage ..... might not have been the prettiest bird in the inventory, but a shame to have lost her in a "fender-bender" ...... guess the deductable on it was too high.:rolleyes2::tongue:
Love the bit about "kill" decal on the door. ^&grin
B.
chalklands
Sergeant First Class
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- Aug 2, 2007
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Excellent model/diorama. Stupendous in fact!
Pete
Pete
cnq
Sergeant Major
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- Oct 10, 2010
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OK I did a quick search and it's the version below:
Vampire FB.9, WR128, 502 Sqn, RAF Auxillary, RNAS Sydenham, UK, 1955
johnnybach
Major General
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It was apparently just left there for several years, and then just disappeared. Last time that I was in my home town (Cardiff), which is a few years ago now - I popped into the British Legion Club in that part of Cardiff - and met up with a few of the "Lads". (They'll always be Lads - though most of them have long since retired!). Aparently, the old site, which housed Barrage Baloons and AA guns during WWII, first became a Civil Defence site - and later had been sold off and houses built there. I did ask after the Vampire jet - but nobody seemed to know what happened to it - so assume it just went for scrap. Nobody knew what happened to the driver either - who for a time was known to all as, "Drac - the Vampire Slayer"
jb