Kapiti Kid

I'd go for a 1/48 Sunderland too. In fact I have the Alpha Flight kit, but I haven't figured out how to correct the porthole spacing. I might eventually put it together and hope the mistake is not too obvious behind the beaching gear.

Still looking for canopies? See https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/FA9414?result-token=G3E4q and https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/FA9415?result-token=G3E4q

Apart from adding rigidity, the stated reason for representing the internal ribs was to produce a slight 'oil-canning' effect on the outer surface. Deliberate sink marks in fact. It's only just visible if you look with the light at the right angle. Very subtle. I wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't heard the interview with Richard Alexander.

There's this: https://falconmodels.co.nz/howto.html

The best advice is too look at the real aircraft if you can, plenty of photos if you can't. The opinion of WNW to not use turnbuckles is valid. They look cool on the model, but they are nearly always way out of scale. WNW suggested just giving an impression with blobs of paint. WNW was in fact working on supplying photo-etch for streamlined 'RAF' wires, and had sets on display at one model show for each of their RFC models. The instructions were going to incorporate the advice to only attach them at the upper end and leave the bottom end free-floating in a hole. In the end, they never went into production. In my opinion PE rigging never looks good, because of the buckling that occurs with temperature changes and from being flexed when the model is handled (even in the model shot on the box of Tamiya's Swordfish the PE rigging is kinked). Other alternative materials are stiff stainless steel or carbon fibre wires (never seen either used, don't know where you'd get them from), elastic thread (by far the easiest, but rumoured to deteriorate in time, and the flat stuff will always twist) or stretched invisible thread (which actually adds structural strength to the model). Tony

There's definitely something not right about the fuselage shape. The rear part of the fuselage nacelle looks bloated, almost area-ruled (coke bottle shape). And as for the nose profile - I've checked it against the Airfix 1/48 kit, as well as the Alley Cat resin kit and John Adam's Aeroclub corrected fuselage for the Classic Airframes kit, and it seems that the Infinity nose doesn't become vertical enough at the very front. If you sand a bit off, would that make it too short in relation to the nose wheel leg? I'd trust the Aeroclub shape over anyone else's if there's a difference. What with a dodgy fuselage shape and woeful sliding canopy (which looks like it will need a vac-formed replacement for sure), plus the thought of the time commitment for getting rid of all the fictitious rivets on the wings, I'm beginning to go off the idea of getting the Infinity Vampire. It seems like too much money for a kit that will need a lot of work. I'm waiting with bated breath to see how it turns out. Good luck. Tony P

See what I mean? No rivets!! Tony

I'd love one, but the exaggerated surface detail is putting me off a bit. The wings in the kit seem to be covered in rivets, but even from close up the finish on the real thing is as smooth as a baby's bum. There's one on display in a museum about 6 km down the road from where I live, so I know. Price for me (from Hannants) is the local equivalent of US$122. High, but doable (if my wife doesn't notice).

From the stills I've seen, it looks like the design of the film has taken at least some inspiration from Jack Schoener's (sp?) scraper-board illustrations for the original serialisation of Dune in Analog magazine. (I confess I bought Analog mainly for the pictures – same as I bought the Eagle for Frank Hampson's imaginative artwork of Dan Dare when I was younger.)

Makes sense. One of the members of the team used to produce a range of short-run 1/72 injection-moulded Spitfire kits. He would certainly be familiar with the topic.

Tasman, Squadron ... they're all made by Falcon

I think the only Squadron canopy for the He 162 was 1/48

Seems fairly obvious that you are misreading 'CALLS'. It would be GALLS, short for gallons. The Brits were still using non-SI units in the 40s. Tony P

On second thoughts, this could be a better source: http://www.jaysmodelkits.com/jaysmk/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=102

I might have found a source. The model shop in Wellington (Modelcraft & Hobbies) used to have the full range of Falcon Clearvax and Squadron canopies. Since Richard Alexander sold the shop when he was headhunted to manage Wingnut Wings, it's been through a number of owners. Last time I looked it was an empty shop, but it still seems to exist online. The website is very poor (they can't even spell their address right), and the search facility particularly poor, but at least they do seem to have a fair number of Squadron canopies in stock. Only two 1/32 and no 1/24 though. Try this: https://www.modelcraftsandhobbies.co.nz/search?query=crystal+clear