The Ukrainian firm has filled a gap in the market with its all-new 1/48 Vanguard Mk.I, as CHRIS CLIFFORD discovers.
Vultee’s Vanguard is a type I wasn’t too familiar with until now, but even a cursory search revealed that there have been very few 1/48 styrene kits. Supposedly, Air Collection released a limited-edition product in 1998, but any others have been older vac-form/resin attempts. So, those looking to build more esoteric aircraft have a pleasing subject here. The type was conceived by Vultee, stemming from an idea for a common set of wings, rear fuselage and tail, but with different roles and structural amendments to match, across four variants. These would satisfy the tasks of basic combat trainer, single-seat fighter, and basic/advanced trainer.