tc`s VF-111 `Sundowners` `upgrade to 1/48` Project

[tc2324]

Don`t worry Paul, I haven`t got the hump about it at all.

However I did think that it was unfair to comment in your first post that it is a `completely different aircraft`, when in fact the differences are reasonably quite minor. It`s a bit like the British F-4 Phantom. We all know the fuselage was widened to accommodate the Speys, but unless the know exactly what your looking for you probably wouldn`t really notice this modification when sitting next to a `J` for instance.

I`ve put a few photos together below to highlight my point.

Other than the way the FJ-3 sits on the ground due to the modified carrier u/c, I think most would be hard pushed to spot many differences between the two.









I did look into Fury kits when I started, including the Collect Aire version, but as you know most are discontinued and very hard to find. And even if I did find one after no doubt a very long wait, how much would the asking price be??

I appreciate your point, but this is probably the next best thing.

Let me get it done and then see what you think based on what I had to `play` with.

[PaulN]

Hi TC
I stick by my original statment its a different aeroplane ,canopy,cockpit,seat,tailplanes fuselage,under carriage,folding wings.hook..its different.If it was that close dont you think our friends in Japan would have got their $$$ worth out of the F86 mould ? I have several decal sheets for the FJ3 that were released when ESCI annouced thiers and being a Navy Nut would love to be able to use them but...
Nice pics you have used...but for info number 2 is a USAF F86H

Good luck with the the build Im sure will produce a fine model look forward to seeing it

Cheers

Paul

[tc2324]

A few update pics for you. All still very much work in progress and some what untidy.

First picture is a general over view and you will see that I`ve filled in the .50 cal ports and started work on the opening two 20mm ports. I`ve used a heated nail to create an indentation and then a round file to open them up. Still needs plenty of attention to them.



Horizontal tail planes are now..... er.., horizontal. Check!



Again the cockpit needs further attention. The ejection seat came from the spares box and had a fair bit of `surgery` on it so that it fitted in. Also it is sitting in there loose for the photo as I need to confirm exactly how far forward or back it was positioned.



Now I didn`t have any spare fuel tanks that matched the slim type ones carried by the FJ-3, so I`ve had to use the slim ones that came with the kit. Again I`ve had to modify them so that the vertical fins could be fitted. These are far from finished.



More soon.

[paddyboy]

Hi Dr. TC

I am liking your 'surgery'

Best regards

Patrick

[tc2324]

Thanks Patrick.

A little bit more done over the last couple of days. I pre-painted the red wing tips, tail and intake so that the enamel paint had plenty of time to dry. I`ll be masking this off before I add the spray paint.

In other news I fashioned of sorts the small slit intakes that you find midway down the fuselage on the FJ-3. As you can see I used the rear end of a Lightnings fuel tank for a rough shape. I then cut these down the middle and reduced their width so they kind of somewhat resemble what you see on the real thing.



Then again reverting back to the heated nail technique, I make an indentation and hole on the fuselage. It looks a bit sloppy, but then I knew the intake covers once placed in position would hide my sins.



Final picture shows roughly where I left it and while it is by no means 100% perfect with plenty of more work needed on the modified sections, I feel it is finally giving a reasonable representation of the Fury even though it`s an F-86 kit.

I have to also add, I am enjoying this type of `seat of your pants` modelling.

[paddyboy]

Hi TC

You never cease to amaze me

Keep it up, buddy

Sure she will turn out a belter

Best regards

Patrick

[steve149c]

Looking very good there TC

[tc2324]

Getting the hang of this muti tasking lark..., although I still seem to suffer from the lack of it when SWMBO asks me to do anything....

Got the principle spraying done tonight. I might just get away with turning this F-86 into a Fury.

[paddyboy]

Hi TC

T'would seems that ALL SWMBOs are the same

The build is looking cooking buddy

Keep multi-tasking

Best regards

Patrick

[steve149c]

Defiantly looking the part now TC

[tc2324]

Now in an effort to get as close to a Fury as possible, I am trying to replicate most of the little bits that the Fury had while the F-86 did not. (Although saying that there are going to be some areas that just can`t be done, but more on that later).

Now on the F-86, about mid way up the wing on the leading edge, are these airflow stabiliser `thingy ma jiggys`. (Please feel free to chip in and tell me the correct term)........



Now the FJ-3 Fury has the type that wraps itself fully around the leading edge so after a few minutes of cutting and sanding a bit of flat plastic into shape, I come out with something like this.......



...... which when both fitted, now make that area of the aircraft look like this......



Not 100% perfect, but after they are fully dry and fixed into place, I`ll fill in the gaps and sand them so they look a little more flush. At least you can`t say I`m not making the effort.

[paddyboy]

Hi TC

'Thingamajigs' sounds good to me

Must be an official name for them though

Would they be called 'wing fences' or am I totally out of kilter (probably)

You are defo going the extra mile, buddy

Cheers

Patrick

[BP2324]

I believe the Thingamajigs are Wing fences (boundary layer fences)

Good build TC, catch up soon.
Brian

[tc2324]

I believe the Thingamajigs are Wing fences (boundary layer fences)

Good build TC, catch up soon.
Brian

Cheers Bri. Yep.., deffo a catch up before Christmas.

With the illness season upon us, its been a little slow in the tc household, but I managed to get a few things done.

As I mentioned in my previous post there are a couple of things that I just can`t modify without major surgery to the kit. The first being that the intake on the Fury is slightly deeper than the F-86. The best way to explain this is that while the intake on the F-86 looks oblong in the horizontal, the Fury`s intake looks oblong in the vertical. Hope that kinda makes sense?

The second mod that would prove very tricky is the canopy shape. It has a curved appearance running along the bottom of it while the F-86`s is more or less straight. With this in mind I`m going to have the canopy in the closed position when finally on display. That way it is not as evident.

Also instead of masking off the canopy as per the F-86, I`ve used a little artistic licence and masked it off on the shape of the Fury`s canopy. Now when using the Mk 1 eyeball close up, you would probably see the faint lines where the perspex and frame meet. However, move a foot away, it doesn`t show and I can live with that.

Anyways, I`ve taken the following update picture and purposely posed it in a similar way as in the picture which is in my first post. That way you can decide if I have done a reasonable job so far. The edge of the star`n`bar also flaked away so that will need to be replaced.

I think once the u/c is done and the model is sitting at the correct nose up angle, it will look a little better.

[paddyboy]

Hi TC

'A reasonable job so far'

You are 'avin' a giraffe

She is coming along just fine

Best regards as always

Patrick

[steve149c]

Looking great to me TC - these little obstacles you have overcome are testament!

[tc2324]

Sorted out the nose high u/c issue to the best of my ability. The first two pictures are for comparison so you can judge for yourself to see if I got it close.





The first picture is actually quite good to show the two things I couldn`t change, the intake area and canopy frame fitting.

These pictures show off the angle quite well and how it would look in the display cabinet. Obviously this is still all WIP.





ALSO......,

if any of you have any 1950`s USN kits in your stash and have any tail and upper wing markings that look similar to the ones in the picture below..., I`d be a very happy man.

[paddyboy]

Hi TC

You must be well pleased with that progress

Looks like another of your triumphs

Best regards

Patrick

[tc2324]

Turning my attention back to the Fury I was happy to receive this particular publication the other day to improve my knowledge of VF-111 and picked the following scheme from it.







Now getting back to the model, I have started working on the stores and by using the following photo as a reference....,



..... I have had to `scratch build` the pylons which are still WIP......,




........... and had a change of heart about the under wing tanks. I was going to use the thinner versions, but as you can see the fatter ones seem more like the type used, although bare in mind both are wrong but it`s the best I`m going to get.

[steve149c]

Here TC goes again scratching - I think that we should rename you Scratchy from now on!

Keep it going

Steve