F-8E Crusader.

[ade rowlands]

Ok so as it stands my MiG 29A build is on hold pending some parts to complete it as I wanted to. So this build will replace it for now. I have 7 days off from work (no not Covid related, this is just my roster pattern, 7 days off every 4 weeks). 

 

In the mail currently there’s also the GT Resin seamless intake and some Zotz decals. But I can do a few things before I need those so we shall begin. 

[Iain]

Ace project Ade! 

 

Iain

[ade rowlands]

2 minutes ago, Iain said:

Ace project Ade! 

 

Iain

 Thanks Iain. Nothing photo worthy at the moment. Have been working nights. All I’ve really done so far is remove the resin parts from their casting plugs and give them a soak and rinse off and add the various bays doors Trumpeter are always so keen on having on their kits but for like a pig in the closed position which is how I want them usually. I like my planes buttoned up. I’m still waiting for the seamless intake from SprueBrothers to arrive, tracking finally shows it moving after sitting around a depot somewhere for 2 weeks.  Want to see how the intake will fit with the Aires cockpit into the fuselage before getting to deep into this project. Don’t want to spend ages painting the Aires one to find out it doesn’t work with the intake. I’m attaching more of a preference to the seamless intake rather than the resin cockpit. I can always use the kit cockpit and close the canopy. But being able to use both will be great. 

[Iain]

Any thoughts on final scheme?

 

Iain

[ade rowlands]

I have a Zotz decal set not shown in the pic because it hadn’t arrived yet. I’m very likely going for the VF-211 Red/White checkered tail with the Squadron kill marks for that cruise represented as Vietnamese flags on the strakes. Most photos I can find of this particular air frame show it with no wing pylons and only the single Sidewinder rail on each fuselage side rather than the Y rails the kit comes with but the kit does include the rails to do singles. Just doesn’t show the option in the instructions. They may need a little tweaking to give the missile enough clearance from the fuselage sides though. Nothing some shims and sanding sticks can’t cure. 

[ade rowlands]

Ok so consider this a proof of life more than anything else. Still waiting for the seamless intake to arrive before really getting going on this. So far I’ve added all the doors to the gun bays, refuelling probe bay, RAM turbine all the doors needed a bit of blending in and sanding they are all intended to be open. Gear bays have been built up and put in place in the fuselage halves, quite nice detail out the box. The fuselage strakes have been added as have the inlets above the exhausts. 

 

 

 

And as you can see the wings have been built up. Folded down. Again it’s designed by Trumpeter to be done in the raised and flying surfaces all dropped configuration. I wanted all up and wings down. Fit is ok but not great for this configuration. There are some gaps between the flaps and slats. I need to see if these existed in the real deal or is this a kit issue that might need some shins added and blended in. The only really poor fitting parts for the wings were the nav and position lights. Needed some filler and sanding to blend in. 

 

The next issue is the missile rails. The photos I can find of the airframe I want to model middle one in the photo below show only the single Sidewinders on the fuselage sides. The kit comes with the Y rails. This is only a small problem as the actual missile rail is included to fit the sidewinder to the Y rail as a separate part. However fitting the rail to the fuselage side as is doesn’t provide enough clearance between the fuselage side and missile itself so a shim needs to be added to the back of the rail. What photos I have found of this area show the rail standing a little way out from the fuselage side so some plasticard strips have been added to the rails and will be profiled once dry. I’ve added 2 thin strips each for now but a third layer may be needed. I’ve built up one of the kit missile for test fitting but will be using a Zactomodels AIM-9D for the final build. 

The Y rail. 

Kit Sidewinder rail as it comes in the kit. 

 

With the shims added. 

 

So that’s where I am at for now. Next on the list is to build up the landing gear. Then once the Seamless intake arrives I can check fit against the fuselage and Aires cockpit. Hopefully all 3 marry together well and we can progress straight to painting whichever cockpit I end up using (Aires or kit fit depending with the intake).