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Trumpeter F-8C Conversion, Brown Bear's 1 V 6 Duel (29 Apr: Done)


easixpedro

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Don't know where to start...(this is like my 4th concurrent WIP).  I've spent so long working on the Prowler conversion that I needed something to just glue together is a sort of stress free, not think about it sort of way. Enter the Crusader. A bit of research on the kit and it seemed like an easy way to fill an urge and build it quickly. 

 

This build will be a scene like most of my builds. It'll be Dick "Brown Bear" Schaffert's duel against 6 MiGs in December of 1967. He was escorting an Iron Hand A-4 Skyhawk when they both got jumped. The Scooter pilot kept dueling with SAMs while Brown Bear kept the MiGs off them both. You can see the Dog Fights episode about it--pretty fantastic story. 3 AIM-9s missed, the 4th was a dud and wouldn't leave the rails. Then his guns jammed after about 10 rounds. But he kept fighting.

 

But a little more background. I've known Dick for at least 15 years. He was the driving force behind me finally writing "Bloody Sixteen" which chronicled CAG-16 and Oriskany. He's in his late 80s now and still going around in afterburner. You can get his memoir "Farmboy to Fighter Pilot." Pretty amazing stuff. He grew up in Nebraska and was on a train to Denver to try out for a minor league Baseball team when he saw a NavAir billboard. Never made it to the tryout, and the rest is history--literally flew everything from Hellcats to Phantoms, with a follow on career fighting terrorism. Even helped catch the dudes that bombed the flight over Lockerbee.  Needless to say I've got a ton of his pics that he graciously scanned while I was researching for the manuscript a few years ago.

 

VN_019

 

1m F8C VF-111

 

Here's Old Nick 106, the Crusader he was flying during the 1v6. Was also flying it a few days later when he got into another tangle. Check out how beat up she is.

VF 111 F8s tank VA 164 A4s

 

These next few pics were taken during the engagement. After 10 minutes or so, there was just 1 MiG-17 left and by then backup had arrived. The Skyhawk pilot, Dick Nelson flew above the fray and snapped pics. Pretty amazing to think he took these in an era where you really had to try to get a good picture and then wind the film after each shot.

7 Talley Ho

 

7a Red Bandit

 

7aa AIM-9D tracking

 

7aaaa Splash red Bandit

 

Before I show pics of the build, here's literally the only 2 I took thus far. Shows how I tackle closing gear doors etc.  After battling countless Monogram kits that were never designed to be built gear up, these fit surprisingly well.  Essentially hold the panel/door in place with tape and then flood the back side with super-glue.  Hit it with some accelerant before it can seep anywhere, and then you'll have a really strong bond--i.e. never caving in and can handle sanding.

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So I didn't really take any other pictures--was having too much fun just slapping styrene together and humming along. I've probably put in 8 hours total, 2 solid 4-hour blocks, which got me to this stage.  As for the conversion to a C from an F-8E, I just poured some resin in the radome so that I wouldn't sand through it while reprofiling the nose. Also lopped off the Bullpup hump on the spine. Still have to fill the holes for the pylons, but that's it.  Been a pretty enjoyable 2 days at the bench! 

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Here's the scene. Honestly, after building LSPs, I don't know how people build 1/72...can't see a dang thing!

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You can see where I built the little aileron popup as part of the flight control surfaces. You can also see where I'd started to chain drill it out on the left wing, before I realized that it was the wrong wing. Filled it with some sprue from the kit and some Tamiya Thin...  One of the reason's Brown Bear survived against 6 MiGs is that they fought in pairs--never all 6 at once. He fought in the vertical as there was no way he could match the MiGs turn rate/radius.  So that's what my scene is depicting--Brown Bear doing a high yo-yo to stay behind that last MiG. 

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Need to refine the nose some more and do a little more work in the intake. The fit there is less than optimal, but will get it sorted easily enough. Still need to fix the windscreen, (The F-8C doesn't have the IR sensor) and wrap up the cockpit. Then off to paint and decals! Not bad for 2 days worth of building and just what the Dr. ordered!

-Peter

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13 hours ago, easixpedro said:

 

 

This build will be a scene like most of my builds. It'll be Dick "Brown Bear" Schaffert's duel against 6 MiGs in December of 1967. He was escorting an Iron Hand A-4 Skyhawk when they both got jumped. The Scooter pilot kept dueling with SAMs while Brown Bear kept the MiGs off them both. You can see the Dog Fights episode about it--pretty fantastic story. 3 AIM-9s missed, the 4th was a dud and wouldn't leave the rails. Then his guns jammed after about 10 rounds. But he kept fighting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the reason's Brown Bear survived against 6 MiGs is that they fought in pairs--never all 6 at once. He fought in the vertical as there was no way he could match the MiGs turn rate/radius.  So that's what my scene is depicting--Brown Bear doing a high yo-yo to stay behind that last MiG. 

 

 

 

 

 

You know, an awful lot of the public thinks fighter pilots in combat fling themselves around the sky for hours without regard to anything until one guy starts trailing smoke and the other guy goes home.  Few are aware that fighter pilots must have a working knowledge of physics, be able to constantly recalculate, be an expert at energy management, systems management, resource management and situational awareness, endure constantly changing G loads, possess unique tactical skills and a working knowledge of the other guy’s capabilities, make instant judgement calls and endure just plain hard, sweaty work and a million other things that are all crammed into a couple of minutes of 3D pandemonium and mayhem while working through the very human need to protect your own ass.  Many people on this site, for example, have a pretty fair grasp of aviating, but how many understand what it means to “work in the vertical” or why it was necessary or how it’s done?  Or something as simple as how much their own head weighs in a 5G turn?  Not many, I’ll bet.  

Edited by Oldbaldguy
Way too long
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Fantastic pictures.   Looks like he got an AIM-9 kill, I thought you said three missed and #4 was a dud?   Speaking of cool pictures, I'd love to see another shot of that tanker A-4 in your third picture from the top.  Looks like it's covered in primer touch-ups.

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You gotta love you some Crusader! It just looks so mean and purposeful. No wonder they called it "The Last of the Gunfighters". 

 

Those combat-images are just amazing. One of the only times I've seen photos taken in the middle of a dogfight - that's real confidence for you. 

 

Thanks for sharing your build with us. 

 

Cheers.

 

Chris.  

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  • 1 month later...

Ok amigos, time for an update on this build!

 

Jari, thanks for the pics on the RWR bits. Got ‘em added, but no pics.

 

OBG, you’re spot on. No way I can explain it all, but perhaps pictures will help.

first off, I discovered this site.  http://www.george-wright.com/f8-items.html Rememberances from a former Gator driver in VF-111, and he’s got his NATOPS AND Tactical Manuals scanned!! Amazing stuff.

Perhaps some of you have heard of John Boyd and his revolutionary approach to things and how he turned Tactical Aviation on its head. One of his first big works was in energy-maneuverability. It hit the streets in 66, and this manual is from 68 or so, so kind of cool to see it already in print. One of the key principles is ‘the egg.’ Using G to help accelerate…here’s a pic to help illustrate.

Egg

 

As for fighting in the the vertical…no way the F-8 could match a MiG-17s turn rate or radius. Easy way to fix that problem is to go out of plane, i.e. go vertical. A pic to illustrate 

High Yo-Yo

 

Another example

counter to defensive pull up

you can download manuals at the link above, great reading. And because the 60’s were groovy, here’s Snoopy flying a Crusader 

F-8_TACMAN_Snoopy


The real reason I was searching through the manuals, was to find a drawing of the gunsight so I knew what to fix as the Trumpeter cockpit is mostly just fantasy. Found what I was looking for in the NATOPS manual.

Mk11-Mod7 Gunsight

 

So I’m making an F-8C. Biggest stumbling block is the windscreen as there’s no IR sensor. Easy to fix actually. I started by dremeling out that center section, then trimming some clear sheet to size (used a piece of tape to trace it out and transfer).

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And here it is glued in place after polishing and future. I used a bit of seam filler to smooth the seams, which will be hidden by the canopy bow.

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I modified the glare shield by adding the canopy jettison handle and adding a gunsight and canvas cover. Pretty simple, but better than the nothing Trumpeter provides. I also added the defroster ducting on the windscreen a wet compass and the AOA indexer. Kind of helps fill it all in.

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Only other change was adding the round radar scope. That’s a major difference between the Charlie and later variants. 

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Needed to get the windscreen on so I could finish sanding around the nose and get those shapes dialed in. Next up, I’ll finish off the cockpit and pilot figure. Already started making the ejection seat, but more on that next update!

-Peter

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10 hours ago, Pete Fleischmann said:

John Boyd was a genius. Probably the most influential and important military thinker since Clausewitz. Amazing that more folks haven’t heard of him-

 

cool build Booger!

 

P

 

You aint kidding! And 100% agree! 

 

How's this for cool?  https://www.archives.gov/files/declassification/iscap/pdf/2011-052-doc1.pdf It's Major John Boyd's Test Report that started it all. From the National Archives. A mere Major started a revolution and it's all there. Not sure anything I did at that same age and rank changed the world...

 

For everyone else wondering what Pig and I are bantering about, John Boyd is famous in the Tac Air world. He and his acolytes became known as the "Fighter Mafia" and really started a revolution and changed thinking and tactics. Directly responsible for the lightweight fighter competition that resulted in both the F-16 and F-18.

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