3D Printed McDonnell RF-101A/C Voodoo WIP

[Jim Barry]

Never give up! 

[Dandiego]

Yeah baby! Looking good. 

 

Scjh allowed me the chance to build his pre-pre production RF-101C a few years back. It was a fun build and the shapes were spot on. Can’t wait to build the "A" or the "B".

 

Dan

Edited January 1 by Dandiego

[Anthony in NZ]

Now we're talkin mate!  Love this project

 

Cheers Anthony

[Rainer Hoffmann]

Brilliant! Those Cockpit parts are a real treat to the modellers eye.

 

Cheers

Rainer

[scjh]

Thanks Jim, "never surrender".  For a while I felt I didn't have enough good references of the cockpit area, but I found a few helpful videos recently.  My detour into other subjects definitely helped me to develop new techniques and workflows that are needed to move this along.

 

Thanks Dan, Anthony, and Rainer for your inspiring builds.  The topic of how much or little details to put into the instrument panels is very well timed for me.

 

SC

 

By the way, the early F-101As have a different ejection seat and rails.  But seeing what's common and what's different was also very educational.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 2 by scjh

[TomcatKirby]

On 7/30/2024 at 12:20 AM, scjh said:

Spent some time working on a few of the many stencils.  Thank you to a professional decal maker who gave me some tips on fonts and sizes.  Perhaps this is already known by many, but the more I dive into references photos, the more variations I find.  Little things like left and right text justifications for the same caution or warning stencil can be found.  I don't know if I would be able to cover all of the stencils, perhaps I will concentrate on most importantly the areas around the photo nose.

 

 

 

These are really nice! Do you have an Air Force servicing manual or something with all of the panels and associated markings? I am building a 3d printed F-101B from Aladdin Models and references would come in handy. Thank you!

[scjh]

Hi TomcatKirby,

 

For walk-around references I found this site to be helpful: http://nabe3saviation.web.fc2.com/explanatione-fr.html.  And the manuals might be available through places like eflightmanuals or eBay.  I have heard local aviation museums might have them as well.  Good luck!

 

SC

[TomcatKirby]

19 hours ago, scjh said:

Hi TomcatKirby,

 

For walk-around references I found this site to be helpful: http://nabe3saviation.web.fc2.com/explanatione-fr.html.  And the manuals might be available through places like eflightmanuals or eBay.  I have heard local aviation museums might have them as well.  Good luck!

 

SC

How I've missed this walkaround site all these years is beyond me... thank you! And I'm just 25 minutes for the USAF museum so I could see if I can get with the archives or restoration departments. Fingers crossed and thanks again.

[scjh]

Hi TomcatKirby,

 

The site-owner Akira Watanabe is a great modeler and was very helpful when I first started researching the Voodoo intakes.  The manuals may help with identifying the access panels, which is definitely useful, but for the placements, fonts, etc., photo references is really hard to beat.   In-person visits to the museum are even better.  🙂. I was also interested in replicating many of the caution and warning stencils, which may not be indicated in the manuals.

 

I believe there is a F-101B at the USAF museum as well as the RF-101C of this build thread 60166.  There was an open cockpit day a few years ago that I wish I could have attended, with a measuring tape.

 

SC

[Finn]

Several manuals here:

 

https://usaf-sig.org/index.php/references/downloads/4-technical-orders/38-type-specific/80-f-101-voodoo-mcdonnell

 

Jari

[scjh]

Thank you Jari, these manuals are great!  You always seem to be able to dig out great references.

 

For a long time, I was trying to decipher this particular CAUTION stencil just forward of the red camera cover, out of blurry internet photos or dithered photos in books.

 

The best I could make out was: 

 

              CAUTION

INSTALL FWD & AFT HANDLES

IN CAMERA WINDOW SHIELD

ASSESS PRIOR TO WORKING

THROUGH THE DOOR

 

Then you posted a photo in dandiego's Recce Voodoo build thread, which showed it should be

 

              CAUTION

INSTALL FWD. & AFT. INTERIOR

TRI CAMERA WINDOW SHIELD
ASSYS PRIOR TO WORKING

THROUGH THIS DOOR

 

And for that, I thank you.  I know it's a minor detail that no one will probably notice or be able to read at this scale, but I felt relieved.  That same photo also showed a different font was used.

 

Now if anybody can help with what the stencils for Door 104 VIEWFINDER and Door 107 SPLIT VERT CAMERAS look like, I would be forever grateful!  🙂

 

SC

 

[TomcatKirby]

19 hours ago, Finn said:

Several manuals here:

 

https://usaf-sig.org/index.php/references/downloads/4-technical-orders/38-type-specific/80-f-101-voodoo-mcdonnell

 

Jari

This is SO helpful, thank you!

[scjh]

Making slow progress on the instrument panels, experimenting with two color printing for the lamp covers and sub-panels.  Will try the instrument face printed on transparency film to sandwich between layers.  The lower row is the late RF-101A early RF-101C version.  Late RF-101C version is in progress, as well as another mystery panel shown on the top row.

 

Also updated the windshield buck and frame for a new round of vacuum forming canopies.

 

SC

 

[scjh]

Family decided to drop by for a visit.  :-)

 

SC

 

 

The fuselage panel lines are a holdover from the RF-101A/C version, and the gun cover panels are a bit rough now.  They'll be adjusted and improved.

 

 

Edited March 28 by scjh

[RCPlym]

On 3/2/2026 at 8:27 AM, scjh said:

Making slow progress on the instrument panels, experimenting with two color printing for the lamp covers and sub-panels.  Will try the instrument face printed on transparency film to sandwich between layers.  The lower row is the late RF-101A early RF-101C version.  Late RF-101C version is in progress, as well as another mystery panel shown on the top row.

 

Also updated the windshield buck and frame for a new round of vacuum forming canopies.

 

SC

 

 

Can you not print the canopy transparencies?