1/32 Trumpeter F-8E Crusader WIP

[doogsatx]

Time to break into my next aircraft build - Trumpeter's F-8E Crusader. I've always loved the Crusader - it's probably my favorite Navy jet, period. So it makes sense to do it up right, in 1/32.

Of coursre, the Trumpy kit is HUGE. For comparison, here's the fuselage up against a 1/32 P-47 (itself not small)



My plan is to do a Marine F-8 from VMF(AW)-212, the Lancers. I'll be using the Victory Productions sheet to pul it off.





Got a slew of aftermarket fun for this one...Avionix cockpit, Aires cockpit, Eduard PE (planning a "greatest hits"), G-Factor landing struts, and a Rhino seamless intake.



Work starts tonight!

[dupes]

NIIIIICE...can't wait! Don't have QUITE that much aftermarket for mine. Heh.

[TRM]

Dupes...you make up for it in kits my friend!!!

This is HUGE!!! love it! Count me in!!

[Thomas_M]

Same here! I am in.

Nice selection on AM and a monster of a kit. Cool one, Matt!

[bullardino]

Lots of goodies, over there

Count me in

[doogsatx]

Alright. Time to get this party started.

This is still a big kit!



To accomodate the Rhino intake, I had to (gulp) cut the chin off the Crusader



Fit is...well...there's going to be a lot more test-fitting and sanding and test-fitting and so on.







Also started piecing together the Aires pit last night.

[Leon]

Nice start Doogs.I really like all the detail in the pit.

[Deleted]

Man!!! Sorry Doog,Can't believe I missed the start of a wingy build....Especially one of yours!!!!!!!
I'll get a seat at the back,and sit quiet,if I may?

[deafpanzer]

WOW! The details of the cockpit looks stunning! Always liked that jet too! Please count me in too...

[venom1]

Looking sharp Doogs! Off to a great start, will be following this one with great interest!

That resin pit looks really sweet even before the paintwork begins. I can only imagine how great it will end up looking in your capable hands!!

Cheers,

Sam

[wing_nut]

WOWSER that a big'n. Nice look pit doogs

[bbd468]

My goodness, you gonna have a place to park that thing Doogs? Great start fella and i m lookin forward to more.

[doogsatx]

May 27, 2013 19:05:34 GMT -5 bbd468 said:

My goodness, you gonna have a place to park that thing Doogs? Great start fella and i m lookin forward to more.

I've got two big sliding-door display cases (local Hallmark store put them on Craigslist for $300...yoink!) that are something like 48" wide, 18" deep and 72" high...really need to strip them out and redo them my way, but yeah, they'll totally take the F-8. My HK B-25 and Hobby Boss P-61, now...those are up in the air.

[doogsatx]

Some bad news - the Crusader's going to be on hold for a bit. I'm not happy at all with the seamless intake. It's too narrow versus the kit body, and with those curves that is not an easy fix. It also severely complicates the ability to use the Aires cockpit.

On the good side - yesterday I discovered that Fisher makes an F-8C conversion, and Zotz an accompanying decal set, including a VF-111 Sundowners ship. I've always been a fan of the sleeker -C Crusader and love me some intakes-as-sharkmouths, so between that and my current intake woes...I'm transferring this build to F-8C territory.



On another note...the Aires pit fits wonderfully between the fuselage halves. Not sure how it will fit with the Fisher resin nose, but we shall see.

[danb]

Great work Doogs that kit is a whopper i know nothing about jets so all im going to say is it looks freakin awesome so far.

Dan B

[venom1]

Bit of a bugger about that intake Doogs

Oh well, plan B looks pretty sweet, I love anything Sundowners!!

Cheers,

Sam

[bullardino]

The first thing I thought seeing the bad fit between the intake and the fuselage has been "who designed that?"

The pit, instead, looks a perfect replica. Can't wait to see the new nose and intake

[wbill76]

Definitely a big project Doogs! Look forward to seeing the 8-C version come to life now that the E is out the window.

[nemesis]

The pit really does look good, but that intake is a joke. Good luck with this one is should turn out to be a real good one.

Regards from the Swamp

Eth

[thug626]

Deal me in on this build! The sheer size of that kit is a beast. Sorry to see the ill fit of the resin intake. Though the fit of the Aries CP looks to be outstanding.
Dave

[doogsatx]

Got the Sundowners decals yesterday...still waiting on the -C conversion...

[dupes]

May 26, 2013 9:45:35 GMT -5 doogsatx said:

To accomodate the Rhino intake, I had to (gulp) cut the chin off the Crusader

And THAAAAAT'S why I've never tried any of the Rhino stuff! 1/32 kits are a bit too spendy to make a tactical error on something major like that (or, say, sawing into a Tamiya F-4 fuse).

That Aires pit - niiiiiiice.

[DeafStuG]

Great working, wow 1/32 fuselage is huge so good plenty time of your hobby work !

[doogsatx]

Well.

Good news is that I got the Fisher conversion yesterday, and the nose fit is MUCH better.

Bad news is that there's a lot of sanding/cutting/swearing work that'll have to go into getting the Avionix cockpit to fit (the Aires just can't). It's the kind of work I have to be in the right frame of mind to tackle, and between kid #3 and work being absolutely insane, I'm just not there right now. So this one's back in the box until I'm in a place where I've got the itch to tackle all the fitment work.

Til then, it's on with the Pz.38(t) and MiG-21, and something else 1/32, thrust-based and more nearly OOB. Not sure what exactly, yet, but I'm pondering the Academy F/A-18D or the Hobby Boss F-84E.

[bullardino]

I vote for the F-84, FWIW

[bbd468]

Hey Doogs, Love the office on the F-8, so detailed. I remember seeing a History channel show about the Crusader/Corsair in Vietnam. Not sure which one it was. Episode was called the last Gun Fighter. I really liked the Crusader/Corsair alot after that. Anyways, nice build man!!

[doogsatx]

Jun 6, 2013 10:07:18 GMT -5 bbd468 said:

Hey Doogs, Love the office on the F-8, so detailed. I remember seeing a History channel show about the Crusader/Corsair in Vietnam. Not sure which one it was. Episode was called the last Gun Fighter. I really liked the Crusader/Corsair alot after that. Anyways, nice build man!!

There's an episode of Dogfights that's all about the Crusader (and the ep is titled "The Last Gunfighter") - with the Bodenplatte/Y-29 episode it's probably my favorite of the series. Schaffert's out of missiles/guns jammed dogfight is one of the most impressive things I've ever encountered in terms of aerial combat.

[doogsatx]

Jun 6, 2013 9:44:16 GMT -5 bullardino said:

I vote for the F-84, FWIW

Leaning that way, too, since I have a lot of outstanding questions re: what's needed to make the Academy bug appropriate for Desert Storm. It's absolutely amazing how ignored that conflict is with the modern stuff. Everything is OEF or OIF.

[adampolo13]

Looking great dude!

[heico]

The pit looks promising. The intake probably needs some work on the side, but will look better then the kit piece i believe.