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SCOUT712

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Posts posted by SCOUT712

    Differences between the F-8E and F-8J Crusader ???

    in Jet Modeling

    Posted

    I am pretty sure I read it somewhere (might have been in the Muroc Models F-8U1 conversion set instructions). And when watching YouTube videos of early Crusaders landing, the nosewheel swivels freely when the Jet is pulled back from the arresting cable.

    The early Version A-4s also did not feature nose gear steering while later versions do. So I wonder if it was also added to late model Crusaders.

    Best regards

    Michael

    Sword RF-8 Crusaders

    in Caracal Models

    Posted

    Did I miss it or isn't there a preview of your decals for the Recon Crusader available yet? I'd love to see some for the 1970 USS Bonne Homme Richard WestPac since I have VF-53 decals and A-4E VA-94 from that cruise and it would provide for a nice dio.

     

    Cheers

    Michael

    Vf-13 Squadron Color with F-8E

    in Research Corner

    Posted

    During my research about Crusader squadrons which flew the E version, I came about that Microscale decal sheet

    I was happy to see another color on the tail than the usual red and yellow.

    However I am yet to find a color picture confirming blue, since there are also decal sheets and webpages, which propose these markings in red Clicky.

     

    Maybe there is somebody put there who could confirm the color of these specific tail markings. Since they seem to be carried only during one or two cruises.

     

    Michael

    CD72152: 1/72 T-1 Jayhawk

    in Caracal Models

    Posted

    I just purchased the SOVA Kit. It is really nice, coming with photoedged parts and canopy masks. But, these are the markings I'd wish to see on your sheet Kursad.

    86th TS Rio Lobos detached to TRAWING-6 NAS Pensacola 1997-1999 (when I was there). Back then the US AIR FORCE Lettering was still on the front secton of the aircraft. Unfortunately I did not take any close up pics back then. The second one is quite blury but shows the upper wing markings (USAF Letters on the right wing)

    There are some high res pics floating around on the internet.

    Best regards

    Michael

     

    93-623_1998_TRAWING-6_NAS_Pensacola.jpg

    T-1A_TRAWING-6_Nov1997_NAS_Pensacola.jpg

    CD72152: 1/72 T-1 Jayhawk

    in Caracal Models

    Posted

    On 6/8/2023 at 7:05 PM, scoobs said:

    Huzzah - I was mustering my strength to make a post suggesting the same topic but you beat me to it!  Spent some time in the right seat of Jayhawks zipping around the southeast back in my misbegotten youth - would love to have one of the USAF Pensacola T-1s that 20+ years of USN & USMC student NFOs have trained on.

     

    -Scoobs

    I double your thoughts. I already built my fini flight T-2, a T-39N is in the making and T-34C in the stash. Would be awesome to add the T-1 to the collection.

    B/r

    Michael

    USAF RF-4C out of Hasegawa RF-4B

    in Jet Modeling

    Posted

    I am about 100 percent sure that the Hasegawa B kit comes also with the sprue containing the thick wings and larger tires since some RF-4Bs had them. The rest is the same as on the RF-4C. So yes. I only have RF-4B kits and am building a RF-4C at the moment but I have so many Hase Phantoms kits , I cannot confirm that I took the wings from that box ( the model is on the desk since about a year).

    B/r

    Michael

    F-4N Weapon Loads

    in Jet Modeling

    Posted

    Hello Mike,

    to cite the excellent book US NAVY Carrier Air Wing Aircraft 1975-2015 Vol. 1 by Mike Crutch

    At the start of 1975, the final F-4Ns to serve with frontline LANTFLT squadrons resided within CVW-6.
    They deployed for the last time on 3 January for a Sixth Fleet cruise in USS Franklin D. Roosevelt
    (CVA-42, which was re-designated CV-42 on 1 July). After a typical round of exercises throughout the
    Mediterranean, ‘Rosie’ came about and passed back into the Atlantic on 6 July. The Phantom IIs of VF-41
    Black Aces (tactical callsign FAST EAGLE) and VF-84 Jolly Rogers (tactical callsign VICTORY) left the
    ship as it neared Norfolk twelve days later, the ship docking there the next day to offload the air wing
    personnel before heading to her homeport of Mayport on 20 July. Both Phantom II squadrons detached
    from the air wing itself on 27 July to the control of Fighter Wing One as they prepared for Tomcat
    conversion with VF-101 at Oceana. F-4Ns of both squadrons, however, continued to operate until March
    (VF-84) and April (VF-41) of 1976, both still wearing CVW-6’s tailcodes. As a result, they adopted
    MODEXes in the AE-x20/x30 ranges to distinguish themselves from their replacements in the air wing.

     

    So, if your model is from that cruise`s timeframe I`d say its a pretty sure bet that it can carry AIM-7E2 in the rear wells and AIM-9G/H (they look the same) under the wings. If it is post cruise, nothing except maybe an AIM-9 acquisition round or a few MK-36 blue death on a TER. Unfortunately pics with VF-84 F-4N's with weapons are very rare.

    There is just one from the 1975 cruisebook which shows a singe "Winder" under the left wing. Maybe the Navy was a bit short on money after the end of the war in Vietnam and buying new super expensive Tomcats, therefore restricting flying with life missiles. After all they have a certain useful live after being unpacked. When the clock is up they will have to be expended.

     

    B/r

    Michael

     

    F-4N Weapon Loads

    in Jet Modeling

    Posted · Edited by SCOUT712

    I guess you'd have to check the timeframe of your N and if the desired squadron was deployed onto a carrier at that time. If so, AA missiles would be loaded onto alert birds. For sure, VMFA-323 and 531 carried AIM-7E-2 in the rearward missile wells and AIM-9L plus G (H?) at the same time under the wings (one rail each with the L the other rail carrying the G) when they were sitting alert for OP Eagle Claw in 1980.

    B/r

    Michael

    F-18E V F-18F

    in Jet Modeling

    Posted

    When I worked as a tactics intructor at NATO's Tactical Leadership Programme, we had a mix of instructors from various nations and aircraft background. Pilots (Transport/Fast Jet/Helo, WSO's (like myself) and Navigators (RAF Tornado F-3 and GR-4).

    Naturally F-16 jocks were of the hardcore God's gift to mankind - I can do everything by myself - type of personality. One day we received a briefing by a RAF GR-4 nav about his experiences in the Afghanistan ToO. He presented a TST mission when from the ring of the claxon (ground alert not sitting in the jet) until bomb impact less than 30 minutes elapsed. And that included jumping to a spare jet, flying low level between the mountains and lasing the weapon onto a moving target before it entered a town.

    Afterwards I talked to my Dutch Viperpilot buddy and he said with a smile that this kind of mission certainly required the backseater but he would never openly admit it.

    It boils down to the mission. Air Forces around the world have been spoiled by those local conflicts without a credible threat and electronic environment. If you go into a heavily contested environment with a credible air and ground threat, preferably at night, and with a non-stealthy aircraft, the picture certainly looks different.

    Just my 2 cents.

    B/r

    Michael

    T-38 Talon headrest and wheels

    in Jet Modeling

    Posted

    To bring that topic up again.

    Would the USAF markings under the left wing be black or dark blue? I only have a BW pic of McKeown's and Ensch's T-38 (the Furball sheet shows it at a later stage with McKeown's name removed since he left Topgun) which shows part of the USAF markings on the left main wheel door.

     

    B/r

    Michael

    Questions on Topgun F-5F's

    in Jet Modeling

    Posted · Edited by SCOUT712

    On 4/17/2023 at 2:09 AM, Quixote74 said:

     

     

     

    Your simplest path to building a pre-update airframe would be finding one of the earlier boxing of the Italeri kit (or Testors reboxing). The tooling for the E was modified circa 1995 for the Patrouille Suisse release. Not sure about timing for the F being revised, but any pre-1995 boxing shoulld have the original wings and nose.

     

    The LERX backdate would actually be pretty easy to do since it just involves trimming back to the original plan and reprofiling the leading edge at your cut. Nose would be trickier but not impossible to fill and sand back to the original contour.

    I actually own Italeri's kit N° 1382. Looking at the plastic it seems to me that Italeri applied the later extended cord LERX'es but the old round style nose even though the instruction sheet planviews show the flattened Tigershark nose for all three possible decal options. That would make me a happy camper since modifying the LERX'es isn't that much of work.

     

    Best regards

    Michael

    Questions on Topgun F-5F's

    in Jet Modeling

    Posted

    That is so amazing info. I had a deeper look into the decals and drawings last night and I came to understand the differences in the LEXes better. The nose was pretty clear. So, No off to find an early nose E kit so I can swap the noses to build an early F and a lateer E.

     

    Cheers

    Michael

    Questions on Topgun F-5F's

    in Jet Modeling

    Posted

    Thanks guys, great info.

    That is the object I'd like to build, using Furball's great sheet. Now, the question is, it carrying the old nose? How could it be backdated from the Italeri kit which has the sharknose. Unfortunately the 3D drawing above does not show both noses. How about the wing leading edge extensions. On the pic it looks to me that there is an airfoil section extending all the way foward to the intake lips?

     

    Cheers

    Michael

    Questions on Topgun F-5F's

    in Jet Modeling

    Posted

    Thanks a lot gentlemen!

    @Quixote74, very interesting fact about the cooling inlet. Now I know why the heck I always see two barrels protruding from the nose of the two seaters.

    @Joe Hegedus, thanks to confirm my suspicion. Long time ago I saw a pic from an IP of a Topgun Tiger II with a blanking cover instead of the radar scope display. And balance weight info is also very appreciated!

     

    Best regards

    Michael

    Questions on Topgun F-5F's

    in Jet Modeling

    Posted

    Building an Italeri 1/72 scale two-seat Topgun Tiger II I was wondering if they were equipped with a radar, hence having the scope in both cockpits, or were radars

    possibly removed with the space for the scopes just having a blank plate in the respective IPs?.

    Furthermore, I read that the two seaters at Topgun had one cannon removed. But, did it happen right from the beginning? I am planning to build a bird from 1977.

    Also, which cannon was removed? The left or right one? Pictures I found in the net do not provide a clear conclusion.

    Was the opening  covered or just a plug installed in the hole where the barrel passed through the fuselage?

     

    Thanks

    Michael

     

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