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


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Now on to the RF-8. The new Sword 1/72 scale kits are out, and at first glance the only thing I could see different between the two boxes was the decals. At first I thought that the RF-8G was wrong but as it turns out not entirely so. 

 

There is some light detail on the side panels and main instrument panel, just no decal. The seat is nice, and is a cast resin type, not a 3d Printed one. The pull rings are a bit heavy. Replacements would be an improvement. I am not really sure which seat it represents, the early or late, or possibly just a mid time period one.   The kit decals are pretty plane Jane versions. The ones with artwork or more color will have to come from the after market folks.

The forward fuselage/camera bay area has the basic parts but they are not a drop in and go type construction type. They will require a fit of actual fiddling around with and aligning while doing the construction. It may be a bit easier when I start and am actually using glue to hold the parts in place. The main gear well will pretty much take care of the proper positioning when it is trapped between the fuselage parts. The intake I think will look okay when painted and glued together if the parts are held together and the glue is applied from the outside. Once installed and trapped between the nose and the engine front bulkhead and having the bottom of the cockpit tub above and the top of the Nose wheel well sides below there should not be any problems. The after market super detail guys can have a ball in here, but for a good looking model for the display shelf, nothing more is needed.

The tire/wheels are pretty generic. They could use some 3D printed upgrades for the A/G variants. The same holds true for the burner can/nozzle. A 3D printed resin replacement parts would do wonders for the kit, be it for a general build or for a trophy hogs entry in a contest.

Overall, it is a pretty nice offering. panel lines are recessed. Not too heavy and not so light that a heavy primer coat would fill them in. I had always thought that the RF-8G had been based on the improved G model air frames with the bigger radomes/radars and the bulge on the side of the fuselage for the refueling probe. After looking as some pictures on line, it appears no to be so. The RF-8G was simply just an A model with the engine and some electronic upgrades. It retained the small radome/radar and the probe was still inside a flush door on the left side of the fuselage. The panel line is there, but there is no option to have it open and the probe extended. All the necessary bit are included for any needed additions to the tail/rudder as far as bumps/lumps go. The burner can area cooling air intakes are included as add on parts as well as the ventral fins if you are doing a very late A or G model. I do not know if it had the larger stabilators or not. If sop, they will have to come from another source. 

 

The tail hook is the basic A hook. If it is a make or break thing, then it will have to be replaced to do the G model. Same thing with the gear struts.  Also, the kits do not have an option to show the wing in the raised position or with the Slats/Flaps down. The way I see it, the wing was only raised when the plane was on the cat ready to go, on normal take off roll or on final about to land. Unless you are building a diorama with the plane in either of these configurations the raised wing is not a player. 

The bottom line is that we now have a nice looking injection molded RF-8 in 1/72 scale. For all the after market folks, have a ball. For all of us wanting to have a nice looking RF in the case, Thanks Sword.

Boomer46

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I know I mentioned it elsewhere, and I'm a Crusader freak so it's probably a bigger deal to me than others, but it's pretty disappointing that the Sword kit doesn't offer the raised wing. The VIW is a completely unique feature to the Crusader, and it adds a lot of visual interest to a completed model. It's all the more disappointing since the VFP-63 Crusaders had the iconic "Eyes of the Fleet" lettering and artwork. There's no decals for that since there's no raised wing, but on the box they show the raised wing with "Eyes of the Fleet" on the bulkhead. 

Edited by Rando
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2 hours ago, Rando said:

 It's all the more disappointing since the VFP-63 Crusaders had the iconic "Eyes of the Fleet" lettering and artwork. There's no decals for that since there's no raised wing, but on the box they show the raised wing with "Eyes of the Fleet" on the bulkhead. 

 

So every one knows what you mean :

https://www.flickr.com/photos/skyhawkpc/50063542402/in/photostream/

 

It looks like they did not all have the same design :

http://www.usscoralsea.net/pics1960s9.php#gallery-5

https://www.pinterest.fr/pin/449585975315775284/visual-search/?x=16&y=16&w=532&h=244&cropSource=6

Edited by AV O
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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

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7 hours ago, SCOUT712 said:

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

From the F-8A/B Flight Manual: Unpowered 360° nose wheel swivelling is available when the steering system is not actuated.

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