RF-84F cockpit pictures

[Murph]

Anybody know of any? I've googled and looked at all the usual suspects (uscockpits.com, prime portal, IPMS Stockholm) with no luck. I'm particularly looking for a picture of the instrument panel with the viewfinder.

Regards,

Murph

[onosendai]

RF-84F cockpit (Luftwaffe Thunderflash)

[Murph]

Onosendai,

Thank you very much; those pictures are exactly what I needed.

Regards,

Murph

[SERNAK]

Hi Onosendai,

I was also looking for these photos so, thanks for posting them.

Nevertheless, I was wondering if you also have photos from the cameras compartments. I have the 1/72 Italeri RF-84F and I want to try and build it with the specific compartments' doors open. I would really appreciated if you have them and want to share with us.

Cheers

Sernak

[DonSS3]

That's interesting. I thought the RF-84F didn't have the gunsight. Also, that's a pretty heavy duty-looking cover on the telescopic sight in the middle of the instrument panel.

[Harold]

That's interesting. I thought the RF-84F didn't have the gunsight. Also, that's a pretty heavy duty-looking cover on the telescopic sight in the middle of the instrument panel.

It carried a couple guns in the wings.

[SERNAK]

It carried a couple guns in the wings.

Four guns actually. Two on each wing underneath the wing's air-intake.

I also think it had kept the capability from the F-84F version to carry on the external pylons a couple of bombs.

Cheers

[ReccePhreak]

Also, that's a pretty heavy duty-looking cover on the telescopic sight in the middle of the instrument panel.

That cover is on the Viewfinder, which gave the pilot a view of the ground track, and helped him acquire targets.

Larry

[mmaker]

@ Sernak

[SERNAK]

@ Sernak

Thanks for the drawing Mmaker. From what I see on the drawing there are 6 cameras; what I can't figure out is the camera No5. It is a perpendicular camera but, from the photos of the RF's nose that I have there is no flat-window!

Is it right beneath the nose gear wheel-well?

Do you know perhaps if they had used some kind of specific-purpose materials in order to cover the cameras compartments and covers; that way preventing the temperature to rise-up and damage the cameras' films? Or even the compartments structural arrangement?

Thanks again for the drawing.

Cheers

Sernak

[Plankwing]

Here is a better drawing of the cameras (the other one clearly "copied" from this one). There was a curved window for the vertical camera. There was also a window for the viewfinder that had a door to cover it when not being used. The "scope" was not a radar (if anyone thought it so) but was the display for the viewfinder.

Camera stations:

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o146/Pl...tations-800.jpg

And camera options:

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o146/Pl...ections-800.jpg

Another photo of instrument panel:

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o146/Pl...anel-01-800.jpg

My HelFonMon 48th bash camera installation in progress:

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o146/Pl...h-a1951-800.jpg

My HelFonMon 48th bash camera installation finished model:

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o146/Pl...h-a2149-800.jpg

[DonSS3]

One of those "DOH!" moments. I totally forgot about those guns.

[J.C. Bahr]

What kit are you building Murph?

[SERNAK]

Thanks for sharing these photos Plankwing.

While observing the nose gear's wheel well I had noticed something that looked like a black-rectangular area but I couldn't figure out what it was. Apparently it's the vertical camera's window....

In the photo that you have uploaded and shows the aircraft with the cameras, they are all painted with a combination of grey-black. Is this correct or did some of them had a silver-black combination?

Moreover, I saw that you have painted the nose wheel well with grey. Did you build a European RF-84F and from which Air Force? From your last photo I get the feeling that the RF wears a grey-dark green paint scheme with light grey undersides.

One more thing that I would like to ask you is; from your research did you find out if the RFs had some kind of protective paint coat or, some other kind of protection in order to prevent high temperatures in the cameras compartments? For example, from the drawing you have uploaded I can see the kind of structure the compartments had but, I don't know if the compartments' covers had a different structure like an additional material to do the job I have mentioned above.

Thanks again for sharing these very helpful photos Plankwing.

Cheers

Sernak

[Andre]

Did you build a European RF-84F and from which Air Force?

It looks like a West German Bundesluftwaffe example to me.

Cheers,

Andre

[Harold]

It looks like a West German Bundesluftwaffe example to me.

Cheers,

Andre

Here is a photo of Bruce's' build...

[SERNAK]

That's a nice photo - build Harold.

Thanks for sharing. Is that a Martin Baker ejection seat? I think only a few RFs got in their cockpits the specific ejection seat. Most of them had the seat from AMI (Aircraft Mechanics Incorporated).

[Plankwing]

I'll catch up ... sooner or later!

My build is of RF-84F-46-RE 53-7654 Luftwaffe EB+368. This was a serious bash using 48th scale Heller and Fonderie RF-84Fs, Monogram F-84F, AMS Resin detail set, my PE speed brake/wing fence set, scribed panel lines, and scratch built camera installation. Build did, in fact, use one each Heller and Fonderie because the Fonderie fuselage was so warped I could not get the halves to line up so I went to my stash and used the fuselage from a Heller kit.

The cameras were made with RenShape, brass tubing, and clear formation lenses from the parts box. I matched the colors as best I could determine from color photos of cameras. The decals are from various sheets, the Sqd decal is PhotoShop and Epson inkjet on clear decal. The vertical tail on both Heller (RF-) and Monogram (F-) are neither short- or long-tail. I patched the Monogram tail onto the HelFon tail to model the correct long-tail as on the RF. The cockpit and spine on the HelFon fuselage is a bit large for the scale so I spliced in the cockpit and spine from the Monogram F. Being anal, the only "missing" correction is that no correct RF main wheels are available so I had to condescend to use the F wheels and gear from the Monogram kit.

For those who have not checked out the AMS Resin sets, Harold makes three sets for the RF, the main difference being the EJ seats. This RF had the MB seat which is represented by the "Euro" set by Harold. The set includes the entire cockpit (with correct RF instrument panels) and seat, ejector (tailpipe), and "sugar scoop" intakes.

As mentioned, the speed brakes and wing fences are from my PE set (which I had made specifically to build this model). The first batch sold out very quickly, I will have another batch made if I get five "committed to buy" requests. I've gotten three requests so far ... two to go ...

I am currently progressing toward getting my "old" F-84 web site back online and, presuming success, will make it known when that happens. When that is up and running, I'll post links to photos of my RF-84F model (since that seems to be the only way to have photos appear in this forum).