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F-8E Crusader VF-194 Red Lightnings


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Ok guys here she is. My god this thing has a lot of peices. Started the cockpit and the PE is actually easier to work with than I imagined. I really like working with the resen as well. A lot of tools I have bought in the past that are finally getting used. I am undecided about which decals to use though because my father recognises all of the marking I have and hes not sure which one he wants more. But I think hes leaning towards the Sundowners. What ever decals I have leftover I will part with if someone wants them. Here are a few shots of what i have begun with.

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IMG_0064 by 6549876548, on Flickr

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IMG_0065 by 6549876548, on Flickr

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IMG_0067 by 6549876548, on Flickr

Now for the first pictures of the model being started. Any and all input and suggestions are appreciated.

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IMG_0070 by 6549876548, on Flickr

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IMG_0071 by 6549876548, on Flickr

I know its not much but at least I have started and this thing is going to take a while to build. Thanks for looking.

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Here's a little history about why I'm building this model. My father is a bigtime F-4 Phantom nut it was actually the first aircraft he ever refueled. I followed right in his foot steps and am working for the same company he spent almost 37 years at. He was the big boss before he retired and is now living comfortably sitting back and enjoying the models I build. He loves Vietnam era aircraft and this particular aircraft drew my interest as it is from a squadron that was stationed at Mirimar California during the time he worked for this company. Throughout my years growing up my father told me stories of crashes, sitting in aircraft, and eventually being able to take a flight in a TAV-8 or Trainer a few years ago.

When I was a kid he used to sneak me on post and take me out on the flight line to sit in different aircraft. My personal favorite is the A-6E and the

EA-6B. Both of which I have sat in and were able to opperate switches and controls for the cammeras and other electronics. The Sundowners have a big history around here as they flew here quite often to train being so near Yuma Az where I live and us hosting WTI training excercises. So naturally when I entered the Raffel durring December 2011 the decals got my full attention. I have a picture from the late 60's of a Sundowner F-8 that my father took way before i was born.

I have always been infatuated with aircraft and always look up to see whats out flying. I can name aircraft off just by the sounds they make. This F-8 is a milestone for me not only because I have wanted to build one since I was a kid and so has my father. But also because there are many first's involved in this model. 1 being i have never used PE, or Resen. And 2 being it's the first Hasegawa model I have ever come across. The amount of detail in this kit and everything I got with it astonishes me. It really is the best kit I have ever had my hands on.

90% of the models I build go to my father. He likes them big so it's 1/48th or bigger. I'll be using techniques on this model I've never tried before also so I hope it turns out good. I also have the privelage in March to present a model I built 3 years ago to VMAQ-3 MoonDogs. The EA-6B you see in my avatar or what ever it is is the model I will present to them. I just found out they will be here for WTI again this go round. When I built this aircraft I was going to send it to them but my father insisted he wanted it. Now I talked him into letting me give it to who I wanted to so he told me I have to build another one for him. So I will be on the look out for an EA-6B with all the bells and shistles soon. Thank you everyone and hope you like how this model turns out JOSH

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My little brother is an EMT firefighter ans is trying to get his nursing degree. He wants to be a Medivac Paramedic in the next 5 years or so. I just hooked up with a 1/32nd scale UH-1N i am going to build after one of our Search and Rescue Aircraft. This really is going to be a fun build and am looking forward to posting pictures of it. This is also the first model i will be able to actually post in progress pictures of while im building it.

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ok heres another update. Im not sure what im going to do ddwith the decals now because my father is unsure if he likes the VF-111 look or not so he told me to do it how I want. There are so many options now that im unsure myself. Ide like to see what everyone here thinks about whick decal set I should use.

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wing by Devilleader501, on Flickr

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wings by Devilleader501, on Flickr

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holes 1 by Devilleader501, on Flickr

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holes by Devilleader501, on Flickr

more to come soon. Oh and any advice as to paint color and weither or not it should be glossy of not would be appreciated. thanks guys

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Wheel wells and gun bays started. Not happy with the gun bays though. gonna have to redo them. Gonna wash the wheel bays tomorow. I was trying something new with the gun bays but i dont think it went so good so ill strip and redo tomorow as well. as far as the decals I think im gonna stay with the Sundowners. I personally like them better than any other decal set I have so well see what happens. heres a couple more shots.

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IMG_0082 by Devilleader501, on Flickr

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IMG_0085 by Devilleader501, on Flickr

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I was searching the F-8 parking lot and am wondering if anyone has a pic of the detail under where the wings attach to the fuselage. I have been searching high and low and have found nothing. It would be nice to have at least one reference photo from this area since the model will have the wings raised. If anyone could help it would be greatly appreciated.

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I was searching the F-8 parking lot and am wondering if anyone has a pic of the detail under where the wings attach to the fuselage. I have been searching high and low and have found nothing. It would be nice to have at least one reference photo from this area since the model will have the wings raised. If anyone could help it would be greatly appreciated.

Check out the walkaround photos HERE

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ok guys this is my last post for about 12 days i leave for Hawaii on tuesday and need to pack and all of the other things that comes along with taking a trip. I will see you all back here after the 23rd for more updates. Happy modeling and Ill post pics when I can of the Arizona. I have a great Uncle that went down on that ship I am going to go visit. Best wishes everyone Devil Out.

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Gotta love my new back yard. This is what flys over on a daily basis. I am just across from Pearl Harbor and Hickem Air Force base. I am like 400 yards from the beach overlooking both. God Life is good. more pics to come soon.

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IMG_0173 by Devilleader501, on Flickr

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IMG_0175 by Devilleader501, on Flickr

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IMG_0176 by Devilleader501, on Flickr

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IMG_0177 by Devilleader501, on Flickr

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No Wolf its all pleasure. I'm visiting my girlfriend and will be moving here in a couple of months. It's crazy how much they fly over here. On any given hour you will see about 25 aircraft come in all AF birds ranging from KC-135's F-15's F-16's and F-22's. I have also seen C-5 Galaxie's and C-17 Globemaster III's. They all fly right over my house. I'll have more pics to post today when I go to the beach by my house. This is my Paradise.

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  • 2 weeks later...

OK guys an update. Im not really happy with the PE or the resin as I have never dealt with it before. Ill probably never use PE again unless its 1/35 scale the 1/48th is just too small for me and im really not happy with how this turned out but im not gonna tear it all apart to rebuild it again. Here is the pit and im still not done yet. there are like 100 more PE peices to go on to this model and im growing impatient. I feel like im never going to complete this model. i need to know how you guys build everything and then mask everything off to paint. I have seen so many models built almost all complete then they paint I dont understand. any pointers would be appreciated. i dont even think I'm but maybe .10 percent done with this F-8E and im already growing tired of it. Normally i build them OOB. hope you all like what Ive done JOSH.

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IMG_0292 by Devilleader501, on Flickr

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IMG_0294 by Devilleader501, on Flickr

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IMG_0290 by Devilleader501, on Flickr

Again Im not happy with the results with the PE but this is just me being anal. Hope you all like it better than me. Ohhh and Sundowners it is.

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Hey Devilleader. It looks great to me. And don't feel bad about how long it's taking. I've been plugging away at this dang Tomcat I have and it feels like i'll never finish it.

Now what are you wanting to mask? I use Tamyia tape and blue painters tape for everything. I use Eduard's canopy masks sometimes as well. It's worth the money sometimes.

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As far as masking I am curious how you guys put the whole model together before paint. I see tons of pictures of wings and fuselage halves together before paint and have the cockpit masked off and i just dont seem to comprehend.You guys are all masters at masking things off and i still cant grasp the technique I guess.

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