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Just relized I do have something I can build for this GB. Most everything I worked with I have all ready built and did not need to do another one.

But!!!! While cleaning today I destroyed my CF-5A Freedom fighter (CF-116A). No big loss as it was not well done in any case.

So I will re do it using the new Kinetic kit and the new Leading Edge decals for the Green and grey wrap around scheme.

The history is: I used to be in the Canadian army, I have built all the helicopters I worked with but remember so called air support by the CF-5s back in the 80s when I was based up in CFB Petawawa on various exercises..

Don't remember ever seeing them fire or drop anything, but I do remember they were as loud as all get out. So I am going to do up a 433 squadron bird out of Baggotteville. I do not know for sure if the "air support" we had was from 433, but Baggotteville is one heck of a lot closer to Petawawa then Cold Lake Alberta and 419 squadron was.

Therefore, its a 433 squadron airframe from when I joined up in 83, before they transitioned to CF-18s.

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I do not know for sure if the "air support" we had was from 433, but Baggotteville is one heck of a lot closer to Petawawa then Cold Lake Alberta and 419 squadron was.

Therefore, its a 433 squadron airframe from when I joined up in 83, before they transitioned to CF-18s.

Shawn

The F-5s could have been from either 433 (Bagotville) or 434 (Chatham). I know for sure 433 did air support in the Petawawa area; I spent a week with the squadron in 1984 on a motivational visit from the Big 2 in Bagotville, and flew with the boys several time in the back seats of their duals. They told me lots about their normal ops, and close air support in Petawawa and Gagetown were frequent missions for them. Before they became Fighter Group, the F-5 squadrons belonged to 10 TAG (Tactical Air Group), which was dedicated to Army air support.

From that era most of their aircraft would have had the light grey belly, not the wrap-around green/grey, but some of them had the wraparound.

We want pics!

ALF

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CF-5 "air support." You can carry a bomb or make it to the target area, not both.

Very cool, I'm looking forward to it.

I told you a thousand times never to exaggerate...

The CF-5 could carry a bomb at least to the halfway point in the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range from Base... but not much farther! Range was not its only problem. Add to that the rudimentary bomb sight (gyro-stabilized, but prone to all the usual errors innate to dive-bombing manually), and the lack of any sort of navigation system at the time (a map and a stopwatch), and it's a miracle that the guys ever found the targets.

That was back when pilots were skilled at navigating visually - and surprisingly good at it!

ALF

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Thanks for the comments guys! Nothing to show as I had to work today. Limping around but I got the jobs assigned done.

Alf, I think I am going with 433 for two reasons. (beyond I have no way of finding out which squadron was involved in a exercise from 30 years ago)

As mentioned 433 was closer.

More important, I all ready have a 434 F-5built on the shelf in 1/32 scale. Also a couple two seaters from 419. Therefore 433 gets some love.

Here is a photo of the 1/32 F-5E converted into a F-5A thanks to Belcher Bits, from around 4 or 5 years ago.. Until I can do photos of the new build.

Thanks ALF for the PM with more info of the real thing!

DSC_0076-1.jpg

Edited by phantom
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As of this morning it looked like this........

DSC_0064-2.jpg

Then I shoveled the driveway 4 times. And the neighbours, then got another neighbours old snow blower working for the first time in 4 years. Did 4 more driveways.

THen found out that this is an extreme putty master. But its coming along.

DSC_0065-4.jpg

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Well, the bad news is you had lots of snow to shovel. The good news is that I get the impression your injury is healing a bit!?

If you'd like, we can exchange the snow for some of the arctic cold we've had for the last 2 weeks... Friday during the big storm we had severe sunshine, with an overnight low of -34 C, and daytime high of -24 C. Brrr.

You're welcome for the info. I'm a little surprised at how much putty this kit needs. I have two to build; this news (putty hog), combined with the difficulty I've been having with my NMF 1/32 CF-104 in another GB, is almost enough to discourage me...

At least it looks a lot like an F-5.

ALF

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Lots of little annoyances with this build. Shakey hands, needing to wear glasses. Must be getting old. You keep the cold Alf, actually its all ready staring to melt and its -6. Must be the very bright sunlight we never get to see this time of year.

Starting to look CF-5ish now.

DSC_0067-3.jpg

Edited by phantom
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Added a small scale bomb dropper device A1C1. Seeing as the only time I saw one of these things was on exercise I had to hope it did not have real bombs on board . Odds are these things were not on either but it adds a bit of colour.

So anyway, here is a shot of my 433 squadron CF-5 back in 1983 when I would have been on my first exercise in CFB Petawawa.

DSC_0068-4.jpg

DSC_0072-3.jpg

And a group shot, one from each of the CF-5 squadrons.

DSC_0070-4.jpg

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Nice job, Phantom!

What took you so long? :rolleyes:

I like the addition of the practice bomb dispenser (SUU-5003) on the centreline. That was definitely a frequently carried store, and the centreline was where it normally went. We never fired the rockets from it (the 4 tubes on the extremities), because the smoke from the rockets would be ingested in the intakes and cause compressor stalls... not good. Rockets were normally fired from a small tube launcher carried on an outboard wing station.

The config with 2 station 85 (inboard wing) tanks and tip tanks was very typical for air to ground exercises also.

Love the "family" photo - I've actually flown 705 in those colours while on course at 419. I'd love to do that scheme. Where'd you get the decals to do it?

ALF

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That was a mix of Leading Edge decals and old school Arrow Graphics for the big yellow and red numbers. Its the old Testors kit so it was done a number of years back.

However, now-a-days you have several options from one source. Canmilair, Belcher Bits and Mike Grant all have 116705.

Did not know about the 5003 ingestion issues. But then again I was a field medic so it was not exactly in my need to know that you would have. That is so cool you ACTUALLY flew that airframe, this is one of the cool things about ARC.

PS, thanks for the CF-104 photos, those are going to help my big scale build.

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That was a mix of Leading Edge decals and old school Arrow Graphics for the big yellow and red numbers. Its the old Testors kit so it was done a number of years back.

However, now-a-days you have several options from one source. Canmilair, Belcher Bits and Mike Grant all have 116705.

Did not know about the 5003 ingestion issues. But then again I was a field medic so it was not exactly in my need to know that you would have. That is so cool you ACTUALLY flew that airframe, this is one of the cool things about ARC.

PS, thanks for the CF-104 photos, those are going to help my big scale build.

You're quite welcome. Glad to help.

Thanks for the info about the decals. I have just placed an order with Mike Belcher. Now I know what to do with my two Kinetic kits. I already have one wrap-around green, built with the Classic Airframes kit. I will do 705 next, and likely a late era ghost with black markings scheme using some Leading Edge decals I have had for a while. I also have a Classic Airframes kit, which I might kit-bash with a Testors kit I have, to make a 433 jet like the one you just did, only with a pale grey belly.

I remember seeing 705 sitting on the ramp when I got to 419, and thinking how cool it would be to fly that one. Late in the course, when I had a solo syllabus mission, I saw its servicing book behind the ops desk, and asked if I could have that one. The instructor running ops kind of grinned, shook his head and said it was quite popular - and handed me the book. Every spare moment I had during the flight (which didn't happen often - I was busy turning and burning in a 2 vs 1 fight most of the time) I looked out at the wings and reveled in how neat the camo scheme looked. :thumbsup:

Some of the duals had the wildest schemes, but sadly we don't have a good F-5B kit in 1/48 at the moment. The Classic Airframes one is a bear to build, and Kinetic hasn't come out with a dual yet - maybe some day.

ALF

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Great looking CF-5, I'm building two Kinetic kits, they are ready for painting but were not easy builds... not surprised it can end-up a putty monster...

There are a bunch of awesome photos of 116705 on Robbie Shaw's website... I'm planning to do that one too

im275.jpg

Here is a model of 753 in a similar scheme at Torcan from a Toronto modeler a few years ago besides my CF-5 in classic wraparound camo. Both are Classic Airframe kits.

IMG_0105.jpg

I would LOVE a dual Kinetic CF-5D, imagine a whole bunch of Canadian agressor schemes...

cf116815_419SqnCF-116s.jpg

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  • 9 months later...

Just relized I do have something I can build for this GB. Most everything I worked with I have all ready built and did not need to do another one.

But!!!! While cleaning today I destroyed my CF-5A Freedom fighter (CF-116A). No big loss as it was not well done in any case.

So I will re do it using the new Kinetic kit and the new Leading Edge decals for the Green and grey wrap around scheme.

The history is: I used to be in the Canadian army, I have built all the helicopters I worked with but remember so called air support by the CF-5s back in the 80s when I was based up in CFB Petawawa on various exercises..

Don't remember ever seeing them fire or drop anything, but I do remember they were as loud as all get out. So I am going to do up a 433 squadron bird out of Baggotteville. I do not know for sure if the "air support" we had was from 433, but Baggotteville is one heck of a lot closer to Petawawa then Cold Lake Alberta and 419 squadron was.

Therefore, its a 433 squadron airframe from when I joined up in 83, before they transitioned to CF-18s.

Hey Shawn, I was looking at The Living History Group Build from earlier this year, and I read about your CF-5. After reading the "stuff" from you, ALF18, and Neu, it appears that you guys (not sure about Neu) were in the Canadian Armed Forces. It also looks like you guys were in Canada's version of the USAF. I have always liked the F-5. In fact, if I would ever win one of the BIG lotteries, I would like to buy a C-5 or even an L-39(maybe as a last resort) for the wife and I to fly around in. Heck, I might even fly up your way and take you for a spin in my new toy. I can always dream, right? When I was a State Trooper, I used to go to Wright Patterson AFB for K-9 training. Also included was a free airshow. They flew F-4's, then F-16A's along with a wing of C-141's. After they lost their fighters, they transitioned to the C-5 Galaxy. But, there were all kinds of fighters flying in and out. Not just USAF stuff either. I've seen AV-8B's, A-6's, etc. The best time to be there was when a hurricane was on the prowl in the Atlantic. Everything on the east coast and the Gulf of Mexico would fly into WPAFB to sit out the storm. All day long, every type of fighter you can think of would come in in flights of 4 or 6. By the end of the day, the ramps were literally packed with HUNDREDS of different kinds of fighters. The kennelmaster always called me when this happened and we would conveniently schedule a training / free airshow day. Then, I would show back up when they flew out. After leaving WPAFB, I would stop in at the 178FW, just down the road and visit. When I first went to the 178th, they flew A-7D's, then transitioned to F-16C/D's. They had the Block 30 with the MCID (big mouth intake). One time, there were about 4 CF-18's from Canada that came down to the 178th for about a week of training. The Canadien pilot's were really great. They showed me their airplanes, etc. They wore blue flight suits, instead of the green that the USAF guys wore at the time. Another advantage for your guys was that the F-18 has GE engines. The 178th's engine shop had parts and could work on your CF-18 engines. One year, the Blue Angels were at the Dayton Air Show. One of the Blue's jets had an engine problem. They flew their broken F-18 to Springfield (about 25 miles) for the fix, and the show went on. Shawn, I really had it tough! Anyway, I read that ALF18 did some flying in the CF-5's. Did you ever get the chance for a backseat ride? If so, what was it like? We have a guy at our church that was a USAF air traffic controller at Edwards AFB out in California. He had to fly quite often as part of his job. He told me that he flew in F-4's, F-15's, F-16's, A-7D's, etc. But his favorite ride was in the T-38, which as we know, is pretty much the same as an F-5. Poor guy. Well, I've rambled on way too long. If you did get a backseat ride in the CF-5, I'd like to hear your story. Take care and keep warm up north.

Tim

Edited by balls47
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Naw, no jet rides for me except in the back of a 707. I was an army field medic so all my flying was Twin Huey, Kiowa, Griffon and Chinook. Those were few and far between. In fact I am not sure I ever flew in the back of a Kiowa just did a lot of causality loading drills which was horse crap as you had to be walking wounded for that. Best flight for me was being a drill patient in a Twin Huey, flying open door over the Ottawa river figuring the straps on the stretcher would give out any second.

See you did the law thing as well. Been doing that myself for near 24 years now.

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