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F-101B soon from Kitty Hawk


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Looks like there might be a way to work the main gear struts in after the wing has been assembled. The nose gear strut might be a problem, since it's trapped between the two gear well walls.

 

What do these kit designers think they're accomplishing by using PE + decals for the cockpit consoles and instrument panels? Given the technology available, they should have been able to replicate every bezel, switch, and dial in 3-D. The old Monogram Voodoo has better detail than this right out of the box. :bandhead2:

 

Ben

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1 hour ago, Niels said:

This is a new feature of some manufacturers, you will see the same on the Academy F-4C/D/B/J/S kits and others. 

 

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If all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you do it too???

 

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10 minutes ago, Ben Brown said:

Looks like there might be a way to work the main gear struts in after the wing has been assembled. The nose gear strut might be a problem, since it's trapped between the two gear well walls.

 

What do these kit designers think they're accomplishing by using PE + decals for the cockpit consoles and instrument panels? Given the technology available, they should have been able to replicate every bezel, switch, and dial in 3-D. The old Monogram Voodoo has better detail than this right out of the box. :bandhead2:

 

Ben

 

This is especially true considering when Monogram was around and issued that kit compared to the available injection moulding technology now. I have several Monogram Voodoo kits so maybe I can salvage those cockpits for this kit? Or does True Details have one? I know they took over the Black Box series. Hmmm I guess a quick check at Squadron will tell me.

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3 hours ago, Ben Brown said:

What do these kit designers think they're accomplishing by using PE + decals for the cockpit consoles and instrument panels? Given the technology available, they should have been able to replicate every bezel, switch, and dial in 3-D. The old Monogram Voodoo has better detail than this right out of the box. :bandhead2:

 

Ben

Word.   PE doesn't come close to replicating a 50's vintage cockpit.  Slapping a decal on top of it only makes it worse.  Typical Kitty Hawk.  Flashes of brilliance let down by poor research and basic mistakes.   At least Eduard provides a PE "sandwich" for their instrument panels.   Still not optimum  but far beyond what KH is offering.

 

That being said, it isn't like anyone else is queuing up to release the Voodoo in this scale (or any other).  Hope there is some aftermarket out there for the cockpit or maybe I can find a cheap Monogram Voodoo and graft their cockpit into the KH kit.

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1 hour ago, 11bee said:

Word.   PE doesn't come close to replicating a 50's vintage cockpit.  Slapping a decal on top of it only makes it worse.  Typical Kitty Hawk.  Flashes of brilliance let down by poor research and basic mistakes.   At least Eduard provides a PE "sandwich" for their instrument panels.   Still not optimum  but far beyond what KH is offering.

 

That being said, it isn't like anyone else is queuing up to release the Voodoo in this scale (or any other).  Hope there is some aftermarket out there for the cockpit or maybe I can find a cheap Monogram Voodoo and graft their cockpit into the KH kit.

 

Sadly most resin makers ignore Kitty Hawk cockpits, probably because they have no basis to start with.

 

The type of cockpit they put in this kit is garbage. Like you say, at least Eduard has three dimensional layers. A decal on a flat piece of material is junk. The rest of the kit looks great.

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On 6/11/2018 at 7:03 AM, tony.t said:

Up for a brace of recce C models as soon as they're available.

 

Tony

I was looking forward to their RF-101A/C models, but since they are using the (Incorrect) F-101B wings, I will probably pass on it

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5 hours ago, Ben Brown said:

The old Monogram Voodoo has better detail than this right out of the box. :bandhead2:

 

Ben

That's why I intend to keep, and build my Monogram F-101B & RF-101B kits. I will probably take the time (Fun, fun) to rescribe them both.

 

Larry

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It would be interesting to see if the Monogram pit will fit the KH kit. You can pick up the Monogram kit for less than what Aires would charge for a cockpit, and you'd be able to use the Monogram canopy and windscreen to fix the flattened KH parts. There are probably a few other parts that could be swapped, too (speed brakes?).

 

Since the KH kit isn't ~$40-worth of an improvement over my $10 Monogram kit, I'll be hanging onto my Monogram kit. I've rescribed three of them over the years. Might as well do one more. I'll still pick up the RF-101A/C, and will just fix the intakes and use Monogram and Koster parts to fix the cockpit, windscreen, and canopy.

 

Ben

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4 hours ago, Ben Brown said:

 

 

Since the KH kit isn't ~$40-worth of an improvement over my $10 Monogram kit, I'll be hanging onto my Monogram kit. I've rescribed three of them over the years. Might as well do one more. I'll still pick up the RF-101A/C, and will just fix the intakes and use Monogram and Koster parts to fix the cockpit, windscreen, and canopy.

 

Ben

 +1...I won't be selling off my monogram kits or koster conversions anytime soon. 

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A couple of minor details the kit is missing, going by the instructions, first if doing a later version they had a two blade Data link antennas near the exhaust:

 

McDonnell F-101B Voodoo "Happy Hooligans"

 

also there was an optical sight that flipped up that was used for manual aiming. The kit has the housing but not the sight arms and lens. Changing the bulb was fun as it was on the bottom of the housing.

 

Jari

 

 

 

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Aires will be all over this kit in a thrice with the small items like antennae, and probably a new cockpit tub with seats and etch before long, accurately catering for the picky. I think the Monogram kit was great fun in 1985 and the Kitty Hawk is more representative of what's expected now: fine surface detailing especially, and flaps with actuators etc. 

 

I suspect corrected single seater model inlets will come from somebody on the heels of the RF-101A/C release, though it would be a nice touch if Kitty Hawk, if not willing to retool the wing sprue, added some new parts that could be spliced in place with simple surgery. 

 

Really looking forwards to the RF-101A/C immensely. I'm hoping there's a hint of some cameras inside, and decals with a 66th TRW option but then Caracal will add more flavours. Its F-101B sheets are great.

 

Tony

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I doubt KH will do anything to fix the intake issues on their single seat Voodoo's. They had ample time to fix the problem between the release of their F-101 A/C and up coming RF-101 A/C and haven't. Too bad really because I can deal with the other issues with the kits but fixing the intakes is more then I care to tackle. Even AM remedies may not be forthcoming too soon because the F-101 A/C has been out for a few years with no AM company producing any. So close KH yet still so far.

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On 6/12/2018 at 10:11 AM, Mstor said:

 

Bad idea in my book. Just asking for the gear to get broken off or damaged during the rest of the build and painting. Oh well...

 

I’ll go one further, it’s a dumb idea.

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Checking my reference pic's of the F-101C vs RF-101C, I don't see any difference in the intakes? There is however a difference towards the F/RF-101B I agree. 

But this leads me to believe that it is only an issue with the F-101B kit, and not the others. 

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8 hours ago, Don said:

I doubt KH will do anything to fix the intake issues on their single seat Voodoo's. 

 

Why would KH fix it for a tooling that they designed years ago - that's what aftermarket is for.

 

What we need is an innovative, risk-taking  resin/PE aftermarket company in the US market. If Dave Klaus (Cutting Edge/Meteor) were still in business, we would have excellent replacement F-101A/C intakes within weeks. Despite all the unfounded/undeserved criticism he still gets, he was an indisputed genius in identifying market needs; and the scale modeling hobby in general is worse off because of his absence. Eastern Europeans (Aires, Eduard etc.) might have the money and talent, but they have absolutely no vision and understanding of the American market and will  stick to their comfortable niche of cranking out endless streams of accessories for WWII German and current Russian/Soviet subjects.

 

Edited by KursadA
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I'm more optimistic about AM corrective intakes for the single seat Voodoos after two more candidates are added, namely the forthcoming RF-101A/C and RF-101G/H boxings.

The RF-101C, in particular, had a far more cosmopolitan existence, including combat in SEA, so its market is substantially bigger. 

 

I reckon Aires can put a bunch of useful stuff on a little Quickboost sprue. 

 

Tony

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6 hours ago, Niels said:

Checking my reference pic's of the F-101C vs RF-101C, I don't see any difference in the intakes? There is however a difference towards the F/RF-101B I agree. 

But this leads me to believe that it is only an issue with the F-101B kit, and not the others. 

 

The F-101A/C shared the same intake as the RF-101A/C. The B kit has correct intakes for that version. If KH had done a little research and learned about the differences, they could have left the intakes off, just forward of where the wings meet the intakes, and had different, correct sets for the single- and two-seat versions.

 

Kursad, you're right. Dave might have been crazy, and not all of his products were that good, but he did leave a large gap in the hobby that has yet to be completely filled.

 

Ben

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4 hours ago, KursadA said:

 

Why would KH fix it for a tooling that they designed years ago - that's what aftermarket is for.

 

What we need is an innovative, risk-taking  resin/PE aftermarket company in the US market. If Dave Klaus (Cutting Edge/Meteor) were still in business, we would have excellent replacement F-101A/C intakes within weeks. Despite all the unfounded/undeserved criticism he still gets, he was an indisputed genius in identifying market needs; and the scale modeling hobby in general is worse off because of his absence. Eastern Europeans (Aires, Eduard etc.) might have the money and talent, but they have absolutely no vision and understanding of the American market and will  stick to their comfortable niche of cranking out endless streams of accessories for WWII German and current Russian/Soviet subjects.

 

 

Dave Klaus blacklisted me.....I wouldn't be able to buy his stuff anyway. Enough said.......

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5 hours ago, KursadA said:

 

Why would KH fix it for a tooling that they designed years ago - that's what aftermarket is for.

 

What we need is an innovative, risk-taking  resin/PE aftermarket company in the US market. If Dave Klaus (Cutting Edge/Meteor) were still in business, we would have excellent replacement F-101A/C intakes within weeks. Despite all the unfounded/undeserved criticism he still gets, he was an indisputed genius in identifying market needs; and the scale modeling hobby in general is worse off because of his absence. Eastern Europeans (Aires, Eduard etc.) might have the money and talent, but they have absolutely no vision and understanding of the American market and will  stick to their comfortable niche of cranking out endless streams of accessories for WWII German and current Russian/Soviet subjects.

 

WORD

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