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Kitty Hawk 1/32 F-5F Now Available on eBay!


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On ‎8‎/‎22‎/‎2018 at 1:06 AM, caudleryan said:

Awesome! Now I can build one of those brand spanking new Iranian fighters they just rolled out a couple of days ago!😄

Yeah!!! Isn't that great! And they look very similar to the American F-5Fs. I think it's the paint job!😋

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9 hours ago, SERNAK said:

That must be about $400, excluding postage and packaging! 

 

Naw...... $60 a pop for the E model shipped, all day long on ebay. I can't imagine that the F will be any different ;0) Fred.

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17 hours ago, VADM Fangschleister said:

Now listed on eBay.

 

I saw that too. About $100 a shot as Sernak mentioned. I think I'll hold off for a month or two and see if they don't come down a bit. I can't wait to get one though ;0) Fred K.

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3 hours ago, f5guy said:

 

I saw that too. About $100 a shot as Sernak mentioned. I think I'll hold off for a month or two and see if they don't come down a bit. I can't wait to get one though ;0) Fred K.

Cheapest I saw was $86.99 + $15 for shipping, so yeah. 

 

I'm sure once the first rush of "gotta-have-it" has passed, they will come down to (my opinion) somewhere around $50/copy. 

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1 hour ago, VADM Fangschleister said:

I'm sure once the first rush of "gotta-have-it" has passed, they will come down to (my opinion) somewhere around $50/copy. 

$50/ copy sounds PERFECT!!! Even though it's not within my immediate plans to buy the kit (I have the decals for the Splinter-scheme NFWS "F") if I find it with this price I will definitely buy it.

 

$50 the kit plus $15 for shipping can't make it more perfect!!!

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2 hours ago, SERNAK said:

$50/ copy sounds PERFECT!!! Even though it's not within my immediate plans to buy the kit (I have the decals for the Splinter-scheme NFWS "F") if I find it with this price I will definitely buy it.

 

$50 the kit plus $15 for shipping can't make it more perfect!!!

The E models are selling on the Bay for $59.99 w/ free shipping.  Other prices are all over the map, some going as high as $109.  Some stabilization will occur after the market is saturated with availability. 

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2 hours ago, VADM Fangschleister said:

Cheapest I saw was $86.99 + $15 for shipping, so yeah. 

 

I'm sure once the first rush of "gotta-have-it" has passed, they will come down to (my opinion) somewhere around $50/copy. 

 

Yup..... I couldn't agree with you and Sernak more! Give it a few months for the market to saturate, and we'll probably be able to get them for about $60 shipped with any luck. Sernak, as for that splinter NFWS jet, I'm all over that one too! I've wanted to build that jet since I shot pics of it on Topgun's ramp some 35 years ago 😀  Fred K.

F-5F 75-0755 160966 NFWS #50 R.jpg

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@Fred,

 

I'll bet you've got some more interesting photos from NFWS!!!! However, mind the fact that the "F" on the photo had received the LERX and radome (also known as "shark nose")modifications around mid-80s. The first time I bought Superscale decals (1/48) I was so excited that I was going to build this "bird" with the splinter paint scheme that I did not notice these details, particularly the radome. So I build the Monogram kit (the only one available back in the good old days) only to realise after observing some photos that it was the "wrong" "F"!!!

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10 hours ago, SERNAK said:

@Fred,

 

I'll bet you've got some more interesting photos from NFWS!!!! However, mind the fact that the "F" on the photo had received the LERX and radome (also known as "shark nose")modifications around mid-80s. The first time I bought Superscale decals (1/48) I was so excited that I was going to build this "bird" with the splinter paint scheme that I did not notice these details, particularly the radome. So I build the Monogram kit (the only one available back in the good old days) only to realise after observing some photos that it was the "wrong" "F"!!!

 

Sernak: Yeah, I did the exact same thing with NFWS #47 in the tan, brown, and green scheme! #47 is one of the jets that I'm thinking of doing in 32nd scale with the new KH kit, even though there are no decals for yet. Fortunately, it looks like the new KH kit will be perfect for any of the late NFWS F schemes, including #50 in the splinter scheme. About the only thing that you'd need to do is to scrape off the radar screen from the instrument panels since these jets had no radar installed. Attached is a pic of #50 after it went to VFA-127. Fred K.

f-5f-75-0755-160966-vfa-127--3.jpg

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28 minutes ago, f5guy said:

 

Sernak: Yeah, I did the exact same thing with NFWS #47 in the tan, brown, and green scheme! #47 is one of the jets that I'm thinking of doing in 32nd scale with the new KH kit, even though there are no decals for yet. Fortunately, it looks like the new KH kit will be perfect for any of the late NFWS F schemes, including #50 in the splinter scheme. About the only thing that you'd need to do is to scrape off the radar screen from the instrument panels since these jets had no radar installed. Attached is a pic of #50 after it went to VFA-127. Fred K.

Hi Fred,

 

The photo you have posted shows an F-5F from VFA-127. This "bird" definitely had the updates I've described earlier. And I think, if not certain, that the paint scheme's pattern had some modifications when compared to the one "50" had.

 

Ha! the only detail that I've managed to depict correctly and which I plan to apply on the rest of the "Fs" that I have (just a couple …. for now😁) is the one you're describing! I had removed both radar screens and instead placed a white 'sticker' with the various radio frequencies the crew was using. However, I can't confirm if the rest of the "F's used by other squadrons (VF-43, VF-45, VMFT-401, VFC-13, and VFC-111) had also the radar screens removed from both cockpits (including those on the F-5Es).

 

Somehow, I have to find a way to confirm this also, because I plan in the future to do some F-5Fs for these squadrons. 

 

Do you know anything about this?

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2 hours ago, SERNAK said:

Hi Fred,

 

The photo you have posted shows an F-5F from VFA-127. This "bird" definitely had the updates I've described earlier. And I think, if not certain, that the paint scheme's pattern had some modifications when compared to the one "50" had.

 

Ha! the only detail that I've managed to depict correctly and which I plan to apply on the rest of the "Fs" that I have (just a couple …. for now😁) is the one you're describing! I had removed both radar screens and instead placed a white 'sticker' with the various radio frequencies the crew was using. However, I can't confirm if the rest of the "F's used by other squadrons (VF-43, VF-45, VMFT-401, VFC-13, and VFC-111) had also the radar screens removed from both cockpits (including those on the F-5Es).

 

Somehow, I have to find a way to confirm this also, because I plan in the future to do some F-5Fs for these squadrons. 

 

Do you know anything about this?

 

Hi Sernak,

     As far as I am aware, only Navy F-5E's or F's with BuNo's starting with 159xxx or 160xxx would not have had a radar scope/s. These would be the jets originally supplied to NFWS and VF-43 in the mid 70's. So this would be F-5E's  BuNo 159878 to 159882 (NFWS) and 160792 to 160796 (VF-43). For the F's, it would be 160964 to 160966 (all to NFWS as #46, 47 & 50). The only real unknown that I have is F-5E NFWS #41 BuNo 162307. This jet was originally USAF Serial Number 74-1533 #33 with the USAF's 527th Aggressor Squadron at Alconbury, England. It was supplied to the USN as a replacement for the original NFWS #41 BuNo 159879 after it crashed on 5-13-81. I am unsure if 162307 had a radar or not. But being an ex-USAF jet, it should have, but perhaps the USN removed it.

     All of the original USN F-5E/Fs served with just about all of the the Navy adversary units (VF-43, VF-45, VF-126, VF/A-127) at one time or another after NFWS converted to F-14s and F-18s. One F, BuNo 160964, served with USMC's VMFT-401 as their #00. Eventually in 1998, all of the E/F's, with the exception of F-5F 160964, were all combined into one unit: VFC-13 at NAS Fallon Nv. Also sent to VFC-13 were a number of ex-USAF jets from the 64th AS, 65th AS, and 425th TFTS after the USAF got out of the F-5 business. These jets had also served with VF-43, VF-45, and VF/A-127 prior to being assigned to VFC-13. About 12 ex-USAF E's went to VMFT-401 as well. The pic below is of #33 before it was sent to the USN as BuNo 162307. HTH, Fred K.

F-5E 74-1533 527th AS #33.jpg

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I really want one of these new F-5 kits. I'd prefer the 'E'  but honestly I don't care which. I'll be keeping an eye on the prices for sure. Looks like a great kit!

Regards.

Don

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8 hours ago, f5guy said:

 

     All of the original USN F-5E/Fs served with just about all of the the Navy adversary units (VF-43, VF-45, VF-126, VF/A-127) at one time or another after NFWS converted to F-14s and F-18s.

 

Eventually in 1998, all of the E/F's, with the exception of F-5F 160964, were all combined into one unit: VFC-13 at NAS Fallon Nv.

 

Hi Fred,

 

Are you implying that there are paint schemes we haven't seen? Because when you say that all the F-5E/Fs have served with various units AFTER the top gun school converted to Tomcats and Hornets, this is what I understand. As far as I know, VF-126 had operated only one F-5E and a T-38 during the 80s. Microscale (or is it Superscale?) in one of the 1/32 decals' sheets it had produced as an adversaries' sheet has 'mistakenly' presented the VF-126 Talon as a double-seat Tiger II the F-5F.

 

There are only a few books that have just a few pictures of VFA-127 Tigers and almost none of the VF-45 ones from the 90s.

 

This makes me wonder how many "E"s and "F"s do I need to build all the paint schemes used by the US NAVY adversaries???? 100, 200 model kits? Nonetheless, I do realize that most of the paint schemes were based on the same FS numbers (36375, 35237, 36231, etc.), which makes things a little bit easier on deciding which paint schemes I should be making.

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5 hours ago, Don said:

I really want one of these new F-5 kits. I'd prefer the 'E'  but honestly I don't care which. I'll be keeping an eye on the prices for sure. Looks like a great kit!

Regards.

Don

Just one?

 

To quote a phrase from a very famous film "having one god I can understand but, having only one wife, it is not civilized my friend!"

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7 hours ago, SERNAK said:

Just one?

 

To quote a phrase from a very famous film "having one god I can understand but, having only one wife, it is not civilized my friend!"

LOL! Oh I would indeed love both an 'E' and an 'F' but my budget and "one wife" would not approve LOL! Such a great looking kit though.

 

Regards,

Don

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10 hours ago, SERNAK said:

Hi Fred,

 

Are you implying that there are paint schemes we haven't seen? Because when you say that all the F-5E/Fs have served with various units AFTER the top gun school converted to Tomcats and Hornets, this is what I understand. As far as I know, VF-126 had operated only one F-5E and a T-38 during the 80s. Microscale (or is it Superscale?) in one of the 1/32 decals' sheets it had produced as an adversaries' sheet has 'mistakenly' presented the VF-126 Talon as a double-seat Tiger II the F-5F.

 

 

Hi Sernak,

     Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying. See the pics below as an example. First up is BuNo 159881 as NFWS #43 in the last paint scheme that it wore with Topgun in the mid 80's. When Topgun converted to the F-14 and F-18, this jet, along with BuNo's 160792 (from VF-43), 160794 (from NFWS), 160796 (from VF-43), and 162307 (from NFWS) were sent to VF-126 in the schemes that they had worn while at NFWS or VF-43. The second pic shows 159881 in the same paint scheme that it wore with Topgun, but now assigned to, and lettered for, VF-126. There they served for a short while before VF-126 was disestablised, and the jets moved on to VF-43 or VF-45, along with a number of ex-USAF F-5E's that the Navy and Marines had picked up 1989. The jets ended up being assigned to VFA-127 when that unit moved from NAS Lemoore to NAS Fallon and converted to the T-38A, F-5E/F, and F-18A/B, in addition to the Skyhawks that they were already flying. The last pic shows 159881 in one of the two different tan and brown schemes that it wore with VFA-127 in the mid 90's. The jet was written off on Feb. 8th 1996 after crashing.

     The original group of Topgun, and VF-43 F-5E/F's are well traveled to say the least! All surviving original Navy Tigers, except F-5F 160964 (to VMFT-401) ended their days with VFC-13 at Fallon, until they were replaced with the ex-Swiss F-5E's. From what I understand, but have not yet been able to 100% confirm, the forward fuselage half of the NFWS F-5Fs live on, as they were grafted onto three ex-Swiss F-5E's to make a "new" F-5F's. Interestingly enough, these kit-based F-5F's kept their original Swiss serial numbers!

     Hopefully this help to clear things up a little, and not make it worse! Take care, Fred K.

f-5e-74-1480-159881-nfws--43-g (3).jpg

f-5e-74-1480-159881-vf-126--43.jpg

f-5e-74-1480-159881-vfa-127--2 (1).jpg

Edited by f5guy
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1 hour ago, SERNAK said:

WOW, that's a lot of info to review and reflect on!!!! But, thanks for the help.

 

Here's another interesting one for you Sernak...... F-5E 74-1554 in the Snake scheme that it wore while with the 527th AS at Alconbury, but with VFA-127 markings. How cool is that?! Fred.

F-5E 74-1554 VFA-127 #44snake.jpg

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