mkimages Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 For my GB project, I'm building Monogram's 1/48 F-5E as it would look if it were my personal toy. There are a few modifications I'd like to make but am unsure about a couple of them. First, the wingtip missile rails will be removed, but I don't know where the wings end. Do they fit into slots in the rails or are they butt-joined? If they fit in slots, I'll have to add plastic to the wingtips after removing the rails. Second, for de-militarized aircraft, I'd guess that the ejection seat would be disabled. In my case, if it wouldn't eject anyway, I'd like to replace the seat with something more comfortable (and use the bang-seat for my home flight sim ). Any thoughts on this? Would it be a bad idea for some reason? I'm thinking about using something like a race car seat (reinforced for G's of course) that would provide support but be nice and comfy, too. Other mods I'll be making are removing the guns and tailhook and adding some "glass" to the instrument panel for nav/systems monitoring/weather radar. Antennas will be removed or added to suit the new avionics. Since I'm a photographer, I'll also be adding a camera pod from a modified underwing store; probably a napalm tank since I can balance the campod with a standard travel pod under the other wing. Thanks in advance for any answers to the preceding questions, and if anyone has any other ideas for interesting (or necessary) mods, I'd love to hear them. :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
phantom Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 I wouldnt think they would dearm the bang seat. Nor would I really want to eject from my multi million dollar toy either. Basicly to demilitariorize (is that even a word?) Guns, weapons delivery and some radar function would be all I would think would have to go. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dragon Posted April 1, 2005 Share Posted April 1, 2005 Perhaps this may give you some ideas. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mkimages Posted April 1, 2005 Author Share Posted April 1, 2005 Habu: If you do have a reference to that effect, that'd be great. All the pictures that I have or have found don't definitively show slots or otherwise. phantom: You are correct. According to this site , it's not only allowed to keep the seat operational, it's a darn good idea. So I get to keep my bad-news-rocket-ride. For my plans, the gun bays turn into luggage/ballast compartments, the targeting radar gets replaced with a nice new weather system, and the pylons will only carry stuff that I want to keep. dragon: That site is what gave me the idea for the build. A week before I win the lottery they acquire two ex-Mexican AF F-5E's and place them for sale on the site. Eight days later I am on the phone to VanNuys, California. The modifications and my pilot training start on the same day a month after. I've finished up the basic rescribing (my first time doing a whole plane - scary) and tomorrow am going to scan in the airframe parts so I can begin laying out the paint masks. The scheme is still a bit rough in detail but essentially it will look like the attached pic. As shown it uses white plus eight tints of blue. Pics as meaningful progress ensues. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
madmike Posted April 1, 2005 Share Posted April 1, 2005 hmmm What a great idea! Although I would have a sticker under the cockpit sill... "My other ride is a Rotodyne" Well, got to transport the family in something right? MikeJ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dragon Posted April 1, 2005 Share Posted April 1, 2005 You could of course do as the song from the last century goes: "Go Crazy!". Build it as a privately owned civilian aerobatic team plane. Sort of like STARFIGHTERS or SMIRNOFF MiGs. I suppose an F-5 in Hot Rod-like scheme would really stand out. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
torchf4 Posted April 3, 2005 Share Posted April 3, 2005 K, this was the best I took apparently. Thought I had something better. Hard to tell. But ya know what, since it's a what if bird, why don't you put your own wingtip on it? The mounting for the tip rails are similar to those on the -16s. There is an eye for the big mounting bolt(covered by the dome on the rail) and a couple of cables that connects to the rail for AIM-9 interface. The row of screws parallel to the rail(also in the pic) is to hold small skin strips that cover the exposed wing structure and are reinstalled after the launchers are up. Unlike the F-5A/T-38 series there is no wingtip caps for the F-5E/F birds. Still it's not hard to fab one if 'hypothetically' someone has enough dough to own an F5! :unsure: The costs for JP is what will break the bank! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mkimages Posted April 4, 2005 Author Share Posted April 4, 2005 Thanks loads, torchf4. That explained it pretty well. Now I can just chop off excess rail and sand the rest to a nice wingtip shape. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
torchf4 Posted April 4, 2005 Share Posted April 4, 2005 Thanks loads, torchf4. That explained it pretty well. Now I can just chop off excess rail and sand the rest to a nice wingtip shape. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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