Jump to content

North American FJ-2 Fury


Sabrejet

Recommended Posts

I was hoping to find a definitive answer to the question of which FJ-2s had the overall dark blue scheme and which had the NMF. Well I finally found it (highlighted below): "On unpainted airplanes 131939 and subsequent..." So just the first few then. But it does beg another question: at least one of these 'blue' FJ-2s was delivered to a Marines unit (most of the others were test machines), so were there and VMF FJ-2s in the dark blue? Over to you for that one!

 

Image2

 

And an image of another of the blue FJ-2s:

 

131928

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

And onwards: Nose and Main Landing Gear:

 

Image3

 

Image4

 

Wing fold: Note the warning flag (top left - early aircraft only), which would seem to have been a bit superfluous. Photo shows what it looks like (and painted red):

 

Image5

 

flag

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not sure whether to include this here or in the "Sword FJ-2/3" thread, but here goes anyway. I've done some measuring of the Sword 1/72 FJ-2 and found it to be pretty accurate in general dimensions:

 

Fuselage is slightly long (I'm not concerned too much by circa 3mm):

a

 

Wingspan again a little bit long, this time by less than 2mm:

 

b

 

And wing sweep also looks pretty good:

c

 

Only bit that does jar, are these raised areas on the kit: not sure why, but maybe taken from a preserved aircraft that had been patched?:

 

d

 

I will at some point go through the fuselage stations to see if all vertical the panel lines are in the right place, but from what I've seen I fully expect them to be OK too. Top marks to Sword :yes: 

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

And as promised the fuselage stations measured: red figures are the stations in 1:1 inches, blue the 1/72 dimension converted to mm and green the kit measurement. Again, each is a bit longer than scale, which obviously stacks up the further aft you go. However note that my measurements are pretty rudimentary and in most cases, we're only talking a few millimetres. Fuselage seems to be circa 8mm (576mm/22 inches) too long but looking at the photo below I do see that I may be missing circa 3mm from the left-hand end of my rule, so that fuselage is maybe more like 156mm long, and the stations in that case near-enough spot-on. I'd appreciate any comments and better measurements. From the Station diagram (see above), the fuselage should be 429.750 inches long, which equates to 10915.65mm. Dividing that by 72 gives  151.6mm.  

 

e

 

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Squadrons. Six front-line USMC units operated the FJ-2, with numerically the first, VMF-122, nicknamed "Werewolves" at the time of its FJ-2 introduction, but also at various times known by the names "Candystripers" and "Flying Leathernecks", etc. It received its aircraft at MCAS Cherry Point in 1954, numbering them 1 thru 24. Initial markings consisted of a red nose ring and later, red/yellow fuselage and tail stripes with an 'LC' fin code, and usually (but not always) repeated above the right-hand/stbd wing and below the left-hand/port, along with the modex number. The modex number (1 thru 24) was repeated below the tail BuAerNo (photos USMC official, NMNA and USS Coral Sea.net):

 

VMF-122 (1)

 

Note Maj LJ Stien's name on '3' below:

 

VMF-122 (1a)

 

When the unit deployed aboard the USS Coral Sea in 1955, the modex numbers were prefixed '3' to give numbers in the '301 thru 324' range. The 3-digit modex was usually repeated above the tail stripes, but as ever there is always at least one exception (see first image):

 

VMF-122 (2)

 

But note the aircraft at left here, which bears its Coral Sea CVW modex '322' but the original '22' on its wing upper surface. Also note the different wing marking placements between the two FJ-2s:

 

VMF-122 (3)

 

This view (below) is a good demonstration of the landing configuration of an early FJ-2, with 1-target tow attachment, 2-tail bumper, 3-arrester hook, 4-barrier pickup and 5-barrier guard.

 

VMF-122 (4)

 

Finally a colour shot:

 

VMF-122 (14)

 

Edited by Sabrejet
  • Like 4
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just a thought. I suspect the wing fold warning flag was to indicate correct engagement of the wing lock when in the down/un-folded position, rather than to indicate up or down?

 

Anyhow, I am so pleased to see this elegant early carrier fighter elevated from almost forgotten to fully detailed and kitted in a modern kit  :wub: 

 

 Only problem is deciding how many kits to buy (depends on available decals I guess)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Smudge said:

Just a thought. I suspect the wing fold warning flag was to indicate correct engagement of the wing lock when in the down/un-folded position, rather than to indicate up or down?

Yes - obvious now you say it! :yes::D Just checked and yes - flag not showing = pins engaged.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Courageous said:

Was the refueling probe fitted to the -2 or -3?

http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2011/04/fj23-fury-redux.html "As of BuNo 136118, FJ-3s had provisions for two pylons on each wing inboard of the existing ones for external tanks, for a total of six. The FJ-3s were also retrofitted for inflight refueling with the installation of a fixed probe extending from the left wing."

 

As far as I know, it was not retrofitted to the FJ-2.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Next FJ-2 unit (numerically) - VMF-232 "Red Devils", assigned to MAG-13 at MCAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. VMF-232 converted from F9F-5 to the FJ-2 in 1954 and applied a simple scheme of red wing/fuselage/tail stripes over the natural metal finish with 'WT' tail code and red intake flash. The unit didn't deploy aboard any carriers and re-equipped with the FJ-4 in 1956/7. Photos Tailhook Association and USN Official:

 

VMF-232 132017 (2)

 

VMF-232 132017 (1)

 

VMF-232 (4a)

 

I think VMF-232 may also be the only unit to paint (at least some) of its FJ-2s in the 'gull gray over white' colour scheme more usually associated with FJ-3/3M and FJ-4/4B. Note also the repositioned star&bar on these two:

 

z (1)

 

z (2)

 

z (3)

 

  • Like 4
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

All FJ-2s had slats and that 'wedge' part at the inboard end: it was part of the ammo bay door, rather than a separate piece on F-86Fs etc. So yes, in effect a slatted 6-3 wing and rather like the Canadair Sabre 6 in that respect. For info the root chord was 10.31 ft measured at the fuselage centreline (extend the leading adge and trailing edge to meet at the CL; while the tip chord was 5.34 ft. I haven't checked those dimensions against the kit...yet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Courageous said:

@Sabrejet, you have a number of photos above that show wing slats but also show what appears to be a 'wedge' at the wing root, this 'wedge' I believe is indicative of a 6-3 wing? Can you clarify please.

 

Stuart

I have attached a link to a photo of an FJ-2 being restored for the USS Hornet Museum; you can clearly see where the wedge-shaped piece was attached to the ammo bay access door, as well as good details of the nose gear and gun ports- I'm guessing the ridges in the gun ports had something to do with attenuating gun gases during firing? On a 6-3 wing Sabre, the wedge was attached to the wing LE  at the root and was removeable because the increased chord of the 6-3 wing at the root would have interfered with the opening of the access door. On an FJ-2, the wedge was necessary because the ammo bay access door was larger than a Sabre's to accommodate the larger  20mm ammunition tanks, not because of interference from increased wing chord.

Mike

 

http://www.skytamer.com/1.2/2005/5057.jpg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello,

First a big thank you to all who contributed to this thread, especially Sabrejet. I really appreciate the input from all.

I got my FJ-2 kit last weekend and I think there is some “flesh” behind the discussion about the wing. After looking through my Fury and Sabre references, I’m pretty sure the wing supplied by Sword is a 6-3 wing in planform engraved as a standard wing with slats. You can check this by extending the leading and trailing edges of the wing to the aircrafts centerline and measure the distance between them. For the FJ-2 it is 10.31 feet {43.6mm in 1/72} (Detail & Scale 68, page 27 dimensional drawing) for a 6-3 wing it is 10.85 feet {45.9mm in 1/72} (Model Art #302: F-86F). The Sword wing has 45.8mm. By using a 6-3 wing and to keep the proportions, the fuselage is stretched by this additional 2.3 mm which corresponds with Sabrejet’s findings (difference of the aforementioned dimensions scaled to 1/72).

I’m as yet undecided if I will (try to) correct this or not. I’ll wait for the FJ-3 and see …

Martin

  • Sad 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, MVW said:

Hello,

First a big thank you to all who contributed to this thread, especially Sabrejet. I really appreciate the input from all.

 

I got my FJ-2 kit last weekend and I think there is some “flesh” behind the discussion about the wing. After looking through my Fury and Sabre references, I’m pretty sure the wing supplied by Sword is a 6-3 wing in planform engraved as a standard wing with slats. You can check this by extending the leading and trailing edges of the wing to the aircrafts centerline and measure the distance between them. For the FJ-2 it is 10.31 feet {43.6mm in 1/72} (Detail & Scale 68, page 27 dimensional drawing) for a 6-3 wing it is 10.85 feet {45.9mm in 1/72} (Model Art #302: F-86F). The Sword wing has 45.8mm. By using a 6-3 wing and to keep the proportions, the fuselage is stretched by this additional 2.3 mm which corresponds with Sabrejet’s findings (difference of the aforementioned dimensions scaled to 1/72).

 

I’m as yet undecided if I will (try to) correct this or not. I’ll wait for the FJ-3 and see …

 

Martin

 

Say it isn't so!

Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...