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Testors F8F-2: my first Corsair


DMC

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Ok, the cowl ring needed a little fairing in to match the kit cowl so mounted a disc to a mandrel and then mounted that to the ring and the ring to the kit cowl.  Using my my trusty Tamiya drill as a lath I shaped and faired it to match the kit cowl.  A little more shaping needed but with a light touch as I think the cowl is getting pretty thin.  this one was pulled using .030 styrene and I think .040 might have been better.  Waiting on an order of styrene in the post.

 

Moved the mounting lugs for the tailwheel to improve the "sit" and detailed the wheel a little.  Also scratched a tail hook which when tucked up inside will hardly be see. 

 

Also scratched a turnover brace.

 

Tailspintopics has been a really helpful source of information on this build. http://tailspintopics.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/grumman-f8f-bearcat-redux.html

 

Cheers

 

Dennis 

 

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All the control surfaces on this Testors kit are a bit thick at the trailing edge.   As I had to modify the rudder anyway, I went ahead and thinned it and added .005 rib tapes.  Tried to simulate the stiching with a pounce wheel but that didn't work out so left them plain.  Thinking about doing the rest but that's a lot of rib tapes.

 

The fit of the horizontal stab is pretty good.  The port side elevator is added after slipping the stab in place.  A good fit and it's a pity Testors didn't do both sides that way.

 

Had some practice with polishing a canopy (a duff one) but not very successful.  Went a little too coarse with then sandpaper at first.  Fit is pretty good, however, after a little fettling.

 

Finished the rollover brace and tried out the stretched tube exhaust pipes.

 

Decided to treat the old kit with an engine swap.  Sprung for a Quick Boost P&W (QB 024) and am really pleased with it.  Perfect fit and finely detailed (how do they do it?).  No pushrod tubes or wiring but that shouldn't be too difficult too do.  Can barely see the back row of cylinders but no matter.  Believe it too be my first resin AM piece.

 

Cheers, and thanks for looking

 

Dennis

 

 

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Seasons Greetings, All

 

The first photo, taken by Eric Van Gilder, is a near perfect profile shot of a -2.  Not sure just how he got the shot but his timing was perfect.   I made a copy reduced to 1/48 scale and overlaid Temma's profile drawing on it and it was practically a perfect match.  Temma certainly did his homework on his drawings and I feel a little more confident in using them as a guide for this Testors rebuild.

 

In the second photo you can see the marked difference between the kit P&W and the Quickboost one.  Not sure which P&W the kit one is.  Perhaps a P-47?  I took a page from Jonner's book and tried reshaping the kit ring cowl and came pretty close to the cowl shape in the above photo but not right on.  I pulled quite a few cowls before I got one that satisfied.  I drilled out the Quickboost engine and the kit prop and inserted lengths of brass tubing in them.  Can't really see much engine with the prop in place.  Decided to go ahead and thin and tape the trailing edges of all the control surfaces.  Does make a difference, I think.

 

The Bearcat kit in the link below must be the first F8F ever kitted.  I was around 12 or 13 when I first noticed it in the hobby shop I frequented back in the early 50s.  How I wanted that kit but at $2.95 it was very expensive (Cokes were 5 cents US back then).  I resolved to save up for it by doing extra chores but as soon as I'd saved a dollar or so my resolve weakened and I bought a cheaper kit and soft drink.  Probably just as well as my modelling skills were pretty basic back then and I would of no doubt made hash of it.  Still, those metal parts were very seductive.  

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

 

http://www.doxaerie.com/dyna_model.htm

 

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Finished the empennage rib tapes.  These tapes are not as prominent as the stitching as can be seen in photo 11 in the net-maquettes link below.  Tried to simulate the stitching but it was no go.  The tapes will be reduced in prominence wit a couple of coats of primer and some sanding.

 

The LG cover opening needed a little reshaping.  I used the Temma drawings as a guide but  the Hobbyboss kit one is a pretty close approximation.  Also began work on removing the kit raised ribs.  I try to retain the hinges hence the tape over them.

 

And, I added a little ribbing in the cockpit.  I ordered an eduard cockpit set from "model-hobbies" almost two weeks ago but they've never arrived.  Have asked for a refund but nothing yet  In eBay's hands now. 

 

Cheers, and thanks for looking

 

Dennis

 

 

https://www.net-maquettes.com/pictures/grumman-f8f-bearcat-walkaround/

 

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I had planned on having a closed canopy with minimum cockpit details but after looking over the Eduard PE sets for the F8F decided to go "whole hog" .  This fret is for the Hobbycraft kit and the IP and right side console have a blue background which doesn't seem correct.  The blue is dark enough, however, so that it really won't be that obvious.  The fret for the Hobbyboss kit is much more elaborate, and more expensive, than this one featuring rudder pedals and full consoles.  This one will do nicely for me as not much can be seen once the cockpit is in the fuselage.

 

Unlike many of you, I've not had very much experience with PE.  My first was about 30 years ago with a set of FW 190 rudder pedals frim Aries and more recently with Airscale instrument bezels and the like.  Some of these parts are so small that I'm sure sacrificing them to the carpet monster is an inevitability.  

 

In the last photo you can see that the PE fits exactly under the reworked IP cowling and also on the scratched console.  A bonus, in fact.

 

Not that sure about the interior colours.  I expect the seat and sidewalls will be standard interior green(ish) and the rest dark grey.  I have a few interior photos but they are either b&w or of restored 'cats.  Time to look into that, however.

 

Cheers and thanks for looking

 

Dennis

 

 

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Hi Dennis

bit late now,  but Eduard actually did a set specifically  for the Testors kit, 48108    F-8F Bearcat

https://www.eduard.com/store/out/media/48108.pdf

 

7 hours ago, DMC said:

Not that sure about the interior colours.  I expect the seat and sidewalls will be standard interior green(ish) and the rest dark grey.  I have a few interior photos but they are either b&w or of restored 'cats.  Time to look into that, however.

 

ask, don't guess.

 

a lot is black

I think this  is -2,  compare to the -1 below

kCUcTMc.png

 

Box Art den used to have all the Detail and Scale but looks like they've gone.    They are all 'out there' as scans though.

 

For US types, I recommend Hyperscale Plane Talking, I find the serach works fairly well, and there is nearly 20 years of posts

eg  I linked the threads, but quoted the relevant bits.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/149674/thread/1270910766

Quote

From what I've been able to decipher from the photos in Ginter's Bearcat book the cockpit of the -1 was Interior Green overall, except for the following in black: instrument panel; entire left hand side console (top surface and side down to floorboard); and just the individual control panels on the right console (as you would see in a jet, for example), with the remainder of the console being Interior Green. Of course, there are also black 'details' throughtout, such as the throttle quadrant, oxygen regulator, control stick grip and dust boot, etc. The rear wall and seat were Interior Green.

The -2 is where they started painting the side walls above the consoles, and the rest of the right hand console to the floorboards, in black. The rest is like the -1.

 

 

http://www.network54.com/Forum/149674/thread/1136751322

Quote

F8F Bearcat. Cockpit: FS 34151 Interior Green. The area above the consoles was black. The seat was black. Inside of the engine cowling was Zinc Chromate Yellow, Interior Green or possibly Flat Black. All other visible areas were Glossy Sea Blue similar to the F6F-5.

 

this is listed as an F8F-1

F8F-1cockpit-interior.jpg

 

HTH

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Thanks, Troy, for taking the time to put that reply together.  I have a couple of those photos and it looks as thought it might be rather a mixed bag as far as the -2 cockpit  is concerned.  Predominantly black (dark grey for scale) will no doubt be the way to go (ingnoring the dark blue of the Eduard fret).  

 

On on the other hand, the scheme in the cockpit of an F8F (restored, no doubt) in this link provided by 72modeler (Mike) looks ok to me.  We’ll see.

  http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/nnam/virtualtour/?s=pano13556

 

Thank you, again,  for the reply.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

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  • 2 weeks later...

Not a lot of modelling done over the last couple of weeks.  Decided to try angling the cowling down (-4.5A degrees according to Mr Temma) a bit by placing a 040 thou shim between the aft end of the cowling and the kit 'firewall'.  The shim should actually be at the firewall as the cowling should be equal width in its circumference not wider at the top.  But easier this way.  I traced the outline of the cowling inside and out and removed the inside first with a large punch then trimmed the excess around the outside and cemented it to the cowling.  After matching the shim to the cowling I sanded it at an angle to get a wedge shape.  Just need to angle the firewall a bit so the Quickboost replacement engine lines up with the cowl ring opening. 

 

Also finished applying the 'tapes' to the top and bottom of the port wing.  Quite time consuming thinning down the wing trailing edge and then cementing all those tapes.  HGW makes rib tapes for WWl aircraft and I'm thinking these tapes might work as the tapes on the F8F,  and others.  I have another F8F, Italeri boxing,  and I might try it out.

 

Cheers and a Happy New Year to everyone,

 

Dennis

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Well, image won't come up on reply page.  Test to see if it does when I submit reply

 

Dennis

 

Hmm, http 404 error, whatever that is. Annoying!

 

Okay, there it is.  Proper Ludite sometimes.  Sorry!

 

The wing intakes on the three F8F kits are all not quite right.  On this Testors kit I added a bit of styrene to the opening and re-shaped the upper and lower lip (right side in photo).  Also, the outer cannon blister on the -2 is noticeably larger the its fellow so filed the blisters off and added slightly larger ones.   Finished re-shaping the lg openings and lined one with .010 styrene. 

 

Also (finally) finished applying all the necessary rib tapes.  Glad that's over.

 

Cheers, and thanks for looking,

 

Dennis

 

 

 

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http://village.photos/images/user/22123fdd-eeb7-4ada-89a7-d519154ec580/3a787e3e-2732-46e6-9053-d77dd5194dcc

Edited by DMC
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Thanks, Johnny and Massimo, for rescuing me from the obscurity of page five.  I admit I've been dragging my heels a bit on the F8F.  I've been tinkering around a bit with Monogram's old kit of the "toy-like" F4U-4 and reading The Battle of Midway (Symonds, and highly recommended) which I'm finding very difficult to put down.

 

However, your welcome replies have given me a mojo boost and since the weather is pretty rotten today, and I'm stuck inside, I intend get cracking and finish the cockpit so I can button the fuselage up.

 

Thanks again

 

Dennis

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Ok, after mating up a wing with the fuselage for a trail fit, I decided that it just didn't quite pass muster blanked off so I drilled, sawed and scalpled (word?) the opening out.  The wheel bay on the F8F is very cluttered with hoses, tubing, bracing and so on and it'll be easier to depict (only) some of it with the fuselage opened up.

 

Also did a little more work on the wing wheel bays.  Adding a few more bits but not going too crazy. 

 

About the Tamiya drill: I've had it now for about a year and it has proved most useful for the kind of stuff I like to do.  The only problem with it is the collets that come with it won't accommodate anything but a few, too large, drill sizes.  Luckily,  I had a spare couple from a previous drill that fit and they greatly expanded the use of the drill.  I mostly use it for drilling with the bits shown in the plastic case but have used it with burrs and cutting discs.  The clay mould for the F8F cowling was trued up using the drill like a lath as was the vacuum formed cowling.  It doesn't turn at great speed but with fresh, AA, batteries it easily does the job on plastic.  The most useful size collet is .125 or one eighth.  Really can't imagine doing without it.  Now if Tamiya would only adapt it to an inexpensive drill press.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

 

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Progress: ok, both wing intakes shaped up and more detail added to the wheel bays.  Putting considerable strain on my eyes, I whittled a triangle out of one of the scissor-like gismos that I assume are there to keep the wheels from twisting.  Not sure what they are called.  The wheels are Barracuda late model F8F ones. 

 

In the bottom photo, top left, is a bulkhead and firewall insert with only the bottom motor mounts and (oil?) tank.  the intakes for the carb and supercharger, which need shortening a bit, come down at an angle from the "supercharger and carb" which are really only there to help with locating the intakes.  I didn't spend a lot of time on the top of the intakes as only the very bottom will show (if at all).

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

 

 

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1 hour ago, Pete in Lincs said:

Fabulous.

The word you're looking for is torque links or

I have seen them called scissor links.

Thanks, Pete, if I ever did know what they were called I forgot it long ago.

 

Dennis

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15 hours ago, massimo said:

Very nice progress on the wheel bays and stunning engine mounting!!!

Can't wait for your next update!!!

Thank you, Massimo, peddaling as fast as I can.

 

Dennis 

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