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Hello to all of you.Here is my latest.The awesome RF-101C VooDoo.I love this AC.But the kit is another thing commpletley.A really basic and hard kit to work on.You can see that on the following youtube full video build link

Hello gents, Let me say it straight. I waited 50 years for this kit. The RF-101 has been one of my favourite airplanes since, as a schoolboy, I saw one roaring over our home in Saigon like a giant lizard. So when last year Kitty Hawk released their 1/48 Voodoo, I knew the wait was over. Of course, the kit is not perfect. People in forums complained about the multiple inaccuracies, the terrible fit, the bucketload of putty needed,… but then … this my chance of a lifetime to build it. So I took the plunge and do what we, old timers, have always done: buy the kit, marvel at the box art, fondle the plastic, correct the mistakes, add some detail and voilà. This is not a step-by-step WIP per se, rather some notes about problems I encountered, how I fixed them and also about the inaccuracies, how I corrected them. I hope some of you will find it helpful. FIRST IMPRESSIONS The kit looks very nice: the light gray plastic is smooth, rather soft and easy to work with. The surface detail is delicate as are the panel lines. The parts are well moulded while being rather basic, are accurate and cry out to be detailed. The fit the main parts is very positive, no Tamiya but definitively Hasegawa. Like other new kits from China, the assembly is very precise – there is almost no tolerance. Parts have to be carefully prepared before gluing. Frequent dry fitting is a must! Like with most recent kits, the instructions are drawings only – no text. I suggest you only use them to locate the parts. At any time do not follow the assembly sequence. Instead study the kit and the way the different components fit together. Make up your own assembly sequence. Apart from the Eduard Interior photoetch set, I'm not using any aftermarket stuff. Printed documentation come in two ancient magazines lent by old IPMS comrades. The main documentation comes from the internet. Thank you for watching, Cheers, Quang NEXT STEP: THE COCKPIT

Finally finished, the 1/48th Kitty Hawk RF-101C Voodoo as 56-0166 which on 27th November 1957 was flown by Capt. Ray Schrecengost from Los Angeles to New York on Operation Sun-Run, an attempt to set three new transcontinental speed records. I had to build this kit! I have waited over 30 years for a 1/48th mainstream kit of the incredible RF-101C Voodoo, an awesome supersonic photo reconnaissance aircraft which overflew Cuba, North Vietnam, and the Taiwan Straits. The mid to late 50's were exciting times with the 'Century Series' fighters setting new records seemingly all the time and American airpower appeared unbeatable. The Kitty Hawk kit gives four decal options but as soon as I saw it, I knew it had to be Operation Sun-Run! I am really pleased with the final result. No, the Kitty Hawk Voodoo isn't a 'shake and bake' kit, it does present some challenges, there are quite a few inaccuracies, but it is up to the modeller to decide what he/she wants. Me, I build OOB, I am open to trying new techniques, I detest filling/sanding, I love painting, I am ham-fisted (God made me that way), so I don't stray too far from the instruction booklet. 👍 Built OOB including the decals. The silver finish is Humbrol 11 silver from a rattle can and I am very pleased with how well this went on. The yellow bands are all masked and air brush painted, Revell Aqua Color 15 Matt Yellow gave the best match (and for some odd reason the air brush loved it) and these were a fun challenge and very satisfying to apply. After painting I brushed the yellow bands with magic Klear 😊 The rear fuselage / exhaust area was Humbrol Metal Cote 27003 Polished Steel applied by air brush, that is my go-to for anything like this and again very happy with the result. All other paints are from the Vallejo Model Color series applied by brush. The decals are the kit decals and they went on fine helped by a little Humbrol Decalfix. All the Voodoos were big planes, sheer brute power barrelling along on afterburner on those tiny wings. I understand that the nickname for the RF-101C was the 'Long Bird' and you can see why, with that T tail she looks... well, long! Be careful of the kit instructions. Kitty Hawk would have you round off the yellow bands on the top and under the fuselage however I watched the Sun-Run video on YouTube and I think they were straight and pointed. Now I have built a Kitty Hawk Voodoo before, it was the F-101A/C about four years ago, so I should be familiar with this kit. I really had a problem with the photo nose section. I decided to build and paint it separately and attach it very late in the build, unfortunately it all went wrong and I could not get it to match properly. This is the better side! If you look carefully you can see what appears to be a silver band running from the front of the windshield down to the front of the gear well doors. I had to fill this with Perfect Plastic Putty and repaint it. I think this was my fault (remember 'ham fisted'?) as it seemed ok when I dry fitted the photo nose section. Also, now, I wish I had sanded off that slime light holder! Also in critical mode, the cockpit canopy and the windshield don't quite match. And I think I left something off the nose gear oops! 😂 On a plus the fuel tanks went together well as did the jet air intakes. Also the nose cone. A view of the rear end. Personally I think the Kitty Hawk burner cans build well and look good though maybe next time I will fill that gap! This also shows one of my mess-ups, I have no idea how I failed to get those wing trailing edges to join. I took a look at my F-101C which I built 4 years ago and I got that part right then. The Kitty Hawk kit isn't very forgiving but, then again, neither was the Voodoo in some flight regimes! For all the kit's faults and my personal shortcomings the final result is just so good! Would I build another Kitty Hawk Voodoo? Oh yes! Either 56-0166 a few years later in S.E. Asia camo or maybe the later shorter nosed RF-101G, no hesitation. Back to 6:59 a.m. 27th November 1957, Ontario International Airport near Los Angeles, Capt. Ray Schrecengost takes off on the first RF-101C round-trip flight of Operation Sun Run and three speed records were set. It is believed that the "Cin-Min" markings were added to 56-0166 after the record breaking run. What did they signify? The "CIN MIN" was named for the pilot's two daughters: Cindy and Mindy. 61 years later where are they now? Col. Ray Schrecengost passed away 15th August 2006 after a varied career in the USAF including a role in the development of the Lockheed A-12 Blackbird and combat in Vietnam. RF-101C 56-0166 also served in combat in Vietnam with the 45th TRS "The Polka Dots" marked as 'Luv Bug' and on 27th October 1978 was retired to the Air Force Museum with 6604.9 airframe hours where she can be viewed today. Can I make a wish? Please Kitty Hawk, a 1/48th RF-8A/G Crusader? Please... Michael

Hi all! Having kicked off my next Thud build I wanted a further project - an OOB ideally - to run alongside and to brighten the darker hours when the Thud might not go as planned. I weighed up the FJ-3D and the RF-84F but opted for the Voodoo, and a machine that I had seen at Bergstrom AFB, Texas in 1980 when it was still a gate guard there. SHe went on to be a Vietnam vet. She is now in the NASM, or at least her nose is. I had thoughts of a Sun Run machine but they seem well accounted for via the old Hasegawa kit and so - with difference being my guiding principle - I've gone for this machine. The only photo I can find is this: "6 April 1959: At Edwards Air Force Base, in the high desert of southern California, Colonel Edward Hamilton Taylor, United States Air Force, set a Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) World Record for Speed Over a 1000 Kilometre Course of 1,126.62 kilometres per hour (700.05 miles per hour),¹ flying a McDonnell RF-101C-75-MC Voodoo, serial number 56-0119." I know that it had a white tail and my assumption, to which I am happy to be corrected, is that she had International Red/Orange bands around the fuselage. Otherwise she was pretty plain. To me, though, she is not a machine that I've seen modelled. I will use a Valom kit with some resin and brass extras, plus some home produced decals. I don't recall a Valom Voodoo on BM so I hope it will be interesting to some. Launch will be tomorrow when I will wash her and get some of the basics together...... back soon Martin

One of the first US reconaissance planes in SEA was Project Field Goal RT-33. I bought Sword kit to build it as Field Goal. Obviously, decal depicts this plane: I'm not sure, that this is realy Field Goal one. As far as i know, Field Goal RT-33 was initially based at Clark, then after crew training and plane modernization were completed, moved to Udorn. Combat missions were flown from Udorn, later from Don Muang. But at the background are clearly visible tales of 16 FIS F-102's, that were based in Naha. I also heard, that Field Goal RT-33 flew with fake RTAF insignia. May anybody specify? Another question is about early RF-101C in SEA. Were they Grey, Aluminium or unpainted natural metal?

Hi all! Well, I managed to get as far as finishing the first Voodoo :). It has been a struggle, often through my mistakes, but I think I've wrestled her into something resembling the target machine. The background is in the WIP: She really was a typical Valom kit in terms of the build - simple on the face of it but with small, subtle aspects to catch you out. I am very pleased with her, though. What did I do/use?. Well: 1. Kit - Valom RF-101C 1/72 2. Aftermarket - a modified Aires F-101B cockpit, Armoury Wheels set (AW72321), Pavla seat. 3. Canopy masks - from Montel (they peeled off!) and NewWAreMasks (MWAM0140) 4. Paints - Humbrol enamels - Metalcote Polish Aluminium (27002), Metacote Steel (27003), variations of the previous two, Satin white (130), Modelmaster International Orange-Red, Matt Black (33), Grey (140), Scarlet (60), Olive Drab (155), Chrome (191) and others. Satincote as a final coat. 5. Decals - Xtradecal National Insignia, Xtradecal Black Lining, Various stencils from Microscale Voodoo sets, Home printed serials etc and badges. 6. Inners of nosewheel doors made from plastic oblong rod. 7. I made (in truth my father made on his lathe) the jet pipe extensions as the Valom kit, like others is lacking in that area. 8. Panel lining and a little "weathering" with Flory dirt, plus a little Tamiya Weathering Powders (Soot) There's more but I forget!!!! Did I like the kit? Yes, but it needs care and that is why with Voodoo No.2 I got so far and then scrapped it. I built another ;). I have tried to give her a feeling of "use" and therefore she is dirtied to some extent. I hope you like her. She was a Vietnam machine too, named "The Green Dragon" at one time (Modeldecal set No.10): and now resides in store at the National Air and Space Museum, within their Maryland facility. Martin

Hi gents, I’m currently building the Kitty Hawk 1/48 RF-101C Voodoo (a smooth and pleasant ride despite what’s being said on certain forums). My intention is to do an Vietnam-era replica with one of the early test camouflage. During my research, I noticed that Voodoo of that theater often carry a different kind of aux tanks, slimmer and longer than their European counterparts. Since the RF-101s in Vietnam originally were based in Japan, were these long tanks associated with their base in Japan ( just like the Misawa tanks on the F-86 during the Korean War?) What do you Voodoo fans, think? Thank you for your input. Cheers, Quang

Hi all, As I am getting through my build of this machine reasonably quickly I need to start thinking about markings and the decals to draw/produce. THis machine carried two as far as I can see but the subject is not a specialism of mine sso I'd appreciate your thoughts on what these two are. Firstly the machine: then specifically the two I need: 1) under the canopy and 2) on the nose. Thanks a lot. Martin

I say chaps, what a Wizard wheeze! Check out Mr Holte's alarmingly lovely 1/72 Voodoo camera bird at Cybermodeler Online today -and look at the red widget on his scalpel handle in the second pic...jolly good idea, eh?! Now where can I get my feelthy hands on some...? eBay and Amazon come up empty, despite using various search terms. Am I missing summat? (Usually, YES, and it's probably blindingly obvious...)