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Grumman F8F1 Bearcat, 1/72 Frog (conv)


JWM

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Hi,

Continuing content of my shelves (now with US airplanes) - Grumman Bearcat (F8F1). This was an airplane which was already in fighter units in July or August 1945 on Faer East but did not took part in WWII, as far as I know it, at least (please correct me if I am wrong).

My model is F8F1 converted from Frog (original, not Novo, 1/72) kit. The difference of early variants was in armament, so I had to remove bulbs on wings. I made it in 1993 - for sure it has low tail, but I am sure, if I cut it or the Frog kit has already low tail...The Monogram one had higher tail.

The markings are of airplane of VF18 USS Langley (CV4) , August 1945 in Pacific.

Photos are taken in two sessions, much bright colour is when flesh was used.

Comments welcome

Regards

Jerzy-Wojtek

f8f DSC03228f8f DSC03227f8f DSC03226f8f DSC03224f8f DSC03223f8f DSC03222f8f1 DSC03204f8f1 DSC03202f8f1 DSC03201f8f1 DSC03200f8f1 DSC03199

 

Edited by JWM
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Hi Jerzy!!!!

its a pleassure to find an Old friend here!!!

I have build one with Blue Angels markings a very verylong time ago, I think it was in 1979-1980, and gave it as agift to a friend; and sometime ago, another friend gave me one very bad built to try to recover the remains or salvage parts source, but i elected the first choice because the guy who gave it to me died many years ago and I wish to try my hand rejuvenating the remains. Also, bought a new one, Frog, not the Novo rendition tooo as I don't remember some particular things of the plane to try, and had a nice offer at Ebay for the new one...so, now I have 1+1/2 and will try to have 2.

Yours liked me a huge lot, the version with yellow numbers looks very wonderful, and hope to succed in my intent and have "At least a 50%-nicer-as-yours" build. I have seen you have removed the wing armament bulges, so i think you did the 0.50 Cal gun variant as the longer barrels protruding from the wing are 20 mm Cannons. Nice variant, nice job and wonderful finish!!!

Thank you very much for sharing,

Cheers,

Luis Alfonso

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Hi Jerzy!

Nice Bearcat and one of the few models presented by you that I have in my collection, too. Have the Monogram version with French markings from Indochina. Have a second one in the stash (Revell release) that I plan to build with VNAF insignia in the future.

BTW: Always thought Bearcats came too late for World War 2.

Have a nice weekend

Mario

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Thank you very much Pascal for nice comment and Luis for personal story about your meetings with Frog's Bearcat.

I think the proper name of this early variant with 12.7 mm MGs is F8F1a, whereas with canonos it is F8F1b, and with higher tail is F8F2 ...

I made now fast research in the net and likely my old notes are not true. Bearcats were in two US Navy Squadrons (VF 18 and VF 19) since May 1945. However, VF 18 was not on board of USS Langley on VJ-day, but it was still in US. The USS Langley was with Bearcats of VF 19 Squadron on route to operation area in Pacific in August 45 and was returned back to US when war ended.

Another correction is that I made this model in 1996, not 1993, but is is not important at all.

Cheers

Jerzy-Wojtek

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BTW: Always thought Bearcats came too late for World War 2.

Thank you Mario for comments. As I just wrote in my previous post, Bearcats were in two US Navy units, but have not seen combat. So, since I am doing also models of secondliners of WWII this type fits to my collection. I am very glad about this, because I find it very beautiful machine :).

BTW - The Revell one is an old mould, I suppouse? Actually - Frog or Monogram one? On the box it looks like a high tail, so F8F2 - Monogram one.

Cheers

Jerzy-Wojtek

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Hi Jerzy,

both are from the Monogram moulds and have high tails and cannon arnament. Was somewhat disappointed with the choice of markings of the newer Revell release. The old Monogram had decals for France and Thailand. The Thai decals are still in my spares box. Found this type interesting because of its role in Indochina and missions supporting the defenders on Dien Bien Phu.

Cheers,

Mario

Bearcat_zps7eb81ff3.jpg

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Nice French Cat, Mario. Ages ago (40 yrs?) I had in stash the Monogram F8F2 kit also, but with civil decals as a racer duo with P 51 B, I made Mustang but sold the F8F2 kit when I've got the Frog kit, since this was F8F1 - more suitable for my WWII collection....

Cheers

J-W

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If I remember right (I am an old geezer after all) the Monogram kit has a tail that is in-between the short and tall versions, so it's not right for either one. I have the Sword 1:72 Bearcat in my stash, and it includes separate fuselage parts for both the long and short tailed version. Looks right nice in the box!

I think the ultimate Bearcat in 1:72 scale is the new resin kit from Attack Squadron.

Cheers,

Bill

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Hi Friends and Bearcat Fans visiting here!!!!

I have found some 4/5 years ago in the web an article in TAIHOOK who said:

"*The vertical fin of the old Monogram 1/72 F8F kit is exactly halfway between the -1 and -2 in height, so it needs to be cut down by six scale inches for a -1 and increased in height by the same amount for a -2.

You can find interesting things about american naval subjects and in this case about the Bearcat that will be very useful to us here:

http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2010/12/f8f-bearcat-1-vs-2.html

An the very last here:

http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2014/07/f8f-bearcat-wheels-and-wheel-wells.html

I have a very early Monogram white box (without box because this item was lost in the time between 1978 when a girl gave me as a gift, and 2014 when I found this one in my stash and this nice kit has only an US NAVY version with a large B and number 201) as this one here :

http://www.todocoleccion.net/maqueta-monogram-1-72-grumman-f8f-bearcat-1967~x28771236

I have some three/four in my stash to remember this one was one fo my firsts (Also have the very first I did in the "Recovery" box, disassembled but complete.

Thank you vey much for sharing!!!

Cheers,

Luis Alfonso

Edited by Luis Alfonso
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the Monogram kit has a tail that is in-between the short and tall versions, so it's not right for either one.
The vertical fin of the old Monogram 1/72 F8F kit is exactly halfway between the -1 and -2 in height, so it needs to be cut down by six scale inches for a -1 and increased in height by the same amount for a -2.

It looks that it was perhaps very rare variant - F8F1.5 :) :)

Cheers

J-W

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It looks that it was perhaps very rare variant - F8F1.5 :) :)

Cheers

J-W

Thank you for the like of my F-8F1,5 and sorry for turning your WW2 topic into a Monogram Bearcat tail debate :) . Didn´t know about that issue and never recognized on photos. Built the model in 1992 and the only doubts I had were the undercarriage legs, which appear slightly too long for my taste.

Have a nice weekend,

Mario

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Hi Mario,

You are right - the Monogram kit has also problem with too high legs. Perhaps it was not by chance - someone wanted to make the height, what with too short tail needed higher u/c. My joke on F8F1.5 was addressed to your model, please do not mind it.

Another correction of my first post - second USS Langley was CV-17 not CV-4

Cheers

Jerzy-Wojtek

Edited by JWM
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Hi Mario,

You are right - the Monogram kit has also problem with too high legs. Perhaps it was not by chance - someone wanted to make the height, what with too short tail needed higher u/c. My joke on F8F1.5 was addressed to your model, please do not mind it.

Another correction of my first post - second USS Langley was CV-17 not CV-4

Cheers

Jerzy-Wojtek

Now,I have dreamed about having a coffee or a beer with both of you, sure this experience will be one of the very best in anyone's life: Interesting, full of nice things to remember and like an endless marathon...sure UNIQUE!!!!!!

Thank you very much for being so nice and wondeful persons!!!

Luis Alfonso

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Very nice, built a Monogram about 30 years ago with some post war Microscale markings as it was an interesting little aeroplane. Not sure what happened to it, but no lost.

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Thank you for adding me to your friends´ list, Jerzy!

Had the same in mind for today!

Nice Sunday once again

Mario

GREAT things as fin a good friend are one of the trade mark products of God's hand, the only thing we can do is looking for the opportunity of find the chances interacting and to do what we have to do:seize it!!!!

Have a good Sunday, happy modeling and a wonderful week plenty of success!!!!

Cheers,

Luis Alfonso

Edited by Luis Alfonso
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JWM, on 15 Jan 2015 - 11:46 PM, said:

The markings are of airplane of VF18 USS Langley (CV4) , August 1945 in Pacific.

JWM, on 18 Jan 2015 - 12:00 AM, said:

Another correction of my first post - second USS Langley was CV-17 not CV-4

Frankly speaking CV-4 was a pre-war (770 ft long/18.000 ton) USS Ranger, the first USS Langley was CV-1 (as the very first USN carrier), CV-17 was USS Bunker Hill (an Essex-class "full-size" carrier), while the second USS Langley was the Casablanca-class light carrier CVL-27 (620 ft long/11.000 ton), transferred to France in 1951, where she became R96 LaFayette.

Edited by KRK4m
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Frankly speaking CV-4 was a pre-war (770 ft long/18.000 ton) USS Ranger, the first USS Langley was CV-1 (as the very first USN carrier), CV-17 was USS Bunker Hill (an Essex-class "full-size" carrier), while the second USS Langley was the Casablanca-class light carrier CVL-27 (620 ft long/11.000 ton), transferred to France in 1951, where she became R96 LaFayette.

Thank you Mike for corrections :) I am glad that you are are back on BM!

J-W

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Thank you very much Pascal for nice comment and Luis for personal story about your meetings with Frog's Bearcat.

I think the proper name of this early variant with 12.7 mm MGs is F8F1a, whereas with canonos it is F8F1b, and with higher tail is F8F2 ...

I made now fast research in the net and likely my old notes are not true. Bearcats were in two US Navy Squadrons (VF 18 and VF 19) since May 1945. However, VF 18 was not on board of USS Langley on VJ-day, but it was still in US. The USS Langley was with Bearcats of VF 19 Squadron on route to operation area in Pacific in August 45 and was returned back to US when war ended.

Another correction is that I made this model in 1996, not 1993, but is is not important at all.

Cheers

Jerzy-Wojtek

Actually there was no F8F-1a and the 0.5 in Browning-armed variant was called simply F8F-1.

Whole Bearcat production included: 2 XF8F-1 prototypes, 658 F8F-1 (4 MGs), 226 F8F-1B (4 cannon), 12 F8F1-N (night fighters), 293 F8F-2, 12 F8F-2N, 60 F8F-2P (recce) and two civil G-58s.

AFAIK on the VJ-day three USN squadrons (VF-18, VF-19 and VBF-18) were operational on F8F-1. Both "eighteens" were still at NAS North Island (San Diego), but VF-19 left them on 16th August as deck cargo of CVL-27 Langley, arriving at Oahu, Hawaii on 19th August. Some authors claim that during following two weeks the Bearcats of VF-19 maintained armed patrols over the archipelago, once I have even read that CVL-27 had left Oahu, taking Bearcats to Tokyo Bay, but in my opinion it's pure fiction.

Surely (photos exist) in 1945 there were F8F-1s at Carrier Aircraft Service Unit Kahului and on the deck of CVE-58 Corregidor (perhaps deck trials for using the Bearcat from the 500 ft-long escort carriers). After Japanese surrender in September 1945 both VF-18 and VBF-18 left San Diego on CV-4 Ranger, steaming to New Orleans. From there the VBF-18 aircraft were flown to NAS Quonset Point, Rhode Island.

The same month VF-19 operated on West Pacific from the deck of CV-12 Hornet.

I will be very grateful for anybody able to correct (maybe I'm wrong) or add anything to the 1945-usage of Bearcat.

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The Ginter volume on the F8F Bearcat says this about VF-19:

"On August 2, 1945, Air Group 19 boarded the USS Langley (CVL-27) for departure to Pearl Harbor. Arriving at Ford Island on August 8, the squadron ferried its 37 Bearcats to Kahalui, Maui, on August 9. On August 24, 27 pilots conducted carrier refresher training on the Langley. More carrier training was done on August 28-30 aboard USS Corregidor (CVE-58)." In September, VF-19 was aboard USS Boxer (CV-21) and in October aboard USS Hornet (CV-12). No comments at all about taking Bearcats to Tokyo Bay!

The book confirms that VF-18 was at San Diego in August, and states that VF-18 was on board USS Ranger in September and October 1945.

The book is not clear where VBF-18 was in 1945 other than a comment about a forced landing in December 1945 at Pendelton Hill, RI.

Cheers,

Bill

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Thank you Navy Bird and KRK4M for enlightning us to the very end how it was in fact :) Anyway - it is iteresting that such good construction was introduced slowly to the combat, despite the urgencies of times.

Cheers

J-W

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