FJ-4 Fury, with stripes and stars

[Christer A]

Why fight the inevitable? Every time I finish a kit I need to start a new one, no matter how many I have at the go at the moment.

Serial kitstarter, thats me!

This time I choose a subject a which will not have RAF roundels, nor a propeller. Almost scary!

Why not some US Navy stuff from the fifties?

White bellies, lovely rounded shapes and more often than not underpowered engines. Sounds a little bit like FAA

Lets start with the obligatory shot of the box, complete with a quite bad painting:

I got this used, and it included a little resin bangseat. No Idea who made it or anything, but it looks better than the kit item.

Since this will be a relaxed build, that's the amount of aftermarket stuff I'll use. If need be, I'll scratch it.

Anyway, I really liked option 2 with the nice blue stripe.

The markings are for a FJ-4, but the kit itself is a FJ-4B so there is an abundance of Bullpup missiles and air brakes which will not be needed.

Also, all the nice detail in the airbrakes are fictional so I'll close them.

Not to easy to get a decent fit, but some plastic strips should get the brakes to the correct height.

The small scoops on top of the fuselage should apparently be sanded down but I missed that, and will happily ignore it going forward.

The wing and the undercarriage bay was not a big challenge to fit together at least.

Rig

Time to sort out that intake and a few other parts.

//C

[Oriskany]

Hi Christer

Nice subject on your workbench!

As you said, HB made some confusion with designation in both their Fury kits...

For a FJ-4, also refuelling probe below left wing will not be needed.
Cheers

D.

[FIGHTS ON]

another follower for this thread here - like you I am terrible for starting kits, but sopping at the 90% point. I have 2 of these on the go at the moment (althoug my excuse is that I am "away" for 6+ months working for "the Andrew". My surprise is how big they are, for some reason I was expecting something smaller. I intend painting one in the Engine Grey/yellow wings and the other with Hi viz orange wing tips etc.

Haven't started painting, but found the build fairly straight forward and detail really good.

Keep the posts coming, if only so we can all nag you if you get tempted to abandon progress & start yet another kit!!

[Christer A]

Oh, 2 Furys on the go and the promises of nagging if I stop working on this!

Good good.

Some small progress report for today then:

I filled the inner pylon attachment points on the wings, and also the ones for the refuelling probe using dissolved sprue and some evergreen stock.

The I just HAD to test the white Ultimate Primer on it, to see if it's possible to sand without everything flaking off.

That seems to work just fine!

One extra coat needed to get rid of those injector pin marks, but it looks very nice anyway.

Funny thing, currently at my day job I keep adding injector pin locations to perfectly fine CAD-models of flywheel housings to truck engines...

[Christer A]

Time to do some scratch-building for once.

The upper deck behind the ejector seat is quite bare.

There should be some kind of hood retraction mechanism there and other assorted stuff.
I took some lead wire and plastic strip to make this:

And a small shelf for the electric motor which drags the canopy away. (I'm just guessing here I have no clue of what this stuff is)

I remembered to check if the canopy still fits!


That should be sufficient for a closed cockpit don't you think?

[Christer A]

Another weekend, and another update.

First lets start with an experiment.

Somewhere on the intertubes I saw a Fury with some amazingly beaten up tanks. They were dented, and chipped like there was no tomorrow.

That's the look I want on my tanks as well I thought!
P1040682 by Christer Andersson, on Flickr
There are no details at all on those tanks, so they look quite boring. I started to file a few dents and then smooth it out with wet'n'dry. This is the look after primer.
IMG_20160917_081250685 by Christer Andersson, on Flickr
After that is was time for Vallejo Semi mat aluminium and Heavy Chipping Fluid from Mig. I could've used hairspray I think, but I had money to burn so why not test this stuff? After all, those MiG/Ammo books "Encyclopedia of Aircraft modelling Techniques" makes it look so simple....

 

I then shot some Tamiya white, le it sit and harden for a while before starting to chip away with a toothpick.

To long time had probably lapsed between the application of chipping fluid and when I started to paint the top coat. Duly noted until next time.

This was the result:
P1040690 by Christer Andersson, on Flickr
Pretty nice actually!

But it will be remade....since the basic paint work is shoddy, and I forgot to add a clearcoat on top of the metal, some some chipping actually went all the way through to the primer coat.

 

But all is not experimentations!

I have actually started to paint some stuff...
IMG_20160917_081219775 by Christer Andersson, on Flickr
Removed an ejector pin mark in the cockpit
P1040683 by Christer Andersson, on Flickr
And painted the interior Dark Gull gray.
IMG_20160917_083520610 by Christer Andersson, on Flickr
Well that turned out according to plan. Now, time to do something about that bare instrumentpanel.

Edited February 25, 2018 by Christer A
Pictures moved to Flickr

[Christer A]

Time for a regular update, without experimentation

The instrument panel wins no prizes for great detailing, that's for sure.
P1040691 by Christer Andersson, on Flickr
It was spruced up with some random cockpit instrument decals from here and there, hopefully it will be buried deep enough so that it wont stand out that much.
P1040695 by Christer Andersson, on Flickr
That should do it for a closed canopy I hope.

Note to self: do not forget that steering column or the bang seat...

At the last minute I decided to drill out the cannons and add a representation of barrels with 0,75mm plastic rod.
P1040697 by Christer Andersson, on Flickr
Airbrakes were installed to, but it will take some effort to blend in nicely
P1040698 by Christer Andersson, on Flickr
Not so much of a relaxing build any longer.

Oops.

Edited February 25, 2018 by Christer A
Photos moved to Flickr

[alxzinbox]

Nice detailing on the cockpit. The chipping on the tanks looks great already. I'm guessing ver 2.0 will be better still!

 

Cheers!

[Christer A]

Thanks alxznibox!

I haven't restarted the tanks yet, but that will come shortly I hope.

What I have been doing is this:

P1040704 by Christer Andersson, on Flickr
Noseweight installed, together with nosegear bay, air inlet and cockpit.

I've checked that I have enough noseweight but there is room for more if I need it. On the other hand, I almost drained my stock of fishing weights...Tailheave bugger!

No going back after that, so time to join the fuselage together and be happy.
P1040706 by Christer Andersson, on Flickr
Since I'm doing a FJ-4 and not a FJ-4B, the extra airbrake here must be removed.
P1040707 by Christer Andersson, on Flickr

P1040708 by Christer Andersson, on Flickr

A little sanding and it's gone!

Now, time to reinstate some panel lines (which I totally lack any skill for), add parts here and there and generally clean up the major seams before joining the wing.

 

The hard part will of course be to resist the temptation to get the wing in place ASAP.

But I've a strong will and cannot be so easily turned.

Or so I like to think....

Edited February 25, 2018 by Christer A
Photos moved to Flickr

[jean]

Hi Christer,

 

that was a great-looking plane... Nostalgia is a terrible thing.

Your build is looking real good and you are doing just enough to make this model special, without getting bogged down (that's my specialty):

I really believe your next move should be to get the wing in place... 

 

Have fun!

JR

[treker_ed]

The main undercarriage doors are always closed when on the ground.; They only open when cycling through on takeoff for the gear being raised.

 

I found this out a bit late in my build and then had to retrospectively fill and sand to blend them in.

 

Hopefully these pics taken of the F4J Fury on-board the USS Intrepid will show what I mean

[Christer A]

9 hours ago, jean said:

Hi Christer,

 

that was a great-looking plane... Nostalgia is a terrible thing.

Your build is looking real good and you are doing just enough to make this model special, without getting bogged down (that's my specialty):

I really believe your next move should be to get the wing in place... 

 

Have fun!

JR

Thank JR.

I'm trying to keep it simple and not add to much stuff, but I'm slipping all the time.

I've resisted the temptation with the wings for 26 hours now, so MAYBE I'm in the clear now...

 

9 hours ago, treker_ed said:

The main undercarriage doors are always closed when on the ground.; They only open when cycling through on takeoff for the gear being raised.

 

I found this out a bit late in my build and then had to retrospectively fill and sand to blend them in.

 

Hopefully these pics taken of the F4J Fury on-board the USS Intrepid will show what I mean

 

(pictures deleted to save posting space)

 

Thanks for the pictures, treker_ed. I do believe they're showing an FJ-2/3 and not a FJ-4 though.

Rest assured, I will close the main doors, since I do not want to extra detail the bays :-)

[Christer A]

A tiny update wouldn't go amiss, would it?

The very small rudder was installed. Apparently it's not supposed to be painted white, but gull grey. Strange, but all pictorial evidence supports this.
P1040709 by Christer Andersson, on Flickr
The spine received a a little drilling out for a vent of some kind.
P1040710 by Christer Andersson, on Flickr
Then I discovered the first oops in this build. The air intake didn't match properly to the lip.

No way to go about it, time for brute force.
P1040712 by Christer Andersson, on Flickr
Unfortunately, the nose fuselage joint broke up in the process, but that should be possible to sort out quite easily.

 

The hook and it's assorted bay was installed.
P1040718 by Christer Andersson, on Flickr

The loose parts could be used for a deployed hook, but they fit poorly in the closed position.

 

See? Still no wing in place

Edited February 25, 2018 by Christer A
Pictures moved to Flickr

[Tailspin Turtle]

When the Navy switched from overall blue to gray/white in 1955, the rudder was to be painted gray, not white like the elevators and ailerons (white minimized the thermal effect of a nuclear explosion on the thin-skinned control surface and it was thought that the rudder would not be as susceptible, being tail on to it). Extending white to the rudder was formally introduced in December 1961. However, some rudders had already become white before that, particularly on aircraft that might be assigned to deliver a nuclear weapon.

[Christer A]

So the protection from a nuclear flash was the reason for painting the control surfaced white, and not just for the smart look. Thanks for the info, I did not know this. 😀

[FIGHTS ON]

2 hours ago, Christer A said:

So the protection from a nuclear flash was the reason for painting the control surfaced white, and not just for the smart look. Thanks for the info, I did not know this. 😀

May I recommend an easy read called "Carrying a nuke to Sevastopol" - a series of short accounts written by USN pilots from the mid to late 50's, some quite humorous, on "that" mission they practiced for and other issues of flying off CVs in those days - as the title suggests, the humour required to fly an A-1 all the way from the Med to the Crimea, toss in a nuke, and hope that the white control surfaces would do their job (probably whilst the slow skyraider was still in the pull thru!)

 

Christa A - I am pretty certain with this kit, that the nose intake will close the gaps you are worried about. The "hole" at the front of the jet is quite small, when I made this kit, the fit was good. A real gem of a build, and these go quite cheap on ebay. 

[Christer A]

Fights_on, the problem was that the lip and intake didn't meet properly. Since the intake was angled a little too much upwards it left a step towards the lip, but it's all sorted now.

If I ever run across that book, I'll be sure to buy it. Sounds like my cup of tea...

tried to

Here's tank job #2
P1040733 by Christer Andersson, on Flickr
I'm not a friend with this Ammo chipping fluid stuff, since it still eats down to the primer (or worse)

Nothing to do but to strip it again I guess...

Next time I'll use ordinary hair spray!

 

Ok, I've smoothed all stuff on the fuselage, tried to make a few lines by scribing, so there's really nothing left but to get that gigantic wing in place.

P1040724 by Christer Andersson, on FlickrP1040725 by Christer Andersson, on Flickr
But those gaps are no fun. Out with the spacers!
P1040726 by Christer Andersson, on Flickr

Let's see:
P1040727 by Christer Andersson, on Flickr
P1040728 by Christer Andersson, on Flickr
Looks good enough, so glue it and move on.
I just add some Perfect plastic putty in the small gap that's left and call it a day.
P1040730 by Christer Andersson, on Flickr

Seems like there's a chance to add some primer soon...

Edited February 25, 2018 by Christer A
Pictures moved to Flickr

[Christer A]

Easily distracted? Me?

I had some primer loaded in the airbrush recently and finally primed this little bugger

Time to check over all seams and fix the stabilizers in place. They might require some putty...

 

I had thought to install the landing lights in the lower intake lip, but it turned out bad so I just painted over it all.

Sorry.

 

Just noticed it was time to do some spring cleaning of my airbrushes.

Lots of cotton swabs and paper tissue later.

Painting should hopefully go much smoother now!

 

All pictures in the thread are also back (thanks photobucket!)

 

 

[Christer A]

Finally there's been some progress here!

White has been painted using MrPaint.

That didn't sit too well with the family due to the smell, but one has to try, right?

Time to mask it up, and get those tail surfaces in place. It looks lika that joint could be full of gaps!

[Courageous]

3 hours ago, Christer A said:

That didn't sit too well with the family due to the smell, but one has to try, right?

Every modeler should have their OWN cave, no complaints about smell then.

[Christer A]

Couldn't agree more.

I had a quite good cave in our house, but we sold that two years ago to move to a coastal city and a new built 4-room apartment instead.

Gardening, housekeeping and all house-fixing stuff were slowly driving us to a divorce, and that is no fun.

Still, we're slowly starting to think about building a house again...

[Christer A]

Despite all Sea Vixen related things that I should do, I got distracted by another naval thing.

It's just a simple lite maskjob, that's all...

But then I just got carried away and shot a few cups of Gunze FS 16440 in the generel direction of the plastic.

Gosh!

It's so shiny!

 

The keen eyed notices a complete lack of preshading, which is true. I'll go for a light postshade instead, and then sort out the rest of the modulations during the weathering stage.

A cunning plan I hope!

l

Edited June 23, 2018 by Christer A
wrong language :-)

[Azgaron]

Very nice work so far Christer! Looking good!

 

Håkan

 

[CJP]

Nice progress Christer - I find the Navy jets from this era are quite interesting

CJP

[Christer A]

Thanks guys!

No progress at all on sunday due to a small trip to Anten-Gräfsnäs, which is a small living museum with a narrow track railroad.

How can one resist the smell of steam locomotives?