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N.A. FJ-1 Fury, Valom 1/72...Finished!!


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Why build this? Basically it’s @Sabrejet fault because he asked 'why there were so few builds of the FJ-2, FJ-3 Furies' after all the hullabaloo, and my eyes got drawn towards the stash. Not a FJ-2 or -3 or a -3M but this:

IMG_7960.jpg

 

IMG_7957.jpg

The plastic sprue was virtually  free of any flash, had fine engraved panel lines and exquisite recessed riveting, I only hope I can keep the paint layers fine enough to see this detail.

 

IMG_7958.jpg

The PE is for the cockpit detail and parts of the undercarriage, and looks pretty good. The resin parts are the intake/ front wheel well combo, main wheel wells, wheels, undercarriage and other little bits. Glasing options are for both open and shut canopies.

 

IMG_7959.jpg

Decals are for two NARW aircraft and look quite good, time will tell.

 

After seeing what some of you guys do, I thought I’d get a feel for the kits accuracy and downloaded some drawings for the FJ-1 and scaled them down.

 

IMG_7956.jpg

As we can see, the fuselage comes out as being 2mm short but everything of importance seems to be in the right place.

 

IMG_7963.jpg

 

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All look good to me, well chuffed.

Not sure when the next update will be as I need to get some US Navy paints.

 

Thanks for looking.

Stuart

 

 

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23 hours ago, Courageous said:

As we can see, the fuselage comes out as being 2mm short but everything of importance seems to be in the right place

As have found out a Russian forum:
http://scalemodels.ru/articles/7341-obzor-Valom-1-72-FJ-1-Fury.html
These missing 2 mm very silly and annoying mistake Valom. They have incorrectly made a tail cone:

1398439425_72075-tail-comp.jpg

http://scalemodels.ru/modules/myarticles/img_7341_1398439425_72075-tail-comp.jpg.html

B.R.

Serge

Edited by Aardvark
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Just a little update in between other builds and stuff.

Like most model aircraft builds, one starts with the cockpit.

 

FJ1_IP.jpg

Here we have the instrument panel made of 3 parts; PE front, acetate dials layer and a plastic backing. The front of the i/p was painted black, the back of the acetate was painted white and it was all glued together using Clearfix. To my eyes, this i/p looks pretty neat.

Until next time.

Stuart

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4 minutes ago, Courageous said:

Just a little update in between other builds and stuff.

Like most model aircraft builds, one starts with the cockpit.

 

FJ1_IP.jpg

Here we have the instrument panel made of 3 parts; PE front, acetate dials layer and a plastic backing. The front of the i/p was painted black, the back of the acetate was painted white and it was all glued together using Clearfix. To my eyes, this i/p looks pretty neat.

Until next time.

Stuart

Wow, that panel in 1/72 is fantastic. I think I'm going to enjoy this build.........

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Another little update on the FJ-1.

 

FJ1_Cockpit_2.jpg

Here we have the tub all built-up using kit plastic and PE parts. Some extra detail was added in the shape of a couple of extra levers and a handle for the oxygen bottle. The jury is still out as to what colour the cockpit should be. The general consensus is that that they started life painted in Interior Green and changed to a dark Grey some years later. I decided to go down the green route albeit an RAF shade and not US ( it's all had handy) and the whole lot had a wash.

 

FJ1_Cockpit_1.jpg

Tub fitted to the starboard fuselage. You may be wondering where is the i/p? It is fitted to the front coaming...and that is fitted later.

Next is the preparing of the intake/ nose wheel bay and the exhaust before we can 'close-up'.

Thanks for looking.

 

Stuart

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  • 2 weeks later...

Their should've been an update during the week but unfortunately the photos got lost in transit :shrug:. Anyway, the intake was glued in with no problems and hopefully left enough space to pack in enough lead weight to keep the nose down. Wasn't happy with exhaust, too short, so it was replaced with a length a brass tubing. Then, it was all buttoned-up. The resin wheel bays were inserted onto the lower wing and the upper wing was added.

 

IMG_7997.jpg

Wings now cemented along the upper wing fuselage join only as the dihedral wasn't right, and allowed to semi-dry.

 

IMG_7999.jpg

After a little glue drying time she was flipped over and shims added between lower wing and fuselage to achieve a decent dihedral.

 

IMG_8001.jpg

Front view with an acceptable  dihedral.

Time to tidy, fill and sand the wing joins before moving onto tail section.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Stuart

 

 

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The detail does look very good.

FJ1_Wing.jpg

The riveting detail is really fine and I feel it's going to be lost unless I'm very careful.

 

The panel lines line up nicely on top but are slightly off underneath, what the eyes don't see...

 

Stuart

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  • 3 weeks later...

Has been a while since the last update, too much other stuff grabbing my time. Anyway, here is the latest installment.

IMG_8007.jpg

 

IMG_8008.jpg

 

IMG_8009.jpg

Wingroots filled and sanded, still a little more that needs doing.

 

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Tail section sorted

 

IMG_8011.jpg

Rear view.

 

Next stop is fitting the windscreen and hopefully it won't need too much blending in. Shouldn't be long for some primer too.

 

Stuart

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On 3/6/2018 at 2:34 PM, Terry1954 said:

Wow, that panel in 1/72 is fantastic. I think I'm going to enjoy this build.........

The photography is fantastic, but its not very often that you see a 72nd scale instrument panel that looks that good.

 

-d-

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Its funny- Valom does a meticulous job at surface detail and instrument panels, and then they're asleep at the switch at handling something like a one piece inlet on the front end, to avoid sanding and filling a nasty seam on what should be a more or less perfectly round hole.

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David- Thanks. Nothing fancy with the photography I'm afraid; focus on subject without getting too close so that you maintain depth-of-field, then crop in. As far as the Valom kit goes...:shrug:. The surface detail is there, lovely IP, cockpit with its PE, undercarriage is nicely detailed, wheel bays look nice but the basic things like wing mounting and intake is pants. But we battle on and do what we can with what we've got.

 

Stuart

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Massimo my friend, how have I managed to drag you away from your Bucc!

I don't think I'll be employing those 'camouflage' stripes on this build, think I'm going do one of the Bendix Trophy aircraft, hopefully fitted with the enlarged tip tanks. It will look different to other FJ-1's, not that you see many FJ-1's at the shows.

 

Stuart

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi all,

Looks like Postimage is having problem so I'm not able to post images for you, hopefully later. The front screen has been fitted and a little ppp was used to blend it in. The FJ-1 was given a blast of primer to show up the flaws, needless to say it show a few but no 'biggys' except for the intake. More filler, sanding, filler, and now dries before hopefully the last sand. Fortunately, the primer doesn't seem to be impacting on the rivet detail. Whilst the filler hardens, I've cracked on with preparing the undercarriage and doors and encountered a little problem. When removing the front oleo from sprue, it broke, sending the lower yoke somewhere :swear:. Fortunately, I had a spare front oleo from a Sabre that was hacked to get the yoke...now where does it fit. Remnants of the original part says that it's fitted to the bottom of the oleo but images show it fitted to some 'cylinder' assembly mounted on the front oleo...where? If it's to a bottom of 'a' cylinder which one? :hmmm:

 

Stuart

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Hello @Courageous ... I Found this photo online. Its location is at the Smithsonian museum. 30M0DBS.jpg

I hope this helps you. 

 

Dennis

 

🔺 - The rights of the original photographer are still his. Im just reposting it for informational use only.  

Edited by Corsairfoxfouruncle
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Thanks for getting back Dennis.

It was images like this that alerted me to the part being wrong and needed correcting. After a lot of trawling I came to the conclusion that it wasn't to far off that of the FJ-2, so that's what I've done.

 

Stuart

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Well, after 'faffing' about re-linking a number of my images after Postimage gave me headache, I'm able to give you a little update. With the air-frame being ready for primer, parts needed to prepared before priming. Life was not easy as the plastic was quite hard. 

 

IMG_8045.jpg

First I tackled the main undercarriage parts and it was a PITA, Parts 31 & 32 were almost a solid lump and took a lot of care to clean using very drills and very sharp pointy blades but I got their in the end.

 

IMG_8044.jpg

Next it was the front leg assy and as we can see here, lots of parts for the front leg, a recipe for some sort of disaster. First off was resin part R5 was in tiny bits and was duly replaced with a strip of PE with holes put in it. Remember me saying the plastic was hard, well it was and brittle too and part 33, the front leg broke in half and the half-yoke went skyward, never to be seen again. This a blessing in disguise as the half-yoke doesn't fit onto the oleo, it fits onto the bottom of part 35 (thanks @Sabrejet)

 

IMG_8043.jpg

And here, everything (well almost everything) is cleaned, primed and ready for some paint but not yet. Why...wingtip tanks! The kit does come with the tanks and they are built but I think I'll be going down the Bendix Trophy route... and they have larger tanks.

 

40500725062_f015e51629_b.jpg

 This photo from my 'discussion' thread shows the difference in size, an increase from 170 US gal. to 290 US gal. So using Tailspins drawing here, I'll get some 3D prints done, failing that, I'll 'doctor' the kit tanks.

 

Until next time.

 

Stuart

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  • 2 weeks later...

Update time.

Well, my mate pulled the rabbit out of the hat and delivered the 3d printed Bendix tanks.

 

IMG_8046.jpg

Here they are, 4 wing-tip tanks, 2 for the build and 2 spare. The size difference between the smaller standard tank and the Bendix tank can be seen here, albeit the larger tanks are slightly oversize to allow for sanding.

 

IMG_8047.jpg

In the raw state it, the quality of the tanks wasn't very clear so a blast of primer was applied. One can easily see the 3d side of things that will need some attention from my new SIHRSC tool, filler and sanding. The horizontal weld seem needs to go as it's way over size.

 

IMG_8048.jpg

The file saw action and took a lot of the ridges out before filler was applied and sanded. Although not perfect yet, it will need another round of filler/ sanding.

 

Stuart

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Courageous,

 

What can I say? Crackerjack job on the FJ-1! Best one I have seen in the scale so far. Can't wait to see the finished project. Sabrejet will be proud of what you have done so far, and I think Tailspin Turtle will be impressed with your Bendix race tanks, too! Well done!

Mike

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7 hours ago, Terry1954 said:

Lovely bit of 3D modelling meets fine scale modelling. I do like the way you have refined that tank.

Cheers Terry. The tank started off as more an experimental exercise as I didn't know it's qualities for working.It's quite hard and had to use a file to start off with. Now it's at this stage, I can apply filler and sand with say 600 sandpaper knowing that I won't be taking anymore 'print' away. Get this one done and we'll start on the second tank.

7 hours ago, 72modeler said:

What can I say? Crackerjack job on the FJ-1! Best one I have seen in the scale so far. Can't wait to see the finished project. Sabrejet will be proud of what you have done so far, and I think Tailspin Turtle will be impressed with your Bendix race tanks, too! Well done!

Cheers Mike. The build has been ok so far, with the exception of locating/ fitting the main wings. Fortunately, I haven't lost too much in the detail which is quite fine and I think with the Bendix tanks fitted will look rather unique.

 

What I've got to decide is how to mount the tanks; cut slots in the tanks or cut tips off the wings and fit pins? We'll see soon enough.

 

Stuart

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On 4/15/2018 at 3:47 PM, Courageous said:

 

The kit does come with the tanks and they are built but I think I'll be going down the Bendix Trophy route... and they have larger tank

 

40500725062_f015e51629_b.jpg

 This photo from my 'discussion' thread shows the difference in size, an increase from 170 US gal. to 290 US gal. So using Tailspins drawing here, I'll get some 3D prints done, failing that, I'll 'doctor' the kit tanks.

 

Until next time.

 

Stuart

That Tailspin link actually goes to my FJ-1 canopy post. The Bendix tank post is here: http://tailhooktopics.blogspot.com/2018/03/fj-1-tip-tanks-1948-bendix-race.html

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