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Eagles Talon 1/48 F-86D Vac Kit Instructions - Help, please!


rbeach84

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Hi, All! Last month at the annual IPMS Richmond, VA show, the Old Dominion Open, I came across the subject kit for tiny money.  Pre-Revell kit, this was a long-sought after kit for me and so I took it on for curiosity's sake.  It seemed essentially complete with the metal landing gear and resin detail 'bits'  but lacked instructions.  Turns out, with the large number of formed bulkheads and other vac pieces, the instructions would actually be helpful - in spite of my usual "I don't need no stinkin' instructions" mentality.

So, to point: might any of you gentle Forum members be able to help?

Thank you kindly - Robert.

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I can! (have them somewhere): give me a day or hopefully less...

 

Nice kit by the way but the canopy is a bit too 'tall' (can be rectified) and the nose too pointy: I never did get the last part correct.

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Well I had a first dredge through the garage and so far no instructions (I'll have another look tomorrow). However I did find the model - which is a kind of start!

 

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Colour scheme is 514th FIS at RAF Manston, UK circa 1956 and the scheme chosen because it's one of the few Dogs I'd seen with black anti-dazzle. Aircraft was the mount of 1Lt Milt Torres, who I've known for many years. It also wears the anti-corrosive black underside. At least that's how it looked probably 25 years ago! This is what I found in the garage: time hasn't been too kind.

 

dd7d1c644b6c6bc38381dab31b534118_85f.jpg

 

The underside has faired a bit better...

 

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4

 

It's a good kit but you can see what I mean about the nose. I'll keep looking tomorrow.

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Thanks for looking for it, Sabrejet!  Nicely done on your build!  Being neck-deep in the kit, I appreciate your results.  I hope I can have mine turn out half as well.

Regards, Robert

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Well I have hunted high and low and found everything BUT the instructions: advertising blurb, a few resin and PE bits I didn't use - even the 1992 invoice direct from ET but no instructions!!!!

 

If you're not in a hurry I will keep looking because I know I still have them - it's just trying to think where I've seen them.

 

Apologies in the meantime. 

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I see what you mean about the radome, SJ, but it's still a very nice build- the bare metal looks real! I'm pretty sure the filler must be dry by now, if you want to do some touching up- ha! (Maybe you could graft on the radome/intake from an Airfix or Hasegawa D, although trashing a Hasegawa kit just for the proboscis would be a pretty expensive operation!. (Were your ears burning? I was dropping your name the other day on a post regarding the Valom FJ-1)

Mike

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There's a few things I see wrong now (or could do better), and that radome I think could be fixed with a decent sanding-down. If I recall that whole nose section/intake is resin so it should take it. Of course if I could locate the instructions I'd have more of an idea which bits are made of what and what went where....

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Sabrejet, you're correct about the nose it is solid resin.  I sanded the point down but now it appears to be too short so a bit of restoration is needed.  The copy I have didn't have any PE just the resin and metal landing gear.  No decals or of course the instructions, so definitely a labor of love.  New twist is I picked up a copy of the Revell 'Dog' with a F-86K conversion kit at the Northern Virginia (NOVA) show last weekend that will help finishing this model (I hope.) One problem is however I have the Promodeler issue which has the parabrake compartment on the tail and I expect the markings would not be directly applicable unless I correct the Eagles Talon fuselage to the same config. Ah well, not a big deal, I suppose.

(what is going on with this Reply tool!  It keeps closing on me, back and forth, very annoying!)

 

As this is 1/48 scale, I don't think the Airfix or Hasegawa kit will offer much improvement.  I am drafting graphics to use in the scratchbuild of the instrument panel - just takes time!

Thanks again, SJ, for your efforts.  Regards, Robert

F86D-instrument-panel.jpg

Edited by rbeach84
missing words
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That's weird about the metal gear/no decals/no PE: mine definitely had PE and I'm sure decals too (97th FIS?). Can't recall the gear however: mine came from various bits in the spares box + scratch-built. I really need to find those effin instructions!

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  • 5 months later...

Sabrejet, that is great news!  I remained hopeful and as I had to set it aside for a while, the time that passed was of no consequence.  In fact, during the interim, I found a forgotten E.T. 'used' decal sheet I'd forgotten I'd obtained a while ago.  As always, each build is an often unique journey.

I look forward to your scan, at your convenience, of course.

Regards, Robert

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16 hours ago, rbeach84 said:

Sabrejet, that is great news!  I remained hopeful and as I had to set it aside for a while, the time that passed was of no consequence.  In fact, during the interim, I found a forgotten E.T. 'used' decal sheet I'd forgotten I'd obtained a while ago.  As always, each build is an often unique journey.

I look forward to your scan, at your convenience, of course.

Regards, Robert

OK - I'll get on it!

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Thanks for the offer, JH! One thing that takes care is matching the scheme to the airframe.  The kit has a parabrake 'tail' but it looks like the included decals shown in 'Sabrejet's instructions are all for the early version without the parabrake.  I suppose it is possible ET issued two versions of the kit.  Regardless, it isn't too difficult to fix the tail to be with or without the 'chute compartment.  In fact, easier to back-date in my estimation.

Regards, Robert

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