airjiml2 Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 I have been asked to build a Revell Hunter for a Museum display as the Hunter that was (slightly) modified to appear as a Douglas D-558-2 in "The Right Stuff." There isn't much on the net about the aircraft which was an ex-Danish US based civil Hunter. Anyone have any additional photos? I remember there was a photo in an old 1984 issue of Air International, but my copy has disappeared over the years. I'm not quite sure how the nose was modified and what the fuselage and tail markings were. I do have the movie on order, and I can't remember how much of the Hunter was seen on film. Thanks, Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theplasticsurgeon Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 (edited) I've got that DVD out and ready to watch. Don't remember a Hunter lookalike. Can you give any context in what to look for? Edited May 11, 2018 by theplasticsurgeon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huvut76g7gbbui7 Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 There was a Hunter: Three more shots of it in here: http://www.impdb.org/index.php?title=The_Right_Stuff Looks like a Hunter F51 as it has no sawtooth on wing. 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roym Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 (edited) As far as i remember the Hunter/D558 is only on screen for a brief few seconds in a flypast scenario. (Its during the barbeque scene when Cooper burns the sausage as his wife looks on in horror at 'Hot Dog' going up in flames..). The shot of the hunter is head-on so I only know for sure it was painted white and i thought the nose looked more pointed than i expected. Although as I have never seen a Hunter in the flesh head on at below 500ft agl I'm not sure what i should expect. As a slight aside, I remember reading an article in the old Scale Models magazine in the 80s. (It might have even been before it became Scale Models International mag...). It was a build article on I think a vacform Bell X-1 but the author mentioned a book that had "details on all the Right Stuff aircraft in the film". Of course i remember that quote but not the name of the book... Does anyone know it or did i imagine it? Edit; Scimitar beat me to it. I dont have the extended version so I don't remember that shot. Still cant tell about the nose.... Edited May 11, 2018 by roym Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 IIRC there were photos in Air Enthusiast/Air International at the time, showing a concave-pointed nose and pitot probe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huvut76g7gbbui7 Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 A possible candidate? Serial #: - Construction #: - Civil Registration: N72602 Model(s): F Mk. 51 Name: None Status: Airworthy Last info: 2002 History: Delivered to Royal Danish AF as E-403, 19??. Hawker Siddeley Aircraft Ltd, Dunsfold, 1976. Al Letcher & Associates, Mojave, CA, 1977-1985. - Registered as N72602. - Shipped to Mojave, CA. - First flight May 23, 1978. Al Hansen & Ascher Ward, Mojave, CA, 1989-2002. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airjiml2 Posted May 11, 2018 Author Share Posted May 11, 2018 Scimitar, Yep, that is the airplane. Sabrejet, I have the same memory, but no longer have the issue of Air International it was featured in. It appears it was the January 1984 issue. Thanks all, Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilfergylee Posted May 12, 2018 Share Posted May 12, 2018 On 11/05/2018 at 23:06, airjiml2 said: Sabrejet, I have the same memory, but no longer have the issue of Air International it was featured in. It appears it was the January 1984 issue. I might have that edition. Bear with... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hook Posted May 13, 2018 Share Posted May 13, 2018 I definitely have that issue in one of my bound Air International volumes. Cheers, Andre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k5054nz Posted May 14, 2018 Share Posted May 14, 2018 On 5/13/2018 at 8:37 PM, Hook said: I definitely have that issue in one of my bound Air International volumes. As does my local library! That article is how I first learned of the film. I imagine you can access your copy much quicker! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airjiml2 Posted May 14, 2018 Author Share Posted May 14, 2018 If anyone can put their hands on the issue and scan the Hunter photo, I'd really appreciate it! Thanks, Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Bradley Posted May 15, 2018 Share Posted May 15, 2018 (edited) It's volume 26, for those with bound sets. Unfortunately, I don't have that one, but thought the info might help those who want to search for it. The cover features a Japanese C-130H, and the contents are: http://www.magazineexchange.co.uk/air-international-magazine-january-1984-issue.html# Edited May 15, 2018 by Paul Bradley Add'l info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hook Posted May 15, 2018 Share Posted May 15, 2018 19 hours ago, k5054nz said: As does my local library! That article is how I first learned of the film. I imagine you can access your copy much quicker! You, sir, are obviously unaware of my enormous talents regarding creating chaos and scattering stuff around the house. 11 hours ago, airjiml2 said: If anyone can put their hands on the issue and scan the Hunter photo, I'd really appreciate it! I did manage to locate the volume - I can do a scan of the article (three and a half pages) for those interested. Drop me a message with your emails and I'll get around to it later this week. Cheers, Andre 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Bunker Posted May 15, 2018 Share Posted May 15, 2018 It looks like the Hunter has a pointy nose with a nose probe and part of the canopy was painted over so a simple conversion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huvut76g7gbbui7 Posted May 15, 2018 Share Posted May 15, 2018 8 hours ago, Nigel Bunker said: It looks like the Hunter has a pointy nose I haven't seen the pictures in the magazines but if you enlarge the flying shot in the link I posted ,I'm not sure if it did. Open to correction here as always. Granted it is a terrible picture and enlarging it just makes things worse. I also just realised that the other photo is the real thing and not a Hunter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hook Posted May 15, 2018 Share Posted May 15, 2018 10 hours ago, Nigel Bunker said: It looks like the Hunter has a pointy nose with a nose probe and part of the canopy was painted over so a simple conversion. She did, the pic in the article (ooh! tease!) is quite clear. Quote: Quote "Eventually, a privately-owned Hawker Hunter was used as a substitute for the Skyrocket. Suitably modified with a nose probe and painted white with NACA insignia, the Hunter was considered to look sufficiently like the Skyrocket in profile to be acceptable for the flying scenes, which were long shots from the ground." Cheers, Andre 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airjiml2 Posted May 15, 2018 Author Share Posted May 15, 2018 12 hours ago, Hook said: You, sir, are obviously unaware of my enormous talents regarding creating chaos and scattering stuff around the house. I did manage to locate the volume - I can do a scan of the article (three and a half pages) for those interested. Drop me a message with your emails and I'll get around to it later this week. Cheers, Andre Andre, Thank you sir. PM sent! Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airjiml2 Posted May 15, 2018 Author Share Posted May 15, 2018 1 hour ago, Scimitar said: I haven't seen the pictures in the magazines but if you enlarge the flying shot in the link I posted ,I'm not sure if it did. Open to correction here as always. Granted it is a terrible picture and enlarging it just makes things worse. I also just realised that the other photo is the real thing and not a Hunter. My feeling is that for the flying shots it was just a white painted Hunter. For the ground shots the other modifications were added. Jim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hook Posted May 15, 2018 Share Posted May 15, 2018 Incidentally, Tom Wolfe just died. https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/tom-wolfe-right-stuff-author-and-new-journalism-legend-dead-at-87-w520325 Andre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airjiml2 Posted May 15, 2018 Author Share Posted May 15, 2018 (edited) Saw that earlier today. Thanks for posting the RS obit - a magazine to which he was intrinsically linked. I guess I will have to reread the Right Stuff as well as build the Hunter. Jim Edited May 15, 2018 by airjiml2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-FAAWAFU Posted May 16, 2018 Share Posted May 16, 2018 Worth re-reading several other things of his, too - notably “Jousting with SAM and Charlie” (pubpished in his Mauve Gloves & Madmen collection of essays, from memory) - one of the best descriptions of flying from a carrier ever published. A brilliant writer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted May 16, 2018 Share Posted May 16, 2018 1 hour ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said: Worth re-reading several other things of his, too - notably “Jousting with SAM and Charlie” (pubpished in his Mauve Gloves & Madmen collection of essays, from memory) - one of the best descriptions of flying from a carrier ever published. A brilliant writer. I can remember reading that in Esquire magazine when it was first published. It's also in The Purple Decades collection. Regards, Murph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hook Posted June 30, 2018 Share Posted June 30, 2018 Well, miracles do happen - I finally have managed to get off my posterior and scan the Air International article. Who wants it? Cheers, Andre 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre B Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 Concerning Right Stuff, Tom Wolfe, Mercury astronauts, and actors like Sam Shepard and others... Chuck Yeager is still alive! /André Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k5054nz Posted July 2, 2018 Share Posted July 2, 2018 There's some saying like "Only the good die young" - well, maybe just "younger"! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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