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Gutlass Cutlass


Corsairfoxfouruncle

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9 minutes ago, jean said:

Anyway, just have a lot of fun with it! Just a small point: check whether the cockpit should not be dark gull grey? Confusing period, but I cannot recall black. 

I found an unrestored cockpit on @Tailspin Turtle’s website and its black with green control column.
 

http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2012/12/cockpit-confusion.html?m=1

 

I thought it should be grey as well but these probably never served long enough to go through repaints. The plane I'm building still exists in Pennsylvania. It was flown there for an airshow in 1954-55 and just left as the squadron was going to be switching soon and didn't want it back. That actually happened more than once with the Cutlass. The Blue angels were using two for evaluation purposes. Flew to an airshow in Chicago at Glenview Naval Air Station. They deemed the plane so underpowered as to be dangerous, and left one of the two behind as it had mechanical issues.  
 

Dennis

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33 minutes ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

I found an unrestored cockpit on @Tailspin Turtle’s website and its black with green control column.
 

http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2012/12/cockpit-confusion.html?m=1

 

I thought it should be grey as well but these probably never served long enough to go through repaints. The plane I'm building still exists in Pennsylvania. It was flown there for an airshow in 1954-55 and just left as the squadron was going to be switching soon and didn't want it back. That actually happened more than once with the Cutlass. The Blue angels were using two for evaluation purposes. Flew to an airshow in Chicago at Glenview Naval Air Station. They deemed the plane so underpowered as to be dangerous, and left one of the two behind as it had mechanical issues.  
 

Dennis

Hi Dennis,

did you say confusing? Confusing would be good.

This is far worse!!!

 

Stout hearts!

JR.

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Hi Dennis,

 

I stand corrected, mine also says add weight but no mention of how much - must get some new reading glasses. Fujimi say the cockpit sides, tub and rear bulkhead are "H317" which is Tamiya Gray FS36231 and is the same as my EA-6A. I believe that it is Dark Gull Gray. The only things they say are black are the frames of the seat and the bit behind the headrest that sticks out above the fuselage into the canopy. Mine is the "M" version and can be built as either an NMF machine of either VA-83 or VF-86 or a grey/white one used by Air Development Squadron VX-4. The Naval Fighters book also shows the identical VA-86 machine in grey/white. Not sure which I will do.

 

Cheers

 

Pete

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32 minutes ago, PeterB said:

Hi Dennis,

 

I stand corrected, mine also says add weight but no mention of how much - must get some new reading glasses. Fujimi say the cockpit sides, tub and rear bulkhead are "H317" which is Tamiya Gray FS36231 and is the same as my EA-6A. I believe that it is Dark Gull Gray. The only things they say are black are the frames of the seat and the bit behind the headrest that sticks out above the fuselage into the canopy. Mine is the "M" version and can be built as either an NMF machine of either VA-83 or VF-86 or a grey/white one used by Air Development Squadron VX-4. The Naval Fighters book also shows the identical VA-86 machine in grey/white. Not sure which I will do.

 

Cheers

 

Petethis 

Hi Pete,

this is like the proverbial can of worms...

I suspect the cockpit started life in Interior Green before being repainted either dark gull grey or black (?).

Hence the stick being left interior green. I  may be reaching, but it does sound plausible.

Whatever color, none of us should lose sleep over it. Or am I dreaming?

 

Cheers.

JR

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1 hour ago, PeterB said:

I stand corrected, mine also says add weight but no mention of how much

Head slapping time :doh: .. its not in the writing but theres a pictogram showing 1/8 oz weight in the drawings. If so i think I'm good i think i have a 1/4 or more in there. As for markings my decals cover two versions of VF-124 both aluminum and Gull grey/white from 1955/56, VC-3 from 1955, & VX-3 from 1954/55. Mine comes with a Rocket pack mounted centerline and two rocket pods on the inner pylons. Or the option is two drop tanks and no ordnance carried. Mine doesn't allow for the “M’s” outer pylons. Though I don't usually follow the color callouts in instructions as much as I should, I try to use photo’s. My instructions do call for black cockpit, green seat, grey belts, red ejection handles. Interesting they are different from each other ? The fuselage is actually built up on mine now. I just need to figure out a way to gain a strong connection from fuselage to nose assembly, before actually putting glue to plastic. 
ADHbTJN.jpg

 

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Just glued it together while i was checking on it. 

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As you can see in the photo’s 4 & 5, the canopy sliding bit functions. Hopefully the seam turns out strong. It looks like i will need a smidge of filler along the bottom seam. That all depends on how much the Intakes hide. 

 

Dennis

Edited by Corsairfoxfouruncle
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   Hello everyone...Slowly but surely I get closer. I added a few more bits last night intakes, Exhaust fairing and burner cans, and the rocket pack. yHO6Hww.jpg
 

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I will be adding the vertical fins next and then I'm on to sanding, filling, and re-scribing.  Questions comments, and or thoughts ? 

 

Dennis

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Excellent work so far Dennis. I found the vertical fins to be not the best fit and needed filler and sanding but nothing too serious.

 

Cheers Allan 

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Hi Dennis,

 

great job and you are getting there!

The fit of parts would appear to be average. At the time of its first release, this kit got tons of kudos. This goes to show how so much more exigent most of us have become! 

Repeat after me: "Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa!"

 

Keep having fun. Love your work!

 

JR

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1 hour ago, almac said:

Excellent work so far Dennis. I found the vertical fins to be not the best fit and needed filler and sanding but nothing too serious.

 

Cheers Allan 

Agreed they should be good with a little work. Considering I'm angling for the Aluminum finish this really helps. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

       Hello everyone... Sorry for the delay on this it sat on the shelf patiently while i worked on other things. I started sanding this down Friday though and finished up today.
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Ive developed quite a liking for this plane the more I work on it. I think it might’ve had a better service career and life if it had been either a larger single engine or two engines with more power. The design actually does look good with exception of the guppy eye shaped canopy.
    I still need to re-scribe some panel lines, and add the control surfaces. I'm a bit confused on the leading edge slats,  so need to ask anyone I know the red paint mandated later in the 1950’s used for warning on moving surfaces and edges. Does anyone know what color was used before the red ? Interior green or possibly white or was it aluminum ? Help me @Tailspin Turtle your my best hope ? 

 

Dennis

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Coming along very nicely Dennis.  I agree on the looks of the a Cutlass.  When I was a youngster I used to think that the Cutlass was the coolest looking jet, rediscovering it in recent times I’m struck by how much that bulbous canopy spoils its lines, giving it a cartoony look.

 

AW

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Hi Dennis,

 

The Naval Fighters volume 6 on the Cutlass has pictures of both NMF and Grey/White versions with a dark colour under the leading edge slats. One caption which mentions red says the pic was March 2nd 1956 and there is a colour pic on the back of NMF ones in 1956 which clearly shows red. Tommy probably knows when the red came in. Have you checked his website "Tailspin Topics"?

 

Pete

Edited by PeterB
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Dennis,

 

Found this.

https://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2012/10/painting-crush-points-red.html

which may not help much - looks like red became standard in 1956 (in theory) but some manufacturers used it earlier, and no indication what preceded it. Guess it could be NMF/Dural, or various shades of Chromate from yellow to "cockpit green" of even "bronze green". My kit instructions say red but they give no dates for the 3 machines they provide decals for.

 

Like the Demon and to some extent the Skyray the engine was the weak point. Having relied on tweaked versions of British jet engines for a little while with some success, US engine manufacturers went through a bad patch it seems, but they did recover pretty fast.

 

Cheers

 

Pete

Edited by PeterB
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1 hour ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

     I still need to re-scribe some panel lines, and add the control surfaces. I'm a bit confused on the leading edge slats,  so need to ask anyone I know the red paint mandated later in the 1950’s used for warning on moving surfaces and edges. Does anyone know what color was used before the red ? Interior green or possibly white or was it aluminum ? Help me @Tailspin Turtle your my best hope ? 

 

Dennis

Red, slat "well" and bottom of the slats from "natural" metal (a lot of the exterior was magnesium panels painted aluminum lacquer) onward.

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      Hello everyone.... I was able to start painting today on some builds. With the left over white I was using I primed the work, laid down a base coat for the blue, and sprayed the gear bays. NQhyVN9.jpg
 

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I will mask this off and spray the blue next. Once thats done i will spray the black base and aluminum. Questions, comments, and or thoughts ? 

 

Dennis

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Hi Dennis,

 

Coming along nicely. My Fujimi boxing is the F7U-3M so it has early Sparrows instead of the under-belly rocket pack. Otherwise I guess it will be just about identical. Looks like it might not be too bad a build if your kit is anything to go by.

 

Cheers

 

Pete

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       Hello everyone... Well I figured id spray some quick paint today clean up and be done in about 75-90 minutes. 3 hours later i was still cleaning up the mess. My Swiss Messerschmitt red paint went great. Went to spray the Gunze Blue and got Blue rubber for trying. 
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I tried using Lacquer thinner and that just failed miserably. So after completely tearing down and cleaning i tried again with water. That didn't work either, so I tried Tamiya Airbrush cleaner a very healthy dose of it and it flowed beautiful, 🤪 :doh::rage:Go figure ? In the end it worked but was a nightmare. Questions, comment, and or thoughts. 

 

Dennis

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