Airfix Douglas F4D-1 Skyray [Finished]

[klr]

I'm slowly moving back through the years. This is a kit I first built in the summer of 1982 (memories of the World Cup in Spain!), doubtless with the proceeds of my first summer job. The Airfix DHC Beaver was another kit I clearly remember from that time. Both kits have been favourites of mine ever since, but I've not yet managed to get another kit of the Beaver.

 

I picked up the Skyray again second-hand in 2015, and have been waiting ever since for a good time to build it. This kit must have been bought c. 1976/1977, as it has "new" on the box cover: The Skyray was first issued in 1976 1977.

 

The kit I built in 1982 had modified artwork, and I suspect was in a slightly larger box. It's not included on Scalemates, but it did exist! Here's my own scan of that - spot all the differences:

 

The box contents appear identical, save that the original issue kit includes a stand.

 

 

I will be building this kit "wheels up", because (a) the kit supports this option, and (b) it supports - and includes - a stand. I have two of the excellent Tamiya kit, but that can only be built "wheels down" out of the box. I'll probably go with the USMC subject on the cover. And I'll be using the pilot. No painting instructions are included for the pilot figure, but that's easy to figure out.

 

I should get started this evening. The long-term weather forecast for this week is very good, so I may not be going at full tilt on this. On the other hand, it's a very well engineered kit, so assembly should be relatively straightforward.

Edited August 16, 2020 by klr

[modelling minion]

This really is a great choice klr, I remember building this one and really enjoying it as it had good fit and is a cool looking aircraft.

I built mine in the Marines option too so wholeheartedly approve of your choice of markings.

I think they changed the box art to just carrying rather then firing Sidewinders about the time that they got a bit pc over showing war like behaviour on box art.

[klr]

1 hour ago, modelling minion said:

This really is a great choice klr, I remember building this one and really enjoying it as it had good fit and is a cool looking aircraft.

I built mine in the Marines option too so wholeheartedly approve of your choice of markings.

I think they changed the box art to just carrying rather then firing Sidewinders about the time that they got a bit pc over showing war like behaviour on box art.

The aspect ratio (proportions) of the cover also changed. The starboard wing-tip is clipped on the original cover, but is shown in the revised version. Also, the scene was "narrowed" a bit. Look at the warship on the horizon in the background. You can see more of it in the original artwork. I'll make an art critic yet.😏

[klr]

I made a lot of progress last night in less than two hours. The fuselage halves haven't been joined yet. The wings have been assembled, but not yet joined:

 

The wing-to-fuselage joins will need a small bit of cleaning up to ensure they are attached at the precise angle (slight droop) and with as little gap as possible. Note that the undercarriage doors are also attached.

 

The remaining parts. The jet pipe section is too "fat", or the rear fuselage opening too narrow. A quick bit of trimming and sanding will see to that. EDIT: This is actually fine - I was trying to attach it at the wrong point.

 

Note that I've laid out the pylons in such a way that I know which goes where.

 

Some other minor points: There are depressions on the faces of the intake splitter plates, which will be very easily fixed. There is a blanking plate behind these just where the engine face would be - no engine or trunking detail unfortunately. This plate is a mite too big, preventing a perfect join of the fuselage halves. Again, trivial to resolve.

 

The instrument panel fairing will be attached once I decide what colour to paint the cockpit. It will probably be mostly Hu 129 (FS26440), although the Tamiya instructions say it should be mostly semi-gloss black. Such photos that are available are inconclusive, to me anyway.

 

So far, so good. Just as I had remembered, this kit is a joy to build. Today is going to busy on work and other fronts, but I'll give this as much time as I can.

Edited May 26, 2020 by klr

[modelling minion]

Looks like it will go together nicely, the cockpit looks quite busy for an old OOTB Airfix one.

[klr]

5 minutes ago, modelling minion said:

Looks like it will go together nicely, the cockpit looks quite busy for an old OOTB Airfix one.

Airfix was paying much more attention to cockpits by that time, at least for some kits. The Henschel 126, also released in 1977, has a wonderfully detailed open cockpit.

[klr]

Well, the kit is practically built, although I still need to attach the stores and finish painting the pilot, which is a bit of a conundrum. Also, filling in some agricultural gaps around the fuselage/wing joins. Even though the wings fit tightly into the fuselage, there are still gaps.

 

More pictures later today, hopefully. The last 6 days disappeared in a near-continuous blaze of sunshine, which drew me outdoors. The good news (from a purely modelling perspective) is that glorious weather is now on the wane.

[klr]

... wait, was that really June 2nd? Yikes. I suppose I should explain my absence, or maybe I should just quote Gandalf: Wherever I have been, I am back. It's been an odd few weeks, and I struggled with various things, including being quite literally under the weather - I react badly to low air pressure. But now I've hopefully got my mojo back.

 

Not much has happened since I last posted. These are photos taken a few minutes ago, but the kit is as it was in early June:

 

Some of those join gaps really need a lot of attention:

 

The rest of the parts, except for the underwing drop tanks. Maverick (as I like to call him) still needs to be finished. I'm not sure what colour the harness should be, and if there's also a life-jacket to pick out.

 

I I'm back working on this kit now. Or at least once I hit the "submit" button.

[modelling minion]

Great to see this one moving again, really glad you've got your mojo back and hope that it stays with you long enough to at least get this one over the line.

[stevej60]

looking good!

[klr]

Ok ... finally, I am getting back in the groove. Problem is, I'm so much in the groove, I've started two other kits in this GB (new threads to follow in a while), and they are getting more attention. I've spent as much time as I can in the last few days on these kits, but I dragged my heels on organising and uploading the photos.

 

Underside cleaned up, pylons attached, and the rocket pods for good measure:

 

It's not obvious from the kit instruction - or the parts fit - but the Sidewinder pylons should be angled straight down, requiring some surgery. This close-in camera angle doesn't really show how they are oriented.

 

The upper surfaces cleaned up, save for some work to be done around the nose.

 

The pilot ... finally. Right or wrong (more likely the latter), he's done now.

[modelling minion]

Both Pilot and Skyray look pretty good to me.

Love the shape of this aircraft and yours is looking very neat indeed.

[klr]

Finally, I got to start painting. First, start to undercoat the canopy and windscreen framing in the cockpit colour:

 

Then ... a lot more, including the first coat of Hu 129 light gull grey on the wings. Also the matt black anti-glare panel, and the black radome (matt for now, to be varnished in a satin finish). And the framing has also been completed.

 

Those wing walkways: There are photographs showing them quite dark, in stark contrast to the light gull grey. This is probably a "factory fresh finish". But in service, the colour was often much lighter, sometimes even light than light gull grey. And sometimes it wasn't even painted at all, but still marked out by a black outline. I (without thinking much) painted them Hu 27 slate grey, having translated from Airfix M2 - as per the kit instructions - in my head. The fact that I was also using Hu 27 for the Airfix Sea King might have been a factor. So maybe I should apply the second coat in a much lighter grey, but I don't know about the black outline.

 

EDIT: Some photos showing how much variation there was on the walkway panels:

 

Edited July 28, 2020 by klr

[modelling minion]

Great start on the painting, those walkways are very neat.

[klr]

13 minutes ago, modelling minion said:

Great start on the painting, those walkways are very neat.

I should hope so. They mostly follow panel lines, except for a small angled section at the front.

 

I've already started to apply a second coat of light gull grey on the outer wings, in preparation for the decals. Because of the consistency of the paint, and the very regular panel lines, I'm able to use the smallest detail brush I have. The difference between just one coat and two is dramatic. Every shade of paint behaves differently.

[stevej60]

Great progress Kir,which reminds me I must crack on with my effort.

[Jinxman]

Looking good - it's one I never got to build, and I'm not sure why. Time to hunt one down I reckon. 😀

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

This is looking great. Personally I like the contrast but if you can find a photo of your bird or one from the same unit that would be the way to ultimately figure out which is most accurate. 

[klr]

I repainted the walkways with two coats of Hu 165 medium sea grey. One coat would not have been enough on plain white plastic, let alone on a base of Hu 27. Now I need to raid my spare decal bags for something to make up the walkway boundaries. Once I've that done, I'll probably apply a coat of matt varnish over the walkways.

 

I've also applied a second coat of Hu 129 light gull grey to the upper wings and fuselage. I can start applying the kit decals soon, as well as painting the silver leading edges, the red intake markings, satin varnishing the radome, etc. Oh, and paint the arrestor hook with red and white bands. In other words, there's still plenty to do, but from now on, it's just a matter of finding the time.

 

Edited July 29, 2020 by klr

[modelling minion]

Very nice work indeed, a very neatly applied paint job.

[klr]

I've decided to proceed with the rest of paint work, and leave the decals until later:

 

I will attach the drop tanks (already painted) once I've applied the decals for the "go-faster stripes on the outer sides.

 

The rocket pods were painted Hu 149, which seems a close enough match for the colour suggest in the Tamiya paint guide, which I consider more likely to be correct than that of Airfix. Of course it's possible they were in more than one colour. The instructions also differ on the arrestor hook colours. Airfix: Red/White; Tamiya: Black/White. Hmmm ....

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

18 minutes ago, klr said:

The rocket pods were painted Hu 149, which seems a close enough match for the colour suggest in the Tamiya paint guide,

Early Rocket pods were dark olive green. Later they became white, and now are ghost grey. 

[klr]

1 minute ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Early Rocket pods were dark olive green. Later they became white, and now are ghost grey. 

Thanks for the extremely quick response. So the question is: Which is correct for the USMC aircraft I'm building? Probably either white or ghost grey, since it was from the early 1960s. Do I really want to repaint the pods? I'd probably have to remove them first, so as to clean them properly.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

2 minutes ago, klr said:

Thanks for the extremely quick response. So the question is: Which is correct for the USMC aircraft I'm building? Probably either white or ghost grey, since it was from the early 1960s. Do I really want to repaint the pods? I'd probably have to remove them first, so as to clean them properly.

Let me see what I can find. 

[klr]

Just now, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Let me see what I can find. 

The quickest option would probably be for me to remove them, and replace them with the spares from the kit, painted in the correct colour. The kit can be fitted with a second pair of rocket pods on the inboard stations, instead of the Sidewinders. I may even have spares from the first kit I built in 1982.