Jump to content

Airfix 1/72 F80C


Recommended Posts

Suwan Korea 1952, bomb dump. Airman holding a sledgehammer to another airman. “So, the recruiting officer told me I could train to work on nuclear weapons, good pay, I would spend most of my time stateside in school working with the latest technology.” “So I sign up.” “Next thing I know, I am sent here, handed a sledgehammer and told to flatten the bottom of old fuel tanks.” According to my military friends, it was ever thus.....

 

In any case, here is my effort on the old Airfix kit not as good as hoped, but are they ever? I used the Airwaves detail set, a Falcon canopy and LF Models decals. They used old P51 tanks converted into napalm bombs. The tanks came from the spares box, I flattened the bottom on an iron and beat them with 1/72 hammer! One reference stated they were fused with hand grenades, but the only photo’s I could find showed a roughly 6 inch long cylinder using the fuel filler opening. No doubt they were filled just prior to flight, so I just drilled out the filler cap. 

9DFE4B6E-9CD8-4E33-A83B-A89B03BC5242

 

A85EC1B9-900E-46B8-9E0F-B6A651636FED

 

11715A01-223A-447B-82F7-5850933AB19F

 

02BA3AB4-29D8-44E2-B0B4-7522FBBCC4E7

 

  • Like 34
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow!  Such excellent results with this old kit!  I'm really impressed with your finish and the overall effect.  Is she listing slightly?  Maybe one of the oleo struts needs to be checked.  Or some fuels airman left one of the wing tanks empty!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Reminds me of the super smooth and shiny finish on the solid wood models that the Japanese made for the pilots of the 8th FBG when we were at Itazuke AB in the mid-fifties! Lots of coats of hand-rubbed lacquer as only the Japanese could do! You have done a fine job with this old classic- those gaps around the fin/rudder and intakes were veritable trenches! Love the napalm tanks, and the external fuel tanks and napalm tanks did take a real beating from the uncrating and handling- by the time they got mounted, they looked like h---! 👍

Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, TheyJammedKenny! said:

Wow!  Such excellent results with this old kit!  I'm really impressed with your finish and the overall effect.  Is she listing slightly?  Maybe one of the oleo struts needs to be checked.  Or some fuels airman left one of the wing tanks empty!

It sits level, my high tech cardboard film studio is uneven! Wing looks droopy too, it’s not. Blame the photographer-me!

Edited by Robin-42
  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Believe me when this kit came out in early 1970s everyone wanted it.I remember going to my local Woolworths with great excitement to purchase it as a teenager and i made a lovely model out of it ,set off by the lovely markings it had ,you have definitely made a fantastic effort and it looks great ,well done 👏 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...