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1/72 MPM XF-85 Goblin Parasite Fighter


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Hello again.

 

Fresh off completing the YF-97/YF-94C build, I decided to tackle a kit that is (for me) a very tough build --  the MPM 1/72 XF-85 Goblin Parasite Fighter, originally developed to be carried by a B-36 bomber to held defend the B-36 against foreign fighter attacks.  Thankfully, this futile effort was made unnecessary by the further development of mid-air re-fueling,  which I am certain gladdened the hearts of fighter pilots everywhere, at the time!

 

However, it does remain one of the most interesting, and probably the smallest fighter project ever contemplated, which brings me to my fear of the kit, it's tiny size.  Coupled with my ham fingers and lots of fiddly PE parts.... well, you get the idea.

 

This project was actually started a couple or more years ago, when I contemplated a double build, this MPM kit, as well as the 12 Squared kit of the same aircraft.  For whatever reason that I can't remember, I decided to start with the MPM kit (and I doubt that I will ever build the 12 Squared one).  Both kits look like so:

 

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The parts in the MPM kit look like this:

 

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You will note that this is the "upgraded kit" which includes a resin cockpit, which I actually decided to save and use with the 12 Squared kit, because the MPM kit also had a PE cockpit, which I felt I needed to get more experience building with PE.  Note also the very yellowed vacuformed canopy!  More on that later, but this is one of the items that held up the build, back when I started.  What to do...

 

What I DID do, however, is decide to being with the cute little trailer used to haul the little fighter around.  So, I started to slap together some pieces:

 

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Already, I had made my first mistake!  Above left, it's no use gluing the two outer rear wheel supports on at this time (arrows), because the wheels are too fat to allow them to spring apart and trap the wheel.  These parts have to be glued on later, after the wheels are installed on the inner wheel supports!

 

Above right, the two little triangular towers are a little tricky to put together and get everything to line up, but here's what they look like if you are eventually successful, as I was.  The filler was used to fill various defects in the frame work.  At the front end of the trailer, near the apex, a flat plastic triangular piece was supposed to be replaced by a nicer PE detail, but I overlooked that part ...

 

Below, the arrow points to the general vicinity of that part, which is right below the rear support for the F-85 fuselage, when mounted to the trailer:

 

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Above right, a not-very-good photo of the front of the trailer.

 

Well, enough mistakes for now, back later.

 

Ed

 

 

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Actually Ed,  one time I did build a B-36 Ficon, complete with a detachable RF-84K, in 1/72, back in 1983.  It won Most Popular Model in the 1983 Atlanta IPMS Regionals, and might have received an Honorable Mention at the 1983 Nationals in Atlanta.  Not sure, other modelers have told me, but I left early, as I had to work that night.  Sadly, while I still have it, I have no where large enough to display it, so it's fallen on rather hard times.  I still have all the pieces, and hope to find a museum for it before I croak.

 

Here are a few pics, taken today, of the fuse and the RF-84K model, attached to the scratch-built trapeze.  Please pardon the dust:

 

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AS you can see, it doesn't even fit my homemade photo booth, which is pretty large!

 

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The "092" decals are hand cut from a black decal sheet.  The checkerboard squares on the nose wheel doors and tail fin are individually cut and applied red and white squares, and the metallic paints were all Metalizer colors, as was the custom then.  Wish you could have seen here in all her glory, back when we both were young...

 

Ed

 

 

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Hi dn142, looking forward to your build some day.  Sad thing is I don't think the F-85 flew under the B-36.  I believe it only flew around 2.5 hours total, with a total of 6 flights, all under a B-29 mothership.  If you can find a 144 scale RF-84, the "K" conversion only needs to have the horizontal stabilizers attached with anhedral. Change the markings a bit, and you're good to go.  I believe the trapeze set-up was very similar on both the B-29 and the B-36.

 

I think it would be easier to do this, rather than scratch-build a trapeze for a B-29.  However, if you are not an accuracy fanatic, just build the darned thing and have fun!

 

Ed

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Nope, wasn't mine.  That one was sometime later on, long after I had dismantled this one, if it's the one I recall.  I really never sought a magazine article, because I'd rather spend my time modeling.  For those who like that sort of thing, more power to 'em!

 

In recent years, all my posts have been more geared toward trying to pass on the modeling craft to newcomers, as well as pass information and ideas around to some old-timers here, so what I'm doing is too "extensive" for a modeling magazine, where space is at a premium, and the photos have to be spot on.  I usually try to photograph details that I'm trying to stress, more so than just great overall photos.

 

Ed

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Back to the Goblin.

 

The PE parts for the cockpit are pretty simple -- a box for the hook, a central console/instrument panel, and some cockpit sideswalls:

 

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Above left, I sort of disagreed with the kit;s interpretation of how for the engine "hub" stuck of of the intake, so I moved it a bit.  Also, the little slit between the hook "box" and the intake should not be filled, as shown here. The little slit is where the hook assembly fit into, when the hook was retracted.   Above right, the model is "test-rested" on it's trailer.

 

Another cause of delay on this build was the severely yellow kit vacuformed canopy.  At the time, I didn't know how to use the old canopy to make a new copy.  More recently, I discovered the trick of filling the old canopy with Durham's Rock Hard Water Putty:

 

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Above left, the Durham's putty canopy mold is used to vacuform a new canopy.  Above right, the Durham's molding and the original kit canopy.  Also shown is the new canopy, cut out and installed on the model.

 

More next time,

 

Ed

 

 

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Looking great so far!
 

That Durham’s putty is nice stuff, and it may have been you who tipped me off to it when I had to vacuform a replacement for the yellowed canopy that came with my Special Hobby Lockheed Electra. 

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Good Lord Mr.Ed. I built the 48th scale and thought that was teenie tiny especially for my poor old eyesight. In 72nd scale it must be microscopic! I must follow along.

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4 hours ago, TheRealMrEd said:

Hi dn142, looking forward to your build some day.  Sad thing is I don't think the F-85 flew under the B-36.  I believe it only flew around 2.5 hours total, with a total of 6 flights, all under a B-29 mothership.  If you can find a 144 scale RF-84, the "K" conversion only needs to have the horizontal stabilizers attached with anhedral. Change the markings a bit, and you're good to go.  I believe the trapeze set-up was very similar on both the B-29 and the B-36.

 

I think it would be easier to do this, rather than scratch-build a trapeze for a B-29.  However, if you are not an accuracy fanatic, just build the darned thing and have fun!

I have the Hobby Craft GRB-36, so it does indeed have the RF-84K in addition to the XF-85. I also have a conversion for a 1/144 B-29 mothership, but it's for the X-1.

 

3 hours ago, TheRealMrEd said:

More recently, I discovered the trick of filling the old canopy with Durham's Rock Hard Water Putty

Ooh, nice! I've been searching for a suitable material for vac forming canopies. I tried some bake-to-set clay, but it had all manner of issues. Your photo shows a nice and shiny-smooth buck for vacuum forming a canopy.

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Well dn142, you're almost there.  Just gotta copy the trapeze parts in resin, and you've got another B-29 build, using the Goblin!

 

BTW, the reason for the smooth glossy surface on the mold master, it that the original canopy was dipped in Future, then allowed to dry --twice!  This is also in case some of the Durham's wants to stick, you can dissolve the Future coat with some Windex with ammonia (the key ingredient), and separate the mold without busting up the not really THAT hard Durham's.

 

Ed

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And more...

 

I was determined to have the skid at the bottom of the aircraft, so I took a piece of scale 10" wide very thin plastic card, and glued it to the underside of the nose as shown:

 

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Above right, I make yet another mistake.  I let the liquid glue dry on the skid join for a couple of hours, then tried to make the bend.  Bad move -- the glue hadn't dried enough and the plastic while seemingly hard, had not jet hardened enough, and the bend kinked instead (arrow).  I should have given it at least 24 hours, but I didn't.  Admittedly, most of the wounds on this kit were self-inflicted!

 

Pressing on anyway, I decided to mask the cockpit glazing with Tamiya Tape strips, as well as CA'ing the winglets onto the wing tips, which I then began to knock off the model at the rate of about once per hour...

 

Next, after I masked up the cockpit glazing, I shot a coat of Alclad II grey primer overall.  When that had dried, I masked off the winglet tips, fin tips, and anti-glare, and sprayed the necessary colors of black, grey (FS36492) and green (FS34092):

 

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Above right, after everything had dried, I pulled off all the masking (and the winglets!), then after re-gluing the winglets with CA, reverse masked everything and painted everything Alclad II White Aluminum, and a couple other metallic colors here and there, which did not really contrast the White aluminum all that much.  By this time, as you can see, I had given up on trying to get the winglet tips black...

 

More later,

 

ED

Edited by TheRealMrEd
hit the wrong darned button... again!!
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Back again.  After the paint dried, I applied all the decals, and top-coated with Alclad Semi-flat clear.  Then, I stuck her on the trailer, snapped a couple of quick photos, and colored this one done!

 

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Sorry this wasn't and "every little detail" build thread, but it was actually painfully done over 2 or more years.  I only recently gathered the courage to take a stab at getting it done. 

 

If you are not quite as ham-handed, and don't make the mistakes I have detailed above, you can probably build a much better one than this.  It's really a great little kit, fits well, but for me, very, very fiddly!

 

After a suitable time, and when I recover from the DT's caused by this build, I will probably touch up the hook with a bit of steel paint, and add a little black wash to the trailer.  Right now, I'm just glad to be done with it!

 

No RFI on this one -- end of story...

 

Ed

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Wow, a great little build, you made it look east. Congratulation.

Think I had the Twelve Sqaured kit at one time along with the Goblin!

 

Thanks for the ride. Colin

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GIMF 

 

Wikipedia teaches us the BD-5J has a 5in wider wingspan but is 1ft 2in shorter, 4ft 2in shorter,  and 10% of the weight. 

 

FWIW, here is a 1/48 resin kit of the BD-5J.

 

 

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