PK- 652 FJ-4 Fury and Sleeper makes three! Thanks to Terrance for buying and storing this so well.

[SleeperService]

Obviously not aiming at three personally but with @Marklo and @Desk Flyer there may be a triptych of these often forgotten planes built. 

 

So here is my kit recently snagged on eBay from a nice guy selling his brother's collection.

 

I'll be using the Aires cockpit set if I can. It's not intended for this kit (Or the HB either) but it may save me hassle in a part of the build I don't always enjoy.

My subject was chosen a very long time ago when researching early US rocket development.

 

There's enough firepower there to ruin anybody's day. Taken at China Lake when the plane was allocated to the Naval Ordnance Test Squadron but, I don't believe allocated to VX-5, it certainly hasn't got their markings.

 

 

 

I believed these were flipped views of the same photo for a while but obviously not. I think there is enough fin showing to reveal VX-5's marking if it was there. The one thing that bothered me was the colour of thew rocket pod fairings until I found this

 

 

As this is from a NAA publication I'm going with red for the LAU-3/A pods which will be Aerobonus 480063, 3 sets of, 😬 EEK! The extravagance, but what about the children??

 

Then there's @Tailspin Turtle sites and Naval Fighters book (sadly OOP and the print on demand version has been made with half a potato printing technology) HERE, HERE TOO, HERE AGAIN, THERE and THEREABOUTS I have to say this about Tommy; he's a very helpful and knowledgeable guy with great connections who shares an immense amount of stuff on his blogs freely. I think he should know that his work is appreciated by me at least.

There is a new volume from Detail and Scale just published. My mate has it ordered and I'll be borrowing it for this too.

Finally those with this in the stash may be interested in a forthcoming Caracal Decal sheet in 48th. CD 48208: FJ-4 Fury Markings for US Navy FJ-4 Fury fighters

 

So here's my starting bet I'm up to my eyes with 1/48 KV-85 parts at the moment, as soon as I clear some room this'll be up and @JOCKNEY Frog Hurricane may sneak into a couple of photos along the way. The last Frog STGB finisher??

Edited January 19, 2022 by SleeperService
Made a silly assumption, gently corrected and rapidly edited.

[Tailspin Turtle]

Thanks for the recognition and appreciation. You missed a few of FJ-4 posts that I am proud of:

 

https://tailhooktopics.blogspot.com/2012/12/fj-4-detail-under-canopy.html

 

https://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2016/10/north-american-fj-44b-fury-notes.html

 

https://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2021/08/things-under-wings-north-american-fj-4.html

 

https://thanlont.blogspot.com/2013/04/things-under-wings-fj-4b.html

[Rabbit Leader]

A belated 'hello' to this epic GB @SleeperService and apologies for leaving it this long before sending you our official welcome post. 

So good to see another 1/48 Fury and I love the scheme an additional ordinance you have planned for this kit. We wish you all the best and will be watching on (like all the other 150 WIP threads so far!) 

Cheers and best of luck.. Dave 

[SleeperService]

8 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said:

A belated 'hello' to this epic GB @SleeperService and apologies for leaving it this long before sending you our official welcome post. 

So good to see another 1/48 Fury and I love the scheme an additional ordinance you have planned for this kit. We wish you all the best and will be watching on (like all the other 150 WIP threads so far!) 

Cheers and best of luck.. Dave 

I can't believe how many there are. I didn't think I'd be joining but every cloud has a silver lining. Getting nostalgia overload....

[JOCKNEY]

Hi Nick

Apologies for not replying sooner, your choice looks the business and I very much look forward to seeing it progress.

I'd forgotten about that Frog Hurricane, I'm not sure how to break this to you but the Gallery is closed in the Frog Squad GB, unless we organise another one , in which case you are ahead of the game ! 

Good luck with the Fury. 

Cheers Pat

[Desk Flyer]

On 1/16/2022 at 10:57 AM, SleeperService said:

Obviously not aiming at three personally but with @Marklo and @Desk Flyer there may be a triptych of these often forgotten planes built. 

 

 

 

Best of luck with the build! I'll be following your progress closely! I see we have both fallen for a certain aftermarket product there. (Translation: I'll let you progress with your build, spot the problems, find the solution and so maybe I'll just about manage not to ruin everything with mine)  😊

[Desk Flyer]

On 1/16/2022 at 3:09 PM, Tailspin Turtle said:

Thanks for the recognition and appreciation. You missed a few of FJ-4 posts that I am proud of:

 

https://tailhooktopics.blogspot.com/2012/12/fj-4-detail-under-canopy.html

 

https://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2016/10/north-american-fj-44b-fury-notes.html

 

https://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2021/08/things-under-wings-north-american-fj-4.html

 

https://thanlont.blogspot.com/2013/04/things-under-wings-fj-4b.html

Fantastic stuff! Many thanks for this! 👏

[Marklo]

Some nice reference material thanks. Will have to watch this one and try to make my home brewed stuff look as good as the aftermarket  ( trust me if I were to invest in four sets of bits for one model SWMBO would murder me  )

[SleeperService]

Hi Peeps!

 

With the KV now in one lump I thought it a good time to commence this project and with @Desk Flyer's comments I decided to bite the bullet and look at the cockpit, and how thin the Matchbox Specially Selected styrene would have to get 🥴

 

The cockpit coaming needs to be cut out for the resin part leaving a lip to locate the windscreen and no wider. Tiny trim, check, repeat is the way.

 

 

Not too shabby considering that only one side is modified and it's assembled with tape and bluetak as seen below

 

 

The pristine half shows the area to be thinned once the coaming is gone a Swann-Morton No10 blade is the right curvature for the scraping in the marked area, test-fitting the tub will show exactly where to scrape. At the rear the resin needs thinning slightly to get a good fit but that will be next. Total time taken so far? About an hour once the pour stub was removed. Even packed with the foam sheet the 'pit suffered a little damage but the bits are there and will be refitted later. The fat lady hasn't sung yet but it may be easier than I feared. The upper sidewalls, instrument panel and bang seat may reveal other issues however there's room to move the pit and plenty of thickness can be removed so maybe, just maybe...

 

That's assembly stages 1,2&3 out of 24 accounted for. Now off to @Tailspin Turtle's site to plan ahead and, hopefully, not discover any horrors that'll stop me cold.     

[Desk Flyer]

Sending positive vibes! You are doing great! 

[Rabbit Leader]

Thats looking really good so far and all these kit enhancements really help lift some of these ‘dare I say’ basic kits. Apologies for the late reply… I’m trying to get to them all in time, I promise!

Cheers.. Dave 

[SleeperService]

13 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said:

Thats looking really good so far and all these kit enhancements really help lift some of these ‘dare I say’ basic kits. Apologies for the late reply… I’m trying to get to them all in time, I promise!

Cheers.. Dave 

Thank You and no apologies needed. This GB may be large enough to become sentient and certainly will affect the kit collectors market for some time to come. @Desk Flyer get the cockpit ready to fit but hold on the intake trunking, I'll post ASAP as I've made some changes which will make assembly and location easy peasy and very secure.

 

Currently working on the inlet, tailpipe and fettling the cockpit fit. Tedious and not photo-worthy really. I'm relieving the boredom by scraping another KV hull to release the suspension parts for a future project.

 

[JOCKNEY]

Hi SS

Looking great mate  keep up the good work  

Cheers Pat

[SleeperService]

On 2/9/2022 at 10:14 PM, JOCKNEY said:

Hi SS

Looking great mate  keep up the good work  

Cheers Pat

Thanks Pat.

Went a bit OTT with the MEK on the intake assembly but it's nearly solid enough to test fit now. I may have discovered a new model technique - sculpting plastic goop into useful parts.... "Better than catnip" says Sushi the Supercat.

[SleeperService]

This is not forgotten but I was a little optimistic in my last post, however the plastic has finally beaten off the MEK and, after a trying week with a rubbish weather forecast, I'm putting the whole weekend aside for Fury activity except for a trip to the post office to collect some deliveries.   

[SleeperService]

Finally I have progress!!

 

 

Thanks to @Sabrejet confirming that the inlet/nose gear bay roof are the same piece of metal I have successfully transformed the Matchbox inlet into something that looks more like the real deal. Not a lot to look at but this is Version 3.1 and works for me. Cut vertically 6mm from the rear face of the nose piece. Cut again just ahead of the lug on the bottom, and finally just ahead of the flat section. Spin the rear 180deg so the angle is at the bottom and glue together.Put the rest aside for now.

As I was using Maquett 12x10mm tube I opened up the exhaust (Part 19) to 10mm ensuring the centre didn't drift. At the front I trimmed back the rear of the intake until I got a decent fit to the tube. This was braced by a sleeve as you can see.

Running a piece through the inlet and exhaust using a steel rod to ensure rigidity I set about sanding down the Aires cockpit floor and scraping the tube until everything fitted. Much time passed until this was achieved including the bottom of the rear fuselage and cutting a chunk from the hook housing. The taper at the rear edge is deliberate as it allows a shim to finely adjust the position there is another on the top of the intake duct.

Feeling brave I then opened out the nosebay opening squaring off the ends and flattened the underside of the inlet.

My subject is engaged on factory tests/weapons clearance and many pictures show the large gear door open. I intend to show this with all the lovely red inside. Details aren't currently available but enquiries are out.

Next steps are: 

1. Cut away the engine front from the Matchbox bulkhead
2. Remove the flat area behind the ejector seat to add missing detail as @Tailspin Turtle's page HERE
3. Make a new, stronger bulkhead and a second for the tailpipe
4. Test fit the instrument panel and coaming, repair the broken resin bits and paint the cockpit
5. Thanks to @Marklo I have a drawing showing panel lines so plenty to do.

It's been a faff getting here but not hard. Got to say that it's been quite fun working out how to improve a basic but pretty accurate kit. I honestly think that this is a better starting point than the HB kit which has some rather glaring shape errors and costs rather more. There's a Skyraider and Sea Sprite too I may make another purchase.... then again the FJ-4 in the grey, orange and yellow looks good.....

 

     

[Rabbit Leader]

How good does that look? Very impressive bit of ingenuity there @SleeperService and I’m glad your enjoying this kit whilst enhancing your knowledge on the type. I’ve often said, you don’t really appreciate a modelling subject unless you’ve built a model of one and I think this is ringing true with your NA Fury build. Looking good. 
Cheers.. Dave. 

[SleeperService]

This is two days work but looks pathetic. Everything went right but it took an age to get everything assembled/disassembled. Ho Hum.🤪

Anyway for what it's worth today I am here

 

The highlights Ha Ha 😅 are that I've opened up the airbrake bays. Then spent a happy hour or more adding tiny shims to get the hinges to match the actual brakes. The aircraft I'm modelling has only two 20mm cannon so, after several passes, the outer ports were filled. The jet pipe was a royal PITA the LHS fitted pretty well the RHS may have been from another kit so I fitted the pipe to that one. Much fill/sand/prime/repeat followed and then I remembered to reshape the surface above the jetpipe as it is concave and not flat. Treating it like an eggshell saw it put right while I watched 'No Time to Die' which I recommend BTW.

 

 

 

I shudder to look at this photo. Those wings took an age to get matching each other and aligned. Note the line of filler on the top piece where the manufacturer's details are on the inner surface. Easy to miss but looks horrible under paint. The last pieces are the hook fairing which I separated as the part is asymmetrical and will need advanced fettling skills to make good. On the real plane it is slightly proud of the fuselage skin as you can see here

 

but that is work for another day. I have a cockpit to finish and a second bulkhead to shape.

 

Toodle Pip Chaps and Chapesses!

[Rabbit Leader]

Slow progress is still good progress SS, so don’t be worried about the lack of speed. We all can’t be as prolific as some other modellers on here, so just keep plugging away and you’ll end up with a lovely Fury build in good time. Nice progress by the way! 
Cheers.. Dave 

[SleeperService]

1 hour ago, Rabbit Leader said:

Slow progress is still good progress SS, so don’t be worried about the lack of speed. We all can’t be as prolific as some other modellers on here, so just keep plugging away and you’ll end up with a lovely Fury build in good time. Nice progress by the way! 
Cheers.. Dave 

Thanks Dave 🙏 it's tedious sometimes but not hard and I see it as a series of tiny projects rather than a single mountain. Judging by the size of this GB I think anybody who invested in Matchbox kit futures will be very happy. You're running a good show.

[SleeperService]

Just a quick note to let people know that this is still happening albeit slowly. Got some nerve damage in my shoulder which has flared up again so for tricky detailed stuff I'm limited to a few minutes at a time. The cockpit is coming along well and thanks to @Marklo the scribing is going very well too. 

[SleeperService]

I've been doing the heavy work in the Sherman Tank STGB but will be back on this at the weekend. Physio managed to reset my shoulder and the smallest piece of bone was removed yesterday afternoon. Still a bit sore but I've got my right arm back again. Got to love keyhole surgery and the NHS, Thanks to the person who called off and opened the slot I shot into.

[JOCKNEY]

Great stuff SS

I think your hidden peashooter in the fuselage of the Fury is inspired !

Really pleased to hear you are on the mend  look forward to seeing the next installment. 

Cheers Pat 

[JOCKNEY]

Hi Nick

We have a 2 week extension on this GB, I do hope that's long enough for you to complete your Fury. 

Best of luck 

Cheers Pat 

[SleeperService]

On 6/5/2022 at 5:55 AM, JOCKNEY said:

Hi Nick

We have a 2 week extension on this GB, I do hope that's long enough for you to complete your Fury. 

Best of luck 

Cheers Pat 

After a false dawn my arm is back!! Huzzah to NHS physio team at NCH. Audible crack, a moment of sharp pain, and then everything started to improve. After giving the flat a good clean I'll be on the bench later. The cockpit is already stripping as I'm not happy with the paint at all.

She may not be fully dressed though as the decals haven't improved much despite several weeks on a south facing window.