Airfix & Sword F-84F-30-RE - 1/72 - 27feb23 nearly there :)

[RidgeRunner]

Sadly I can’t upload photos at the moment but today I did a little more on the ‘streak :). The first job was the rear cockpit glazing. Those who have built this kit will know that Airfix provides some battleship-standard glazing parts for this. Without modification they are very obvious and clumsy. So, I set about reducing the thickness by around 50% by sanding and polishing. I started with a medium grit stick, then fine, then ultra fine, then a buffer and then polishing paste. They are much better and are now installed. I will fill around with Kristal Klear. 
 

I also built up a throttle quadrant from plastruct rod. The cockpit is now painted too. It is basically dark gull gray with all the unusual bits in black with red switches etc here and there. As I’ve said before, it is a “representative” cockpit rather than accurate. The Airwaves PE set is not the best :(. 
 

I have also built up the recess for the main canopy strut. The Airfix offering is a bottomless slit that is too narrow. I will be using the Sword part with additional perforated strut made from rectangular section rod.
 

Well, that filled my modelling allocation for today :). I reckon I will get the fuselage halves together next time. 🤞
 

Martin
 

 

[noelh]

On 7/12/2022 at 8:56 PM, RidgeRunner said:

😂😂😂
 

Yes, Frank, I reckon she was a Cadillac compared with some more praised machines of the era ;).  I love the F-84

 

Martin

So do I but she was no Cadillac. If you  don't  believe me get your hands on 'Stranger to the ground' by Richard Bach. Yes that Richard Bach. A brilliant read about an overnight flight over Europe by the author in an an F84F. It seems  the F84F was characterful to say the  least.

Edited July 13, 2022 by noelh

[RidgeRunner]

7 hours ago, noelh said:

So do I but she was no Cadillac. If you  don't  believe me get your hands on 'Stranger to the ground' by Richard Bach. Yes that Richard Bach. A brilliant read about an overnight flight over Europe by the author in an an F84F. It seems  the F84F was characterful to say the  least.

You are right, of course. I was taking a romantic view. She had her quirks and ways about her for sure. Only recently Rob de Bie told me about the regular flame outs and the accepted practice of in flight restarts, for example. Nevertheless she deserves better in my view :). 
 

Martin

[Courageous]

I'm sure the 'Streak' will be fantastic as usual and we'll see when normal service resumes.

 

Stuart

[RidgeRunner]

So after a bit of time spent at Fairford and editing after, I am now back to the 'streak.

 

As I said earlier, I did some work a few days ago on the rear window glazing. Its a bit fiddly but with patience, a range of sanding and polishing sticks plus polishing compound it is possible and these are installed on the fuselage halves. I glued them in place with Extra Thin cement and then, once dry, I filled gaps with Kristal Klear. I then got the fuselage halves mated and it was then that I pushed out a glazing part! It took a fair bit of work to get it back in. I clearly hadn't applied enough cement. All good now, though. 

 

You will see from the following photos that I have chopped the fin now. After the fuselage sides dried I added the fin tip from the kit. It is slightly too short, because of the taper on the fin, so I cut it, cemented the front and back alighed with the fin leading and trailing edges and then filled the gap with card. 

 

Then next job was to get the windscreen on. Remember it is the one from the Sword RF-84F. It looks good bu there is clearly a different in design shape of the fuselage between the Sword and the Airfix. IT will take some sanding to get her correct, or as correct as I can. Whatever happens it will be better than the narrow Airfix offering. After cementing in place I masked around the gaps, including the shims that I inserted in the widened fuselage, and applied my Gloop (dissolved sprue). I had a small disaster as the Gloop very slightly encroached on the lower edges of the glazing. Some polishing once dry should sort that out, though. 

 

I have also been cutting out the second underwing panel - for the starboard side - around the wheel bay. I am using my trashed RF for parts. When building the RF i started to cut the wings to insert new wing fences. It was a disaster! As a result the doner part I am using here needs a little repair first. Once dried, sanded to shape , and the hole cut for insertion, I will add the interior detail to the wheel bays. 

 

She is still looking rough but I will persist and get her done! After this, if I post a WIP involving butchery pleases stop me! Remind of this! My plan for the rest of the year is to stick to simple builds ....... mainly

 

Martin

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

[RidgeRunner]

2 hours ago, RidgeRunner said:

I had a small disaster as the Gloop very slightly encroached on the lower edges of the glazing. Some polishing once dry should sort that out, though. 

 

I rescued an "old" Sword windscreen and after a bit of paint stripping it might work as a replacement. 🤞 

[cpoud117]

This is impressive! I'm looking forward to see it primed. 

Edited July 31, 2022 by cpoud117
Bad english

[RidgeRunner]

On 7/29/2022 at 7:15 PM, cpoud117 said:

This is impressive! I'm looking to see it primed. 

Thanks mate. It will be a while before I get to that. The wings need finishing as well as tidying the scribing, plus sorting out the windscreen area. Like you, though, I’m looking forward to seeing her with Mr Surfacer on.  This will be my first venture away from Airfix primer, metallics and varnishes. I have a bit of trepidation about that. 🤞😊

 

Martin

[cpoud117]

I've had a blast using the lacquer based Mr surfacer 1500 (both grey and white). I've bought but not yet tried their Aqueous surfacer range.

Which one are you going with?

[RidgeRunner]

7 hours ago, cpoud117 said:

I've had a blast using the lacquer based Mr surfacer 1500 (both grey and white). I've bought but not yet tried their Aqueous surfacer range.

Which one are you going with?

Standard MrS 1500 grey from an aerosol, under Vallejo Metals. It will be adding details, anti-dazzle, tail flash etc with Colourcoats. 

[RidgeRunner]

I've been back at the 'streak again :). Theres a list of the things I've done and, apologies, I didn't take any photos. What I have done in the last week or two is:

 

1. Finished the wheel well insert for the starboard wing.

2. Added the Airwaves internal PE, which is not entirely accurate but better than the original kit

3. Enhanced the PE with a little square rod

4. Added the dorsal light, drilling the clear part and filling it with metallic paint to simulate a light.

5. Fiddled around with the windscreen and got an initial filler around it

6. Drew and cut masks for the side windows, makingthem slightly small so that I can apply the putty-coloured paint around the edges

7. Added the windscreen mask

8. Sanded and scribed the undersides of the wings

9. scribed the upper sides of the wings

...... and maybe a few things I've forgotten. 

 

Today I got the wings on so she is starting to look like a 'streak!

 

 

 

I now need to prepare the wing pylons. For these I want to make up the correct shackles. The Airfix interpretation is a bit generic and inaccurate. I need to get to this:

 

 

 

I have the tanks built up for the main pylons. These are 450 gallon tanks I have pulled from spares and are ex-F-101. The outer pylon needs the same/similar. These will take the bombs.

 

I also need to prepare for the HVARs. These need to be set up like this:

 

 

I think - and please correct me if I am wrong - I can take these from a F-51D kit. I have lots in the spares. I need to buld up the mountings, thought. What I dont have, and would appreciate your help, is the exactly locations for these. 

 

Tomorrow - I hope - I will get the above bits done, or at least have the cut outs done on the pylons so that I can get them mounted.

 

Martin

 

 

 

 

 

[RidgeRunner]

Re-posting as an appeal to F-84 gurus

 

 

[Courageous]

1 hour ago, RidgeRunner said:

F-84 gurus

Looks like YOU are the guru unless that other Martin @Lightningboy2000 can help.

 

Stuart

[RidgeRunner]

3 minutes ago, Courageous said:

Looks like YOU are the guru unless that other Martin @Lightningboy2000 can help.

 

Stuart

Maybe so, Stuart, although it doesn't feel like it ;). It is odd how there is so much information out there about a many types but the poor old F-84 in all its forms is left wanting :(. I may just have to guess!

 

Martin

 

[bentwaters81tfw]

11 minutes ago, RidgeRunner said:

Maybe so, Stuart, although it doesn't feel like it ;). It is odd how there is so much information out there about a many types but the poor old F-84 in all its forms is left wanting :(. I may just have to guess!

 

Martin

 

Yep, data, manuals, spares, all made from Unobtanium. One would never believe they made so many of them.

[RidgeRunner]

A bit more done today:

 

1. adapted the main underwing pylons to take the 450gal tanks. These tanks have locating pins already, which I am assuming are correctly placed and so I have drilled corresponding holes in the pylons. I will now need to build up show sway braces/shackles. 

2. PPP applied to gaps as and when I found them

3. HVARs found from a Tamiya F-51D

4. tailplanes scribed and dry fitted

5. Added a litte more scribing in the nose area. Itsa little ugly but I reckon she'll look okay after priming

6. Drilled holes for the two dorsal vents on the 450gal tanks. The rear is 0.8mm and the forward one is 0.5mm

 

 

Next will be:

 

1. a clean up of the PPP

2. a light sanding all over with a very fine pad

3. install the tailplanes

4. fill the injector holes in the pylons and scribe

5. clean and repeat the locator process for the outer pylons

6. make a decision about th HVAR locations

 

Eventually - maybe this week - I will get prime on

 

Martin

 

55 minutes ago, bentwaters81tfw said:

One would never believe they made so many of them.

Yes, it is pitiful how the type has been represented

[bentwaters81tfw]

@RidgeRunner

Check your inbox

[Lightningboy2000]

Looking forward to seeing this at the priming stage. Also looks like you've got some pretty good research info going there & a comprehensive plan of attack. Much more than I can say for my still unfinished Streaks.

Those attachment points for the rocket mounts. It looks quite possible that you could extrapolate* (my chosen word for today 😉) the locations from that photo.

I was also looking at photos on the Frenchwings.net that come up on Google images. I'm wondering if those points are visible in that wing underside photo I sent you? If not I hope Frank came to the rescue. Thinking of which, I wonder how their BCWM 1-1 scale effort is coming along?

As for "the Thunderstreak Guru" you're definitely the one! 

 

Martin 

[RidgeRunner]

Thanks Martin. I was thinking much the same myself. It is really odd (to me) that different photos show different things! I even have a shot of an Italian 'streak with a different set of rocket rails. If you look at the French machine I posted there is no way that a pylon and a bomb slung underneath could be fitted between the inner HVAR and the wheel doors/leg. However, the shot of the Italian machine shows that they did just that. Some, like the Belgian machine in the walkaround has small doors for the HVAR rear fitments but the Italian one does not. I reckon, as you say, it is going to be some educated guesswork. 

 

Guru? Nah, not me! I wish I was!!!!!

 

Martin

 

 

By the way:

 

 

[TheRealMrEd]

On 6/16/2022 at 4:17 AM, RidgeRunner said:

I checked the Sword door set and I reckon they are the closest to being correct. They aren't perfect, though. My question to myself now is whether I bother to chop all that around for the sake of a part millimetre here and there. Certainly, though, the Airfix are too big! My reference was the Caruana drawings and we know they can be off a little at times. D&S has no underside reference :(. It does have a side view with gear down that that looks even more wacky! Ho hum .....

 

So, a summary of what I see as "impovements" to the Airfix kit (so far!):

 

1. Scribe panel lines
2. Modify the windscreen by the use of the Sword part. I might need to widen the fuselage at this point
3. Check the upper face of the inlet duct as photos show it to be flat
4. Add cockpit PE
5. Add further PE based on the Airwaves set
6. Modify the wing tank shackles
7. Use the Sword canopy and build a new strut
8. Add more detail to the coaming
9. Pursue the wheel well issues and resolve
10. Shorten the fin (this is for the early examples and for this build)
11. Correct the gun ports on the nose
12. Source 5" HVARs and rails/attachments
13. Source appropriate bombs
14. Use 450 gallon belly tanks from a Voodoo
15. Correct the trim tabs
16. Pivot the tailplane - maybe

 

That'll keep me busy

 

Martin

 

Hi Martin, she's coming along beautifully.  I always enjoy the real detail work that you do.  One small fly in the ointment, however.  The fuel tanks on the later Voodoo were of the cheaper-t-make conical rear end style, whereas the earlier tanks used on the F-84F's were the oglive-shaped (think olive) tanks, that had been much more expensive to build.  You may have to build them up at the rear end with a little putty:

 

 

By the way, if you can post up a pic of the rockets/mounts you need, I may have something in the stash...

 

Ed

[RidgeRunner]

Thanks a lot, Ed. You are right but those used on many European machines had the conical rear end. Some were even cut off square!  I will dig out some photos

 

Thanks also re the rockets. I’ll get back to you

 

Martin

[bentwaters81tfw]

Hi Martin

You might want to check out Rob de Bie's article.

https://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/models/f84f.htm

[RidgeRunner]

9 hours ago, bentwaters81tfw said:

Hi Martin

You might want to check out Rob de Bie's article.

https://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/models/f84f.htm

You beat me to it, Frank . Now he is a F-84 guru

 

I also dug out out an example image, Ed @TheRealMrEd  

 

https://www.airliners.net/photo/Netherlands-Air-Force/Republic-F-84F-Thunderstreak/2200733

 

Martin

[RidgeRunner]

Hi all, 

 

A little more done while sat in the heat in my south facing study

 

Today she has had the PPP cleaned up. However, I need to now add more as I installed the underwing pylons. In preparation of these I filed small location points for the sway braces, using the previously drilled holes as guides. I also sanded the filler (Gloop) used to fill some injector holes, and scribed some of the detail. I also performed the same on the outer pylons, which will take the AN-M64 500lb bombs.  These, too, are installed. Once I have cleaned up the new PPP around these pylons I will be giving the whole model a light sanding with a 12000 grit pad and then a clean up with a dry toothbrush. 

 

As you can see, the tailplanes are now installed too.

 

For the HVAR positions, given the lack of detailed information, I have marked out and drilled 0.5mm holes that are 4mm apart with the outer set 4mm from the inner wing tip, Once I get the HVARs cleaned up and ready I will mark out the positions for the fins and drill further 0.5mm holes for the corresponding stubs. 

 

She's looking even more like a 'streak today

 

 

She is still looking dusty, rough and like a 1960s kit but I hope that with some clean up time next week, I can have her looking a bit more as I envisaged. Once clean I will give her a coat of Mr Surfacer 1500 primer to even things up. It'll certainly show up errors, marks and gaps but thats how these things go. It's all part of the .. er... fun . She is also going to be my first model painted with Vallejo Metal Colors so fingers crossed!

 

A point of detail - I've seen references to wing root guns on the F-84F but no photo I have of Italian machines show these. I am therefore leaving them off. Also I will be adding blank plates to two of the nose guns. The Italians blanked these out as they werent used. It was because of the low levels of funding at the time.

 

Martin

 

 

 

 

[RidgeRunner]

After a bit of chewing over I have decided to change my weapons configuration slightly. The reason is that I cant find any images of Italian machines carrying the AN-M64 500lb bomb. It also looks rather insignificant when I match it up to the model. So I have decided on increasing the load to AN-M65 1000lb bombs with the WW2 era tail empennage, like this:

 

Credit: Paolo Maglio

 

I have therefore order a Eduard/Brassin set for this :). She will still have the HVARs too, although this shot shows only the fitments for one on the wing tip.

 

Question: what colour were these during this time (late 1950s)? Olive Drab?

 

Martin