Trumpeter 1/48 RA-5C questions

[SallysDad]

Hi Folks.

 

I am looking at some aftermarket parts for this kit. 

Aries makes a resin set for the main landing gear. Has anyone worked with this? 

What do you think of the detail? And the fit? 

Does it add to the detail of the kit?

Thanks.

Randolph

[jpk]

This is a big kit. Not sure if resin gear would support it for long unless there were metal rods molded in the struts. I have the kit and there's nothing wrong with the kit's gear. I would avoid the Cutting Edge forward fuselage correction set. It doesn't correct anything. I have the Black Box cockpit set and it is nice but the kit's cockpit isn't bad. If you want to display it with the canopies open you will need to scratch build the support mechanisms. The Cutting Edge intake trunks are good as is the Cutting Edge replacement intakes. Cutting Edge made two different intake styles, early and late. If you want to do the early version the exhausts need to be the same as the ones used in the F-4B,C and D. The latter use the exhausts from the F-4J. Those parts may be hard to find since CE is OOP and may cost $$. I wouldn't bother with the Nautilus wooden rear fuselage support set. Sprue cut to the correct size will work just as well if not better. 

 

The fit generally is not too good, especially with the wings. There lots of parts and no locating tabs for the leading edge flaps and trailing flaps. once mounted I had to sand down the parts to give the wings a smooth appearance. Fiddly bits like the refueling probe doors are a bit of a pain to mount closed. I bought mine when it first came out along with as much aftermarket as was available. I may finish it some day.   

 

Hope this helps.

Edited September 8, 2022 by jpk

[SallysDad]

7 minutes ago, jpk said:

This is a big kit. Not sure if resin gear would support it for long unless there were metal rods molded in the struts. I have the kit and there's nothing wrong with the kit's gear. I would avoid the Cutting Edge forward fuselage correction set. It doesn't correct anything. I have the Black Box cockpit set and it is nice but the kit's cockpit isn't bad. If you want to display it with the canopies open you will need to scratch build the support mechanisms. The Cutting Edge intake trunks are good as is the Cutting Edge replacement intakes. Cutting Edge made two different intake styles, early and late. If you want to do the early version the exhausts need to be the same as the ones used in the F-4B,C and D. The latter use the exhausts from the F-4J. Those parts may be hard to find since CE is OOP and may cost $$. I wouldn't bother with the Nautilus wooden rear fuselage support set. Sprue cut to the correct size will work just as well if not better. Hope this helps. 

Thanks so much, jpk. That is a great help. Yes, it is a very nice kit. Have you started yours yet?

[jpk]

Yes I have. It has been partially assembled in the box on the shelf. It is a very difficult kit to build, at least for me. I am going to substitute some aftermarket parts like J79-10 exhausts for the late version. The kit exhausts are sort of generic. I do have the CE trunks and late intakes in the assembled fuselage. 

[RODH2]

The big Vigilante has come in for its fair share of criticism, but looks well made up, and assembled easily for me. There are suggestions that the panel lines and riveting is a bit haphazard, but my only concern is whether Trumpeter captures the "hump-backed" fuselage spine well, just looks a bit shallow to me. An impressive model, after-market decals really give it a lift. The stores are not very representative, but, as they say, check your references!

[SallysDad]

52 minutes ago, jpk said:

This is a big kit. Not sure if resin gear would support it for long unless there were metal rods molded in the struts. I have the kit and there's nothing wrong with the kit's gear. I would avoid the Cutting Edge forward fuselage correction set. It doesn't correct anything. I have the Black Box cockpit set and it is nice but the kit's cockpit isn't bad. If you want to display it with the canopies open you will need to scratch build the support mechanisms. The Cutting Edge intake trunks are good as is the Cutting Edge replacement intakes. Cutting Edge made two different intake styles, early and late. If you want to do the early version the exhausts need to be the same as the ones used in the F-4B,C and D. The latter use the exhausts from the F-4J. Those parts may be hard to find since CE is OOP and may cost $$. I wouldn't bother with the Nautilus wooden rear fuselage support set. Sprue cut to the correct size will work just as well if not better. Hope this helps. 

What about the Aries gear wells? Enough additional detail to be worth the work/cost?

[jpk]

The wing assembly is crazy. Each LE and trailing flaps are assembled in halves then attach to the assembled wing halves. When I say each I mean each. Each wing has fourteen parts. There are no locating tabs so you just glue them to the assembled wing. The parts don't fit well to the wing and mine needed some sanding and filing to fit properly. I would agree it is impressive when built. I do have some aftermarket decals that I hope to use some day on it. 

[jpk]

1 hour ago, SallysDad said:

What about the Aries gear wells? Enough additional detail to be worth the work/cost?

The gear wells are probably ok. I thought you meant the gear legs in your op.

[Robin-42]

There is a wooden support structure for the interior available that a fair number of builders say is needed, the fuselage joints are way too weak for the weight of the model apparently.

[Mike]

9 minutes ago, Robin-42 said:

There is a wooden support structure for the interior available that a fair number of builders say is needed, the fuselage joints are way too weak for the weight of the model apparently.

I've got one of those in my kit box, as the big square aft fuselage with butt-joints top and bottom just won't hold up to any kind of handling unless it is stiffened.  out of the box, you'd probably be looking at cracked seams even before you finished painting.  it's not worth starting the kit without one or a DIY equivalent to hand.  Please don't ask anyone for the measurements of the scaffolding kit on here though, as that would be breach of copyright unless you figured it out by yourself by magic.

 

IIRC it has shape issues with the nose and hump behind the cockpit, and there were sets available to fix those areas, although I can't remember how far those areas were out now, or who made the sets.  Like all models, if you're determined, you can fix anything, but you have to establish whether you want to do it, whether you CAN do it, and if so, whether you want to exercise your wallet, your sanding sticks, or your shoulder muscles for the shrugging when people mention the shape is wrong

[LorenSharp]

The supports are still available from Nautilus Models. Here's the link if its of any help

http://nautilusmodels.com/48-801.htm

Price isn't to hatefull either. 14$ US

[Steve McArthur]

16 hours ago, SallysDad said:

Hi Folks.

 

I am looking at some aftermarket parts for this kit. 

Aries makes a resin set for the main landing gear. Has anyone worked with this? 

What do you think of the detail? And the fit? 

Does it add to the detail of the kit?

Thanks.

Randolph

I've got the kit when new, started it and it now sits on the shelf of doom. This was one of Trumpeters early kits. I got the Black Box cockpit and Nautilus brace. The cockpit is a very snug fit, I lost interest trying to shoehorn this in. From what I remember all the wing control surfaces were thicker than the wing when glued together.  I think one suggestion was to install all the parts to the upper or lower wing before gluing the upper and lower wing together. 

 

For the Aires gear bays: I don't have them and don't think they are really necessary. Yes the kit lacks details, but on the real plane the main gears bays aren't that busy. I think there are only a couple wires or hydraulic lines missing cat can be seen.  Any doors that can be closed do close after cycling the gear, so that blocks the view of the nose bay almost completely and the forward section of the main bay.

[tempestfan]

43 minutes ago, Steve McArthur said:

Any doors that can be closed do close after cycling the gear, so that blocks the view of the nose bay almost completely and the forward section of the main bay.

Indeed - all "legacy" kits from Revell over Airfix to Hase took advantage of this, offering only rather tiny openings IIRC.

[Mike]

1 hour ago, LorenSharp said:

The supports are still available from Nautilus Models. Here's the link if its of any help

http://nautilusmodels.com/48-801.htm

Price isn't to hatefull either. 14$ US

That's the one! $948 shipping though, probably

[David H]

Randolph, speaking from first-hand experience, the Nautilus Models fuselage  interior bulkhead set is really a must, to beef up the internals and prevent the fuselage from bowing inward like a Revell Germany kit box.

 

Secondly, the assembled wing is very thin in cross section. In fact, TOO thin to accommodate the leading edge droops and trailing edge flaps in the "up" position.

Unless you are depicting a Vigilante on the catapult, ready to launch, RA-5s were parked with the flaps and leading edge droops "up". So what this means is, you need to shim the upper and lower halves of the wings enough to allow the droops and flaps to nest in the leading and trailing edges.

 

I also agree that the cutting edge resin correction doesn't do a damn thing.

 

Hope that helps. Forewarned is forearmed.

 

david

[Des]

3 hours ago, Mike said:

That's the one! $948 shipping though, probably

Ordered one last weekend , include a  postal surcharge of $2  and then shipping $24 and it almost adds up to twice the cost of the item (which cost $14) however as far as shipping anything from the US to the UK these days that is far more reasonable than many companies charge for their goods and from everything I had read beforehand the frame is essential unless one is very confident in their skills to build one out of scrap/plastic rod.

 

Although at the moment at least the current exchange rate is rather travelling in the wrong direction.

[Mike]

2 minutes ago, Des said:

Ordered one last weekend , include a  postal surcharge of $2  and then shipping $24 and it almost adds up to twice the cost of the item (which cost $14)

I might have been exaggerating a little bit

[SallysDad]

Thank you to everyone for your comments. 

I very much appreciate all your help and knowledge.

I also got this kit when it first came out, so it is an old one. I have the cockpit set for it and Reskit (?) exhausts for it. I knew about the Nautalis insert, but I might try to make one with a contour gage and plastic, but if that does not work I will buy the Nautalis part.

It is a shame about the fit problems and the wing, LE, TE flaps. 

It is one of my favourite planes, so I guess I will get around to it sometime... perhaps this winter.

[Des]

14 hours ago, Mike said:

I might have been exaggerating a little bit

Of course but can see where you are coming from so thought I would mention my own experience which while quite expensive and would have been happier to spend on sweeties was not quite up to eBay Global Shipping standards  seen last night with a decal sheet priced around the dollar equivalent of £6 had shipping costs of £136 sending via USPS.

[Mike]

38 minutes ago, Des said:

seen last night with a decal sheet priced around the dollar equivalent of £6 had shipping costs of £136 sending via USPS.

I don't think they wanted to sell that overseas, somehow

[AV O]

An issue not often commented.

The cockpit and canopies area.

https://karopka.ru/community/user/12202/?MODEL=226811

 

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?/topic/153212-ra-5c-vigilante/page/18/&tab=comments#comment-1500745

 

On the real aircraft, it is pinched above the fuselage junction at the glass level. Meaning it is narrower than the fuselage.

Which explains why the bump top on the model is rather squarish to fit the too wide canopy top.

 

See pictures (camouflaged version & front view at the bottom) :

Click on any picture to get inside the photo album. You are then able to zoom onto details.

http://axis-and-allies-paintworks.com/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?16391

 

Another detail.
The lastest versions with LERX have straight edges air intakes like the A-5 while older ones have a slopped edge.

Edited September 20, 2022 by AV O

[pigsty]

21 hours ago, David H said:

Randolph, speaking from first-hand experience, the Nautilus Models fuselage  interior bulkhead set is really a must, to beef up the internals and prevent the fuselage from bowing inward like a Revell Germany kit box.

 

Secondly, the assembled wing is very thin in cross section. In fact, TOO thin to accommodate the leading edge droops and trailing edge flaps in the "up" position.

Unless you are depicting a Vigilante on the catapult, ready to launch, RA-5s were parked with the flaps and leading edge droops "up". So what this means is, you need to shim the upper and lower halves of the wings enough to allow the droops and flaps to nest in the leading and trailing edges.

Useful advice on the wing - thanks.

 

On the rear fuselage, rather than cough up for a brace, I've been assuming that a couple of spacers made from sprue would do the trick - one in each engine section, maybe a third in the centreline bay.  Is that not a goer?

[David H]

1 hour ago, pigsty said:

Useful advice on the wing - thanks.

 

On the rear fuselage, rather than cough up for a brace, I've been assuming that a couple of spacers made from sprue would do the trick - one in each engine section, maybe a third in the centreline bay.  Is that not a goer?

Well, the stresses will be concentrated most on the centerline, so vertical posts located there would probably be the most effective. Locating them close to the engines could lead to interference problems with the intake trunking or the exhausts.

-d-

[Pappy]

6 hours ago, pigsty said:

Useful advice on the wing - thanks.

 

On the rear fuselage, rather than cough up for a brace, I've been assuming that a couple of spacers made from sprue would do the trick - one in each engine section, maybe a third in the centreline bay.  Is that not a goer?

 

G'day,

 

I don't see anything worng with experimenting with sprue supports, it would literally cost you nothing to experiment and you could even use lengths of sprue off cuts as a gage to make sturdier bracing from plastic sheet. It may just save you some cash which you can use for other things, Back yourself and have a go, you may surprise yourself. If it all turns to custard there is always the aftermarket option

 

If you were on a budget, perhaps you could use expired credit cards (which are about 10 thou) as a cheap suource of plastic card to make a box structure to beef up the rear fuseelage

 

Pappy

[Alan P]

Just to add, I successfully built this when it came out, I don't remember any fit problems with the wings though 🤔 I made several modifications (including adding the hump).

 

Don't know regarding the Aires additions, but would definitely recommend the rear fuselage brace or take one of the low cost recommendations above. Can't imagine how the thing would survive without some beefing up of the structure.

 

FWIW here's a link to my build here: