**** DONE: 1/48 F-8E (FN) Crusader French Aèronavale.

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Vic Balshaw

Major General
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8,192
Jul 20, 2009
Canberra
G'day folks, I thought I'd just chuck this one in as a second build for the 'Cold War' 6th Group Build and yes, another F-8 using some left over bits from the first entry.

Username: Vic Balshaw
First name: Vic
Category: 2 – Intermediate
Scale: 1/48
Manufacturer: Revell/Hasegawa/Aires/me
Model Type: F-8E Crusader.

Aircraft - F-8E (FN) Crusader No 37. French Aèronavale, Flottille 12.F. French Aircraft Carrier "Clemenceau" (R.98 ), 1980's.

Extras: Aires F-8E detail set leftovers from the first build, will possibly include the gun pack and re-fuller probe, though the box kit has its own probe. The kit also provides for a folded wing version.

An order of 42 airframes from the French Government were exported to France in two batches, the first of 13 airframes were shipped aboard the French Carrier "Arromanches" (R95) in October 1964 from Norfolk, West Virginia and the remaining 29 airframes aboard the carrier :"Foch" (R99) in early 1965.

The F-8Es which was based on the F8U-2NE Crusader had to be modified by Ling-Temco-Vought to accommodate landing on the smaller decks of the French Carriers. The modifications included an improved system of flaps, a special auto throttle for carrier operations, stall warning and the ability to carry MATRA air-to-air missiles. The aircraft served operationally with the French Aèronavale from 1964 to its retirement in December 1999 were it served in support of NATO forces though more often than not was looking after the specific interests of France.


Pic 1. The Revell box cover. It's actually in an old Hasegawa Phantom box, the original Revell box having long since collapsed.


Pic 2. This is the profile of the airframe and decals for this scheme are included in the kit.
 
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It sure is Karl, the original Revell box collapsed on me long time ago so I give it a new home once the phantoms had been built.

 
Nice one Vic, looking forward to the build. I believe the Aeronavale Crusaders also had other mods, including a cheese and wine rack, and a storage bay for a turine of Bouliabasse........!!
 
Thanks guys, much appreciated

With my second entry, my intention was to not get so detailed with this kit and use mostly kit parts with maybe a bit of tarting up. Oh how hard this is going to be.




Pic 1 2. The instrument panel as is with the kit and after a bit of work on my part. Me thinks just a light dry brushing with a spot of silver will be enough.





Pic 3 to 6. The varying stages of shaping up the tube to make it look a little better than just plastic.







Pic 7. The ejection seat which came in four bits, completed with the addition of a few extras from the scrap box. Needs a little bit more work to clean it up.



Pic 8 to 10. In the spares box I have a couple of gun-packs for the F-8A and am thinking of fitting just the one to this machine. Pic 10 shows the parts of both gun-packs.






Pic 11. These are the parts provided with the kit for the refuller probe.



Pic 12. This is the resin refuller probe set from the spares box................Which would you guys use.

 
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Thanks again guys, you're a good bunch.

Working on this one as a fill in with time, I'm sort of robbing the leftovers from the RF-8A to spruce this kit up a bit.



1. The kits supplied nose wheel bay (left) and the substitute resin wheel housing and the RF-8A doors.



2 3. The surgeon has been at it again, refuller bay and gun bay port side opened with the resin detail parts. It's all going to be a tight squeeze, but I recon we will make it.



 

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