Vought F-8J Crusader (Academy)
Aires resin cockpit painted, detailed, and ready to go!
Mr. Fumble Thumbs broke off the top of the port launch rail. Arghhh...
Mr. Carpet Monster ate the broken piece. Another Arghhh...
Fuselage assembled and resin cockpit installed. Very nice fit!
Kit coaming removed to make room for resin replacement.
Fuselage sides blended into the resin cockpit side panels.
And a nice box arrives in the post. What could it be?
Nicely packaged against damage in transit!
Flaps dropped and slats drooped! Some resin flash to clean up. But no anhedral!
VF-302 Stallions markings. I love yellow on light gull gray! The Crusader has great lines!
Some work on the instrument panel - not finished yet.
And an idea of how small this baby is.
More goodies from the postman.
Quickboost air scoops
Cutting out the kit flaps. The kit wings have anhedral!
The Wolfpack flaps are badly bowed, and 2-3mm too short! 🙁
Adding some tubes and lines to the top of the engine tunnel.
This will be very hard to see once the wing is in place. But I will know it's in there.
Paint! Finally!
Gunze H315 Light Gull Gray with Testors RLM21 Semi-Gloss White
Oops - I had to add some more white for under the intake warning triangle.
Stickers! Or transfers...or decals...whatever you want to call them!
Now she's starting to look the part.
That's "ND" on the tail in case you couldn't tell.
Lower fuselage and several landing gear doors moulded in one piece. Why?
Odd, but the placards don't match the raised detail on the gear doors.
Wheels on, panel line wash, shadowing in the gear wells, and a million stencils!
Still looks funny with no wings...
Nose high stance looks just right.
Even those one piece gear doors look OK.
Some negative camber for the main gear tyres.
Some of the stenciling.
More toys to experiment with! These look fiddly...
Natural metal finish around the exhaust with Alclad Dark Aluminum and Stainless Steel.
The wing assembly is coming together. Lots of tiny stencils.
Horizontal tailplanes - must be sure to mount these with the proper dihedral.
Oops - forgot to add the afterburner nozzle! Here it is.
Drilling 0.25mm holes to attach the forward Sidewinder fins. Ugh.
Somehow I assembled all of them. Extra-fiddly!
Now it's starting to look like a Crusader and not a Salt Flats jet-car!
Flaps, tailplanes and ailerons in "parked" positions.
Floquil Clear Flat used for the "egg-shell" sheen.
Windscreen painted and decals applied. Still need to add the HUD.
Nice resin ejection seat from Quickboost. Not so much fun to paint, it's so tiny!
Speaking of tiny, how about the HUD? Yikes, the photoetch frames were very fiddly.
The Eduard SIdewinder (left) is much nicer than the kit (right). The Eduard fins are very thin and to scale.
Finished detail in the nose gear bay. Remove Before Flight flag is from Eduard.
Main gear bay and speed brake details.
Overall shot of the bottom, before I did some touch-up.
Overall "car brochure" shot.
The nose-high attitude is just right - a lot of kits miss this.
Floquil Flat finish was used to give an egg-shell sheen to the fuselage.
The main gear tyres have a bit of negative camber - this is correct and seen in photos and drawings.
Anti-collision beacon on top of the wing is a clear part that is only painted clear red on the bottom.
The Floquil flat finish didn't affect the Alclad around the exhaust, it still looks like metal.
Strap in and hook this baby up to the catapult!
It's amazing that only the one small shaft raises and lowers the wing.
Coming at you! The pitot tube on the radome is turned brass from Master Model.
The odd alignment and orientation of the missiles is correct - this is so they clear everything when fired.
Overhead shot from the front.
The yellow seal around the canopy sections is a decal. The canopy restraining strap is a spare bit of PE.
Inboard flaps had to be modified to fit - otherwise they were hitting the fuselage and couldn't be posed down.
Lots of tiny stencils!
Overhead shot from the rear.
I think the metal area around the exhaust came out nice.
Navigation lights on wings are painted on with Gunze Clear Red and Clear Green.
Nice overall shot from above.
The Eduard Remove Before Flight flags add a nice bit of detail to the Sidewinder launch rails.
The Quickboost cooling scoops are much nicer than what came with the kit.
Menacing, yet sleek. What's not to like about the F-8?
Comments
5 16 February 2013, 03:55
Bill GilmanGetting started on the Crusader - for once a resin cockpit didn't require an eternity of sanding followed by lung cancer and chemotherapy. It fits into the fuselage quite easily with some small modifications to the styrene (which is a lot less toxic when you're grinding away)!
16 February 2013, 04:00
Philip De KeyserGreat start Bill, I'm tuned in, this is a great built to follow😉
16 February 2013, 09:22
Bill GilmanSome progress on the Crusader! In-between working on the XF10F Jaguar, I've managed to get the main fuselage assembled and the resin cockpit installed. Unusual for an Aires pit, this one did not required a lot of sanding to make it fit. I did have to cut out the kit coaming, but nothing major. Also, the resin replacement wing arrived from Obscureco, and it looks rather nice. I didn't notice any warping, which sometimes happens with full wing replacements like this. Detailing and panel lines look just like the kit, and the flaps and slats are dropped and double-drooped, just waiting to be mounted in the "up" position for carrier approach! Anyone know what color the area beneath the wing is painted? White? Zinc Chromate? I hope not the latter, as that would not look so good! 🙂
2 June 2013, 15:12
Holger KranichGreat project, Bill! As far as i remember, the colour of that area was white on Navy birds...
4 June 2013, 12:12
stefan natusYou can see the inside of the wing in this walkaround on youtube.
Youtube Video
At 7.20min
4 June 2013, 16:39
Bill GilmanThanks for the movie, it looks like white is the colour! Well, white and a bunch of hydraulic fluid stains, general grease and grime, an occasional sea gull, etc. 🙂
4 June 2013, 18:20
Bill GilmanI've decided to bring this kit down from the shelf of doom. I've done some work on the instrument panel. I've also decided not to use the Obscureco wing, as it's for an F-8E and my choice of markings is for an F-8J, which is also what this kit (mostly) represents. So, I'll have to cut the flaps out of the kit wing to make room for the Wolfpack F-8J set that I have on order. It includes the double drooped leading edge flaps (I've been told that they are not "slats" ) and also the inboard flaps and ailerons. The Obscureco wing doesn't appear to have any anhedral either, and the real F-8 had a good amount, which is represented in the kit wing.
7 March 2015, 16:16
Thomas Bischofftremendous work - how did you do the instrument panel? It's incredible small.
7 March 2015, 19:16
Bill GilmanThe instrument panel is made up from a thin piece of film with a photoetched panel over the top with the instrument holes punched out. The film contains the instrument faces, but it's just black and clear - paint the back of the film flat white and you get black and white instrument faces. The trick is aligning the film to the holes in the photoetch, especially when it's this small. I use a magnifying glass, and PVA glue. Cheers.
7 March 2015, 21:39
Soeren R.Uhhh another great KeepfightingBill project and it looks already amazing!!
10 March 2015, 10:05
Cristian BordinaIf the approach is this, I cannot wait to see the model finished 😄
10 March 2015, 10:19
Soeren R.If you fight the chemo as good as you build all your kits, I have no doubt in that at all 🙂
10 March 2015, 14:53
Bill GilmanI bought some resin aftermarket for the Crusader. The Quickboost air scoops and CMK wheels look very nice, but the Wolfpack flaps and droops are quite disappointing. First, all the pieces are badly bowed (warped). I can make the leading edge flaps ("droops"😢 work, but the flaps/ailerons go in the bin. In addition to being badly bowed, they are 2-3mm too short. I've ordered the Quickboost flap set and we'll see if they are OK. I should have read the IPMS review - their recommendation was to put them in the bin! Unfortunately, I found the review after the fact, as no one had linked it to the product on Scalemates yet. Now it's linked, though, so hopefully no one else will do the same as me!
I also added a small amount of detail (tubes and lines) on top of the engine tunnel. To be honest, these will be hard to see once the wing is mounted in the up position. If you have a micro-spy magnifying glass, a tiny flashlight, and the ability to peer into tight spaces, you'll be able to see it. Cheers, Bill
12 March 2015, 21:36
Bill GilmanHi mates, I've uploaded several more photos. As you can see a lot of progress has been made, as the fuselage is now completely painted, the decals are on, I've done a panel line wash, and added some shadowing to the gear wells. Starting to look like a Navy Bird now! 🙂 🙂
2 April 2015, 01:28
Bill GilmanThanks everyone. Today I am going for my sixth and (hopefully) last chemotherapy treatment! Then in a few weeks I'll have a PET scan and see if any cancer is left. I have confidence that the treatments have worked. I've also made the decision to retire on July 1. Maybe then I will have time to build more models! 🙂 🙂 🙂
2 April 2015, 11:27
Christian LehmannI don't know why I missed this. Nevertheless it looks great.👍
Good luck !
2 April 2015, 15:37
AugieGo Bill.. Go Bill... Go Bill.. Go Bill.. yes.. you have your own cheerleader😉
2 April 2015, 16:28
Cristian BordinaBill, to admire your models is always an extraordinary thing. You have skills in your hands that few others have. I'm always your fan😉
2 April 2015, 16:41
NAZRI .Nice, Is More Details Decals , This jet fighter same like A-7A CORSAIR-II
3 April 2015, 01:17
Lucas C.Very nice! I have this kit in my stash (actually, two of them!) and I'll be hard-pressed to build mine to the same standard as yours!
3 April 2015, 01:47
Bill GilmanThanks mates! I truly appreciate all the nice comments. 🙂
NAZRI - Vought Corporation also built the A-7 Corsair II, but they built the F-8 Crusader first. The A-7 came later. Many of the design characteristics from the F-8 were used on the A-7, one notable exception being the variable incidence wing. Cheers, Bill
3 April 2015, 01:49
Matthias WeissAnd there is Bill again with a superb build!
Stunning, all these tiny details!
3 April 2015, 05:26
Christian MeyerhoffHi Bill! This will be another beauty from your workbench. I like every bit of it! Top job so far!
3 April 2015, 18:10
Bill GilmanThanks mates!
Although the Sidewinders that come with the kit are quite good for injection moulding, I decided this would be a good opportunity to try out the resin missiles from Eduard. My set arrived today in a box full of goodies from Eduard (three more Anigrand kits). The Eduard Sidewinders look beautiful, the fins (front are PE, rear are resin) are very thin and more to scale than those from the kit. Excellent detail, plus a small decal sheet includes stencils and stripes.
4 April 2015, 00:39
Bill GilmanSome good progress on the Crusader. Check out the new photos - it's really starting to look like an airplane now with the wing attached. I should have this finished today, as long as I start working and stop typing! 🙂
11 April 2015, 12:28
Holger KranichHi Onkelchen!
What elegant lines this aircraft has! And your painting pimped it very much! How do you like the eduard AIM 9? Very much better than a kit part or only a bit better?
11 April 2015, 13:33
Hanno KleineckeBeautyful bird, excellently built and painted ! I look and learn .
11 April 2015, 14:22
Bill GilmanAugie - LOL.
Cristian and Soeren - thanks, mates!
Burkhard - this is a family web site, watch that language! 🙂
Holger - the Eduard AIM-9 Sidewinders are way ahead of the kit parts. The big difference, of course, is the thickness of the fins, which is much more to scale. The problem is that the rear fins are resin, and are "wafer-thin" (Mr. Creosote, anyone?). I ripped one of them during removal from the pour block (but I fixed it). The front fins are PE, and really tiny. But, now that I have them painted, they look so much better. I'll take a picture of the Eduard Sidewinders in comparison to the kit parts. You'll see the difference!
11 April 2015, 14:24
Philip De KeyserGreat Looking crusader, very well done bill. Another master piece is Borne
12 April 2015, 07:50
Matthias WeissIt's like always when Bill is building a kit: I feel like I watch a real plane being constructed.
Outstanding work, fascinating derails as always, Bill.
12 April 2015, 22:11
Bill GilmanHi mates, I'm calling this one finished. I've uploaded another 25 photos or so, please have a look and enjoy. I haven't added all the captions for the photos yet, but you can probably figure it all out anyway. The model won Gold in its category at the Buffcon competition in Buffalo, NY last Sunday. Cheers, Bill
14 April 2015, 02:42
Dave FlittonI don't even know if I want to build mine now. I can't come close to your magnificent work. Excellent job!
14 April 2015, 02:50
Holger KranichBill, this build thread made me like the Crusader. Now after the last pix that i´ve seen, the will to build a F-8 rises in my mind. This is a great build and you have really deserved the Gold medal!
Cheerio Holly😉
14 April 2015, 06:22
Roland SachsenhoferOh yes, gold medal! I agree to Holger -and all the previous praising comments, what a delicious masterpiece!
I would be interested in how you did get that superb and sharp-edged yellow canopy framing;has it been masked and sprayed? As for the whole model: your precision s a miracle to me 🙂
14 April 2015, 06:34
Kees KleijwegtA very well deserved gold medal. This is a simply stunning build. Top job
14 April 2015, 07:51
Bill GilmanWow, thanks everyone! I've gone back in and added all the captions to the photos. The kit is easy to build, it's one of those shake and bake kits. It almost falls together. By far the best Academy kit I've ever built.
Roland, the yellow seals around the canopy frames are decals. The Cartograf decal sheet that comes with the kit includes these seals, which is great, since they are very prominent on the Crusader. What I found amazing is that these decals have no clear film that extends beyond the edges of the yellow area. The other decals on the sheet are more "normal" in this regard, but these yellow seals are different. I don't know how Cartograf did that, but they look fantastic! There is no clear film visible anywhere.
Holger - yes, you must build a Crusader. How about a USMC "mud-mover" version? 🙂
14 April 2015, 13:27
Bill GilmanI forgot to mention a small disaster that happened during the build. I forgot to protect the decals when I masked around the exhaust area prior to painting the Alclad. When I removed the masking tape, I removed a lot of decals. On the port side, I lost half of "NAVY", half of the tailplane scuff plate, two of the digits in the Bureau Number, and the "2" in VF-302. On the starboard side I lost half of the yellow stripe on the ventral strake, two digits in the Bureau Number, and the rear portion of the walkway at the bottom of the vertical fin. Needless to say, I was bummed for a moment.
But I fixed it all, somehow. I bet you didn't notice anything did you? This is why you keep every decal you don't use from every model, no matter what it is. I found almost exact replacements for everything in my spares box, and it made the repair job much easier. I ended up painting to repair the yellow stripe, though. It turns out that Gunze H4 Yellow is a perfect match. The repair to the tapered black stripes that are on the border of the yellow stripe was made with very thin black stripes layered on top of each other in a "fan" pattern.
14 April 2015, 17:31
Hanno KleineckeIt Is quite relieving to know that this kind of mishaps occur even to the best ...... You patched it up perfectly !
🙂
15 April 2015, 06:58
Roland SachsenhoferBill, thank you for the information to the canopy seals. This are good news... I am always slightly frustrated being not able to reproduce those seals- thanks to Acadamy for solving this difficulty the easy and practicable way!
These pictures of your F-8 Crusader are mouth watering... 🙂
16 April 2015, 17:52
