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Model-Related Handicrafts
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Topic starter
11/12/2024 11:36 am
As a little pre-tween, I was excited about two things: dinosaurs and airplanes. Every Saturday, the old man would take me to the library and we'd take two books home. I was regaled on combat stories of our snub-nose F-86 Saber Jet vs the Mig-15 over Korea, and I would draw pictures of aircraft as well as the latest cool dinosaur. In 1953, the first of the Century Series of combat jets capable of Mach 1+ in level flight... the F-100 Super Saber. In gleaming 'air superiority' metal, it was the most sleek beautiful looking bird I'd ever seen, making all the previous jets look absolutely clunky. As the Century series of fighter bombers and interceptors progressed, the F-100 was no longer a front line threat and was relegated to National Guard and Reserve units and, I assumed, extinction. What a surprise then to see them in Southeast Asian Campaign camouflage in mostly a ground support role. What I witnessed in '69 was to face retirement in 1970 replaced by the F-105 as more became on line. Prior to the F-105G "Wild Weasel lll" there was actually a two seat F-100F "Wild Weasel l" which were converted trainers.
Anyway, still on the nostalgia kick, here's the Hobby Master F-100D Super Sabre known as the "Hun". The 'D' series had enlarged tail fin and rudder and hardened wing points for pylons to carry 3200 lbs of ordinance. 242 of these F-100Ds were lost from ground fire, destroyed on the ground or from accidents and none from aerial combat.
11/12/2024 2:32 pm
Love these fighter jets!!
11/12/2024 2:42 pm
It is a great-looking model and aircraft ! Over the years, I happily have had some differing Super Sabre jets.
North American Aviation Co. test pilot (and Pearl Harbor vet) George Welch was sadly killed while testing the F-100 Super Sabre due to a phenomenon known as "inertial coupling". But we gained great knowledge due to his sacrifice and the airplane went on to great success in service.
12/12/2024 8:56 am
Quite the hot rod for its time. Love the pictures and writeup Rich. Thanks.
12/12/2024 10:45 am
My brother just gave me a box of a dozen unbuilt airplane kits from the 1960s and early 1970s. Not this Super Sabre unfortunately but Rich’s interesting feature here wants me to start building.
Christopher Moroni and Rich Sufficool reacted
12/12/2024 10:48 pm
Rich, I enjoyed reading your post and glad to see more diecast planes in the forum. Starting in the late 50's through the 60's I made many plastic model airplanes, from WW1 through first generation jets, such as the USAF century series planes. I also made a lot of 1/25 scale cars. Today, I have 22 model diecast planes, 7 jets (all 1/72 scale) and the rest from WW2 (1/72 and 1/48 scale).
Ed Davis
Inverness, Illinois, USA
Marty Johnson and Christopher Moroni reacted
Topic starter
13/12/2024 12:03 pm
@ed-davis I think I was about 9 when I built (with a bit of help from my father) a Japanese Zero. I went on to do a slew of Revell's Century jets, a B36 and a B52. Sadly, none survived. I found a hobby shop in Bangkok and began building again while I was living in a hotel there. I got back into it full bore in the '80s and '90s and that's when I did those WWll dioramas.
Christopher Moroni and Ed Davis reacted
13/12/2024 12:13 pm
My love of aircraft almost matches my love of cars. I used to build plastic aircraft models in the '60s. My last build was of the Entex 1:144 Rockwell B1 bomber swing wing aircraft which I assembled in the early '80s. A seismic event ended its useful life and I sold the broken remains on eBay.
Christopher Moroni reacted
13/12/2024 1:28 pm
I have one remaining plastic model airplane. It is a 1/48 scale B-25 made by Revell. This kit was introduced in late 1960’s and was very detailed for that time. I found the kit in early 1990’s and built it shortly afterwards.
Ed Davis
Inverness, Illinois, USA
Marty Johnson and Christopher Moroni reacted
Topic starter
13/12/2024 2:33 pm
@ed-davis What I have still from the old plastic kit days: a 1/48 Monogram B-17 and a huge 1/24 Junker 87B "Stuka". I also found the same Stuka kit in a dumpster. I save the pieces of the pilot and the gunner and I reworked and "dressed" them to be the driver and back seat passenger for my mini-Thomas Flyer diorama.
13/12/2024 10:08 pm
I couldn't be more unlike you guys. I have virtually no interest in airplanes other than I greatly appreciate it when they safely get me from point A to point B.
The ONLY model plane I ever built was a detailed balsa & tissue paper kit, but I was too stupid to realize that the instructions were actually SCALE BLUEPRINTS that EXACTLY diagramed each piece.
I simply "eye-balled" everything.... when my friend realized my mistake, we decided the best remedy was to, well.... burn it. It was gone in seconds, like the Hindenburg. 🙄 🙄 🙄
Marty Johnson and Ed Davis reacted