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Model-Related Handicrafts
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Topic starter
10/12/2024 12:54 pm
Khorat Royal Thai Air Force Base, 1969, I was Army temporarily stationed at the Camp Friendship base awaiting assignment. I would takes strolls to the Air Base to see how the other half lived and compared to us, they were in the lap of luxury. In a prior post, I said how thrilled I was to see the old Lockheed Constellation still extant as the EC-121R "Batcat electronic warfare and surveillance platform. What I found really exciting was the wing of shark mouth F-105 Thunderchiefs that did their daily sorties over North Vietnam. The variant that I noticed was a two seat F-105G "Wild Weasel lll" that would go before the wing to detect and destroy the SAM radar sites around Hanoi and Haiphong using their HARM missiles that would zero in. In 1969, there weren't many of these in theater so this model may actually be the one I saw there. This Hobby Master diecast model of the "Patience" is done as well as I could do from a kit build especially in my old age. The model's horizontal 'stabiliators' are posed down as they would be for take off and the stand for model positions the model 'nose up'. It's a lovely bit of nostalgia.
10/12/2024 1:28 pm
Looks like a nice model. Some of my diecast airplanes are from Hobbymaster. They usually produce a very nice model. Castings of fuselage, wings, and other items are accurate and nicely detailed. Finish of paint and markings very good. The one complaint I have concerns attachment of parts such as landing gear doors and weapons bay doors. Sometimes they use completed sub-assemblies for these items, which makes attachment easy. Other times each individual door is attached separately, and even with some filing, they may not fit well. How were these items attached on you model?
Ed Davis
Inverness, Illinois, USA
Topic starter
10/12/2024 2:31 pm
@ed-davis The landing gear was all separate components of flaps and struts. They were all meant to be snap fits, but all the struts bases I cemented in. I probably didn't have to because I affixed the stand for that power takeoff angle that matched the position of the stabiliators. I remember having my heart skip a beat with the roar of the engine upon take off. I was never planning to pose it on the ground.
10/12/2024 2:36 pm
A great looking model of this version of this classic jet strike/fighter/anti-SAM aircraft. It certainly was a handsome machine !
10/12/2024 4:54 pm
They were all meant to be snap fits, but all the struts bases I cemented in.
Looks great Rich, but I'll pretend I didn't hear this part. I'm assuming snap-fit articulating pieces are now fixed? 🙄 😯 😮
Geoff Jowett reacted
Topic starter
10/12/2024 5:27 pm
@chris "Snap fit" on these models may be either tiny tabs or a fit so tight that the pieces almost weld. As to the landing gear, I ditched the 'up gear' components as I generally prefer the gear extended. I notice a bit of wobble on a couple so I went ahaead and cemented them to make sure thay remained in proper symmetry especially for head on views.
Steve Jacobs and Christopher Moroni reacted
10/12/2024 6:48 pm
For my Hobbymaster Skyhawks I also had to glue the landing gear struts. For my other 1/72 scale aircraft, some have nice sub-assemblies including strut, landing gear doors, and internal wheel well detail. They fit snugly, but can be removed if you want to put model back in its box. For others, the struts fit so loosely you have to glue them for the plane to stand on its landing gear.
Ed Davis
Inverness, Illinois, USA
Rich Sufficool and Christopher Moroni reacted
Topic starter
10/12/2024 9:06 pm
@ed-davis I was looking at your Skyhawks and they come from all eras and liveries. I'm tempted to call up my ex-Navy to ask him if any of them were assigned to his carrier group (I think he was on the USS Forrestal)
Christopher Moroni reacted
10/12/2024 9:21 pm
I am attaching close-up photos of two of the Skyhawks. The one from the Oriskany is plane flown by John McCain.
Ed Davis
Inverness, Illinois, USA
Topic starter
10/12/2024 10:26 pm
@ed-davis The most interesting of his Skyhawks was his onboard the Forrestal and his actions and conflicting testimony after an F4's Zuni rocket suddenly fired.
https://www.truthdig.com/articles/investigating-john-mccains-tragedy-at-sea/
Ed Davis and Christopher Moroni reacted
13/12/2024 12:53 pm
Rich, I'm just checking for accuracy. And yeah, I know my penchant for details is a bit annoying, please accept my apologies in advance.
On your model, the horizontal stabilizer is positioned for landing, right? If it were in a takeoff position, the leading edge would be pointed downward with the trailing edge upward, right? 😎