Northrop Scorpion FAW.2 - F I N I S H E D !!

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

The Backstory:
1956, and the Cold War is getting 'colder' by the day. As a result of the delays to the A.W. Javelin programme the RAF - not for the first time and cetainly not for the last time (is that a BIG enough hint for you  ) - found itself turning to the United States to 'plug the gap' in its' defences. To work alongside the rapidly ageing and operationally limited NF11/12/14 Meteor's the RAF needed an 'off the shelf' all weather interceptor whilst waiting on the home-grown Javelin to arrive.

The choice was limited to the F-86L Sabre - fast, well liked, easy to fly but short ranged and maintenance heavy, the Douglas F3D Skynight - Long ranged, twin engined but underpowered and relatively unmanoueverable, and the Northrop F-89 - Heavily armed, good radar, long ranged but complicated and erratic electronics and as unmanoeuverable as the Skynight. In the end a limited number of F-89D's were 'borrowed' from the USAF these aircraft serving only with RAF home-based squadrons -the Americans were very worried about the 'technology' falling into Warpac hands and RAFG aircraft were a lot closer to the 'curtain' than home-based ones.

The Model:
Kit - Revell 1:72 Northrop F-89D/J Scorpion
This is not going to have any after-market 'stuff' inside it whatsoever simply because the kit is one of the nicest I've seen for a long time. It's been around since the early nineties - almost twenty years - and as log as you can live with decals for the IP's and consoles - and I can - then all you really need to do is build it and paint it and a big, good looking and well detailed model will appear at the other end of the process.







Colours - Did a wee bit of research on Meteor night fighters in the 1956-58 time period. The NF11's & 12's were still wandering around in the WWII night fighter scheme of overall Medium Sea Grey with a 'disruptive pattern' of Dark Green on the upper surfaces but only extending down as far as the 'half-way point' of the fuselage. As the Scorpion is mid-winged, it has a natural 'half-way point', so that scheme is just going to be perfect. I asked on the site here if anybody had decals for an 85 Squadron Meteor thay could let me have; PHAT TREV came-up right away and sent them off to me - brilliant - unfortunately they never arrived at Schloss Jackson, but that is obviously no reflection on Trev. As luck would have it, I found a set of Modeldecals on eBay - other on-line auction sites are available - featuring markings for twelve RAF night fighter Meteor's.... I bid a stupidly high amount, but nobody else bothered and I paid very little for an excellent sheet, from which will get a LOT of use in the future (another HUGE hint  ).

The Build:
Started on Thursday at the same time as the Rafale for the 'Let it Snow' GB, painted the insides all VERY dark grey, and yesterday painted the IP's and consoles glossy black ready to take the decals. Will post some pics next week when I've got them all together. More as it progresses...... stay tuned.

As ever all comments, questions and criticisms are welcome through the project. Thanks for taking the time to look/read.

Ian

[Cobra]

Sounds Great!!!!!!!! btw, did You know the F-89 served with the WI Air National Guard during it's Service Life??? Can't wait to see & Read more,Good Luck :cheers:Dan

[Howard of Effingham]

oh, ok! 

i'll watch this one ian, to see what you come up with as i have done a RAF skynight for the scots nats
a few years back.

where's the popcorn? 

[entlim]

 

[TallEng]

Its got to be asked what happened to the FAW.1?

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

Its got to be asked what happened to the FAW.1?

Designation given to four F-89C's used as type conversion trainers, returned to the US after the initial cadre of pilots and navigators/radar operators were trained-up.

Well spotted 

Ian

[kitnut617]

The choice was limited to the F-86L Sabre - fast, well liked, easy to fly but short ranged and maintenance heavy, the Douglas F3D Skynight - Long ranged, twin engined but underpowered and relatively unmanoueverable, and the Northrop F-89 - Heavily armed, good radar, long ranged but complicated and erratic electronics and as unmanoeuverable as the Skynight. In the end a limited number of F-89D's were 'borrowed' from the USAF these aircraft serving only with RAF home-based squadrons -the Americans were very worried about the 'technology' falling into Warpac hands and RAFG aircraft were a lot closer to the 'curtain' than home-based ones.

Ian

Great idea Ian     only you forgot one I think ---- the CF-100 Canuck (actually used by a couple of European countries)

[PR19_Kit]

Great idea Ian     only you forgot one I think ---- the CF-100 Canuck (actually used by a couple of European countries)

Robert,

I know the Belgian Air Force flew ex-RCAF Canucks, but who else did?

Ian,

A cracking idea, the Scorpion always looked the much better machine than the Starfire to my mind, and has a similar stupidly low wing loading as a Flat Iron, I can imagine how it looks already. That Modeldecal NF Meteor sheet is a veritable cornucopia of night fighter squadron markings, and as you found out, in VERY low demand.  

[kitnut617]

I thought it was the Netherlands too Kit, I'm probable wrong ----

EDIT:  Yep, got it wrong, just Belgian

[PR19_Kit]

I thought it was the Netherlands too Kit, I'm probable wrong ----

Robert,

Maybe so, but that doesn't stop us building one..........  

[The Rat]

It's been around since the early nineties - almost twenty years - ...

Does that make anyone else feel positively ancient? 

[Jschmus]

It's been around since the early nineties - almost twenty years - ...

Does that make anyone else feel positively ancient? 

Yeah, my 20th high school class reunion is this year.  Where did the time go?

[wagnersm]

It's been around since the early nineties - almost twenty years - ...

Does that make anyone else feel positively ancient? 

Yeah, my 20th high school class reunion is this year.  Where did the time go?

My 35th is this year.

The model sounds very interesting.

[PR19_Kit]

It's been around since the early nineties - almost twenty years - ...

Does that make anyone else feel positively ancient? 

Yeah, my 20th high school class reunion is this year.  Where did the time go?

My 35th is this year.

Hehe, get some iin.......... 

Next year would be my 50th reunion if I went to it, which I just may now you've all reminded me. 

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

So does this mean, as I glue the parts together, they are attending a twenty-year reunion of sorts..... 

And While we're on-about-it, you lot stop hi-jacking my thread  Hmphhhh !!

Ian