The Grumman Sabrecat

[PR19_Kit]

Good idea with the insert between the engine halves. I'll try that trick, too, and Presto will do the rest (as on yours, as I can see )

About 1/4 of a tube so far, and it STILL needs more to get rid of the flat on the top!

[Dizzyfugu]

Oops!

[kitnut617]

Some time ago I put a Tempest spinner on one of the Bearcats I have, it seems to go quite well so a similar set up would be quite good.



I'm also converting another Tempest spinner into a contra-prop arrangement, but it does need to be extended at the rear end a bit and this was using the larger of the two spinners that comes in the Matchbox kit. I also moved the front prop further forward into the spinner though ---

[PR19_Kit]

Is that the standard Bearcat prop Robert?

[kitnut617]

Yes Kit ---

How about putting a five blade Sea Fury prop on it, with the tips trimmed down a tad. Sort of like this;

[Dizzyfugu]

That's what I will try on mine, even though it will be a smaller 5-bladed prop from the start (from a Griffon Spitfire). Should look beefy, though!

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

Does this help, Mr S ??

http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=4086

Ian

[PR19_Kit]

Does this help, Mr S ??

http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=4086

Ian

Cor, that's different Ian! Is that a Centaurus engine from a Sea Fury perhaps? What prop is it please?

I'm minded that the Bearcat had a tricky landing gear that actually got shorter as it retracted, the main pivot point moving outboard during the process, so if my Tempest prop is too big to start with I'll just lengthen the legs and arrange for them to shorten even more. 

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

I used a spare P-51 spinner from a Tamiya kit and cut-down the root of the F8F's props by about 7mm if I recall correctly. Of course this is all in 1:48 so may not translate to 1:72    'Think you saw it in the flesh, I built this and the SEAC P-51 for the 'Far East '46' theme at Telfors about three or four years back.

Ian

[perttime]

I'm minded that the Bearcat had a tricky landing gear that actually got shorter as it retracted, the main pivot point moving outboard during the process,

Something like that. Looks like the leg itself folds about 1/4 of the way down. The full resolution version of a Wikipedia photo shows some detail:
(link to a smaller preview version)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Blueangels_BearcatF8F.jpg

[Dizzyfugu]

Does this help, Mr S ??

http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=4086

Ian

Yes, wow. My plan has a similar look, just with the Sabre nose, and maybe with very small roundels only.

Nice build, BTW. looks gorgeous! 

[Dizzyfugu]

My Art Model F8F-2 arrived yesterday from Latvia. Decent kit, featuring a resin engine, cockpit, wheels and landing gear well interior. Overall rather simple, but for EUR 10 a good kit with engraved panel lines.
With its higher tail fin this is certainly to become the "Sabrecat Mk. II". Parts are complete now (I even have some British rockets at hand to replace the US HVARs), as well as decals - but currently I still have the BSG Viper on the bench that takes some time.

[PR19_Kit]

I'd like to hear what you think of the Art Model Bearcat Thomas, it seems to have some good press but I've never seen one in the plastic.

I have two of the Monogram F8F-1s in The Loft but they're seriously ancient by now.

I'm on maybe the 7th or 8th PSR session on the nose of my Sabrecat so far. Sometimes I wonder why I do this, I HATE PSR!  

[Dizzyfugu]

Well, I have seen three Art Model kits in real life so far, and built one - the Bv 155 became my French Aéronavale whif (the Arsenal AS.21), and it was/is a good kit - I even got naother one, to build it OOB, some day...

I also have the Art Model Ye-8, the MiG-21 derivate with the chin air intake. It also looks pretty good - simple kit, with not too much detail, but I expect fit to be good, it has recessed panel lines, too, and features resin parts for the cockpit.

Compared with the Monogram F8F-1 (which is ancient and probably undead, since it pops up every now and then in new boxings...), the Art Model Bearcat has less surface detail - but that's no wonder when any single nut had been added onto the surface.
Wing construction is different - the AM has single wings (instead of the Monogram's connected solution), but inside a resin part that makes up the landing gear wells goes through the fuselage. It's a totally different kit, obviously CG-designed. The material is a grey plastic that feels less "brittle" than the typical Monogram/Revell stuff. I expect it to be easier to convert (I also have a Monogram F8F-1 stashed away, which is to become a real life Vietnam Air Force model). 

The Monogram Bearcat is surely not bad, though, and my AM kit was pretty cheap, so I gave it a try. And it is the late version with the taller fin.

Check this here - also generally a great website from Poland when you are looking for sprue shots, decal options or instructions:

http://www.model-making.eu/products/Grumman-F8F-2-Bearcat.html

Concerning the conversion and putty work, I will certainly take your advice/trick with the insert between the Sabre halves. For rough work and "sculpting" I tend not to use NC putty like Presto, but rather 2C stuff. After rough shaping and sanding, I use the NC putty for the finish/surface (that's what it actually is intended for), this method prevents those tedious putty-sanding-sessions when you try to mate things that are not supposed to belong together by nature... 

[kitnut617]

The Bearcat in the pic I posted further up was Monogram kit, but I've got a Frog kit too and it's identical to the Monogram one and will be built OOB. I also have a Sword kit which has the tall tail and a couple of the High Planes kits too. All 1/72 scale --