Done +++ The F-94E, a swept wing Starfire

Dizzyfugu · January 20, 2016, 12:24:19 AM

Well, not too much to mention yet, but this time the Western Big Brother will receive support from my work bench.
Anyone remember the nice P-80/F-86 crossbreeds that popped up as profiles first and even received a hardware build (a respective model has been posted on this site, IIRC, but I was not able to dig the post up)?

From: http://cdn-live.warthunder.com/uploads/da/dd77e2df830549802997fb28adcd312310c915/P-80_swept.jpeg

Well, I'll tackle the same stunt, but with a personal twist.

Stay tuned for #3, the Cold War enters its next stage.

Dizzyfugu · January 21, 2016, 02:38:32 AM

Things become more concrete: this will be the (probably) last derivative of the F-80 family, in the form of the rather overlooked interceptor version F-94.

So, this will become the F-94E, based on the C with its bigger afterburner engine and modified, swept tail. Armament will also be modernized: no more unguided rockets, rather a pure missile fighter with (externally carried) GAR-1/AIM-4 Falcons. Bigger radar/different nose, too. Probably classic NMF.

DogfighterZen · January 21, 2016, 07:15:13 AM

Another beauty on the way!

About the post you couldn't find, just type Sabrestar on the search box, it's Pacopepe's F-80 Sabrestar.

Dizzyfugu · January 21, 2016, 07:33:47 AM

Ah, thank you! Could not find it due to the missing keyword, even though it's actually not the one I had in my mind - it was The Big Gimper's builds (Spanish & Norwegian: http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,40969.0/highlight,sabrestar.html)

For anyone interested in former ventures into this kitbashing topic, also check Pacopepe's formidable build: http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,40221.0/highlight,sabrestar.html

DogfighterZen · January 21, 2016, 08:30:48 AM

I knew i was forgetting some of them...
The Big Gimper's builds are also very cool!

Dizzyfugu · January 22, 2016, 01:14:15 AM

Another proof that good ideas turn up more than a single time, or on more than just a single modeler's workbench.
Mine is already taking shape, but I'll probably post the complete package when it's done, no WiP.

Dizzyfugu · January 23, 2016, 05:28:59 AM

So, here's en bloc the WiP from last week. Looks dramatic, but actually the change of wings and other details went rather smoothly!

I wanted to use the F-94C as starting point, which is already considerably different from the F-80/T-33. Adding swept wings (from a Hobby Boss F-86F, with larger "6-3" wings) changed this look even more.

1:72 Lockheed F-94E Starfire, aircraft 'FA 880/Bu. No. 56-0880 ' of the 57th FIS 'Black Knights', US Air Forces Iceland, Keflavik AB, 1959 (Whif/Emhar kit conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Lockheed F-94E Starfire, aircraft 'FA 880/Bu. No. 56-0880 ' of the 57th FIS 'Black Knights', US Air Forces Iceland, Keflavik AB, 1959 (Whif/Emhar kit conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

This changed so much that I decided to modify the fin, which did not look appropriate anymore. The fin and the spine's rear end was replaced with the fin of a Kangnam/Revell Yak-38. In order to unify shapes and make the donation less obvious, the Yak-38 fin's characteristic, pointed tip was clipped and replaced by a more conventional design, scratched from a piece of 1.5mm styrene sheet. In the wake of this modification, the round elevator tips were clipped, too.

1:72 Lockheed F-94E Starfire, aircraft 'FA 880/Bu. No. 56-0880 ' of the 57th FIS 'Black Knights', US Air Forces Iceland, Keflavik AB, 1959 (Whif/Emhar kit conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Using the F-94's landing gear wells as benchmarks, the F-86 wings (which had to be cut off of the Hobby Boss kit's integral, lower fuselage part) were sanded into shape and simply glued into a proper position. This worked so well that a completely new and plausible main landing gear installation was created. As a consequence, I used the F-86's landing gear struts - they are much better detailed than the Emhar F-94C's parts. The front wheel strut (it's a single piece) was transplanted too, even though the suspension was switched 180°.

The Emhar F-94C's cockpit is pretty good (esp. the seats) and were taken OOB. I just covered some gaps in the cockpit walls and under the windscreen with paper tissue, soaked with white glue.

1:72 Lockheed F-94E Starfire, aircraft 'FA 880/Bu. No. 56-0880 ' of the 57th FIS 'Black Knights', US Air Forces Iceland, Keflavik AB, 1959 (Whif/Emhar kit conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The nose was replaced by a bigger radome, taken from an Armstrong Whitworth Meteor NF.14 (Matchbox kit). Its diameter and shape fit almost perfectly onto the F-94C's front end, and the result reminds a lot of the EF-94C photo reconnaissance test aircraft! Under the nose, a shallow fairing for the IR sensor was added, and all four air brakes were mounted in open position.

1:72 Lockheed F-94E Starfire, aircraft 'FA 880/Bu. No. 56-0880 ' of the 57th FIS 'Black Knights', US Air Forces Iceland, Keflavik AB, 1959 (Whif/Emhar kit conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The underwing pylons come from the scrap box (one pair from an Airfix A-1 Skyraider, another from an ESCI Kamow Ka-34 'Hokum' which also provide the launch rails for the ordnance). The drop tanks come probably from an Italeri F-16 (not certain) while the four AIM-4s come from a Hasegawa USAF air-to-air weapons set.

1:72 Lockheed F-94E Starfire, aircraft 'FA 880/Bu. No. 56-0880 ' of the 57th FIS 'Black Knights', US Air Forces Iceland, Keflavik AB, 1959 (Whif/Emhar kit conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Painting process to follow soon.

NARSES2 · January 23, 2016, 05:40:10 AM

That looks oh so Soviet

PR19_Kit · January 23, 2016, 06:21:36 AM

Just what it says on the tin, a swept wing Starfire.

Why didn't Kelly Johnson do that?

Dizzyfugu · January 23, 2016, 06:30:50 AM

Quote from: NARSES2 on January 23, 2016, 05:40:10 AM
That looks oh so Soviet

Totally agree! At one point I was seriously tempted to stray from the original USAF plan and just add Red Stars! The nose has something very Yak-25ish to it, but the rest also has a Soviet air about it. There's also a certain proximity to the Saab 32 Lansen, even though the latter is more massive.

The "product" looks good, though. "Elegant" might not be the correct word for it, but "conclusive" describes the thing well.

Gondor · January 23, 2016, 01:22:11 PM

I was going to say Soviet Lansen when I saw the picture but you obviously saw and wrote that first Dizzyfugu

Gondor

nighthunter · January 24, 2016, 11:02:11 AM

Why not 20mm cannons?

Dizzyfugu · January 24, 2016, 11:10:51 AM

Out of fashion at the time...

Besides, more from the painting cabin:

This was supposed to become a classic USAF, with a classic all-metal finish. In order to brighten things up I chose a squadron that served with the Northeast or Alaskan Air Command, which added orange-red high-viz markings to wings and fuselage.

The NMF sections were primed with a base coat of Revell's acrylic Aluminum. On top of that, single panels and details were painted with Alu Plate and Steel Metallizer from Modelmaster.
The International Orange markings were created with Humbrol 132, slightly shaded with orange (Humbrol 18).

1:72 Lockheed F-94E Starfire, aircraft 'FA 880/Bu. No. 56-0880 ' of the 57th FIS 'Black Knights', US Air Forces Iceland, Keflavik AB, 1959 (Whif/Emhar kit conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Lockheed F-94E Starfire, aircraft 'FA 880/Bu. No. 56-0880 ' of the 57th FIS 'Black Knights', US Air Forces Iceland, Keflavik AB, 1959 (Whif/Emhar kit conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Part of the nose section and the spine were painted in ADC Grey (FS 16473, Modelmaster), just for some diversity. Cockpit interior and landing gear wells received a coat of US Cockpit Green (Humbrol 226), while the interior of the air brakes was painted in Zinc Primer (Humbrol 81), according to pictures of operational F-94s. The landing gear struts and the inside of their covers became Aluminum (Humbrol 56). The anti glare panel in front of the cockpit was done with dark olive drab (Humbrol 66), the radome flat black and weathered with wet-in-wet streaks of sand brown. Operational F-94s show serious weathering on their di-electric noses, so this detail was taken over to the kit. Other weathering with paint, beyond a basic black ink wash and some shading on the orange areas, was not done. The drop tanks were painted with Steel Metallizer, for a different metallic shade from the fuselage, and the AIM-4's received a typical outfit in white and bright red with different seeker heads.

1:72 Lockheed F-94E Starfire, aircraft 'FA 880/Bu. No. 56-0880 ' of the 57th FIS 'Black Knights', US Air Forces Iceland, Keflavik AB, 1959 (Whif/Emhar kit conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Primary decals come from a Heller F-94B kit, which have the benefit of a silver background – even though this does not match 100% with the paint. Squadron markings come from an Xtradecal F-102 sheet, tailored to the kit. Most stencils come from the Emhar OOB sheet, plus some more from the aforementioned F-102 sheet.

1:72 Lockheed F-94E Starfire, aircraft 'FA 880/Bu. No. 56-0880 ' of the 57th FIS 'Black Knights', US Air Forces Iceland, Keflavik AB, 1959 (Whif/Emhar kit conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

After some soot stains around the exhaust were added with graphite, the kit was sealed under a coat of semi-glossy acrylic varnish. The anti glare panel and the radome were kept matt, though.

1:72 Lockheed F-94E Starfire, aircraft 'FA 880/Bu. No. 56-0880 ' of the 57th FIS 'Black Knights', US Air Forces Iceland, Keflavik AB, 1959 (Whif/Emhar kit conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

PR19_Kit · January 24, 2016, 11:55:08 AM

That's so darn logical I can't think why they didn't do it for real.

kitnut617 · January 24, 2016, 01:05:47 PM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on January 24, 2016, 11:55:08 AM
That's so darn logical I can't think why they didn't do it for real.

They did Kit,

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/XF-90_inflight_USAFM.jpg

only it ended up a little bit bigger

http://www.anigrand.com/images/items/AA2034_XF-90/AA2034_XF-90_real_2.jpg