(#2 Done! pics pg.4&5 ) -- USAF F-110B Vulture

[TheChronicOne]

This is my first GB and for it I am choosing to build the Hasegawa 1/72 Mig 27 Flogger D dressed in 1950's era USAF markings.   

Not much was known about these things back in the 70's so the kit isn't exactly accurate but I sure like it. All built up should look just fine! 



I'm trying to come up with a coherent story that would make sense (as whif-world goes) but considering the gap between marking and when the plane was made I might just have to involve time travel . . .   


Brad


EDIT:   The story of how this came to be:  I decided to make this airplane a strange result of a time traveling incident. In the movie The Final Countdown, the carrier Nimitz is transported from back in time from 1980 to 1941. Little did we know, then, but the time vortex that swallowed up the Nimitz also opened up on the other end of what we now recognize as "Vile Vortices."  As luck would have it, on the other end of the Pacific, a MiG-27 was in flight over the ocean near Manchuria. Due to entering the vortex minutes later than the U.S. carrrier, the MiG was transported to 1951 rather than 1941. Due to instrument failure and low fuel state, the Soviet pilot was forced to put down on mainland Japan were the pilot and craft were seized by United States military forces.

Unlike the Nimitz, the pilot and MiG were  unable to make it back to their proper period in time.

One thing leads to another and the Americans spend the next few years studying, disecting, and reverse engineering the MiG. Much like with the B-29/ Tu-4, it was decided to clone this aircraft and begin production. The newly American Made aircraft were designated F-110B and given the moniker "Vulture."  The rest is alternate history!!!   

[Nick]

You could make it part of Constant Peg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4477th_Test_and_Evaluation_Squadron  AFAIK they never had Mig-27s.

[kitnut617]

You could always say it was "sort-of-diverted" while on delivery, like the Yak-15 was (info from the Chuck Yeager book)

[TheChronicOne]

Thanks for the tips, you two.  I appreciate it.

In the short time since I first posted I think I've fallen in love with doing something in the "The Final Countdown" universe and we will indeed have time travel on our hands...

There's going to be a mix of science fiction, pseudoscience, and "The Final Countdown" movie universe.  Since the livery will be from the 50's I want it to "make sense" to be decorated as such.

I looked into Constant Peg and the time frames won't work for me. (I'm stuck with the decals I have)

Actually, the "sort of diverted" for delivery bit is something I'm looking at right now but I need the delivery to be made in 1980 and in an area where it will appear in the late 40's or early 50's and then fall into American hands. I'm thinking maybe Sea of Japan or something.. Manchurian area..  something.

It'll be sort of like this... "At the same time the Nimitz was sent back in time to 1941, one the other end of pacific a Mig 27 in flight was a few minutes later sucked into the other end of the vortex. The few minutes of delay translated into a few years.  (which would explain why the mig wound up in late 40's early 50's instead of 1941)  "   Blah blah blah this, yadda yadda yadda that... the plane falls into the hands of the US and voila.. a few years later 1950's era USAF Mig 27.   

Convoluted maybe but it'll work.   

[TheChronicOne]

Ahhhh yeah!!!! 

I got the decals ready to go (had to steal 'em from a sheet for another airplane entirely... )

Now, all I need is to track down some 1/72 USAF roundels (I posted in the swap shop, but EDIT: I found some in my stash) then I'm ready to get under way on the first!  I might pop out and trim the horizontal stabs and trim the little "excess" "stubs" off of the pieces already off the sprues but otherwise she'll sit til October.

But..aside from those roundels... I'M READY!   

[Captain Canada]

Neat stuff. I have never seen that kit.

[TheChronicOne]

Thanks, bro!   

[TheChronicOne]

Got started in earnest today. Been trimming sprue, painting, etc.

Here's my Pilot:





I'm painting the interior, instrument panel, the seat, nose wheel well (after a bit o' research) and other minor things like some of the ordanance.  I've also glued the dropable fuel tanks together.

This also has good old fashioned iron bombs and what look some sort of air to air missile akin to russain equivalent of aim 9.


EDIT:

Painted the instrument panel.

[TheChronicOne]

Progress on the interior:

[TheChronicOne]

I almost forgot this part!! Lead fishing weight smashed and placed into the forward sections... radome and what not.. 



I just hope I put enough in there. 


The plane is supposed to be a bare metal finish in the fashion of 1950's era century series jets. On the drop tanks, should I make them metal finish, too, or were some painted other colors or combinations of colors?


EDIT: Finally stopped to do a small bit of research and settled on a name for this thing. The F-110 Vulture!   

[zenrat]

Were the tanks metal or something else like some kind of composite?

[JayBee]

F-110 was the USAF designation for the Phantom II. After the introduction of the tri-service designation system it became the F-4.

[TheChronicOne]

F-110 was the USAF designation for the Phantom II. After the introduction of the tri-service designation system it became the F-4.

Thanks for catching that!!  I didn't google very well, I guess. I came up with results for every number I tried but when I got to 110 no aircraft of any kind came back for me so I rolled with it. I went and tried again and found some stuff. I'll slap a good ol' B on it and call it a winner.

[TheChronicOne]

Were the tanks metal or something else like some kind of composite?

I think they were metal. Shooting for late 50s so I'm assuming aluminum. But, hell, I've demonstrated my lack of knowledge dozens of times already so don't hold me to it.  LOL   

[Captain Canada]

Hey that's coming along nicely ! Pilot looks great