F7U-3 Cutlass conversion

PR19_Kit · August 12, 2018, 01:28:32 AM

Quote from: The Wooksta! on August 11, 2018, 04:03:34 PM

I don't know if it's just me, but to my eyes, the Cutlass always looks like a sawn off Sea Vixen.

It is, it just has VERY short booms.

Scotaidh · August 12, 2018, 04:32:03 AM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on August 12, 2018, 01:28:32 AM
Quote from: The Wooksta! on August 11, 2018, 04:03:34 PM

I don't know if it's just me, but to my eyes, the Cutlass always looks like a sawn off Sea Vixen.

It is, it just has VERY short booms.

If you made it supersonic, it'd have loud short booms ...

zenrat · August 12, 2018, 04:44:45 AM

A coat of paint that ties everything together is always a good point of a build.

NARSES2 · August 12, 2018, 07:33:13 AM

Quote from: Scotaidh on August 12, 2018, 04:32:03 AM
Quote from: PR19_Kit on August 12, 2018, 01:28:32 AM
Quote from: The Wooksta! on August 11, 2018, 04:03:34 PM

I don't know if it's just me, but to my eyes, the Cutlass always looks like a sawn off Sea Vixen.

It is, it just has VERY short booms.

Looks like another one is going to have to go on "The List"
If you made it supersonic, it'd have loud short booms ...

Scotaidh · August 17, 2018, 02:03:10 PM

Stabilizers on and puttied. Now I just need to get in some good grey paint and a couple of new brushes.

Off to the LHS!

Steel Penguin · August 18, 2018, 01:17:01 AM

looking good from here

and for some reason still screams spaceship to me and I cant work out why

NARSES2 · August 18, 2018, 01:59:43 AM

She's certainly got nice lines

63cpe · August 18, 2018, 02:15:33 AM

Marvelous job! very subtile done! Great idea to create a bigger/ more powerful version of the cutlass!

just

The Lerx did work out perfectly.

David

Scotaidh · August 26, 2018, 07:01:10 AM

F7U-3 Cutlass - 072
After an on-line search I found this MIL-STD document for naval aircraft paint schemes. (It's down-loadable as a .pdf) This is the relevant page for fighter aircraft. I made a tirp to the LHS for two of the shades of grey that are listed. As you can see, when the aircraft has twin stabilizers, the outward sides are painted the underside colour and the inboard sides the top colour.

F7U-3 Cutlass - 073
These are the two colours I used - 36440 for the radome and undersides; 36320 for the topsides.

F7U-3 Cutlass - 074
I'd always thought radomes were black, but not so, apparently. I used Humbrol #31 Slate Grey for the antennae atop the fins. I know the aircraft canopy was painted, aft of the pilot's seat, but I, quite frankly, regard it ridiculous to give the pilot a bubble canopy and then obscure the part where you look to see if anyone's on your six o'clock ... <derp>. So I left it clear. It's not as clear as the front half - it's a bit pebbled, to indicate where you're supposed to paint - but it's head and shoulders above FS 36320 for transparency.

F7U-3 Cutlass - 075
I used a fine-tip Sharpie to colour the canopy frames.

F7U-3 Cutlass - 076
The canopy is attached with Elmer's glue. I'm undecided - should the aircraft have a spine behind the cockpit?

F7U-3 Cutlass - 077
A spine would add interest - not to mention locations for avionics and fuel - but I dunno. I kinda like this classic look. 'Nother question: hard-points. Yes, no? If yes, then any on the folding section? I was thinking a centerline tank with flanking gun-pods, then two hard-points faired into the undercarriage housings. Anything outboard would have to be Sidewinders, I'm thinking.

NARSES2 · August 26, 2018, 07:57:25 AM

I like the look without a spine personally.

As for hard points ? A couple of tanks and/or Sparrows on the centre section then sidewinders on the outer wing sections ?

zenrat · August 27, 2018, 03:37:19 AM

I think the back of the canopy should flow into a small spine.
But then maybe that would be too much Skyray?

Old Wombat · August 27, 2018, 04:15:55 AM

Make this an early model & leave "The Hump" for the later models!

A-4E

A-4F

(Edited for better images.)

Scotaidh · August 29, 2018, 01:06:56 PM

I thought of having a "Phantom" load-out - a center-line tank and four Sparrows under the belly, with either iron bombs or Bullpups on the inner wing stations with Sidewinders on the outer under-wing stations - but can't do Sparrows.

Sparrows are beam-riders, and need that big radar ... I haz a small radar, not suitable for beam-riding.

I'm still working on the back story - that will determine a lot.

Snowtrooper · August 29, 2018, 03:25:13 PM

Actually, beam-riders do NOT need a big radar, a small and simple ranging radar is enough. AIM-7A (Sparrow I) was a beam-rider and was actually in service with the Cutlass, only variants from C (Sparrow III) onwards were semi-active radar homing and those needed the big radar

Of course, the A model looked different than later versions (sharper nose for example), but maybe the seeker head was fitted to a "modern" Sparrow body to allow its use on a fighter with less capable radar...?

Scotaidh · August 30, 2018, 03:47:12 PM

Quote from: Snowtrooper on August 29, 2018, 03:25:13 PM
Actually, beam-riders do NOT need a big radar, a small and simple ranging radar is enough. AIM-7A (Sparrow I) was a beam-rider and was actually in service with the Cutlass, only variants from C (Sparrow III) onwards were semi-active radar homing and those needed the big radar

Of course, the A model looked different than later versions (sharper nose for example), but maybe the seeker head was fitted to a "modern" Sparrow body to allow its use on a fighter with less capable radar...?

Really? Oh, good!

This is a whif, I know, so in theory I could just say what I want to, but I feel there are some limits! Thanks!