Area 88 1/72 - F-8E Crusader (SHIN + BORIS) - completed

strobez · October 27, 2019, 04:41:26 PM

Hi guys. I know I usually post up my works in progress, but I was a little lazy this time around, so I decided just to post up the final glamour shots. It's 1/72 scale and there's no lights, no motors, and no in-flight action poses trying to tell a story... it's just a wheels-down did-the-best-I-could job that turned out better than I expected, so I thought I'd share. If anyone is interested in the work-in-progress stuff, I posted it all up on my blog - http://strobez.ca/wp/index.php/2019/10/28/f-8e-crusader-area-88/

Anyone familiar with Area 88 knows about Shin's shark-mouth F-8E Crusader - it's iconic. It's also the first plane almost everyone tackles when they set out to start modelling Area 88-related projects. It makes sense, it's the hero's first ride... so start at the beginning. The problem (at least for me) was that, being so iconic, I had high expectations for myself - way too high as it turns out. This was the first kit I bought when I started this "serious" modelling journey a few years back. It set the bar high for things like detail and fit, but scared the heck out of me with the parts count.

Well, they say fifth times the charm, right?

This time I was determined to prove to myself that I had the skill and experience now to get the job done, so I'm happy I succeeded. I'm also glad build #2 was able to be helpful as a proof-of-concept test piece, that build #3 got repurposed into a crash site build project that I'm currently working on, and build #4 eventually did achieve glory in a supporting role, playing the Boris Crusader alongside Shin's blue one.

And wherever build #1 ended up, I hope it knows that I couldn't have done it without it... oh, and, Urm... sorry about the whole "tossing you in the bin in rage" bit.

Incidentally... having 5 abandoned builds of a plane used by the French Navy also gave me the ability to hand over a veritable arsenal of Magic Missiles to Kit... so there's an added bonus!

Old Wombat · October 27, 2019, 08:10:49 PM

They're great, strobez, &, in this instance, the dark panel lines merely accent the comic book nature of the builds. Brilliant!

PR19_Kit · October 27, 2019, 08:58:02 PM

Quote from: strobez on October 27, 2019, 04:41:26 PM

Incidentally... having 5 abandoned builds of a plane used by the French Navy also gave me the ability to hand over a veritable arsenal of Magic Missiles to Kit... so there's an added bonus!

And I'm very grateful that you DID abandon them, thanks so much.

I must admit I'm having a little difficulty working out how big that Crusader is, assuming that's your usual outsize Tamiya paint pot in the pics....

Spey_Phantom · October 27, 2019, 10:04:12 PM

They look terrific, great work on the details

zenrat · October 28, 2019, 03:08:12 AM

Brilliant. And as Womby says the too dark panel lines just make it better as it's a cartoon.

chrisonord · October 28, 2019, 04:30:40 AM

I do like those , I do like the crusader, an the hasegawa one sat in the stash very well could get put in the to do pile now. They are very inspirational.

I am thinking either converting mine to an RF-8 for the Honduras airforce a royal navy version, or making it into a super sonic A-7, as the prototype A-7F was very much lik3 a crusader.
Chris

strobez · October 28, 2019, 06:12:21 AM

Quote from: zenrat on October 28, 2019, 03:08:12 AM
Brilliant. And as Womby says the too dark panel lines just make it better as it's a cartoon.

I was a little worried about the super dark panel wash, but it does accent the manga drawing feel of the build, so it turned out more or less the way I was hoping.

strobez · October 28, 2019, 06:17:12 AM

The Crusader is such a weird-looking plane, I just can't help but love it. I appreciate all the kind words. This project did turn out better than I hoped, but after five tries... well I was determined not to fail.

I will say that the Academy kit is light years better than the Hasegawa one. I only bought the Hasegawa Area 88 boxing for the decals (well, that and the collecting urge to get a full set was strong). The only small quibble would be that the slats were separate pieces, but the flaps were just part of the wing. Made it easy to drop the one but not the other.

Old Wombat · October 28, 2019, 06:23:06 AM

The F-8 & its SLUF love-child, the A-7, are two of my favourite aircraft. I'm pretty sure the A-7 is my favourite jet.

TheChronicOne · October 28, 2019, 06:42:52 PM

Woooooo, damn!!!!! MOST Glorious!!! And what everyone else said.

zenrat · October 29, 2019, 01:02:54 AM

Are the folded wings OOB or is that your work?

strobez · October 29, 2019, 08:02:52 AM

Thanks Brad!

The folded wings are purely my work. I had to very carefully saw the tips off and then do my best to reconstruct the hinge and give some of the internal structure a go - meaning I glued a small polystyrene rod in place and drilled a couple of holes... ok, so not really my BEST... but good enough...

TheChronicOne · October 29, 2019, 11:52:30 AM

No prob. How's it feel building such huge things after all the 1/144?

zenrat · October 30, 2019, 04:04:22 AM

Quote from: strobez on October 29, 2019, 08:02:52 AM
Thanks Brad!

The folded wings are purely my work. I had to very carefully saw the tips off and then do my best to reconstruct the hinge and give some of the internal structure a go - meaning I glued a small polystyrene rod in place and drilled a couple of holes... ok, so not really my BEST... but good enough...

DogfighterZen · October 30, 2019, 05:09:22 AM

That looks very good, congrats!