DONE @p.3 +++ 1:72 North American F-1F "Fury Dog", USMC, 1979

Dizzyfugu · February 25, 2020, 12:28:16 AM

It's a little early, but this one has been earmarked for this GB and has actuyll been on my to-do-list for a while: a late development of the navalized Sabre (a.k.a. Fury) as a naval all-weather fighter with an afterburner engine in USMC service (early Eighties era).

Technically, this will be a kitbashing of an Emhar FJ-4B /AF-1E and an Airfix F-86D. Sounds simple, but both aircraft have really little in common, so I expect a massive PSR orgy.

kitnut617 · February 25, 2020, 06:30:08 AM

Check out Rickshaw's build, he did just that.

Dizzyfugu · February 25, 2020, 06:31:10 AM

You mean this one here? https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=44112.msg777741#msg777741

Yes, I am aware of that one, as well as some others that recently popped up here. Mine will differ in many details, though.

rickshaw · February 26, 2020, 04:18:56 AM

Yes, my Sabre-Dingo. I combine parts from an Fury, and a Sabre-Dog, a TF-86 and an Avon Sabre to make it. Nice model, if I may say so, myself.

kitnut617 · February 26, 2020, 06:49:42 AM

Can't wait to see what you come up with Dizzy

Snowtrooper · February 26, 2020, 07:35:14 AM

Interesting. Would look cool in the three-colour camo then used on USMC helicopters.

Was about to wonder how archaic a F-1 in 1980's would be, but then I remembered that there are plenty of 30-year old combat aircraft still in active service today.

In the timeframe, it would still have been useful as a strike aircraft and in anti-helicopter role (especially if the avionics package was updated and it was equipped with RWR and chaff/flare dispensers), pure fighter role would have been situational due to the limited size of its radar dish (even if the actual radar was replaced) and slow-ish speed, but equipped with all-aspect missiles it would have been roughly equal to a Sea Harrier (no, I'm not about to derail this to a Falklands thread). EDIT: Stupid me, with an afterburner a F-1 would have probably been supersonic so actually superior to the Harrier.

While it might have been useful even in OTL, keeping the F-1's in service would have been absolutely essential if your whiffverse has some sort of "Cold War gone colder" scenario and the US Navy actually goes for the "600-ship fleet" and reactivates all the mothballed Essex-class carriers (which could not operate F-4 or A-6, and obviously not F-14 or F/A-18 either).

Dizzyfugu · February 27, 2020, 12:32:25 AM

Quote from: Snowtrooper on February 26, 2020, 07:35:14 AM
Was about to wonder how archaic a F-1 in 1980's would be,

That's a bit of the question that drove me to tackle this build. I really like the late RF-8 recce Crusaders, carrying a low-viz livery (when its concept was taken VERY seriously):

Looks elegant and anachronistic at the same time - and my F-1G will follow this concept: retro hardware in a "modern" paint scheme.

Old Wombat · February 27, 2020, 12:34:03 AM

Dizzyfugu · February 27, 2020, 12:37:13 AM

Quote from: Snowtrooper on February 26, 2020, 07:35:14 AM
In the timeframe, it would still have been useful as a strike aircraft and in anti-helicopter role (especially if the avionics package was updated and it was equipped with RWR and chaff/flare dispensers), pure fighter role would have been situational due to the limited size of its radar dish (even if the actual radar was replaced) and slow-ish speed, but equipped with all-aspect missiles it would have been roughly equal to a Sea Harrier (no, I'm not about to derail this to a Falklands thread). EDIT: Stupid me, with an afterburner a F-1 would have probably been supersonic so actually superior to the Harrier.

While it might have been useful even in OTL, keeping the F-1's in service would have been absolutely essential if your whiffverse has some sort of "Cold War gone colder" scenario and the US Navy actually goes for the "600-ship fleet" and reactivates all the mothballed Essex-class carriers (which could not operate F-4 or A-6, and obviously not F-14 or F/A-18 either).

Another USMC topic I have in store is an USMC A-7D - but in the early AV-8A and B livery in green and grey, with light grey undersides and bright markings:

Not certain if it's one of SPINNERS' creations?

However, this looks IMHO cool and unusual, too (and might be doable, since I have a Heller or even a Hobby Boss Corsair somewhere in the stash, as well as some suitable decals)!

Dizzyfugu · February 28, 2020, 07:22:33 AM

Dug out the donor kits from the pile, getting ready...

1:72 North American FJ-5/F-1F "Fury"; United States Marine Corps Reserve VMA-133 "Dragons"; Alameda Naval Air Station (CA), 1979 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Dizzyfugu · March 02, 2020, 11:55:21 PM

First plastic has been cut and basic decisions have been made, which were unclear until you I actually had hardware in my hand. There's no real plan, just an idea and the attempt to turn it into a model with a saw, glue and some (lots of?) putty.

While the idea of combining a F-86D and a FJ-4B sounds simple, this IS a major feat because both aircraft have almost nothing in common. For a Fury with a radar, I eventually settled upon the transplantation of the FJ-4B's spine (including the taller fin and the cockpit opening, so that the Fury's bigger canopy can be used) unto the Sabre Dog's lower fuselage with the radome, air intake, open air brakes and the bigger exhaust section. Finding a good line for the cuts was not easy, and eventually revealed major gaps that will have to be filled, esp. towards the rear (the Sabre is much wider, due to the afterburner) and the stabilizers. Furthermore, the F-86D is longer than the Fury, so that the spine will have to be extended by ~0.5".

Underneath, the panel for the arrester hook has to be implanted, and the front wheel well has to be enlarged since the Fury's front strut is much taller than the Sabre's.

1:72 North American FJ-5/F-1F "Fury"; United States Marine Corps Reserve VMA-133 "Dragons"; Alameda Naval Air Station (CA), 1979 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 North American FJ-5/F-1F "Fury"; United States Marine Corps Reserve VMA-133 "Dragons"; Alameda Naval Air Station (CA), 1979 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Lots of challenges, but I love such Frankenstein surgeries - and I am afraid that the result will hardly be recognizable, because it's a mix of so familiar parts...

sandiego89 · March 03, 2020, 08:08:35 AM

ohh, like the idea- yes they are quite different for what most assume is "just another F-86".

The drop down rocket tray is a very interesting feature.....

Dizzyfugu · March 03, 2020, 11:55:52 PM

The FFAR tray will be deleted, I rather for some 20 mm cannon in the nose. Concerning the hardware, progress is good, but not without problems...

1:72 North American FJ-5/F-1F "Fury"; United States Marine Corps Reserve VMA-133 "Dragons"; Alameda Naval Air Station (CA), 1979 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 North American FJ-5/F-1F "Fury"; United States Marine Corps Reserve VMA-133 "Dragons"; Alameda Naval Air Station (CA), 1979 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

I mated yesterday the fuselage halves, but there are some wide gaps - but this was expected, since the fuselage shapes of both airframes differ seriously. PSR will mend that, and take a while...

I just finished the first, rough round to fill the holes, the result is quite pleasant.

But now, with a "complete" fuselage, the whole thing shows a very bulky and beefy profile, due to the FJ-4B's spine added to the deep F-86D fuselage, and the high cockpit. If you take a standard F-86 as benchmark, then its a racehorse, while this kitbashing yields a true heavy horse! Almost like an A-7 predecessor! Looks unusual and a bit stubby, but the Fury/Sabre ancestry is still there.
What'a also already looking disturbing is the white air intake duct that I had to paint early. Looks SO wrong on this aircraft!

Dizzyfugu · March 04, 2020, 09:59:19 AM

Just added WiP pics to the initial posts. Behold the mayhem!

PR19_Kit · March 04, 2020, 10:02:00 AM

Hardly mayhem, it looks like a pretty standard 'Dizzy Build'.