Douglas F4D-3 Skyray

DogfighterZen · March 20, 2020, 10:24:37 AM

Ok, this is something i've always wanted to do to the Skyray because, although i love the design, i've always imagined it with a bubble canopy and a pointier nose. Reading up on the Ford's history, i found that the F4D-2N was in study before the design evolved into the F5D Skylancer and that it was to have an extended nose to house twin radar scanners so that gave me enough justification for a new variant.
This one will be called the F4D-3N. a development of the -2N that would've been designed before it transformed into the Skylancer.

The changes will obviously involve an extended and reprofiled nose but also, a new bubble canopy donated by an old 1/72 Hasegawa F-86F Sabre. Another change will be the engine, changing from the P&W J57 to a GE J79, although the nozzle will be from an Italeri F-16 nozzle because i don't have any F-4 Phantom II nozzles in the spares bag...

As i'd started this a couple of years ago, there's a bit of work already done on the cockpit area, just to see if the Sabre's canopy could be made to fit the width of the Skyray's fuselage. I also glued the air brakes to the fuselage but that was as far as i went because, at the time, i was also thinking of changing the wings but as i realized that it wouldn't be an easy task with the wings i was initially planning to use and had a few other projects on the bench, i decided to stop there and put it aside.

So, the nose will be cut off after the fuselage halves are glued together but i still have to choose where the new nose will come from... i have two options at hand that might do the trick, those being an F-18 Hornet center line drop tank and one of the Monogram 1/48 F-5F's gun pods which i didn't use in the kit's build.

No matter which one i end up choosing, it will take a bit of work to match it to the Skyray's fuselage width but i believe that i can manage that.
This is the profile of the Skyray with the Sabre's canopy.

Now, it's time to get to work on the cockpit and the rest of the interior parts like landing gear bays and engine, so i can close up the fuselage and begin the modifications.

jalles · March 20, 2020, 12:37:02 PM

I know it's just tacked together, but I really love the look of that bubble canopy on the Skyray. It looks much sleeker and modern

Old Wombat · March 20, 2020, 04:54:31 PM

The Rat · March 20, 2020, 07:15:04 PM

Nice so far! You're going to love working on that, it's a nice kit.

DogfighterZen · March 21, 2020, 01:07:51 AM

Quote from: jalles on March 20, 2020, 12:37:02 PM
I know it's just tacked together, but I really love the look of that bubble canopy on the Skyray. It looks much sleeker and modern

Glad you like it, mate!
I've always asked myself why it wasn't design it with a bubble canopy, seeing that this one is from the F-86, which is an even earlier jet... Maybe the materials that weren't able to cope with the higher speeds or there was a fear of bird collision?

Whatever the reason was, i never did like the original canopy's design very much so that's why i've always wanted to see a Skyray with a bubble canopy and i was very excited to find that the Sabre's canopy could be made to fit. That's why i decided to bring this idea back out of the box.

Quote from: The Rat on March 20, 2020, 07:15:04 PM
Nice so far! You're going to love working on that, it's a nice kit.

You're totally correct, i've only done the cockpit so far and despite the fact that it isn't very accurate(fact that doesn't really bother me much), i 'm enjoying the build already!
I've built a few kits of this period(Airfix F6F Hellcat, P-80, Monogram P-40, Spitfire, Bearcat) and enjoyed all of them and this one is no different. Detail, although raised, is good and the fit is also good.

So, last night i dug some instrument panel decals out of the spares bag and got the cockpit dressed up. Also added the rings on top of the ejection seat so i just have to finish painting it and i think it's ready to go. I know the rings are way out of scale but they will do the trick as i don't have anything else that would look better.

zenrat · March 21, 2020, 03:50:49 AM

Quote from: jalles on March 20, 2020, 12:37:02 PM
I know it's just tacked together, but I really love the look of that bubble canopy on the Skyray. It looks much sleeker and modern

It just looks right.

This is going to be good.

Dizzyfugu · March 21, 2020, 05:51:42 AM

I like the different look, too. I cannothelp it, but with the bubble canopy it got a certain Gerry Anderson-esque rouch? It looks smaller now?

Zero-Sen · March 21, 2020, 08:47:15 AM

My take of SkyRay with some SHAR pieces and larger tailfin area...

DogfighterZen · March 21, 2020, 10:18:50 AM

Quote from: zenrat on March 21, 2020, 03:50:49 AM
Quote from: jalles on March 20, 2020, 12:37:02 PM
I know it's just tacked together, but I really love the look of that bubble canopy on the Skyray. It looks much sleeker and modern

It just looks right.

This is going to be good.

Quote from: Dizzyfugu on March 21, 2020, 05:51:42 AM
I like the different look, too. I cannothelp it, but with the bubble canopy it got a certain Gerry Anderson-esque rouch? It looks smaller now?

Glad you like the idea, guys!

It may look smaller now but it will actually end up a bit longer than the original Skyray with the new nose and exhaust. It is one thing i hope will make it look a bit more attractive, at least to my eyes.

Quote from: Zero-Sen on March 21, 2020, 08:47:15 AM
My take of SkyRay with some SHAR pieces and larger tailfin area...

Those looks very good, mate.

I like the idea of the IFR probe, might have to steal that idea for this one...

Somehow those remind of the A-4 Skyhawk a lot, especially the Royal Navy one with that anti-flash scheme, looks very good indeed.

So, i've managed to finish painting the cockpit tub and ejection seat, puttied the splitter plates fo r the intakes cause they had big sinkholes on the visible areas and glued the main gear bays on their respective places but haven't done anything else cause i've been working on finishing the AH-1 at the same time...

The Rat · March 21, 2020, 10:28:18 AM

Quote from: DogfighterZen on March 21, 2020, 01:07:51 AMI know the rings are way out of scale but they will do the trick as i don't have anything else that would look better.

I keep scrap bits of copper wire for such things.

DogfighterZen · March 21, 2020, 11:06:06 AM

Quote from: The Rat on March 21, 2020, 10:28:18 AM
Quote from: DogfighterZen on March 21, 2020, 01:07:51 AMI know the rings are way out of scale but they will do the trick as i don't have anything else that would look better.

I keep scrap bits of copper wire for such things.

Funny as it seems, i also keep bits of electrical wires but i didn't even bother to do them like that cause i hate CA glue and this will be a closed cockpit...

but now that you've mentioned it, i am feeling a bit dumb for not doing it and i may have to go back and do it anyway cause i'm not diggin' the looks... look like a couple of oversize donuts...

Tophe · March 21, 2020, 11:42:40 AM

Quote from: DogfighterZen on March 21, 2020, 11:06:06 AM
i hate CA glue

I have very bad memories of liquid CyanoAcrylate glue, but since I have discovered the gel version of it, I love it. (Not as fast to glue but without going everywhere unexpectedly including fingers)

I use it mostly for resin kits.

DogfighterZen · March 21, 2020, 12:08:41 PM

I have gel CA as well as the liquid type, Tophe, i just don't like to use it very much. I always prefer to work with styrene and plastic weld type of glue like Tamiya Extra thin because it doesn't create extra material on the parts, if anything, it makes the plastic disappear.

Tophe · March 21, 2020, 12:10:52 PM

All right, I understand.

DogfighterZen · March 21, 2020, 02:38:22 PM

Ok, so i bit the bullet and tried my luck with the ejection pull handles using electrical wire and i have to admit that they came out better than i expected. This was really the first time i used these wires and i can see myself using more of these on other details in the future.
Thanks for the push, Rat!

Now i'll just have to paint them and the pit will be ready to be glued to the fuselage.