I’ve been tearing the house apart searching for Paul Boyer’s “History you CAN’T model” article in the April 2000 issue of FSM–I just can’t find it!
I’m trying to respond to some questions about the service life of the Cutlass (someone preparing a Vietnam Vet program featuring aircraft used in that campaign). I recall from Paul’s article (complete with illustration) about an upgraded f7-U (redesignated f-7D). The bird was a two-seat affair, considerably upgraded with a cannon (I beleive), more powerful engines, better avionics, etc. This was an “interim lightweight fighter”, used as a stopgap to combat the MIG-21 threat in Vietnam (this is all from memory–please forgive any errors or omissions).
I can’t find a THING about such an aircraft anywhere on the web–Paul’s article was the only place I’ve seen the information.
Did this thing REALLY exist? Does anyone have a copy of the April 2000 issue, or rememeber it, or know (or have) any details about the aircraft I’m referring too? Any information at ALL would REALLY be appreciated.
You can contact me directly at: muellr@execpc.com
Thanks in advance!
Regards,
Bob Mueller
Was that not an April’s fool thingy??? Some of them have been very believable, I have to say… 
OHHH! Duhh! This was probably indeed a prank (should be more sensitive to that April thing). If anyone could INDEED verify this was truly a prank, I could put it to rest…
If so, too bad. The cutlass would’ve probably been a great bird, given the upgrades detailed in the article.
Regards,
Bob
I’ll check and get back to you
Yep, just confirming that it was indeed a nicely done prank…[xx(]
Sheesh!!! What a doofus I can be! I certainly fell for it…
Thanks for the verification. I’m going to go hide my head for the rest of the day now…
Regards,
bob
Don’t hide your head, Bob.
I love those prank things, they’re just the perfect relief when your’e taking your hobby too seriously.
A few years back I got sick of trying to be nut and bolt accurate all the time and decided to come up with something that never was, but might just be plausible enough to fool someone.
The result was a 1/72 Gloster/Blackburn Sea Javelin FAW. MK.6. I had a worse for wear and tear Heller Javelin interceptor sitting around, as the wings had seperate outboard sections, it was just screaming for folded wings. I had some left over Royal Navy decals sitting around, so after a few work up sketches on paper, I started making the changes. (too many to remember)
Unfortunately I don’t have it anymore, nor do I have any decent pictures of it, but I had a blast making it and it turned more than a few heads and got more than a few debates going among the clientelle of a local hobby shop that I had it in the display case of for a while.
You can’t put a price on the kind of laughs you can have, when you watch those oh-so-serious nut and bolt perfectionists rack their brains over something like that. I wish I still had her, or at least some decent pictures of her.
One day I hope to come up with a model of an RAF F-111K. I do the occaisional work up sketch, but it may take some time to come up with all the details just as I like them. I’ll post some pictures if I can ever bring such a bird into being.
So, Bob, there’s no reason why you can’t do a little kitbash and model a MiG killer Cutlass!..
Ya know, funny you should mention that!..