This bird represents the same F-8E that Cmdr. Richard Bellinger flew when he got his first Mig kill over Vietnam in 1966. I did this model for a theme build on my modeler group
This bird was totally re-scribed due to poor exterior detail in the mold. Painting was done with a primer coat then airbrushed with Testors Model Master Acrylics and finished off with Krylon Clear Matte Finish after decaling. Decaling this model was NOT an easy task! Decals were old and very hard to work with and required a ton of Future just to make them adhere to the model surface. I ruined three Star and Bars decals just getting the one onto the fuel probe door. If you look and notice the scuff plates, they were done from scratch. Panel lines were accented using a No.2 pencil which I had to keep re-sharpening. Canopy was masked with Black Magic mask for Monogram 1/48 F-8 and cockpit interior was done with the Eduard F-8E photo etch set, the rest of this model was done OOB and no other enhancements.
All in all this was a great build and actually went a lot faster than some Revell-Monogram models I built recently. This kit really tested my skill and patience. I had heard some horror stories with this kit but it went together alot better than I expected from an old model kit. I would build this kit again inspite of the flaws and problems. Great kit to really test how good a modeler you are. I think I passed the test.
Looks good to me. If you want to try another, I’ll send you mine. You’ll just have to figure out how to get the warp out of the wings, to make it look as good as yours. I would like Marine markings.
Wayne, Try dipping the wing in HOT water just below boiling point for a few seconds, quickly lay it on a flat surface and add somthing moderatly heavy over the warped part. You may have to do this a few times till the warp straightens out. Good luck.
You really nailed this one, Air Master. Jet s are growing on me, and your build looks especially nice after watching a re-run of the History Channel show “Dogfights” called The Last Gunfighter. I didn’t realize how awesome of a bird it was until that show.
Very nicely done! Your attention to detail makes all the difference! I must agree with Rick, you definitely get an “A” on this one! Thanks for sharing!
berny, Thanks for the kind words. I had to pencil in panel lines. I tried to do a dark gull gray sludge wash and it would not show up and ran off like water. I tried thickening the wash and got same results so I just penciled them in.
That’s a really nice job you’ve done on an older kit. Well worth the extra work I believe. I really like building the ‘lesser’ quality kits as when you can turn out a model as good as this you’ve really kicked a goal.
I love the F-8 and hope when I get around to doing one that I’ll have the patience to turn out one as good as this.
OMG! Dude, those decals are 30 years old! I didin’t even attempt it on mine(every decal on the sheet had cracks in them).I always liked the looks of the markings for that squadron, and I’m jealous.
I know you’ve already heard this, but great job on a kit that requires lots of work and patience.
Allen, I sprayed a coat of Krylon Clear Acrylic over decals. I didnt see any cracks on the decals but I did have some chipping around the edges, the Krylon Clear stopped that. I also dipped decal in HOT water to make them lay down flush to the model surface. They were very hard to work with compared to the decals that come with the kits today.
Raptor, This kit was not an old Monogram kit. it was a ESCI kit from way back in the early 70’s. It was an import kit from Italy at the time and distributed by Scale Craft Models. Scale Craft went out of business in the early 80’s. However, I have just started a Monogram 1/48 F-8E to go with this one, also the Monogram version is a slightly smaller than the ESCI kit.
Eddie, I think this is my best build yet and didnt take me as long to assemble as some of the Revell-Monogram kits I’ve done.
Max, I know what you mean about decaling, it’s often a very tedious job. I will usally spread out time I take to decal a model over a few days. I saw your F-15 and it looks great! I have the Tamiya 1/32 F-15E in my stash. The F-18 is on hold, I have no room to build a 1/32 scale model untill wife and I move to Kentucky then I’ll have my own room to convert to a Model workshop. The F-18, I am converting an “A” version to a “C” version. This will most likely be the first 1/32 scale project I start when wife and I are settled into our new home. I too am looking forward to building my 1/32 F-18.
