Subject: Re: Gallery Article - RF-8G Crusader "Catching the 3-wire" - 1
From: "Steve Bamford ARC" <[email-masked]>
To: "Aibara Darius @Consult" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 2004 09:40:24 -0800

Hi Darius,
Thanks for sending in your RF-8G article.  I'm caught up on my
e-mails....now if I can just keep it this way.  I'll e-mail you when your
article goes on ARC.

Steve Bamford
Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com

Live like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you've never been hurt.
Work like you don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Aibara Darius @Consult" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Sent: Monday, March 22, 2004 5:54 AM
Subject: Gallery Article - RF-8G Crusader "Catching the 3-wire" - 1

Gallery Template #10
"1:48 Hasegawa/RVHP RF-8G Crusader - catching the 3-wire"
by "Darius Aibara"
--------------------
Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 01.jpg here
<<...OLE_Obj...>>
This is a model that I recently built for a former US Navy airman that was
responsible for this aircraft in the early to mid 1960s.  We had entered
into a correspondance following my earlier "Crusader Trio" article on ARC
which led to my offering to build a 1:48 VFP-63 aircraft for him.  We wanted
to display the aircraft with everything hanging out and the best way to do
this was to depict it at the moment of "trapping".  How to do this?  Neil
Burkill's excellent 1:72 Skyraider article showed me how it could be done
and so I proceeded apace.
The Maintrack FR-8G conversion that I had used earlier is no longer
available and so I utilised the RVHP resin conversion set as advertised on
Hannant's website.  I had intended to convert one of the many
Monogram/Revell F-8E kits in my stash but the RVHP kit is intended for the
Hasegawa kit and this had a different canopy construction that would have
made using the Monogram kit very difficult.  Thus the Hasegawa kit was
obtained, which did have the advantage of separately moulded flaps and slats
and finer engraved detail.
With the RVHP set you get two resin fuselage halves, a replacement top
central wing part, a new instrument panel, an F-8E type nosecone, the
underside camera blister and a nice decal sheet for an early 1970s VFP-63
RF-8G.  The parts were cleaned and the "tailhook" added to one half as shown
in photo 1.  I used wire cut from a coat hanger as it is stiff enough to
support the weight of the completed model without bending.  Additional
reinforcement was provided in the form of sprue "struts" to prevent the wire
from levering off the tailhook bay and lengths of laminated plastic card to
form an anchorage for the wire in the top of the fuselage.  Incidentally
"Spongebob" gave the trap a "no grade" when I posted some pictures in ARC's
Critique Corner - clearly I didn't put enough bend in the wire!
Click on images below to see larger images
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click-able smaller version of photo 04.jpg here. Clicking on that photo will
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photo 05.jpg here. Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized
version of photo 05.jpg    <<...OLE_Obj...>>  
The rest of the construction was as per the kit.  I used Humbrol grey filler
between the fuselage halves and to blend in the nosecone.  Halfords white
primer was used for the white underfusalge, wing lower surfaces and
tailplanes and Humbrol light gull grey was brush applied to the appropriate
surfaces.  The Hasegawa ejection seat was assembled as well as the pilot
figure (a first for on of my models).  I painted the figure as per
illustrations in the Osprey book "RF-8 Crusaders over Cuba and Vietnam" for
a 1960s era pilot.  Unfortunately to get the poor chap to fit in the cockpit
major lower limb amputation was necessary!  The main and nosegear were
extended with plastic rod to depict a pre-landing oleos extended stance.
Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 02.jpg here
<<...OLE_Obj...>>
A mixture of the Hasegawa, RVHP and spares box decals were used to depict
Papa Papa 909 Bu No. 146878 as occasionally flown by  Lt. "Burner Bill"
Wilson.  The latter was made from individually cut letters sourced from a
SuperSCALE EA-6B sheet!  I sealed in the decals with a couple of coats of
Johnson's Clear varnish.
Click on images below to see larger images
Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 06.jpg here.
Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 06.jpg
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click-able smaller version of photo 07.jpg here. Clicking on that photo will
bring up the full sized version of photo 07.jpg    <<...OLE_Obj...>>
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photo 08.jpg here. Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized
version of photo 08.jpg    <<...OLE_Obj...>>  
The base is a length of laminated chipboard with a plastic card deck glued
to the surface.  The wires are elastic - I tried using real wire but could
not get the required tension.  The model is due for shipment to its new
owner in Anchorage Alaska in the next few days.  Judging from the response
to the photos that I have sent it is eagerly awaited!
The following are some of the reminiscences of the model's new owner as
related to me by e-mail.  I liked them and obtained his permission to share
them on ARC:

In looking at the second batch of photo's I'm smiling about an incident
where we sent a three plant Det. TDY to some little base in Maine or
Delaware over on the East Coast as we sometimes did to interact training
wise with other units.  We sent the aircraft, service crews, the whole nine
yards back East and, over our only weekend Liberty while there were invited
to a local Indian potlatch where they share the harvest of their first catch
of the season. Steamer clams, salmon as well as other varieties of fish,
crab....and lobster. Lots of lobster. All cooked in a long narrow ditch on
hot coals covered with seaweed, and with fresh corn, potatoes, onions,
carrots; you name it thrown in for good measure.  As we prepared to leave
their Exec remarked, "Too bad you don't have a bomb bay of those guys or
we'd fit you up with a CARE package for the rest of the squadron.

So, behold, all camera's from the main camera bays were removed, crated and
shipped back to Miramar in San Diego; then the bays loaded with fresh frozen
lobster. LtCdr. Tucker and Lt. Rivist took off as normal, but Ltjg Ray had
to be the smartass and stand her on tail and do a climb out Liberty roll on
take off in A/B.....thereby causing 1/2 ton of lobster to EXPLODE all over
the camera bays (and costing him a "lead by example" cleanup detail once
back at Miramar; and a couple cases of beer EACH for the clean up crew).
"The Tuck" was furious!

We were during normal launch configuration and my plane was sitting on the
Starboard Cat. I noticed a glitch with the aileron and ran out to check for
any fluid leakage, on the off side of the air-plane. Interim, as I'm
jiggling the aileron, they start the wind up sequence to launch. The pilot
'tightens' everything up and the slack comes out of the aileron....clamping
firmly down on my wedding band. I can't get my finger out! The damn thing is
clamped down solid (I've seen a photo of a pair of ChannelLoc pliers that
were clamped to an aileron to hold it while the glue dried that were shown
via advertisement by ChannelLoc for several years. They'd survived a flight
and stayed in place for the duration.)

Now, here am I, sitting there, about to be launched of the catapult, waving
frantically with my free arm for someone, ANYONE, to notice me when the
'Checker' came around my side of the airplane, saw me and frantically shut
down the operation!. I got my butt chewed out properly and, the only reason
that I didn't get put on Report was the stupidity, and humour of the
situation. Remember, ALWAYS remember Murphy's Law when around aircraft. I've
never worn a ring, wedding band or otherwise since then.

So, you see, not all military memories are horror stories although, the bad
ones you do encounter too stay with you for life....every time I see lobster
pate` I HAVE to laugh!

Click on images below to see larger images
Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 09.jpg here.
Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 09.jpg
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click-able smaller version of photo 10.jpg here. Clicking on that photo will
bring up the full sized version of photo 10.jpg    <<...OLE_Obj...>>
Note: Please do not send any requests for model building.  I do this as a
hobby and only occasionally build for others as is my wont.
Photos and text © 2004 by "Darius Aibara"

 <<RF-8G_1.zip>>

Darius Aibara
TPS Consult

Tel:  020 8256 4090
Fax: 020 8256 4082

www.tpsconsult.co.uk

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