1/50 Revell F9F-8 Cougar

by Darius Aibara

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Until Hobbycraft get around to releasing their F9F Cougars the old Revell kit is the only injection moulded kit of the subject in this scale - there was a Golden Wings kit released a few years ago but that was a vac-form.  I obtained this example form D&J Hobbies in San Jose about 9 years ago when I was working out in California on a staff exchange that my UK company had going with a US engineering consultancy.  The kit is a 1960s (or earlier) veteran with minimal cockpit and gear well detail but is reasonably shaped - it looks like a Cougar.  Whatever is says on the box it is not 1:48 scale - more like 1:50 as it looks considerably smaller when sat alongside my Monogram F9F Panther.

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Using True-Details photoetched parts I scratch built a cockpit tub and ejection seat from plastic card - the rest is generally as supplied by the kit.  I did build my own main and nose gear covers from plastic card as the kit ones were decidedly chunky.  The model was brush painted Humbrol sea blue with Humbrol metalcote aluminium for the wing, fin and elevator leading edges.  The decals for an F9F-8 of VF-81 came from the spares box.

Darius

Photos and text © by Darius Aibara