1/72, F-89 Scorpion, Revell

October 3, 2013 · in Aviation · · 11 · 2.7K

I found this model in my stash of old models in my parents attic, and was pleasantly surprised. As a straight from the box production, it has real "class."

Right from the Cold War days of flying shot guns, the Scorpion was designed to shoot down with a barrage of unguided rockets any incoming Russian bombers intruding by way of the North Pole. The broad wing was capped huge tip pods which served a dual purpose with missiles in the front and fuel behind. Known as an excellent flying machine, she set no speed or maneuverability standards. She did however achieve her designed purpose in being a stable weapons platform and well capable of delivering a knock-out punch to Bears and Bisons (Russian bombers). Eventually, a later version was rearmed with Genie nuclear armed missiles . . . which would have been sort of like killing a flea with a sledge hammer!

The model is one of 's best and a dream to build -- a real shake and bake kit. The scheme is typical polar high-visibility and the markings are out of box. As I recall, the kit was also grown up to 1/48th scale (or was it shrunk down to ?!?) It may be getting hard to find, but it is a goody. I recommend it to all.

Reader reactions:
5  Awesome

4 additional images. Click to enlarge.


11 responses

  1. And of course the "amusing" bit of history is that the Soviets decided to stop a manned bomber force in 1955. The sole major force they had were 500 Tu-4 reverse-engineered B-29s. The Bison never went into large scale production and the Bear was diverted to maritime reconnaissance. The Soviets were so far behind they knew they could never catch up in manned bombers and instead decided to try and leap ahead to the ICBM. There was no "missile gap" IN 1960-61 as JFK campaigned on, and the Soviets never achieved parity with the US til the early 1970s. All those interceptors we made, all those billions of dollars we spent, all that work on the DEW Line, etc., was all to oppose an enemy threat that didn't exist - as they started to find out in 1956 with the U-2 overflights, but couldn't go telling us they had wasted all that money.

    Nice model BTW. 🙂

  2. Absolutely true, Tom. But maybe the investment deterred the Soviets from pursuing such action as polar over-flights. They must have been horrified to see all the newsreel footage of NORAD defenses and scrambling fighters, and B-36 long range flights, and such. It's kinda nice to think of the Poltiburo shaking in their shoes.

  3. An elegant build of a true classic!

  4. You certainly have it going on, Mike ! Another beauty ! I have the original Revell F-89, box scale. Unfortunately the only one currently finished... Yours is inspirational. I may have to give mine a second look.

  5. That's a very convincing finish Michael, well done!
    Gary

  6. Michael,
    Let's hear it for finding old built ups long forgotten in storage. Gives one a great sense of where you have been and where you are now. From the looks of this model your skills have been constant for a very long time. It looks absolutely great.

  7. Good-lookin' build, Michael...nice work on the varying shades of panels as well. You sure you looked everywhere up in that attic?

  8. I actually have 30+ under-bed bins of models that I go thru from time to time to fix up and display. I guess there are at least 200 planes up there.

    The attic is actually the second floor of my parent's geodesic dome home, so it is environmentally kind to all my models. I also have 200+ waterline ships and about 50 tanks.up there -- most in bins, some in display cases.

    I'll have to trot a few more out over time.

  9. I think you should bring more out, Mike. I remember when you were shaking this box and struggling (successfully) to get the red on the wings right.

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