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Clark Cook
21 articles

Hobbyboss 1/48 F8F-1 Bearcat

June 10, 2014 · in Aviation · · 16 · 3.4K

Hello: I just finished up the this morning. It was another one of those challenging builds that we all tackle every now and then. I installed Aires resin bays in both the wings and area behind the engine. I used a Quickboost engine and wired it. The cockpit is Eduard Color Etch. I had to polish out the main canopy seam and then used Future on the clear parts. Paint is Model Master Gloss Sea Blue with Polly Scale semi-gloss as topcoat. I had True Details resin wheels on hand but they would not fit so I used the kit parts with a bit of flat sanding on the bottom of each for effect.

The lower wing to fuselage fit was really bad, probably enhanced by use of the Aires bays but in the end some fill work with Tamiya grey and some thick super glue cured the problems.

This one really turned out nice. Yes, there are some accuracy issues with the kit and perhaps the Hobbycraft version with some upgrades is a better representation of the real aircraft, but I like what I have here.

Decals from the box-very nice.

Hope you like and thanks again to Jim Sullivan for enhancing the photos here.

Clark

Reader reactions:
9  Awesome

5 additional images. Click to enlarge.


16 responses

  1. Any "issues" you encountered certainly aren't obvious to me...nice looking Bearcat.

  2. Nice looking work.

  3. Hello Clark...Fine looking Bearcat and nice job of overcoming the difficulties you encountered. Hard to beat the combination of glossy sea blue paint with white markings...a nice looking bird for sure and another fine addition to your collection.

  4. Very nice Clark. I am finishing up the Academy 1/72 Helldiver in gloss sea blue. I was wondering about a semi-gloss topcoat and it is good to see what that would look like. You've reassured me on that idea.

  5. Forgot to ask: Did you leave the panel lines untouched? It looks so in the pictures and I have wondered what to do with dark blue as the overall colour. I thought of dark gray. That would be visible but works in the opposite from providing a shadow effect look, and I don't think black would show up.

    • Hi Alan. Thanks and I used Polly Scale semi-gloss. I have found that it airbrushes nicely and doesn't require any thinning. To be honest, I really don't use any panel line weathering on most GSB models I build, and there have been quite a few. In this case, the Bearcat fairly new to the fleet so I kept weathering down to just some pastels for the exhaust stains and a raw umber wash for the bays, cockpit, and engine.

      • Thanks Clark. That is amount of weathering I have done on the Helldiver, so I may call it quits after that. I have been reading that the gloss sea gray didn't really weather and that is why it was used in the first place. Best stop while I am ahead!

  6. I just picked up one of these this weekend to use my Gulfhawk decals from the Testors kit on. How many boxings do they have because mine had Royal Thai Air Force decals. It looks like it will be a fun build and yours turned out very nice. Incidentally, I have a decal sheet up for grabs if anyone wants it!

  7. Very good finish on this one, Eugene, it really sets off the handsome lines of the Bearcat.

  8. Hello George. Thank you very much for your comment. The Bearcat has always been a favorite of mine, since way back to the Hawk model.

  9. Gene,
    Welcome you to my club, IKWTMABINGTYWTA.
    This looks absolutely great and you have to be proud of it. Beautiful F8F

  10. great markings...felix is awesome

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