Hasegawa 1/72 RF-101C Voodoo
Started this over two years ago. Got a bit distracted trying to decide what to do with all the raised panel lines that got obliterated by sanding down the seams, and other builds seemed like more fun! In the end, rather than sanding the whole thing down and re-scribing or drawing (like I did with the Fujimi F-8), I decided just to post shade and forget about it!
Dad flew the 101 out of Bentwaters in England back in the early 60's (the Wikipedia pic I added below looks exactly like his including the tail livery - and we were there in '62...), so I've always wanted to build one or two. The only way to get the non-recee C model that he flew involves a conversion nose, which I haven't been able to find in a while. I'll keep looking, but meanwhile I thought I'd use what was available.
Anyway - didn't do much to it. Added some detail inside the burner cans (they were just blank), and when I realized how poorly the airbrakes fit closed, I decided that if I were going to show them open, I wanted to add some detail to the inside of the brakes and the airbrake compartment. The resin drop tanks were in the box when I got the kit (eBay), and there were no alternatives, so I used them. Added a pilot and stripped off some arm console detail from the spares box and added it into the cockpit.
Painted with Vallejo on the upper SEA and MM underneath (brush as usual). Metal section was rattle can MM metalizers with some Tamiya pastels shading to provide some dimension. Weathered as usual with powdered chalk, Tamiya weathering pastels, a bit of Tensocrom, and some black, brown and grey panel line wash around the slats and flaps. Also a bit of sliver chipping around some of the access panels. Tried out Marc Baris' use of water color pencil/mineral spirits for some fluid leaks underneath as well. Will use that more often as I get the hang of it.
The Print Scale decal sheet I bought was HORRIBLE! Decals could not be moved once slid onto the surface, or they distorted. I only used the blue dot fin tips and tail codes, and the Iron Eyeball decal - everything else was from the spares box. Mixed results with silvering - didn't get my Humbrol DecalFix in in time!
The other big problem I had was getting the glazing over the camera ports. I tried filling with Krystal Clear, but dried milky. Decided to thin down the clear plastic (I had added some semblance of camera lenses with clear green paint dots over yellow dot base), but then again - when I tried to use Krystal Clear to affix, it also dried milky! If I decide to enter this in a contest, I'll probably need to pull them back out, clean up, and use something else. By the time I got this far, I just wanted to be done with it - and hope that as the Krystal Clear cured the milkiness would disappear...I did use a couple of thin coats of Krystal Clear on the nose port, and it came out ok doing it that way, although it's a bit concave.
Anyway - done and finally in the cabinet! Sitting between an F-4 and a 105, I didn't realize just how big the 101 was.
Hello Greg...My compliments on a fine looking RF-101C. Nicely modeled, painted and marked.
Well, you got there in the end - nice result.
I used to live about half an hour from Bentwaters. MoD sold it off years ago.
She came out great Greg. ,That conversion nose came in microscale sheet 72-223, It is hard to find, I did one some years ago, alas it didn't survive. There's supposed to be a new kit by Valum of the A and C non recon, don't know much about it.
Never built a Valom kit, but as long as it isn't vac form or pure resin, I'll look for it! Thanks for the tip.
Great build Greg! Do't afraidof Valom. As I see Valom kits are Special Hobby like stuffs (in my opinion all chech companies are connected somehow to each other 🙂 ) so they are basically high quality high-pressure limited run kits. The guys in Bohemia know some trick about these technologies so their latest kits are on par wirh Hasegawa or Tamiya. The kits often come with some photo etch and/orresin bits just to feel some "modeling luxury".
Good to know! Since limited run, I'll probably try to score one sooner rather than later...
Greg, really nice looking 101. Its hard to believe that's in 1/72 scale. Very well done !
I knew that was one of your creations as soon as I saw the headliner (that ever-present stand gave it away). 🙂
Makes one wonder if you have ANY sittin' on their gear...but I DO like those display stands!
None on their wheels - every one wheels up! I did have a few that I built early on that I were wheels down, but once I decided to do wheels up only, I converted them. The only one I left wheels down was a Halifax - it was too cumbersome to convert those after it was built, but I mounted it in flight regardless, so one must assume it's in the traffic pattern!
You mean you've yet to build any aircraft that DON'T have retractable gear?
You must have a killer stash of wheels and struts, huh...? 🙂
Yep - keep them in the "spares" box - not that I'll ever need spares, but you'd be amazed what you can do with various sizes of struts, oleos, etc!
The "Iron Eyeball" looks fantastic, Greg. The decision just to give the panel lines a shading was right and the outcome, along with the well applied camo looks convincing.
Its also very nice to see the Voodoo in in flight, well done !
Also i am always in awe of modellers, using hairy sticks for the whole painting of a kit with a result like your RF-101.
Nice one Greg. I didn't realise how much skill I could lose with the brush but having steered clear of aircraft for near twenty years it was a shock to come back to it. Not sure I will stick with it as armour is so much more forgiving almost easy by comparison. Very nice voodoo.
Good looking model Greg, well done.
Fine display model! I like the basic "silver" livery on Voodoo, but this is even better. Open detailed air brakes are nice touch. Perfect presentation of the model. ( I'm familiar with the "landscape photography" version of Voodoo. I have to do a model of this - thank you for a nice reminder 🙂
Very nice Greg, one of my favorite Century aircraft.
Very cool, Greg, you've captured the "look" of the aircraft very well.
I like it very much, also the presentation "inflight" - fantastic! Those old Vietnam-era jets became more and more my favourites 😉
A real STUNNER. Your camo finish on this one looks awesome.
All that hard work paid off in the end Greg, it looks fantastic!
I'm guessing that is masking tape for the yellow lines round the canopy? If so, does it stay on ok or do you need to add an adhesive? It's something I want to have a go at when I start my Harrier.
Not tape - I painted it. Takes a series of extra masking to get the base coat down (grey) then stripe in the yellow, then mask again and paint the camo. Then a little clean up after the tape is removed with a very fine brush.
Oh right, good skills!
Nice work, Greg! I built one of those in 1975 and used Humbrol Authentics for the first time. That model got me hooked for life on this hobby.
Valom or AZ has done the fighter F-101A/C kits.
Nice work on this old chestnut. It's about 50 years old now.
Yeah - got my sights on a Valom C-model! Might be a nice Christmas gift to myself... 🙂
Nice