Fast Ford- Tamiya 1/72 F4D-1 Skyray
Hi all,
Wow how the world has changed since I last posted on here! Hope this finds everyone safe and healthy. Anyway, here is my latest build. The masterful super kit by Tamiya of the Douglas F4D-1 Skyray, in 1/72. I choose to paint mine in a scheme based off of company concept art by Douglas chief artist R.G. Smith. The build was super easy, bing Tamiya. If you have ever built one of their kits, you know how they practically fall together. The kit was built mostly OOB, with the exception of some detailing on the ejection seat, and some added decals from the spares box. Paint is good old model master Dark Sea Blue, fs15042. Wet sanded with high grit finishing abrasives before a pledge clear coat process.
The base is a scratch built carrier deck made with planking from strips of basswood, with styrene for the rest of the details. Painted with a custom mixed USN postwar grey deck color. Highlights were done with gull gray. The centerline is flat sunflower, with the chipping done with a sponge and the main deck color. Again, all Model Master paints.The boarding ladder is also scratch built from pictures. Definitely a little inspiration from ‘Bridges at Tokyo-Ri’, watched that a few times while building this one. May need to dig out my little Hasegawa panther sometime…
I’m pretty happy with this one. Being Tamiya, any and all flaws are entirely on me! Maybe one day I’ll snag the 48th kit of the Ford. Such a neat looking early jet to me! Thanks for taking a look! Questions and comments are welcome. Thanks, guys!
13 additional images. Click to enlarge.
Stellan Schroeder Englund said on August 24, 2020
Looking very menacing in that blue scheme. Cool idea. Can’t have been fun to roll on that deck, though 😉
Ryan Elliott said on August 24, 2020
Thank you! Those old wood decks are really something! Crazy to think we flew supersonic fighters off of those,
Robert Royes said on August 24, 2020
Fantastic Ford! Looks great in the dark sea blue, nice presentation with the flight deck.
Ryan Elliott said on August 24, 2020
Thank you! I do love those DSB schemes. Very old school Navy to my eye.
Stellan Schroeder Englund said on August 24, 2020
Interestingly enough, the F4U Corsair looked very modern in the Gull Grey/White scheme.
Robert Royes said on August 24, 2020
I think the Corsair is a timeless design.
John vd Biggelaar said on August 24, 2020
Great looking Skyray, Ryan.
Also the flightdeck looks fantastic.
Ryan Elliott said on August 24, 2020
Thank you!
Bernard Bedeur said on August 24, 2020
Very nice ! That is a cool plane Model indeed.
I still have Salvaged Teak Lumber from an aircraft carrier deck. Planks were Set on edge, Were several inches thick and bolted across on short spacing.
Word had it that teak Decks were much easier to repair than Metal decks. Or compare the Yorktown From WW2 to the Forrestal accidents During the Vietnam era.
Well done!
Stellan Schroeder Englund said on August 24, 2020
Hmm but weren’t wood decks also easier to get messed up by attacks or accidents?
Ryan Elliott said on August 24, 2020
That’s awesome! Those wooden deck carriers were real engineering marvels for their days.
Greg Kittinger said on August 24, 2020
Very nice! I like the Skyray and have that kit, so sooner or later…
Ryan Elliott said on August 24, 2020
Go for it! Such a neat looking early jet, and the Tamiya kit is truly drop together.
George R Blair Jr said on August 24, 2020
Navy cold war planes in all-blue schemes are really cool looking. Great job!
Ryan Elliott said on August 24, 2020
Thank you, George! Wish the navy would bring back the dark sea blue…a hornet would look neat in those colors. Hmmm…..future model??? 😉
Haslam Yeoman said on August 25, 2020
Very sleek looking in dark blue. I think I prefer blue to the gray.
Ryan Elliott said on August 25, 2020
As do I! Thank you for the kind words!
Spiros Pendedekas said on August 25, 2020
That’s a great Skyray, Ryan.
This all blue scheme is fantastic!
Ryan Elliott said on August 25, 2020
Thank you! Yeah, when I first saw that art, I immediately went and pulled the kit out….it was one of those ‘I have to do it’ moments…. The airplane does look sharp in all blue.
DE4EVER said on August 26, 2020
🙂 … Greetings … 🙂 :
A very pleasing piece of work and a joy to watch Ryan.
The Skyray looks so much different in that color, it is like seeing a whole new plane.
Upon looking at it in that color, one can see a big hint at stealth future features at work.
Nice job on the portion of a flight deck, thanks for sharing these images.
Bernard Bedeur said on August 27, 2020
hi Stellan. Yes but also lighter, and less top heavy on deck. Easy to work with obtain And transport during the war as lumber rather than metal plate.
Unfortunately it meant the ongoing demise of Birma’s Teak Forests. Now gone in any large size.
Luckily the Dutch planted them in their Indonesian holdings. That wood is Marbled and not quite the same but good and very very expensive these days.
I’m unclear why wood was used in the first place. First carrier landings happened a long time ago…
I was on the USS Iowa Battleship Before it left Richmond Ca, It also had a Teak deck but in this case laid over the armoured metal decks secured to frames. That surprised me . The wood had started to come away from the frames and twisted all over. It would be a nightmare to restore . Let alone pay for and maintain.
That said I am glad we lost the competition to house it here on Mare-Island. It would have ruined us with upkeep.
The last Liquidation sale on the former Sub base a few years offered lumber cut to Navy specs. Premium material up to 40 feet long !
It was like being in Ali-Baba’s cave.
Thanks You.