1/72 Hawker Sea Fury FB 11 – Frog F221F
Scalemates shows this F221F bagged kit was released in 1969, with the original Frog mold from 1963 - before I was born - now that's OLD!
I remember reading the the Sea fury was originally ordered as a simplified Hawker Tempest Mk II, they do look a lot alike.
Seeing Gary Sausmikat's recent completion of a RCN Sea Fury made me wanna complete this little guy as a Canadian bird. As the build went on, I figured I'd wait for a better kit for my own RCN Sea Fury so I picked a popular plane to depict, Peter Carmichaels FB 11.
As I searched for photos and information, I found that a bit of discussion exists about the actual credit for the Mig-15 shot down in August 1952. It's all a part of adding a bit of depth to building kits, reading up on the conflict and the pilots and the planes.
The front venting needed a bit more surgery than I was willing to commit to, so I left things 'as is' and added small decals to simulate the inner venting on the leading edges. Other issues exist but considering the mold is older than me, I just decided to enjoy the build.
Biggest issue was the gluing and filling the folding wings, but that turned out okay too.
Painted with Tamiya XF34 for the Grey and XF21 for Sky. Vallejo Premium White Primer and Tamiya X-18 Semi Gloss Black were used for the Identification Striping.
I started to use the decals from my recently purchased Trumpeter 1/72 Sea Fury but soon realized they were not the best decals available being very stiff and slightly out of register, so I ended up using decals from my spare box.
The only original Frog decal used was Carmichaels name below the cockpit. I gave up trying to find decals for the props.
Looking through my kit list, I have the Trumpeter FB11 (correct rads) and a couple of Pioneer T20 & T61 trainers (incorrect rad).
All in all, the Sea Fury is a beauty plane.
Thanks for viewing.
You did it again, George! Took an oldie of a kit and built a masterpiece out of it!
Congratulations!
Thanks Spiros (@fiveten), glad you like it.
Nicely done!
Thank you Robert (@roofrat)
Glad I could inspire this wonderful looking build. Well done, George!
Thanks Gary (@gwska), not too sure when I'll get my Canadian Sea Fury started.
Excellent! I've always liked the FROG kit ever since I saw a review in Scale Modeler in the early 1970s. I would build it without worrying about any accuracy or other defects. It's a product of it's time. Well done.
Thanks David (@thevid), amazing what Frog released back in the day.
There is also the Special Hobby kit in 1:72. It has some issues (like the tail wheel located incorrectly), but over all the best. Trumpeter’s kit I don’t care for. Shape and detail issue. Maybe hold out for one from Arma?
Thanks Jim (@angus64), an Arma kit is definitely required!
Another gem By George !
Thanks Bernard (@bernardbedeur)
Wow, George, that turned out really nice looking. You did an excellent job.
Thanks Jay (@ssgt), I tried to keep it simple.
Nice work and result.
Looking at the kit - which is unfixably wrong - it's a nice reminder of how far the hobby has come.
Yes, Carmichael didn't shoot down the MiG - his wingman, Sub Lt Brian "Smoo" Ellis, did. I was one of the first to point that out in the Sea Fury piece I did for Aeroplane magazine a couple years ago.
Thanks Tom (@tcinla), it's amazing just how 'history' seems to change as time goes on.
As an actual historian, I can say that history doesn't change, but our awareness of the actual facts does change. In writing my three Korean War books, I discovered that most of the "facts" known about "the forgotten war" are actually unexamined wartime propaganda that over 70 years has fossilized into coprolite, er, I mean "fact-apprearing matter." Another good example is the bad rap the P-39, P-40, P-36, and Brewster Buffalo have in aviation "history." In fact, most of their "bad rap" comes from the accounts of inexperienced pilots up against highly-experienced opponents, trying to use the airplanes in ways they were unsuited for. When properly used by trained pilots, their records are entirely different. (See: Finnish air force with the Buffalo, the Red Air Force with the P-39, the AVG with the P-40, the Finns and French with the P-36)
Excellent result on this oldie, George @georgeswork
Thanks John (@johnb), an oldie but a goodie.
Nice job on that old Frog kit George.
Thank you Tom (@tom-bebout)
Nice job on your build, it looks great. I love the way your kit came out.
Thanks Bob (@v1pro), quite happy my striping 'looks' straight
Nice work. The Sea Fury is a good looking plane, for sure. A new-tool one in 1/72 has got to be on Airfix’s short list.
Thank You Andrew (@vacrat), a new mold Airfix would be awesome- they do have that primo 1/48th mold!
Nice work on the old molds! I think I built the same molds in Novo packaging years ago!