Hello from a very humid Middle Earth/New Zealand.
So after a bunch of car models that have crossed the workbench recently, thought I'd clear everything off and get stuck in to this.

Having looked over the instructions, it looks like a very straightforward build, I'm prepared for the canopy 'issues' later on, and luckily I have an original boxing of the old Monogram Crusader that I'll probably never build, so I'll be using the canopy from that if I cannot get the Hasegawa one to fit neatly.

Some of you may remember that I put-out a call for help over the decals as I really wanted to build a late VF-211 machine, and both Craig & Frank answered the call, so I'm dedicating the project to both of those guys. I'll be cutting plastic over the weekend and should have the first progress pics up here on Monday, in the meantime here's a quick ic of the refs I've gathered over the years...
...you can see an original Squadron/Signal 'F-8 in Action' on the right. Bought away back in 1975 from WH Smith's in Liverpool... I was twelve.

Thassit for now, please feel free to make any comments or ask any questions during the build.

AFN

Ian.

1 attached image. Click to enlarge.

Not mistaken, got them all to one side for you, Craig, just need to get my lazy a*se in to gear and get them out to you ! - My apologies.

Ian.

Keora, Ian.
She's gonna be a beauty, wing up or down?

A day later than advertised, but here's a quick update:
Started not with the 'pit , but with the wings/flaps etc, all of which went together without any fuss whatsoever. Because there's so much white bits to paint, I uncorked a rattle-can of Tamiya (fine) white primer and sprayed everything in one session, not just what you see here but all the doors aswell.

On Sunday evening I sprayed the inside of fuselage halves and the pit then masked and sprayed the consoles & IP in an 'off black' that I mixed some time back for just these sort of jobs. Yesterday I dry brushed everything and picked some details out with a 'kebab stick'. All those references tell me that the 'office' was almost completely devoid of any colour whatsoever so this is as much as I'm going to do.

The 'Cobra Company' resin seat was designed for the old Monogram kit but fits like a glove in to the Hasegawa pit. Trying not to get too 'poetic', but it really is a magnificent piece of casting, easily one of the very best resin seats that I've ever seen - full stop.

That's all for now, more later in the week.

Ian.

2 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Well it's been so hot'n humid here in Middle Zealand, that bench time since just before Christmas has been limited to a couple of twenty minute 'sittings' here and there. Today it's cooled-off a fair bit so I grabbed an hour just after lunch.

Long-story-short - the landing gear is (mostly) installed, the KMC resin seat is all painted and weathered and also installed and this morning I masked and attached the canopies.

As I'm still on kiddie-managing duties I honestly cannot say when I'll be able to get back to the bench - soon I hope. All from me for now and a very happy New Year to all here and thanks for making me so welcome this year.

Ian.

3 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Back after 4 weeks doing 'other stuff'.

So as you can see I've pre-shaded the fuselage and applied the first very light coat of glossy white. I'm trying to reproduce the heat-stress effect on the rear fuselage and 'spot painting' with various bands and mottles of red-brown and dark grey - have to say this is something that I would normally do in POST-shading, but thought I'd try something new. I still need to 'mottle' some Tamiya 'Deck Tan' for the lighter 'spot-painted' patches.

Would like to get some feedback from folks here, so please feel free to jump-in.

AFN

Ian.

5 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Thanks George, really enjoying the process.

Ian.

Ian,
Enthusiastically awaiting the finished model. Looks great to this point.