RFN F-8 Crusader is out!!

[delta_lima]

Yeah, with Steve on the transition schemes. Not to detract from the preceding decade of service in bright colours, the succeeding almost decade for both F-4s and F-8s in the the varying shades of TPS is an often overlooked period.

I like the Pax River scheme too, as test and development schemes are very close to my nerd engineer heart. If a C model (pointy radome) materializes, I've got some good pics I took from a trip to Edwards on the DFBW (digital fly by wire) testbed F-8.

Thanks Frank and Steve (et al) for the great paints.

dl

 

[fsafranek]

Uploaded another texture set for the RFN F-8E(FN)/F-8J by RFN. This one requires v1.2 or newer to get the correct coloring on the IR sensor housing.
This is another bird from VFP-63 at NAS Miramar in 1980. By this time the aircraft were still overall gray but had greatly reduced all national and unit markings.
Should be available in a day or so. Enjoy.

 

[awstub]

I'm in need of a good reference picture

I am modeling the under-wing pylons and I'm in need of a good reference picture. I have a couple of good dimensional drawings, so I'm good on size and shape..... but I'm having trouble with panel lines and other details.

I've looked through all of my books and pictures and I am almost flabbergasted that I cant find even one good picture. I'm forced to use a picture of a pylon from a plastic model kit instead but I can already see that the panel lines on it are incorrect, based on a picture I have showing the first 3 feet or so of a pylon on a USMC Crusader.

I'm trying to get this out the door ASAP, so any help would be very much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Navy Chief]

I am modeling the under-wing pylons and I'm in need of a good reference picture. I have a couple of good dimensional drawings, so I'm good on size and shape..... but I'm having trouble with panel lines and other details.

I've looked through all of my books and pictures and I am almost flabbergasted that I cant find even one good picture. I'm forced to use a picture of a pylon from a plastic model kit instead but I can already see that the panel lines on it are incorrect, based on a picture I have showing the first 3 feet or so of a pylon on a USMC Crusader.

I'm trying to get this out the door ASAP, so any help would be very much appreciated. Thanks.

The Naval Aviation Museum here in Pensacola will be open again on the 18th of May. If you don't have the info you need before then, I can see what the museum has. NC

 

[Duckie]

if either of these are of interest I can forward in larger format tomorrow.

Also have D and E op manual with drawings of pylon and MER and TER

 

[fsafranek]

I am modeling the under-wing pylons and I'm in need of a good reference picture.

How will we attach this to the aircraft? Or is it a Tacpack item?

It's already been suggested to Sylvain if he is interested.

 

[awstub]

The Naval Aviation Museum here in Pensacola will be open again on the 18th of May. If you don't have the info you need before then, I can see what the museum has. NC

That would be great, thanks.

 

[awstub]

if either of these are of interest I can forward in larger format tomorrow.

Also have D and E op manual with drawings of pylon and MER and TER

Thanks Duckie, but those pictures don't quite show the detail I'm in need of.....such as panel lines and rivets.
I have the "In Detail & Scale", "Squadron Signal" and "Osprey" books but they don't have any good pictures.
I also have manuals for the the F-8 C, D, E, H and J and all they have are generalized drawings showing the access doors and panel locations.

 

[awstub]

It is for Sylvain.

How will we attach this to the aircraft? Or is it a Tacpack item?

It's already been suggested to Sylvain if he is interested.

 

[fsafranek]

It is for Sylvain.

Okay. I'll go through the books I sent him last year and followup with a list of references.

 

[delta_lima]

Yeah, good drawings or even photos for the pylons are tough to get. Almost none (that I know of) of the E museum airframes have the pylons fitted, so that makes it an additional challenge. There's buckets of good quality photos of the A-7E wing pylons, so as a Vought manufactured product of at around 5 years or so difference, you could get some cues on details.

I've got some technical information that may help, but unfortunately my scanner is N/S. I'm working from home, but I could go to the office if absolutely needed and scan there in a few days. If photographing the book pages can help in the interim, I'll do that.

regards,

dl

 

[expat]

Ready to go!!

 

[gray eagle]

Yeah, good drawings or even photos for the pylons are tough to get. Almost none (that I know of) of the E museum airframes have the pylons fitted, so that makes it an additional challenge. There's buckets of good quality photos of the A-7E wing pylons, so as a Vought manufactured product of at around 5 years or so difference, you could get some cues on details.

I've got some technical information that may help, but unfortunately my scanner is N/S. I'm working from home, but I could go to the office if absolutely needed and scan there in a few days. If photographing the book pages can help in the interim, I'll do that.

regards,

dl

I can remember installing the real pylons on the F8-C's and the Aero 3 and later Aero 7a missile launchers to the pylons.

 

[delta_lima]

If I understood Stu's question, he/Sylvain are after E model wing pylons. All the fuselage/cheek pylons have already been modelled, but they're working on getting the E with wing stores.

If you've got any pics of those, i'm sure they'd be grateful.

cheers,

dl

 

[awstub]

Something like the bottom picture is what I'm after.....but it's too blurry. I'd really like something that shows the panel lines and rivets.

if either of these are of interest I can forward in larger format tomorrow.

Also have D and E op manual with drawings of pylon and MER and TER

 

[awstub]

This is correct. We only need pictures (or detailed drawings) of the under wing pylons.

It still needs to be tweaked a little bit, but I have already created the rough model...which is based on a couple of good scale drawings that showed size and shape. Unfortunately, they didn't include panel lines or rivets.

If I understood Stu's question, he/Sylvain are after E model wing pylons. All the fuselage/cheek pylons have already been modeled, but they're working on getting the E with wing stores.

If you've got any pics of those, i'm sure they'd be grateful.

cheers,

dl

 

[gray eagle]

This is correct. We only need pictures (or detailed drawings) of the under wing pylons.

It still needs to be tweaked a little bit, but I have already created the rough model...which is based on a couple of good scale drawings that showed size and shape. Unfortunately, they didn't include panel lines or rivets.

A little bit of a wing pylon view

 

[gray eagle]

Although this is an image of a plastic model it looks to be an accurate representation.

More images here

https://www.themodellingnews.com/2018/07/build-guide-pt-ii-gary-continues-to.html

 

[delta_lima]

Funny - I was going to post that very plastic scale model picture but I figured that from a research point of view, getting modelling cues from another is a bit unscientific. But I suspect that he rendered that quite well.

I'm kind of holding my nose doing this, but if we're basing off scale models, this build has some good coverage (and 1 good subject matter photo, albeit only of the first 1' of the pylon)

https://scalespot.com/onthebench/f8e-eduard/build.htm

Again, this is kind of "ghetto" to my standards of research, but I'm conceding the dearth of available photography in the orientation and show the detail that's required. I've got mountains of photos of the RF birds, but this one is bleeding me dry. I'm still working so I'll look at home tonight at some of my books.

EDIT - Stu, looked at those axonometric renderings and from my eye and compared to the photo data, the slope appears a bit too steep and the overall pylon height too tall in relation to the length, and too thick. Certainly the "nose"of the pylon has a much larger radius curvature in both the vertical and horizontal axes than what's seen in photos. They were a fair bit "sharper", not as rounded off.

Assuming the easiest dimension for you to derive is the wing chord at the pylon placement location, then I'd extrapolate the correct height and length to get (or at least doublecheck) the overall shape / dimension. Again, gauging absolute side view profiles form an axonometric / isometric type drawing can be deceiving, so I could be wrong, but I'm pretty confident regarding the pylon thickness and the "roundedness."

I just got home and checked against some books/pictures I have and after dinner and a work conference call, I'll digitize and upload. The bad news is no clear photos showing the panel lines, but the grainy photos I can provide roughly corroborate the placement of the panels that the modeler used in the link I provided. They also give decent perspective as to the overall proportions, which I'm hoping will be of assistance.

I'll post the pics later tonight after I'm done my work.

dl

 

[awstub]

Thanks, but this is the picture I mentioned earlier.
If you compare the front of the pylon to the picture of the front couple feet of a real pylon in the one of the VMF(AW)-235 pictures here https://scalespot.com/onthebench/f8e-eduard/build.htm you can see that the plastic pylon does not appear to be accurate.

Although this is an image of a plastic model it looks to be an accurate representation.

More images here

https://www.themodellingnews.com/2018/07/build-guide-pt-ii-gary-continues-to.html