Andrew's Vought F5U-3 *Finished*
- AndrewR
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Andrew's Vought F5U-3 *Finished*
One of the most important items of reverse lend-lease was the signing of a partnership between Chance-Vought, The Gloster Aircraft Company, Power Jets Ltd and Rolls-Royce to licence build the Gloster Meteor in the US. To promote this joint venture, Vought painted one of the aircraft in prewar USN yellow wing colours, to emphasise the US end of the deal. This aircraft was flown up and down the Eastern Seaboard and demonstrated to the public and to US naval aviators.
The F5U-3 externally was similar to the Gloster Meteor III, apart from a tail fairing for an arrestor hook. Vought built over 400 of these aircraft for the USN, and 300 of the non-navalised F5U-4 for the RAF. The latter were available before D-Day, and were employed on air superiority missions to take on the Me262 and also air defence against the V1.
The basic and elderly Airfix kit.
Starfighter Decals set for prewar Buffalo fighters. I've done the green stripe one (Lt. Jimmy Thach's aircraft), so this time I'll do the red trim with white tail aircraft. This was flown as a display aircraft at the World Fair, and so fits nicely in with the "Retro" scheme for the F5U-3 demonstrator.
I should be able to fit the diagonal red stripes onto the wing, and the red fuselage band can be trimmed to fit too.
If I don't like the canopy, I have the option of a vacform one.
From the modelling perspective, it will be pretty much OOB apart from a tail fairing and arrestor hook.
cheers
Andrew
The F5U-3 externally was similar to the Gloster Meteor III, apart from a tail fairing for an arrestor hook. Vought built over 400 of these aircraft for the USN, and 300 of the non-navalised F5U-4 for the RAF. The latter were available before D-Day, and were employed on air superiority missions to take on the Me262 and also air defence against the V1.
The basic and elderly Airfix kit.
Starfighter Decals set for prewar Buffalo fighters. I've done the green stripe one (Lt. Jimmy Thach's aircraft), so this time I'll do the red trim with white tail aircraft. This was flown as a display aircraft at the World Fair, and so fits nicely in with the "Retro" scheme for the F5U-3 demonstrator.
I should be able to fit the diagonal red stripes onto the wing, and the red fuselage band can be trimmed to fit too.
If I don't like the canopy, I have the option of a vacform one.
From the modelling perspective, it will be pretty much OOB apart from a tail fairing and arrestor hook.
cheers
Andrew
Up in the Great White North
- JohnRatzenberger
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Re: Andrew's Vought F5U-3
Cannot help but look really cool !!!
John Ratzenberger
It's my model and I'll do what I want with it.
It's my model and I'll do what I want with it.
- Jagewa
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Re: Andrew's Vought F5U-3
That's pretty cool Andrew.
Is the fuselage silver/nmf or grey?
Is the fuselage silver/nmf or grey?
- AndrewR
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Re: Andrew's Vought F5U-3
I will be doing it as light grey, I think. Because aluminium will show up my lack of skillJagewa wrote:That's pretty cool Andrew.
Is the fuselage silver/nmf or grey?
Up in the Great White North
- splash
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Re: Andrew's Vought F5U-3
I like your plan as it was very plausible, they actually converted a Meteor for deck landing trials:
Extract from an old Flight Magazine:
Meteor F3 (Naval Conversion) Meteor EE337 was fitted with Derwent 5 engines in short nacelles and a deck-arrester hook.
The inboard undercarriage doors were removed, and a cable deflector was mounted on the nose wheel leg door. This aircraft was used for special investigations into the problems of carrier borne jet fighters and was flown from H.M.S. Implacable in the Firth of Forth.
I built one as part of the Meteor GB here is the link
The old Airfix Meteor is a sweet little kit that's fun to build and will look brilliant in the colours you have suggested.
Regards Splash
Extract from an old Flight Magazine:
Meteor F3 (Naval Conversion) Meteor EE337 was fitted with Derwent 5 engines in short nacelles and a deck-arrester hook.
The inboard undercarriage doors were removed, and a cable deflector was mounted on the nose wheel leg door. This aircraft was used for special investigations into the problems of carrier borne jet fighters and was flown from H.M.S. Implacable in the Firth of Forth.
I built one as part of the Meteor GB here is the link
The old Airfix Meteor is a sweet little kit that's fun to build and will look brilliant in the colours you have suggested.
Regards Splash
My work bench is starting to look like Portsmouth Naval Dockyard.
- AndrewR
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Re: Andrew's Vought F5U-3
Thanks Splash, that's very helpful. I'm going to extend the fairing at the rear to make an arrestor hook bay.
Up in the Great White North
- splash
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Re: Andrew's Vought F5U-3
That sounds like a brilliant well thought-out idea (are we allowed to do that )AndrewR wrote: I'm going to extend the fairing at the rear to make an arrestor hook bay.
My work bench is starting to look like Portsmouth Naval Dockyard.
- TobyC
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Re: Andrew's Vought F5U-3
I can see this being a wee bit special.
Enjoyment over accuracy. That's my motto
- AndrewR
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Re: Andrew's Vought F5U-3
Only on special occasions. Royal weddings, England World Cup victories and the like.splash wrote:That sounds like a brilliant well thought-out idea (are we allowed to do that )AndrewR wrote: I'm going to extend the fairing at the rear to make an arrestor hook bay.
Prince Philip getting an Australian knighthood in this case
Up in the Great White North
- AndrewR
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Re: Andrew's Vought F5U-3
The kit is moulded in a very soft plastic, which is easy to work with.
I borrowed a neat idea from a build of this kit here:
http://airfixtributeforum.myfastforum.o ... 26024.html;
Use the two very thick undercarriage doors (the rectangular ones) as the sides for a cockpit tub. They fit perfectly, and are even curved to fit inside the fuselage.
I added a couple of bits of plastic rod in the engine intakes to represent internal detail.
The undercarriage bays also got three strips of the square rod in them. I haven't made any attempt to blank them off though.
Then there's a cover behind the pilot's seat to hide the big hole, and some extra weight!
I also drilled some holes in the instrument panel to represent dials.
It's going together very nicely at the moment!
I borrowed a neat idea from a build of this kit here:
http://airfixtributeforum.myfastforum.o ... 26024.html;
Use the two very thick undercarriage doors (the rectangular ones) as the sides for a cockpit tub. They fit perfectly, and are even curved to fit inside the fuselage.
I added a couple of bits of plastic rod in the engine intakes to represent internal detail.
The undercarriage bays also got three strips of the square rod in them. I haven't made any attempt to blank them off though.
Then there's a cover behind the pilot's seat to hide the big hole, and some extra weight!
I also drilled some holes in the instrument panel to represent dials.
It's going together very nicely at the moment!
Up in the Great White North
- Molly-new
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Re: Andrew's Vought F5U-3
Great start Andrew, and some top tips to store away for future reference.
Airfix WWII Aircraft Of The Aces.
Completed - 10
Building -
Pending -4
Completed - 10
Building -
Pending -4
- AndrewR
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Re: Andrew's Vought F5U-3
There's more!Molly-new wrote:Great start Andrew, and some top tips to store away for future reference.
I got the wing unit together and primed the undercarriage bays and jet intakes and exhausts.
One side of the wing assembly needed clamping. Otherwise the fit has been good.
The fuselage halves need gluing together. A test fit looks promising, as does the fuselage to wings fit.
cheers
Andrew
Up in the Great White North
Re: Andrew's Vought F5U-3
You'll be done before you know it, Andrew.
Like the tip about the undercarriage doors, too!
regards,
Martin
Like the tip about the undercarriage doors, too!
regards,
Martin
Martin R
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Re: Andrew's Vought F5U-3
Looking good so far. Nice work on the cockpit interior.
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