One of the most
unique designs to fly in the post World War II era, the Chance-Vought F7U
Cutlass had a very short but notable career. Because of its poor
performing Westinghouse engines and handling and stability problems, it equipped
U.S. Naval fleet squadrons for only three years from 1955-1957. The F7U-3
was an improved version with an uprated engine and forward fuselage
modifications. The F7U-3M was the Navy's first missile interceptor carrying
the first generation AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missile. Several existing
F7U-3 airframes were later upgraded to the F7U-3M standard to carry the AIM-7
Sparrow missile. Unfortunately the upgrades offered little improvements
and the aircraft continued to be plagued by the underpowered Westinghouse
engines. Earning its fleet nickname as the 'Gutless Cutlass',
the short career of this early U.S. Navy jet ended with the onset of
the F8 Crusader. My kit represents an upgraded F7U-3 of VA-151 aboard the
USS Lexington in April 1956.
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This is Hobbycraft's first
release of its 1/48 F7U-3, not the recently re-released version with
new decals. Overall the kit is satisfactory with decent fit and
moldings. The biggest drawback with this kit is the deeply engraved panel
lines and the lack of cockpit detail. An excellent aftermarket resin
cockpit made by Lone Star Models in Texas replaced the factory representation.
I used a combination of kit decals and a great aftermarket set purchased
from Condor Decals out of Argentina. To my knowledge, Lone Star Models and
Condor Decals are the only companies around that make an aftermarket resin
cockpit and decals, respectively, for this kit. Look for both companies on
the web.
Construction was straightforward
with minimal filler and sanding. Most filler was needed along the air
intake/fuselage joins. My construction efforts mainly focused on the
installation of the resin cockpit which fit perfectly once the correct cuts and
sanding were performed. Work slowly, dry fit often and the cockpit will
fit nicely into the factory kit pieces. Because of the very long nose
landing gear strut for high 'angle of attack' takeoffs, you'll need a lot of
weight in the nose to keep its stern off the ground.
A lot of time was invested in
painting. I wanted that faded salt/sea/sun look of U.S. Naval aircraft,
but not too weathered since this aircraft never participated in combat and had a
very short career. I began by pre-shading all panel lines and 'shadow'
areas with flat black. Tamiya White Primer was applied to the ventral
surfaces and finished with a few light coats of Tamiya Flat White, focusing on
the panel centers. Next, I applied a few light coats of Aeromaster Light
Gull Gray to the dorsal surfaces, followed by progressively lighter tints of the
color within the panels for that even un-even look. The outer leading
edges and engine were painted with Model Master Aluminum and buffed.
The interior leading edges were painted Pollyscale Signal Red. After
several coats of Future, the decals were applied. The kit decals
needed quite a bit of help with Sovaset and MicroSol/Sealer to get them to
conform to the surface. A lighted Neutral Gray wash was applied to the
panel lines. Another coat of Future followed by Clear Flat was
applied to the kit to prepare it for further weathering. Repeated
applications of pastels, minimal oils to simulate grime and oil/hydraulic leaks, and
a fine mist of lightened Light Gull Gray helped me get the weathered look I
wanted. A similar process was performed on the ventral surfaces using
various tints of white, oils and pastels. I focused attention around
the engine where leaks became apparent after extended use.
I finished the kit
with several light coats of Future followed by a fine mist of Clear Semi-Gloss
to 'scale-down' the glossy finish. I spent roughly 35+ hours on the kit,
most of which involved painting and weathering. Overall, this was a
great build of an almost forgotton early U.S. Naval jet.
Eric
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