AREA 88 : "The Fang" (F-8E Crusader)

A cute little box. 

Not much on the sprues actually. 

Some modifications are necessary. First, folded wings. 

Also needs some knife work to close up the wheel wells. 

Which of these do I use for an F-8E? 

We'll need some pilots... specifically Shin (in his orange flight suit) and Boris. 

It's a snug fit, but they're in there. I used a bit of wire to add ejection seat handles. I gotta say... these are probably the best pilots I've ever done... 

First attempt at undershading the panel lines... but not a good one. 

 

Let's start masking... I asked the 1/72 versions to drop in for a visit so I get the paint scheme right. 

White underbellies... and blue on Shin's and desert yellow on Boris'. 

Time to start work on the Fang itself. I saw a Japanese modeller do this (wollcraft.com/f8-144-area88/) so I wanted to try the same thing. I got a friend to bring me the "cat block" from Daiso... and the "colorful mini straws" I got out of the cupboard. 

Main assembly done. The Fang is made from a type of nylon plastic - I hate that... they're almost impossible to glue together. 

Yep. Three was just too squished for space. Two looks better. 

Main painting is done... but some touch-ups are required. 

Now that the painting is done, time to insert the wired up LED light engines. It's a rare treat to be able to do this so late in the build process. 

Decals on... now to mount the planes. 

I need to tie the clear tubes to the Fang itself, for support. I really wish glue would stick to it. 

And... we're done. Just a bit of wiring left to be done... oh, and add some armament. I almost forgot about that...