Hello all, F7U Cutlass

Have you seen this F7U walkaround on Prime Portal? 

http://www.primeportal.net/hangar/howard_mason5/f7u-3m_129655/

 

1. Hello, Dave, I nexplicably, I am fascinated With the F7U-3, AKA "The Gutless". Cannot explain it. I have a few of the Hobby Craft kits, as well as a similar number of the Collect-Aire Models correction sets, #4880. I'd like to build them with wings folded, flaperons abnd slats delpoloyed, hook down, canopy open. Despite searchin high and low, I'm unable to locale any pictures od the inboard and outboard wing folds. I did see some that "sort of" sho the outboard win detail. That'll be the easy part...that was pretty uncluttered. It's the inboard wing fold that has me stymied.If anyone csan be of assistance, I'd be most grateful, Nick

Thanks for the boost John.  I'll keep everyone updated. And I'll take a look for the Tamiya Meteor for the next project.  If its anything like their cars it should be a hum dinger. 

Dave

 

todays quote: "...... and then, there's copper. The only pipe I use.  It costs money.  It costs money because it saves money!"

                                                    Vincent Gardenia from the movie Moonstruck

what's it mean? I have no idea....it just seems funny.

I like the old kits too.  I think that it's a lot of work to try to make it a -3, but it is a nice start for a -1, just needs some detailing and maybe some reprofiling around the canopy and nose to be quite nice.

Tamiya makes a nice Meteor in 1/48, the kit with the V-1 is the best.  I remember the first issue had some wing issues due to copying a museum airplane.  Wrong detail for the mark, I think, was all.

Thanks for the info.  The thing is I've already got the 1/48 Lindy kit and want to make the best of it.  Just kind of an old softie I guess, but a appreciate that its made in the US, and that Lindy are rereleasing every, thats right, every kit they've ever done plus the Hawk, IMC and Testors tooling they inherited along the way, within the next two years.  I know its really simple and leaves a lot to be desired, but I want to do the old girl justice.  Since this was such an underdog plane too in real life, it just kind of draws me to it all the more, though I also see a kind of radical beauty to it as well.

I do appreciate the advice and banter though.  I'll probably pick up the 1/72 Fujimi kit too eventually and put it along side maybe, oh a Gloster Meteor.  Who's got one of the best of those in 1/72 if you know?  Thanks again.

Dave Bayer

The most accurate Cutlass out of the box is the Fujimi 1/72nd kit. A gem of a little kit. If you are locked on doing a 1/48th kit the way to go is the HC Cutlass with the Collect Aire resin correction set which does much to inprove it. Very simple to alter the kit to fit the CA forward fuselage. The resin is very nicely done but the cockpit still leaves a lot ot be desired although it's much better than all the other CA kits I've bought. The bang seat will not fit in the tub without modification and the white metal pieces are not exactly the best either but can be made to work. Decals appear to be excellent. I'm torn about the bang seat, either mod what's there or try to scratch it but it is a very complex seat and CA's attempt to capture it is a little off. You just can't throw an early MB seat in there.

Hi,  I hope I won't dissapoint you here, it is actually the original Lindberg kit which has been reissued this year by J.Lloyd International.  Most would probably consider it very crude and I suppose rightfully so, but I think ultimately I can really make it shine.  I had it mocked up once on wheels and all and the fit is actually just excellent.  There are no underwing stores however and really no cockpit detail at all, so I think I'm actually going to scratchbuild from sheet plastic as long as I have a sort of pattern to follow which I should be able to locate on the net somewhere.  There is a workabe pilot and a seat that could be added to and detailed up.  The floor and side panels, stick etc. will all have to be scratched as well as an instrument panel.  there is detail built in on the anti glare shield however.

I'm sort of a beginner with aircraft, I've mostly done cars, with a specialty being really super detailing up, scratchbuilding items etc. for the more plain but sturdy type kits like the AMT Short Track Stock Cars (Modified Stockers).  I've attached a picture of one of those I finished (hand lettered too) along with the Cutlass Kit.  Thanks for the interest.  I'll keep reporting on the progress once I get started.

Dave Bayer

 

Welcome Underdog!  I am very intersted in keeping up with you progress!  You have the HC kit?  I once attempted to build it and probably didn't have the skills necessary to please my self at the time and it ended up on the burn pile.  The Cutlass is indeed a unique and striking aircraft, one that I need to do again some day.

 

Thanks Brian.  Thats mucho appreciated,  theres certainly enough to work on before that anyway. I'll stand by.  Anything you ever do need though, just let me know.

Dave Bayer

jeaton01 wrote:

Dave, it would be a monstrous task to convert the F7U-1 kit to an F7U-3, there is little or no commonality between the two aircraft.  I recommend you not go there.  It would have been quite reasonable for Vought to have given the -3 a new designation entirely.  There are two Hobbycraft F7U-3 kits that have been issued, one called the Elite kit has extra photoetch parts with the same plastic.  In 1/72 Fujimi has some very nice F7U-3 kits.

Hi, John,

Thanks for that info, I wasn't aware that there was that much dissimilarity in the two a/c.  The regular HobbyCraft kit is, on examination, not too bad looking a kit, but the 'pit is very rudimentary, the Roll resin looks like a worthwhile investment.  I am collecting research pics even now for the future build.

Brian 

UnderdogF7U wrote:

Also brian, out of curiosity, might you be willing to part with the Hobby Craft cockpit since you have an aftermarket one for it now.  Like I said, I'm a bit of a beginnier yet with aircraft, but certainly no stranger to model building and scratchbuilding and with a picture or two could certainly come up I think with a very passable unit.  There really isn't one in the kit at all, it's all just blanked over with a space for the pilots head to stick out.  Otherwise, everything seems to fit quite well surprisingly and the lines are about right for the "1" though I want to do a few things to modify to the tree otherwise like moving the whole cockpit and canopy forward and a few mods to the control surfaces.   I haven't much to trade, as I told another of our members, other than a plethora of automotive stuff, right now I just have a Laird Turner meteor and the Monogram Revell 1/48 A10 which I probably can't get around to and could be spared in total or parts robbed therefrom, or I could sent a check.   Thanks for the Welcome again. Dave Bayer 6023 47th Ave. Kenosha, Wis.  53142     262 652 3320

Hey, Dave,

I'll sure keep you in mind for the 'pit if I decide to go with the Roll set or maybe bite the bullet and go with the Collect Aire (it would not be a first;  I just installed a $60'pit in my CF-105 build.  See it on the RCAF group build thread), but I haven't made a move as yet.  As to the stores, I will see what I have for the period (I'm sure I have atleast some Sidewinders and rails)  and they are yours if I can find them.  Thanks for the offer of trade, but I'd just as soon share them with you. I'll look over the weekend and let you know.

Brian 

If one has deep pockets and is not squemish about using a razor saw, Collect-Aire makes a correction kit for the Hobby Crap -3 that basically replaces everything forward of the intakes and includes some nice decals as well.

http://www.collectaire.com/modelpages/F7U3/f7u3.html

Dave, it would be a monstrous task to convert the F7U-1 kit to an F7U-3, there is little or no commonality between the two aircraft.  I recommend you not go there.  It would have been quite reasonable for Vought to have given the -3 a new designation entirely.  There are two Hobbycraft F7U-3 kits that have been issued, one called the Elite kit has extra photoetch parts with the same plastic.  In 1/72 Fujimi has some very nice F7U-3 kits.

Also brian, out of curiosity, might you be willing to part with the Hobby Craft cockpit since you have an aftermarket one for it now.  Like I said, I'm a bit of a beginnier yet with aircraft, but certainly no stranger to model building and scratchbuilding and with a picture or two could certainly come up I think with a very passable unit.  There really isn't one in the kit at all, it's all just blanked over with a space for the pilots head to stick out.  Otherwise, everything seems to fit quite well surprisingly and the lines are about right for the "1" though I want to do a few things to modify to the tree otherwise like moving the whole cockpit and canopy forward and a few mods to the control surfaces.   I haven't much to trade, as I told another of our members, other than a plethora of automotive stuff, right now I just have a Laird Turner meteor and the Monogram Revell 1/48 A10 which I probably can't get around to and could be spared in total or parts robbed therefrom, or I could sent a check.   Thanks for the Welcome again.

Dave Bayer

6023 47th Ave.

Kenosha, Wis.  53142     262 652 3320 

thanks for the welcome Brian.  I would be interested in some of that spare period ordinance.  I don't have much to trade in return though except for automotive stuff, but do have a Laird Turner Meteor and a Revell Monogram 1/48 A10 which could figure in or I could just send you a check, or........Let me know and thanks again.

Dave Bayer

6023 47th Ave.

Kenosha, Wis.  53142            262 652 3320

Thanks,  I'm  looking to kind of convert it over to the "3" anyway.  I'll let you all know how I do.  Your 3 views should be very helpful, they look great.

Dave Bayer

 

Dave!

I, too , have a soft spot for the F7U, and I have the HobbyCraft 1:48 kit on deck, and looking at the Roll Models resin cockpit kit ($17) for it.  The HobbyCraft offering has a rudimentary cockpit with a semblance of an i.p., the seat begs detailing, but it could be passable, I guess.  I have not seen the Lindy kit, but given the level of detail on most of their kits, I imagine it quite dismal.  The Lindy F11F (I have built that one) has little to no interior detail to cannabalize.  I may have some sapre period ordinance in the spares box, if you need them....

Brian 

It's certainly not the Lindberg kit, but you might find some inspiration from this build of the Hobbycraft F7U-3.

http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Gal8/7301-7400/gal7389-Cutlass-Hargett/00.shtm

There is mention of a resin cockpit made by Lone Star Models 
Pic of aforementioned cockpit upgrade: http://www.lonestarmodels.com/products/lsm0284.html

 

Dave, I did some three views of the F7U-1 some years ago for an RC project that were well received, they are on my web site :

http://www.yolo.net/~jeaton/earlyjets/F7U/f7u13v.htm 

The best reference I found was Steve Ginter's book, Naval Fighters No. 6, which has coverage of all Cutlass types.  I think I also worked from other references but it has been a few years.  The basic outlines of the Lindberg kit are not too bad.  The lines around the cockpit are just a bit off, and take a look at the flaps inboard of the vertical fins as well.  The Ginter book has a drawing of the F7U-1 instrument panel, and the F7U-3 seat which may have been similar in the -1 but I don't know that.

The Blue Angels flew 2 of the F7U-1 Cutlass planes for a short while when the main demo team used the F11F Tiger.  They were such a maintnance nightmare that they literally abandoned them at NAS Memphis when they both made emergency landings there.  Very few, if any of this model reached the fleet.  A small number of squadrons used the F7U-3 Cutlass for awhile, but they didn't last too long either.  I seem to recall a few pictures with AIM-7 Sparrow air to air missiles under the wings, but my memory is pretty foggy on that.  You might try a google search and see what you can find.  A few examples;

http://www.voughtaircraft.com/heritage/products/html/f7u-1.html

http://aeroweb.brooklyn.cuny.edu/specs/vought/f7u-1.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F7U_Cutlass

http://aeroweb.brooklyn.cuny.edu/specs/vought/f7u-3.htm

 

Darwin, O.F.