An Upgraded Crusader

[PolluxDeltaSeven]

I use the Future (here in France it is named "Klir", disponible dans toutes les grandes-surfaces au rayon nettoyant pour le sol, pas cher, et trés trés utile!!) and it is very usefull to protect and cleared the canopies, but also in order to glue the transparent parts of a model, in order to vernish the model, it could be use in order to avoid silvering on the decals (works well for that!) etc etc...


For your model, I really like what you did with it!! The backstory is, as always, very interesting!!  

[B777LR]

Ah... entschuldigung... but neine! Das ist neine eine marineflieger flugzeug...

Ah... entschuldigung... but neine! Das ist neine eine marineflieger flugzeug... 

Archie, its nicht  

[Supertom]

Archie, you work way too fast for a human!     How did you blend in the second canopy in the back seat?

[Archibald]

As I said, it's blister pack ! I used strong glue... (this explain why there was fumes!).

In fact I glued it very carefully.. I glued only a side at first, then, carefully, the other side. With very few glue... it worked, and this time the plastic stayed clear. I also sanded and cutted some plastic after glueing the "blisterpack "canopy.

At the beginning, I planned to use a butchered F-16B canopy. Alas, after digging the second cockpit, I saw that the F-16 canopy was much too narow for it... god bless the blisterpack!    

I recognize  that digital photos mask sins    

Thank you very much for the tip, Pollux and JHM ! I'll try that ASAP.

I carefully enlarged the intake (I supposed a turbofan needed much more air than a J-57).

In fact I compared F-8 and A-7s air  intakes before building(I can tell you that a 1/72 scale  
A-7 intake is 1.7mm larger, against 1.4 mm for a F-8. This gave 21 cm in 1.1 scale )

alas, the exhaust is not from a spey (hard to find a F-4K!) it's from a M53. I shortened the fuselage (circa 1 cm) and build a new tail (I never liked the Crusader tail ).

The Crusader had probably a growth potential as big as the Phantom or Skyhwak, but this was never proved.    
And there was probably a market for the aircraft, between the Harrier LCS - too limited- and the 40 000 tons carrier -too expensive- !
A 15 000 - 35 000 tons carrier, with A-4s for strike, and upgraded Crusader for air defense.
a naval F-1 M53 could have been a competitor for this upgraded Crusader - well, this was my entry on this forum nearly a year ago  

I have a cool set to use now - french and US navy.  

[Archibald]

More pics!!!

[Brian da Basher]

Wow Archie that one's sharp as a tack! I particularly like how cleanly the upper and lower colors meet.

Brian da Basher

[Archibald]

Merci... this is the most difficult part. Damned white and bloody blue, which always tend to melt    
This time I used tape to have a straight limit between the two.

More pics!

[Rafael]

Archi, the pics are stored   . Now I'm only missing a pic from the front, capturing that gaping intake and the radome. I love its shape!!

Salud, Amiguito!!!
Rafa

[Archibald]

Indian Navy Crusader mk.1 IN.604 climbing over the sea...



Hmm I have to make some pics of the intake    

[Joe C-P]

I like the idea of the RN adapting the Foch design. If there was one in 1/700, I'd build it!

(I have the Heller 1/400, but that's going to become the Sao Paulo, or be sold or traded if I find someone else already did it.)

JoeP

[Archibald]

It was considered circa 1965, when CVA-01 swas on the verge of cancelation...sadly the ships for too little for RN.

French navy considered an enlarged variant, the 45 000 tons verdun in the early 60's. Sadly it was never built...

My idea would be a Clemenceau improved with British savoir faire    in carriers.
A 35 000 or 38 000 ton ship (the Clem' were 32 000 tons ships).
A kind of early Charles de Gaulle with conventional power.  

[Matej]

I want!! I want!! ...take a ride in the second cockpit. Impressive.

[Archibald]

This ride would be something... standard Crusader was already a high performances aircraft.
The Spey is 800 kg lighter and 1.20 m shorter than the old J-57... and it has 2 tons more thrust !