F-108C

[anthonyp]

Here's my Anigrand F-108 painted up in low-vis for use as a test plane at Edwards Air Force Base.  I figure the F-108 would have been built for use as an interceptor, but that role would disappear in the 70's.  The F-108's would end up in the boneyard for about a decade, until recalled to be an interdiction bomber similar to the FB-111.  I had some old decals from an F-15 that had a "50 years of supersonic flight" tail sticker that I thought would be appropriate.  The nose decal says that this plane is the "Glamorous Glennis III" piloted by "Brig. Gen. Chuck Yeager."

[anthonyp]

Another view

[John Howling Mouse]

Oh, another one---excellent!   So, how was this build?  I have two Anigrand kits but I've been too chicken (bawk-bawk-baaaaawk) to attempt them.

What are the learnings from your build of this kit, please?

[anthonyp]

What'd I learn?  I hate vacuformed canopies.    

Overall it was an easy kit to build, overall a good resin model other than a few bubbles just under the surface of the resin that didn't break until I started gluing the thing together (like one of the underwing tail assemblies; the bottom corner of it flaked apart).  There was some extra flash on the engines nozzles, but nothing a xacto couldn't take off.  The missile that's included in the kit is an exact match for a Hasegawa 1/72 AIM-54.

Really, it was about as easy a build as the FV-12 from Anigrand.  They don't have that many parts, but you gotta be careful when the superglue is setting up with the huge fuselage.  I'm used to working with superglue and tiny metal spaceships, not large airplanes.  The fit was pretty good, but there was a gap at the front the port wing that needed some filler putty.

Bottom line of it all is that I like this kit and would recommend it.  It's big, easy to build for those with some experience with resin, and looks nice when it's done (other than the canopies which is my own fault).

I was half tempted to make this a NASA plane, used for high altitude research.    

[Ollie]

Lookin' good, keep up the good work!

 

[Joe C-P]

I built a resin HO3S helo, and I found the vacuformed cockpit hard to work with but it gave great results, looking a lot more scale than the typical thick moulded plastic one.

Nice job on a rather obscure bird!  

JoeP

[tigercat2]

Anthony,

GREAT F-108.  When I built mine (excellent kit,  BTW and it was only my second resin kit), I was struck with how BIG the 108 is.  It is virtually the same size as a B-58, so I also thought that it would make a great interdictor - maybe if I get another one I will do it in that scheme.


Wes W.

[NARSES2]

Nice take on a nice kit. What are you going to arm her with ? In theory if not actualy on the model ?

Chris

[elmayerle]

It wouldn't be that difficult to adapt as an Interdictor, just substitute AGM-76's for the AIM-47's.  There are, of course, other possibilities but this one is the simplest.

[nev]

Very nice, and I like the idea of an Edwards test bird.  Hope to start my Oregon ANG one soon....and I'll remember to leave the canopy open!    

[Sisko]

ever since I saw this kit I have wanted to build it now after seeing your post I want it even more.

Love the job.

In regards to the vacfoms they must have been a bit suspect as I have used them them in the past from other manufacturers and have had no problems.

[NARSES2]

It wouldn't be that difficult to adapt as an Interdictor, just substitute AGM-76's for the AIM-47's.  There are, of course, other possibilities but this one is the simplest.

Now there's an idea for mine when I get around to building it - RAF interdictor

[anthonyp]

Nice 108, Wes!  I like the conformal fuel tanks.  Your scheme looks similar to what I had initally wanted to do this one up as.  I wanted to do it as a plane that flew out of my local ANG base, but couldn't find decals for the 171st FIS out of Selfridge.

I figure the plane would have been armed with SRAM's in the nuclear bomber role, or in more modern times, armed with AIM-120C's on some sort of rotary launcher for self defense, and either JDAMs or an air to ground version of the AIM-54.  It'd have better dash-to-target time than a B-1B.

[elmayerle]

Nice 108, Wes!  I like the conformal fuel tanks.  Your scheme looks similar to what I had initally wanted to do this one up as.  I wanted to do it as a plane that flew out of my local ANG base, but couldn't find decals for the 171st FIS out of Selfridge.

I figure the plane would have been armed with SRAM's in the nuclear bomber role, or in more modern times, armed with AIM-120C's on some sort of rotary launcher for self defense, and either JDAMs or an air to ground version of the AIM-54.  It'd have better dash-to-target time than a B-1B.

Checking the dimensions of the SRAM and the AIM-47/AGM-76, it appears that the only fit problem might be length in that the SRAM is about 1-1/2 feet longer.  It probably wouldn't matter, but I don't remember the weapons bay and rotary launcher on the F-108 as being all that spacious.

[Captain Canada]

Nice work, Anthony !

The plane does look right at home in modern cxolours.....too bad it never flew......

Love the shape of that wing. Reminds me of a mini-Valkyrie !