Israeli Navy F-7I

[anthonyp]

Here's a 1/72 Fujimi F7U-3M Cutlass, modified for use aboard Israel's carriers (yes, in my universe, Israel has carriers, three Essex Class until about 1999, when they get two Spanish SAC-220 carriers).  

I modified this model by chopping the nose gear down, in order to give the plane a more level look.  I hacked off the old nosecone, and added a leftover F/A-18 nose from some ancient model that I abandonned about a decade ago.  I added two additonal hardpoints under the fuselage for 500lbs bombs, and added an F-14's IR seeker under the nose.  

I then decided to come up with a new paint scheme for Israel's navy, basing it on their standard desert scheme.  I didn't want to go with standard USN colors as they were boring.  I looked through my paints until I came across an old, dark duck-eggish blue.  I grouped that with a darker blue, and kept the desert scheme's green to come up with this.  I exchanged Light Grey for Light Ghost Grey on the bottom.  I am really pleased with this scheme.  I was really torn when it came to my other Israeli carrier capable aircraft:  Should I go with the standard desert scheme, or go naval?

The backstory for this plane would be something like the Israelis tried a few different planes on their carriers' decks (F-8's, A-4's, A-7's, F-11's, F-3's) but for some reason, they liked the problematic F-7.  They reengined it, and added different control systems.  The reengining allowed it to carry a somewhat heavier warload.

The carriers proved their worth in the Six Day and Yom Kippur wars, giving the Israelis a second attack vector to surprise their enemies, and emergency landing strips for stricken aircraft.

The F-7I is the last version of the Cutlass in service.  It is due to be replaced by F/A-18I's and Rafale MI's in the mid-90's.  This example is armed with two Sidewinders, two 500lbs bombs, and two Sparrow ER missiles (they're actually two of the Chinese Sparrows that came with the J-10 kit).

[anthonyp]

Another view

[anthonyp]

Aft view

[anthonyp]

Another view

[anthonyp]

Top view

[anthonyp]

Bottom view

[Scooterman]

That's different.  Nice work!

I still can't figure out what I want to do with my Gutlass.

[BlackOps]

WOW! that paint job gives it a whole different feel...pretty cool

You are a building Machine!!!



Jeff G.

[Gary F]

Like it!  Interesting approach for the Cutlass.  I've tried to come up with another way to go with the F7 and always seem to come up short on ideas.  Nice one.

regards

[John Howling Mouse]

Yeah, cool!

[Leigh]

Love the paint scheme, but I still think only a mother could love a Gutlass.

[The Rat]

Nope, it didn't totally suck, but when you're stuck with Westinghouse engines you don't have much of a chance!  ^_^  I've always liked the Cutlass though, sort of exotic looking, and until the B-2 came along it was about the closest to a flying wing that ever saw service. If I recall correctly Mecury astronaut Wally Schirra was one of the test pilots on it.

[anthonyp]

You are correct, sir!  Walter Schirra was indeed a Cutlass test pilot.  He took part in Project Cutlass, which was the program to introduce the Cutlass to the fleet.  He was the first pilot trained by the navy in Project Cutlass, the rest having been trained by Vought.  Two other future astronauts that took part in the program were John Glenn and Alan Shepard.

Airtime publishing's International Air Power Review Volume 15 has a good article (18 pages) with lots of pictures on the history, development, and operations (or lack thereof) of the Cutlass.

I too have always liked the look of the Cutlass.  It's perfect WiF material, what with it's futuristic (for the 50's) looks.  I even thought about giving this one canards, and making the trailing edge of the wing a bit more like the Vigilante's.  The flaps need to be added to the plane, so it wouldn't have been that hard to convert.  Also thought about affliciting, er, giving this plane to the RN or France's Navy.  I think it'd look pretty sharp in RN grey over white, sitting next to RN Skyrays aboard the new angled-deck on the HMS Malta...

I've got a 1/48 Lindberg Cutlass in the stash that might get scale-o-ramaed with a 1/144 E-3's fuselage to make it some sort of freakish air transport.

 

[The Rat]

I even thought about giving this one canards, ...

Now there's a sweet idea. If I did that I would maybe lengthen the forward fuselage too, nothing gross, just enough to give it room for extra fuel tanks and fuselage hard points.    

[philp]

That is pretty neat but the best Cutlass I ever saw was one done up in Royal Navy markings in the dark grey over light scheme that was entered in the Hypothetical category of one of the Nationals (don't remember which).  The plane just looked British.