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1/48th Testors U-2C WIP

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  • 1/48th Testors U-2C WIP

    I was in the middle of a couple of WIP's for another forum I used to frequent, when I was inexplicably banned from the site for unknown reasons (or, at least, the reason given didn't make any sense); not wanting to let a couple of good WIP's go to waste, I'll post them here.

    My first WIP is vintage Testor's 1/48th U-2C; over the years, I somehow managed to acquire three (3) kits. When I finally opened the box(es) a few months ago, I only had enough parts to build about 2-1/2 models, the other parts having long since disappeared. I believe the tooling for this particular kit was originally created by Hawk back in the '60's before it was bought out by Testor's in the '70's. In any case, I decided not to build the standard (boring) all-black U-2 but, instead, a U-2C as flown out of Britain during the '70's. At that time, the British Gov't decreed that "spy" planes could not be flown from British soil; so, to placate the British public, the US Air Force painted the U-2's flying from England in a light grey/blue camoflage pattern, as seen below:




    Here's how far I've gotten so far:







    I didn't like the look of the original kit, as it doesn't give you an exhaust nozzle (see last photo above), there's just a hole in the back of the fuselage where the jet engine is supposed to be, so I raided my parts box and came up with a couple of exhaust nozzles from a long-gone 1/32nd scale F-5E which fit just right in the back of the U-2. Here they are before installation:




    Here's what she looks like after the tailpipe is installed:



    Also, there's not much to the cockpit, just a little seat and a very rudimentary instrument panel, so I decided to "upgrade" it with an actual cockpit tub and a real ejection seat. Here's the cockpit from a 1/48th F-8 Crusader I modified before installation:




    The cockpit is actually almost done, so I'll try and post some more pictures of it next week after I've had a chance to upload them.

    My other WIP is a Revell 1/48th Ar-234C2/3, which is really a re-boxed Hasegawa kit, but I'll save that for another thread.
    "There is never enough time to do or say all the things that we would wish. The thing is to try to do as much as you can in the time that you have. Remember Scrooge, time is short, and suddenly, you're not there any more." -Ghost of Christmas Present, Scrooge

  • #2
    Originally posted by Stitch View Post
    Also, there's not much to the cockpit, just a little seat and a very rudimentary instrument panel, so I decided to "upgrade" it with an actual cockpit tub and a real ejection seat. Here's the cockpit from a 1/48th F-8 Crusader I modified before installation:
    Ah very nice paint scheme! Never seen a U-2 in camo colors.

    And having recently been able to park my carcass in the cockpit of an F-8 Crusader - and then attempt to get out again - I've got a new appreciation of detail in that department :)
    “He was the most prodigious personification of all human inferiorities. He was an utterly incapable, unadapted, irresponsible, psychopathic personality, full of empty, infantile fantasies, but cursed with the keen intuition of a rat or a guttersnipe. He represented the shadow, the inferior part of everybody’s personality, in an overwhelming degree, and this was another reason why they fell for him.”

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    • #3
      Originally posted by TopHatter View Post
      Ah very nice paint scheme! Never seen a U-2 in camo colors.

      And having recently been able to park my carcass in the cockpit of an F-8 Crusader - and then attempt to get out again - I've got a new appreciation of detail in that department :)
      Sweet! Was it an ex-USN Crusader, or a French navy version? I've seen one up close & personal on board the USS Hornet, but I didn't get to sit in it.
      "There is never enough time to do or say all the things that we would wish. The thing is to try to do as much as you can in the time that you have. Remember Scrooge, time is short, and suddenly, you're not there any more." -Ghost of Christmas Present, Scrooge

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Stitch View Post
        Sweet! Was it an ex-USN Crusader, or a French navy version? I've seen one up close & personal on board the USS Hornet, but I didn't get to sit in it.
        Ex-USN. It was at the National Naval Aviation Museum at Pensacola NAS.

        They've got nearly a dozen "cutaway" cockpits that you can get seriously stuck in. I tried out a few, F-14, F-8, F-4, F-11 and A-4. Those things are CRAMPED!
        Attached Files
        “He was the most prodigious personification of all human inferiorities. He was an utterly incapable, unadapted, irresponsible, psychopathic personality, full of empty, infantile fantasies, but cursed with the keen intuition of a rat or a guttersnipe. He represented the shadow, the inferior part of everybody’s personality, in an overwhelming degree, and this was another reason why they fell for him.”

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by TopHatter View Post
          Ex-USN. It was at the National Naval Aviation Museum at Pensacola NAS.

          They've got nearly a dozen "cutaway" cockpits that you can get seriously stuck in. I tried out a few, F-14, F-8, F-4, F-11 and A-4. Those things are CRAMPED!
          When were you there?

          I took the son there at the end of June.

          Did you get to see the Blues practice?

          And Stitch keep us posted. Looking good so far.

          I had never seen a camo U-2 either

          Soon I get off the WAB, finish my PAK 40 Dio and post some pics.

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          • #6
            Okay, haven't posted on this one recently; my apologies.

            Unfortunately, my U-2C has fallen by the wayside, to be superseded by my inexplicable fascination for German armor; I have recently undertaken a Trumpeter 1/35th-scale E-100 Super Heavy Tank (excellent model!), a Testors (nee: Italeri) Leopard IA4 (yes, the '80's version), AND a DML German Super Tank Maus.

            The E-100 is fascinating; without going into too much detail, towards the end of the War, the German armaments industry proposed standardizing tank production into three classes: the E-50 series (essentially, light tanks), the E-75 series (medium tanks), and the E-100 series (heavy, or "super", tanks). The only series that got anywhere was the E-100; by the end of the War, an E-100 chassis had actually been assembled, minus the suspension and the turret. The British captured the chassis at Paderborn, along with the meter-wide tracks it would've used. The original plan was to mount the 'Maus' turret (12.8cm main gun, 75cm coaxial gun) on the E-100 chassis, but the factory was overrun before that could happen. IMO, the 'Maus' turret would've been too heavy for the E-100 chassis anyway; all up, the 'Maus' turret, by itself, weighed more than a standard PzKpfw IV. However, there were a couple of alternative E-100 turrets on the drawing board in 1945, both of which weighed less than the 'Maus' turret. One turret, which is the subject of the Trumpeter kit, was basically a scaled-up Tiger II turret, with a 12.8 cm gun (the KwK 44 L/55) in place of the 8.8 cm KwK 43 L/71; this version would've been known as the Ausfuhrung L (versus Ausfuhrung S for the Maus-turreted version). If the German armaments industry HAD survived until 1946, I have no doubt that it would've been a very formidable tank. In any case, here is what the Trumpeter kit I am currently building looked like BEFORE I started in on it:





            It is an excellent kit, and Trumpeter has come a long ways in a short time towards satisfying some of us modelers with interesting and different kits; the E-100 is no exception.

            I had originally had some problem nailing down the "official" German RAL (in German: Reichsausschuß für Lieferbedingungen und Gütesicherung) colors for this tank; there has been a lot of debate and discussion over the years as to what are the "correct" German WWII RAL colors. The bottom line is, there is no "correct" interpretation of German wartime colors; they varied considerably from theater to theater, and even from year to year. First of all, I DON'T have an airbrush (yes, you read that correctly), so I'm fairly limited as to which colors I can spray on; in this case, after reading all of the available information, I settled on using Testors Model Master Medium Green, FS 34102. The "official" color is Olivegrun, which roughly equates to FS 34094, but the closest match is Medium Green (Dark Green, FS 34079, is too dark). In any case, there was considerable variation in the field anyway and, besides, we're talking about a tank that didn't really exist, so I'd say we're within reason here.

            I will attempt to post some "in progress" pictures as soon as possible, for all three Panzers, but don't hold your breath!

            P.S. To make things even more complicated, I'm also in the process of rebuilding a Konigstiger (King Tiger) I built about 25 years ago. Keep you posted!
            "There is never enough time to do or say all the things that we would wish. The thing is to try to do as much as you can in the time that you have. Remember Scrooge, time is short, and suddenly, you're not there any more." -Ghost of Christmas Present, Scrooge

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            • #7
              What are you guys doing tromping around in my back yard. Let me know when your cumming down to the National Naval Aviation Museum at Pensacola NAS and I will see if I can get you a tour guide (I think old Lester is still alive) and I will come out and meet with you.

              Nice subject there Stitch. I actually got to see a U2 in camo. You should have seen them land. A pair of chase trucks would run after them and install little "Wheels On Sticks" in the wing tips to keep it from falling over as it lost speed.

              I will have to post some photos of a few I have going. I only do 1/72 these days but I like to detail them heavily.
              Si Uis Pacem Para Bellum
              Pax Per Potens

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              • #8
                FINALLY!

                After a 2-year hiatus, I got back to work on the U-2C over my Christmas break. Managed to get the cockpit (sans ejection seat) installed, and got started on the intakes. Here's where I'm at:





                And, just to make things interesting, I decided to change the loadout of the U-2; instead of the usual drop-tanks (which weren't carried very often anyway), I decided to load my U-2 up with a couple of ALQ-87 ECM pods. Purists will tell me the U-2 NEVER carried an external ECM pod, especially since the drop tanks, when used, had to be jettisoned before the Dragon Lady landed (which means the very expensive ECM pods would have to be jettisoned, also), but it definitely makes for a more interesting model. Here's what the ALQ-87's look like so far (ALQ on top, standard drop tank below):

                I'll try and post more updates in a more timely matter this time!
                Attached Files
                "There is never enough time to do or say all the things that we would wish. The thing is to try to do as much as you can in the time that you have. Remember Scrooge, time is short, and suddenly, you're not there any more." -Ghost of Christmas Present, Scrooge

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                • #9
                  Great that you picked it back up.

                  Did you just lose interest in this model or modeling in general? Or what I am getting at is, Where are the pics of the E-100 and Maus?

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Gun Grape View Post
                    Great that you picked it back up.

                    Did you just lose interest in this model or modeling in general? Or what I am getting at is, Where are the pics of the E-100 and Maus?
                    Still have both of those "on the bench" (no, I haven't given up on them), but I do have the dreaded ADMD (Attention-Deficit Modeling Disorder) where, if I get somewhat discouraged with a particular model, I'll set it aside and pick-up a new one. The good news is, I'm getting better about this as I get older (what a coincidence!). Believe it or not, I've actually FINISHED two F-14's since I got started on the E-100/Maus/U-2, and have ALMOST finished an F-111G (I suppose I could do sort of a post-WIP on those, too). So, don't worry, I WILL get around to finishing the E-100 eventually, probably this year (I actually got started painting the camo last month!); thanks for asking.
                    "There is never enough time to do or say all the things that we would wish. The thing is to try to do as much as you can in the time that you have. Remember Scrooge, time is short, and suddenly, you're not there any more." -Ghost of Christmas Present, Scrooge

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Stitch View Post
                      Still have both of those "on the bench" (no, I haven't given up on them), but I do have the dreaded ADMD (Attention-Deficit Modeling Disorder) where, if I get somewhat discouraged with a particular model, I'll set it aside and pick-up a new one. The good news is, I'm getting better about this as I get older (what a coincidence!). Believe it or not, I've actually FINISHED two F-14's since I got started on the E-100/Maus/U-2, and have ALMOST finished an F-111G (I suppose I could do sort of a post-WIP on those, too). So, don't worry, I WILL get around to finishing the E-100 eventually, probably this year (I actually got started painting the camo last month!); thanks for asking.
                      Update (it's ONLY been three years since my last post!): ALMOST done with the E-100 (just gotta flat-coat it), the Maus is labor-intensive and is taking longer than expected (mostly the suspension, which represents about 75% of the parts in the kit!), and the U-2 is finally getting decaled (after discovering that all three of my U-2 decals sheets are no good; go here for details on that: http://www.worldaffairsboard.com/mod...ld-1-48th.html). The F-111G was done about a year ago, just haven't posted any pictures yet (it's dusty already).

                      Updated photos to follow (and, no, I haven't forgotten about you, GG! I'll post photos of the almost-finished E-100 shortly!)!
                      Last edited by Stitch; 04 Feb 15,, 20:29.
                      "There is never enough time to do or say all the things that we would wish. The thing is to try to do as much as you can in the time that you have. Remember Scrooge, time is short, and suddenly, you're not there any more." -Ghost of Christmas Present, Scrooge

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                      • #12
                        FINISHED!

                        I FINALLY finished the U-2C; as mentioned above, I've had these kits for quite a while (probably 25+ years). Apparently, I had already built one (probably back in the '90's), as I only had enough parts for 1-1/2 kits (plus a lot of extra parts I don't need now!). Anyway, here she is in all of her glory. I went over the explanation for the distinctive paint scheme earlier in this thread; I wanted to do something different than the basic, boring (although sinister) all-black paint scheme.

                        The kit decals were (understandably) shot (all three sheets I had), so I had to dig into my decal stash and come up with some reasonable decals. The red stripe across the fuselage where the turbojet compressor blades are is from an old 1/48th C-130 kit I had many moons ago; they turned out to be the perfect size for the U-2.

                        Some of you may have noticed that I deviated from the standard build by loading her up with a couple of AN/ALQ-87 ECM pods, instead of the standard 200-gallon fuel tanks; this just seemed like the logical thing to do, since the U-2's mission was purely defensive in nature. I don't know how good the built-in ECM systems for the U-2 were (I assume they were pretty good, otherwise they wouldn't have been flying them over Communist China and Cuba), but I figured a couple of AN/ALQ-87's couldn't hurt!

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                        "There is never enough time to do or say all the things that we would wish. The thing is to try to do as much as you can in the time that you have. Remember Scrooge, time is short, and suddenly, you're not there any more." -Ghost of Christmas Present, Scrooge

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                        • #13
                          Nice looking job. Now if I took as long on the Hornet, as you do on a model, I would never get anything done...Click image for larger version

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by tbm3fan View Post
                            Nice looking job. Now if I took as long on the Hornet, as you do on a model, I would never get anything done...[ATTACH]39712[/ATTACH]
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                            "There is never enough time to do or say all the things that we would wish. The thing is to try to do as much as you can in the time that you have. Remember Scrooge, time is short, and suddenly, you're not there any more." -Ghost of Christmas Present, Scrooge

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