History
In September 1952 the United States Navy called for a carrier based supersonic fighter, Chance Vought answered the call.
In June 1953 the Navy made the decision for Chance Voughts V-383 design and the F-8 Crusader was born! On the 25th of March 1955 the Crusader made its maiden flight and set a record for being the first aircraft to reach supersonic speeds on its first flight.
During the Vietnam War the F-8 had the highest kill ratio of any other Navy jet. Its 19:3 ratio included 16 Mig-19s and 3 Mig-21s. The aircrafts achievements in Vietnam earned it the name of “Mig Master”
The Crusader was the last American fighter to be designed with guns as its primary weapon thus giving it the title of “The Last Gun Fighter”. The four Colt Mk 12 cannons had 125 rounds of 20mm each and could fire 1000 RPM at 3,300 ft/s.
The F-8 was used by the US Navy, US Marines, French Navy and the Philippine Air Force. It was in service with reserve squadrons of the US Navy until the 29th of March 1987 (RF-8) and until the 15th of December 1999 with the French Navy.
| Price: | $150 MSRP |
| Pros: | Accurate! Nice engraved panel lines, rivets where they need to be, great detail |
| Cons: | Very few, No markings for USMC aircraft, raised panel under wind screen. |
The Kit
When you get the box the first thing that you’ll notice is that it’s a little thinner than Trumpeters other Large 1/32 scale aircraft, don’t let that fool you! Inside you’ll find 354 light grey parts and two clear parts, and a sheet of photo etched. The decals have great colors and look to be very well printed.
The only flaw that I found was the cooling vents on each side under the wind screen. Trumpeter had them as raised panels and on the real aircraft they were flush. (See pictures)
The wheel wells are fully detailed, and so is the dive brake. The wing can be positioned raised, with the flaps and leading edge slats lowered. The wings can also be displayed folded or lowered. The gun bays are fully detailed with separate Colt Mk.12 Cannons and can be displayed open, as can the refueling probe and RAT. (Ram Air Turbine)
The cockpit looks very nice the only thing that I’ll be adding will be a resin seat.
When finished you’ll need a little room for this fella! It will be over 20½ inches long and have a wingspan that’s over 13½ inches!
Conclusions
Well folks there it is, short and sweet! Trumpeter has hit the nail on the head with this one. I know that there have been a lot of people saying how high priced Trumpeter is getting, but with a MSRP of $150 this kit is well worth the money. If you shop around a little you can find it lower than that. (I gave $114.48 for mine shipped at E Hobby land)
Bio
Most of you folks know me as Jeff8600 on most all forums, I’m Jeff Adair from Adairsville, Georgia.
I’m 31 years old and build anything from Aircraft to Armor in scales ranging from 1/72nd to 1/24th aircraft and 1/48th to 1/16th armor. I’m married and have a great little boy.
I love to build kits but here the past few years I’ve found myself stashing them away. I attend Rush Chapel Methodist Church and love going. I also like to attend local contests so I hope to see you all at one someday! So until than… Jeff8600 OUT!
