Hasegawa

1/48 F-8J Crusader "VF-194 Red Lightnings"

Kit Number: 09868

Reviewed by  Dave Koukol, IPMS# 46287

MSRP: $56.99 Website: www.dragonmodelsusa.com Background: The F-8 Crusader was the U.S. Navy's first operational fighter capable of sustained supersonic speeds in level flight. First seeing fleet service in 1957, the Crusader served with distinction through the Vietnam War and into the 1980's, and was a favorite of carrier-based fighter pilots for air-to-air combat. Most prolific of F-8 variants was the F-8E. Despite the type's acceptance by aircrews, improvements were necessary to improve its low-speed (carrier landing) characteristics. Those improvements were embodied in the F-8J, a wholesale upgrade of existing F-8E's beginning in 1967. Increased surface area of leading edge flaps and vertical stabilizer, and increased trailing edge flap and aileron travel did the trick. Electronics systems were also upgraded. First Impression: High expectations for this kit were immediately validated upon opening the box. 19 sprues of crisply molded light gray, black, and clear parts and a large full color decal sheet whetted my anticipation of the build. Surface detail is fine and recessed. Clear parts are sharply molded and crystal clear. Leading- and trailing-edge flaps are molded separately. The variable incidence wing can be positioned as extended or retracted. As typical in Hasegawa kits, the instructions are well sequenced, clear, and kind to middle-aged eyes. Painting and marking diagrams are also very clear and complete. Weapons though are sparse - just 4 rocket pods to mount on the fuselage pylons.

Construction: Construction is straightforward, overall fit and engineering is solid, with minimal filling required, with only a handful of ejector pin marks requiring filling on visible areas, most notably on the Zuni rocket warheads. I invested about 30 hours on this build, much of it on pre-shading, decaling, and panel lines. Cockpit detail is crisp and accurate compared to photos of the variant available on the internet. The tooling and assembly design of the instrument panel and head-up display are brilliantly executed and give the modeler a fighting chance of having a decent looking HUD not susceptible to breaking during assembly, masking and handling. Sidewalls and consoles have light, but adequate detail. Instrument faces and switch detail can be either painted or applied by decal. Disappointing, though, is the ejection seat. The parachute pack is scaled back from the actual prototype - by about 1/3 -- with large ejector pin marks on the rear face. Seat belt detail is very light. One would think with all of Hasegawa's attention to exquisite detail, it would also extend to the ejection seat. I will most likely purchase an aftermarket seat if my Crusader is to end up on a contest table outside of an "out of box" category. Also, the canopy fit is so tight and precise in closed position, that it does not lend itself to be easily posed in the open position. Intakes, exhausts, and landing gear are all well formed and appear accurate against photo references. The intake seam requires very little sanding and filling. Wheel well detail is robust and convincing, with most visible on the finished model. All three landing gear points are multi-part and very nicely engineered. All 3 struts anchor into the fuselage by pressing fitting into holes lined with bearings made of softer plastic. Kudos to Hasegawa on this feature - as they eliminate the need for gluing these parts, and also make them removable for transport - no more super gluing sheared struts to the fuselage! Overall fit and alignment of the airframe subassemblies is virtually flawless. Minimal filling and rescribing required. Like the landing gear, the variable incidence wing and stabilators attach using the "soft bearing" feature. It should be noted, however that to prevent the stabilators bearings from popping out, bearings should either be cemented in place, or the afterburner can should be installed out of sequence - prior to installing the stabs. From a selfish perspective, I hope Hasegawa hasn't tied this feature up with a patent, as it should become the industry standard for all future kits. Final assembly of wing subassembly to the fuselage was a bit nerve-racking. Fit of the wing to the fuselage is very tight, but some quick adzing and sanding remedied the problem. Even with that prep work, the trailing edge flaps did't clear the fuselage portion of the wing root, so they needed to be removed and wedged in after the wing is installed. With all requisite force for jockeying of the wing and flaps, a couple of the main landing gear doors were dislodged, and required re-attachment. Finishing: Panel lines were pre-shaded in flat black, and Alclad was airbrushed on the natural metal areas immediately forward of the nozzles prior to application of the primary color. Tamiya Gloss White and Medium Gray were perfect matches for the Light Gull Gray over White scheme. Pledge with Future Shine was used to provide a gloss surface for the decal application. The kit decals are sharp with excellent registration. Colors appear accurate to reference photos. Multiple applications of Micro Sol were needed to get some of the larger markings to sufficiently settle into the panel lines and around compound curves. About 4 hours were spent on markings. A couple passes with an acrylic sludge wash for the panel lines, followed by a couple misting coats of Model Master Acryl Flat sealed the deal. Summary/Recommendation: One again, Hasegawa sets the standard for another aircraft type in 1/48th scale. Despite it's handful of challenges, I highly recommend the kit for any experienced modeler looking for a great looking jet with an average level of effort invested. Thanks Dragon Models USA for providing the review kit!