Author Topic: RAN F9F-8 Cougar - Finished &, finally, with AIM-9Bs  (Read 16645 times)

Offline Old Wombat

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RAN F9F-8 Cougar - Finished &, finally, with AIM-9Bs
« on: January 16, 2017, 09:06:20 PM »
OK, the latest challenge, KittyHawk's F9F-8 Cougar to be done in RAN colours ... but which colours? ???

I don't know! :o

I was really impressed with the look of this kit in the box but I'm a little disappointed, now, as there are some minor engineering issues & I'm finding parts that are slightly short-shot with small but annoying bits missing or only part-formed, like locating pins & small corners of parts. So, I can see some fit issues & PSR in my future.

Other than that the details are nice, if a little soft in places but not enough to worry about. The kit comes with 2 complete sets of glazing & 2 ejection seat options, so I have a canopy & a bang-seat to spare.

I had a bit of an issue putting the cockpit together, which may be down to me but I get the feeling it may be poor design & engineering of the kit, as the parts don't seem to quite match up to create what they are meant to look like..

However, I've overcome that & here are the first pic's of the cockpit & the ejection seat I didn't go with, although I built both, just in case;





Hope to be able to show more progress soon! :)
« Last Edit: July 23, 2022, 07:06:17 PM by Old Wombat »
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline Volkodav

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Re: RAN F9F-8 Cougar
« Reply #1 on: January 16, 2017, 09:56:36 PM »
Goodie, goodie, goodie, I can't wait to see how this turns out!

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: RAN F9F-8 Cougar
« Reply #2 on: January 16, 2017, 10:21:49 PM »
Nor can I, because I haven't the faintest idea of what scheme I'm going to do it in! :-\
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Online GTX_Admin

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Re: RAN F9F-8 Cougar
« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2017, 02:06:35 AM »
Re schemes, you could look to either the RAN dH Sea Venoms or the A-4 Skyhawks for inspiration.
« Last Edit: January 17, 2017, 02:08:39 AM by GTX_Admin »
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Offline Old Wombat

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Re: RAN F9F-8 Cougar
« Reply #4 on: January 17, 2017, 07:54:57 AM »
I already am but I don't want to be too slavish to EDG/Sky or Lt Gull Grey/White (Gull Grey/Lt Gull Grey according to the instructions) & they'll be operating too early for the 2-tone wrap-around.
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline elmayerle

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Re: RAN F9F-8 Cougar
« Reply #5 on: January 17, 2017, 08:20:30 AM »
Something of a mix of the two, either EDG/White or Lt. Gull Grey/Sky?  Definitely get some different looks.

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: RAN F9F-8 Cougar
« Reply #6 on: January 17, 2017, 09:02:10 AM »
I'm starting to lean towards a 2-tone mid-grey+dark-grey/lt gull grey in the RN high-demarkation pattern - sort of RN with a touch of RAF coastal command.

Still thinking! :-\
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

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Re: RAN F9F-8 Cougar
« Reply #7 on: January 17, 2017, 04:27:44 PM »
I would stick with traditional scheme...maybe with Shark mouth (or should that be a Cougar mouth)?


All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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Offline Volkodav

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Re: RAN F9F-8 Cougar
« Reply #8 on: January 17, 2017, 05:19:41 PM »
I did a Mirage F-1 in an EDSG upper, light grey lower with a high FFA like demarcation that looked very nice, something like that could be a suitable, more low vis option for the 60s.

Offline Kelmola

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Re: RAN F9F-8 Cougar
« Reply #9 on: January 17, 2017, 06:35:16 PM »
Too early for SEA camo? >:D

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: RAN F9F-8 Cougar
« Reply #10 on: January 17, 2017, 09:19:32 PM »
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: RAN F9F-8 Cougar
« Reply #11 on: January 20, 2017, 08:15:49 PM »
Been working on the nose-cone & guns, then realised that when I put it all together you can't see any of it. :unsure:

So, being a resourceful whiffer, I've used some styrene rod & I'll use some lead weights to keep the nose down, & I'll save the guns & ammo boxes & chutes for something else. ;D
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline M.A.D

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Re: RAN F9F-8 Cougar
« Reply #12 on: May 09, 2017, 06:23:04 PM »
How's ya Cougar coming along mate?

M.A.D

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: RAN F9F-8 Cougar
« Reply #13 on: May 09, 2017, 06:43:29 PM »
Paused, at the moment.

I could say "stalled" but it's not, I've just put it aside while I do a couple of other builds.

Should get back to it fairly soon. :)




Still got no idea what scheme I'll be doing, though. :-\
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: RAN F9F-8 Cougar
« Reply #14 on: October 15, 2019, 10:52:37 AM »
Ha! "Not stalled" my ar$e! ::)

Anyway, almost 3 years later, it's back on the bench & moving forward very slowly, as I'm masking & painting a chequerboard pattern on the wing roots & rudder(s). :-\

Scheme will probably be basic light gull grey over white but I may go DSG over light blue. We'll see. ;)
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: RAN F9F-8 Cougar
« Reply #15 on: October 16, 2019, 04:58:18 PM »
OK, here is the pic of the chequerboard. Needs a little touching up but nothing too drastic.





PS: I've replaced the P-bucket images from earlier with SmugMug images, so they show properly.
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: RAN F9F-8 Cougar
« Reply #16 on: October 21, 2019, 11:21:40 AM »
So a bit of paint added last night & this morning, I've gone for high-demarcation EDSG (custom mix) over Sky.

Lots of fix-ups required but, well, this build ain't my best effort anyway, so I'll do what I can easily & leave it be.

Here are the photo's:



Oops! Oh, yeah, better put the rudder(s) on!








Thanks for watching! :smiley:
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline finsrin

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Re: RAN F9F-8 Cougar
« Reply #17 on: October 21, 2019, 02:44:25 PM »
F9F Cougar.   Remember seeing them during early 60s.   Graceful appearance.   Had Revell 1/48 kit in white plastic at the time.   
Treat to see one in work.   Like what you are doing.

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: RAN F9F-8 Cougar
« Reply #18 on: October 21, 2019, 09:32:01 PM »
Thanks, Bill! :smiley:

Things may slow down due to a lack of period appropriate RAN decals (especially 'Roo roundels). :icon_crap:

We'll see what I can scrounge up. ;)
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: RAN F9F-8 Cougar
« Reply #19 on: October 25, 2019, 12:29:53 AM »
Roight, a bit of research shows that the supplied AIM-9 Sidewinders are AIM-9L/M's, not the era appropriate AIM-9B's or (later) AIM-9D's, so looks like a bit of surgery is going to be involved! ::)

PS: Interestingly, they don't match the images in the instructions, either, which do show AIM-9B's! ???
« Last Edit: October 25, 2019, 12:35:15 AM by Old Wombat »
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: RAN F9F-8 Cougar
« Reply #20 on: October 25, 2019, 08:58:55 AM »
Those checkers look fantastic!

I really like how they brighten everything up and contrast with the rest of the model.

You're on the way to finishing another stunner!

Brian da Basher

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: RAN F9F-8 Cougar
« Reply #21 on: October 25, 2019, 11:12:28 AM »
Thanks, Brian! :smiley:
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Online Jeffry Fontaine

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Re: RAN F9F-8 Cougar
« Reply #22 on: October 25, 2019, 02:14:43 PM »
Your supply of Sidewinders will be multiplying in the near future... :smiley:
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Offline Old Wombat

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Re: RAN F9F-8 Cougar
« Reply #23 on: October 25, 2019, 10:40:53 PM »
Merci beaucoup, mon ami! :icon_alabanza:
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: RAN F9F-8 Cougar
« Reply #24 on: October 31, 2019, 10:19:14 PM »
Haven't finished the build, yet, but I'm putting on the first of the transfers/decals to see how they go (& to get some practice using Micro Set & Micro Sol).

So far, so good! :smiley:

Even the few I've put on make a huge difference to how she looks. :D
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."