USS Enterprise, CVN-65, in 1/350 scale, Tamiya Kit #78007

Re: My build and review of Tamiya's 1/350 scale USS Enterprise, (CVN-65)

bd popeye said:

Jeff you must have the patience of Job. Excellent work..

One thing. I noticed you have the larger tow tractors in the hanger deck moving aircraft. In reality this would never happen. "spotting dolly's" are use exclusively in the hangar deck. Those larger tow tractors only go to the hanger deck for maintenance in the GSE shop which is at the forward end of the hangar.

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These days this vehicle is painted white.

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Thanks, Popeye. I will have to adjust accordingly. No spotting dolly's were included, but I can scratch build some and replace the larger ones in the hanger deck with those and then move the larger one up top.

Re: My build and review of Tamiya's 1/350 scale USS Enterprise, (CVN-65)

I'm guessing but there are about 6 spotting dollies on the hangar deck. That's my best recollection.

Re: My build and review of Tamiya's 1/350 scale USS Enterprise, (CVN-65)

bd popeye said:

Jeff you must have the patience of Job. Excellent work..

One thing. I noticed you have the larger tow tractors in the hanger deck moving aircraft. In reality this would never happen. "spotting dolly's" are use exclusively in the hangar deck. Those larger tow tractors only go to the hanger deck for maintenance in the GSE shop which is at the forward end of the hangar.

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These days this vehicle is painted white.

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And thats Jeff's Dad Lee's, Ladyfriend in the back, the Chance Vought F-8U Crusader, later replaced by the F-7 Corsair II, which was more up Jeff's alley when he worked at Vought, off topic Jeff, Robertsons in Tennessee, has recently acquired several Smith and Wesson 38s, used by security at CVs Fort Worth plant, anyway, historic old revolvers, in the 300. range, little rough, but serviceable.

Now Master Jeff, why did the F-8 proceed the F-7, and yes gentlemen they share a similar planform?

Re: My build and review of Tamiya's 1/350 scale USS Enterprise, (CVN-65)

Air Force Brat said:

And thats Jeff's Dad Lee's, Ladyfriend in the back, the Chance Vought F-8U Crusader, later replaced by the F-7 Corsair II, which was more up Jeff's alley when he worked at Vought, off topic Jeff, Robertsons in Tennessee, has recently acquired several Smith and Wesson 38s, used by security at CVs Fort Worth plant, anyway, historic old revolvers, in the 300. range, little rough, but serviceable.

Now Master Jeff, why did the F-8 proceed the F-7, and yes gentlemen they share a similar planform?

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Well, it is simple...the F-8 was a true fighter and had been proceeded by the F-7 Cutlass, also a fighter produced by Vought.

The "7" you speak of which was similar to the Crusader in appearance, but more chuncky, was the A-7 Corsair II. It was an attack aircraft. Subsonic with the first "head's up display," but it was also very manueverable at low speed and could tangle with any Mig that would slow down to take it on. Carried a very good load for its size and had a lot of loiter time. They came in to replace the A-4s. Of course the A-5 was the large, supersonic Vigilante, and the A-6 was the Intruder..

My Dad was the lead Dynamics Engineer on both of the F-8 and the A-7 aircraft, both of which were very successful and long lived. He cut his teeth in the early fifties on the F-7 Cutlass, but was not the "lead.". By the time I came and worked on the A-7 in the late 70s, I was working on as built fixes to the A-7E and also some design work on the Portugese version, the A=7P which was built around that time.

The F-8 was introduced to the US NAvy oin 1957-158 and served ably with the US Navy until 1976. But it served on with the French Navy atcually until replaced by the Rafales in the year 2000! The French had 42 aircraft and they went through a major life extension in 1989 to get them to the year 2000.

Altogether, wll over 1,200 F-8s were produced.

The A-7 served with the US Navy and the US Air Force, and also with several other nations.

They entered service with the US in 1967 and served through the Gulf War and were retired from US service in 1991. Over 1,600 of them were produced. Greece and Portugal operate their aircraft (most built in the 1980s) to this day.

Re: My build and review of Tamiya's 1/350 scale USS Enterprise, (CVN-65)

Really sounds like good times you had there, Jeff.

I was always intruiged by the F-8's variable incidence wing. That was some extraordinary "high lift device" for an aircraft. Although it didn't really catch on in later designs. Well I guess it was a quite cumbersome to operate & maintain such a technology. And modern slats & flaps probably do enough to lower the required AoA to a level safe for operation.

Re: My build and review of Tamiya's 1/350 scale USS Enterprise, (CVN-65)

Jeff Head said:

Well, it is simple...the F-8 was a true fighter and had been proceeded by the F-7 Cutlass, also a fighter produced by Vought.

The "7" you speak of which was similar to the Crusader in appearance, but more chuncky, was the A-7 Corsair II. It was an attack aircraft. Subsonic with the first "head's up display," but it was also very manueverable at low speed and could tangle with any Mig that would slow down to take it on. Carried a very good load for its size and had a lot of loiter time. They came in to replace the A-4s. Of course the A-5 was the large, supersonic Vigilante, and the A-6 was the Intruder..

My Dad was the lead Dynamics Engineer on both of the F-8 and the A-7 aircraft, both of which were very successful and long lived. He cut his teeth in the early fifties on the F-7 Cutlass, but was not the "lead.". By the time I came and worked on the A-7 in the late 70s, I was working on as built fixes to the A-7E and also some design work on the Portugese version, the A=7P which was built around that time.

The F-8 was introduced to the US NAvy oin 1957-158 and served ably with the US Navy until 1976. But it served on with the French Navy atcually until replaced by the Rafales in the year 2000! The French had 42 aircraft and they went through a major life extension in 1989 to get them to the year 2000.

Altogether, wll over 1,200 F-8s were produced.

The A-7 served with the US Navy and the US Air Force, and also with several other nations.

They entered service with the US in 1967 and served through the Gulf War and were retired from US service in 1991. Over 1,600 of them were produced. Greece and Portugal operate their aircraft (most built in the 1980s) to this day.

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Wow! how interesting, and Scratch in response to your post the the challenge was to bring those old fast fighters on deck at all! this post should prolly go in the aerodynmics thread as well, a wonderfull discussion of F-fighters and A-attack that all of us should understand. Thanks Bro Jeff for sharing a fascinating bit of family and aircraft design history. Only on Sino D Cheers Brat

Re: My build and review of Tamiya's 1/350 scale USS Enterprise, (CVN-65)

Scratch said:

Really sounds like good times you had there, Jeff.

I was always intrigued by the F-8's variable incidence wing. That was some extraordinary "high lift device" for an aircraft. Although it didn't really catch on in later designs. Well I guess it was a quite cumbersome to operate & maintain such a technology. And modern slats & flaps probably do enough to lower the required AoA to a level safe for operation.

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In 1975 aboard the USS Hancock CVA-19 we had two F-8U squadrons. VF-211 & VF-24. their last deployments before they transitioned to the Tomcat.

One day off the coast of SoCal an Crusader crashed in front of me as myself and the air gunner were keeping track of any unexpended ordnance. This crash occurred in the day time. However soon after this crash Crusaders were forbidden to make arrested landings at night. The reason was steel plating had been placed on the angle deck under the arresting wires. This steel was not level with teakwood deck. It was 1.5 inches higher. Causing many a hard landing for F-8s at night. In order to save those few remaining F-8s night landings were "verboten"...

Re: My build and review of Tamiya's 1/350 scale USS Enterprise, (CVN-65)

bd popeye said:

In 1975 aboard the USS Hancock CVA-19 we had two F-8U squadrons. VF-211 & VF-24. their last deployments before they transitioned to the Tomcat.

One day off the coast of SoCal an Crusader crashed in front of me as myself and the air gunner were keeping track of any unexpended ordnance. This crash occurred in the day time. However soon ofter this crash Crusaders were forbidden to make arrested landings at night. The reason was steel plating had been placed on the angle deck under the arresting wires. This steel was not level with teakwood deck. It was 1.5 inches higher. Causing many a hard landing for F-8s at night. In order to save those few remaining F-8s night landings were "verboten"...

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Thats just one of the reasons I love you Popeye, it is "verboten", you sound like my Dad, actually the USAF needs to take a similar measure with the F-22, they have enough, but they need love and attention, letting the green beans fly this bird has been a huge mistake, not because its hard to fly, but because it is way to easy to fly and leads to a false sense of confidence, those kids need to transition into something with "teeth" that will bite you when you get outside the envelope, after you've been bitten a time or two you learn.

There was a video of an F-18 driver who got behind the power curve, stalled and departed the aircraft, you should hear him breathing, in the F-18 you put both hands on the cockpit combing and the aircraft will recover itself, fortunately he was at 18,000. In FSX I have an F-18 and a C-130. The F-18 is a pussycat, but get it slow and it will start a dutch roll, chase it and you have a full blown PIO going. Power Stall that C-130 at any altitude and you are in a world of hurt, it will not only bite you it will chase you down and eat you!

Re: My build and review of Tamiya's 1/350 scale USS Enterprise, (CVN-65)

Don't mean to derail your thread Jeff but I had to post this..

VF -84 "VAGABONDS" F-8C Crusader aboard the USS Independence (CVA 62) Circa mid 1960-'64.

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I just remember something.. the flight deck of the Hancock was teakwood covered with a very thick special epoxy non-skid.. except the runners right along the catapults. Sometimes when a Crusader would launch they would throw up very small splinters. You could feel them hitting you.Not enough to FOD an engine. Kinda of annoying..How did I know? I stood between the cats with the air gunner keepin' track of ordanance loads on the aircraft.. .no foolin'

Re: My build and review of Tamiya's 1/350 scale USS Enterprise, (CVN-65)

Scratch said:

Really sounds like good times you had there, Jeff.

I was always intruiged by the F-8's variable incidence wing. That was some extraordinary "high lift device" for an aircraft. Although it didn't really catch on in later designs. Well I guess it was a quite cumbersome to operate & maintain such a technology. And modern slats & flaps probably do enough to lower the required AoA to a level safe for operation.

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Well Scratch, I'm surprised Jeff hasn't weighed back in on the variable incidence of the F-8, as I'm sure you've deduced that increased the angle of attack, while maintaining a relatively nose low attitude as you came aboard ship, but as Jeff alluded to the F-8 was a Fighter, and as such it was a "HOT" bird, in order to get the speed up into fighter country, the wings were kept on the smallish side to reduce drag, look at the 104, scary small, and "HOT" doesn't describe everything the Starfighter was. The F-8 is a lot of airplane to park on the Carriers of that day, and as BD added toward the end they placed some operational limitations on her, just to prevent further nasty surprises. The A7E on the other hand was the safest aircraft of its type, and flew with the Navy and the Air Force, and as Jeff has stated it was very "agile" as lots of faster Mig drivers found out. A few years in the aerodynamics business can result in a night and day difference in safety and capability. Sorry to get us off topic Master Jeff, but bds F-8 pic got me to thinking about your Dad, that is quite an honor to be the lead engineer on two very successfull aircraft, especially with an historic co, like Chance Vought, who also designed the orignal Corsair during WWII.

Oh and thank you for that bit of history! Brat