Airfix 1/48 Canadair Sabre F.4

[Guest]

OK, not a problem, Just checked mine and you have two seat pans one without belts/straps if you are going to have the pilot in the cockpit and a bare seat pan if you are not.

is yours the same one, because I can't see that here.

[Guest]

With the gun compartment, you can fit the guns and if not happy you can still cloes it up, or show one side open and the other closed.

Yes, I think I'll have one open and one closed, seems the best way to go.

[Scratchbuilder]

Ignore my comment about the seats.
I have had a good search through the sprues and not rushed this time.
Airfix have included drawings/illustrations from their North-American F-86F-40 Sabre aircraft using the F-86 seat and have not offered the ejection seat as fitted to later RAF Sabres.
We have the same seat BUT also the ejection seat (sprue frame 'C') fitted to RAF aircraft. To fit either is NOT wrong, but you need to look at earlier additions to the RAF inventory for their Sabres with the 'armchair' seat you have fitted, if you really want to be pedantic or just build the model from the box - I prefer the model from the box.
So you/we are right and Airfix are wrong for misleading the modelmaker instead of correcting their instructions.

Our sprue 'C' - ejector seat on the left and 'armchair' seat on the right.

My reference, plus the Haynes F-86 book.

[Guest]

ahhh thanks! I'm somewhat less confused now. haha!

[Scratchbuilder]

ahhh thanks! I'm somewhat less confused now. haha!

I was at first, I opened the kit some time ago and could have sworn they included the two offerings, and I am sure they do it in their other kits.

[Guest]

okay, small update. I've not done much on this because I was kind of stuck. I got to the joining of the fuselage pieces but it needed a 10g weight in the nose.
This stumped me for several reasons: 1 - I don't do metric, my brain only works in imperial still.. so I had no idea how heavy 10g was until I "borrowed" some scales from the wife.

Then I just couldn't find anything to fit the weight and the small space, tried all sorts of things, ball bearings, screws, magnets, even tried 2 20p coins glued together
but nope, they were slightly too wide to fit. so I was at a loss until someone suggested fishing weights and something called liquid gravity.

I decided on trying the liquid gravity which is like a bottle filled with tiny balls, so I weighed out 9g of those and mixed them with some pva glue and splodged the lot inside the model, just in front of the cockpit. it should work (we'll see!)

So.. having finally done that, I've finally glued the sides together and started work on the wings.
I've decided on having the speed brakes closed but one gun bay open and the other closed. (you can see my awful painting of the guns/ammo belts here)

[Guest]

Fishing lead, sold as shot or split shot, works well too. Or offcuts of roofing lead, which can be cut with a Stanley knife and shaped with a moderate-size hammer

[Guest]

I'm getting close to painting it but I have to say I'm a little disappointed. I just looked at the livery options and there are two which are pretty much
identical apart from the decals. That is a blue underside and camo fuselage/wings. (I have had some issues fitting a couple of the parts, which you can probably tell
but I hope the paintwork covers the mess)

I wanted to have a chrome/silver livery but alas I don't have that option so have to do camo regardless.. a pity, I think silver sabres look so cool.

[boatman]

WELL buy some A/M US AIRFORCE DECALS then you can do it in bear metal silver with the bright yellow stripe as i loved them colours on a saber

[Guest]

That blue underside is impressive, though. Much more eye-catching than the usual greys.

[vizenz]

I wanted to have a chrome/silver livery but alas I don't have that option so have to do camo regardless.. a pity, I think silver sabres look so cool.

They do. But to be honest, the first thing that comes to mind when I think of a Sabre is a silver US machine with yellow stripes.
Personally, I find a camouflaged “exotic” much more attractive.

[Guest]

Been thinking about this and I've decided I'll stick to the livery on the kit. (because it gives me an excuse down the line to buy another Sabre and do it silver)

[rickoshea52]

Been thinking about this and I've decided I'll stick to the livery on the kit. (because it gives me an excuse down the line to buy another Sabre and do it silver)

There is an another boxing with bare metal options. Airfix were knocking out recently in their sales.

[Airborne01]

Been assembling and painting the cockpit. I'm terrible with a hairy stick as you can see but thankfully most of this will be hidden by the canopy.
I will add a wash in the hopes of bringing out some detail, we'll see how it goes.

It seems I have to decide very soon if I want the gun door closed or open. I'd love to have it open showing the guns but I'm not sure I could do a decent enough paint job on them. it's a tough call!

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No Guts, No Glory! En Avant Mon Ami! (Pardon my French!)
Steve

[The Smythe Meister]

Can't help with your questions...
... But I CAN say,"I'm loving that" :thumb2: