Douglas XF4D-1, No 2

[Jicehem]

Hi mates,

My last baby : Skyray second prototype, Bu No 124587 which set a new world's speed record of 1 212,22 km/h on 3 October 1953. It must be noted that it was the sole Skyray to keep a sliding canopy during its entire life. It was later tested with the GE J-79 jet engine. It seems it's still today at the entrance to China Lake's flight test area.
The kit is the (very) old Lindberg's in 1/48 scale modified to represent this prototype. It's not a very difficult task because the kit itself represents the first production Skyray Bu No 130740 without the splitter plates at the air intakes. The most important work is to eliminate the arresting hook and the tail bumper gear and to modify the empennage aera. Then, we have to find accurate markings and on my model the logo of the NATC is missing...

Douglas XF4D-1, No 2

 

Douglas XF4D-1, No 2

 

Douglas XF4D-1, No 2

 

Douglas XF4D-1, No 2

We can see the jet engine through the air intake and look at the shape of the red marking on the nose boom :

Douglas XF4D-1, No 2

The modified empennage aera :

Douglas XF4D-1, No 2

Cheers,

Jicehem

[No.1]

You are definitely right!!! This is real baby  Very nice airplane from one nice jet age 

[Jicehem]

Thank you mate.

Jicehem

[Nico Braas]

Yes, I can still remember this old Lindberg kit. I built it as the original F4D-1 many years ago.
Must have been end seventies or even earlier! I still had the completed kit, but I had to remove quite a lot of dust!

[Profa]

Very nice models, both of you ... Considering the starting point you managed to make beautiful models

[Jicehem]

Hi Nico,

Splendid model ! Bravo ! 
I was tented to buid it but I finally represented the speed record breaker...
My next model (Lindberg also) will be blue overall (That was production series No 4, BuNo 130743.
Yours represents the first standard model BuNo 130740.
I built my first Lindberg's Skyray in... 1959 ! But this kit has disappeared a long time ago...

Cheers, 
Jicehem

[Letipapa]

How many thousands of models you guys have build, and how many you intend still to build. All I can say is: perfect!

[Jicehem]

Hi Letipapa 
and everybody,

I've a stock of... 1126 aeroplane kits but many of them are part of my "kit museum".
I've built exactely 505 kits (about 2/3 in 1/72 scale). My last is the Skyray.
I've 77 kits awaiting complete finishing (markings are missing) because I try to make different markings than those proposed by the manufacturers. In general ther are no french markings for planes such as P-51 or P-47 which were used by the Armée de l'air...
At the age of 65, it's impossible to build the entire stock or even 50%... But, modeling provides another pleasure : seeing all these kits on my shelves !

Cheers, 
Jicehem

[Nico Braas]

I also have a nice stock of unbuilt kits, but not so much as Jicehem: just a few hundred!
I am now slowly transferring my 1/48 scale models to the Aviodrome Museum!
I already calculated I have to die at age 124 when I want to complete all kits I still have.
And...........some of these kits are really old Frogs (yes, the mark, not the reptile...)!
I also have an original Aurora kit of the USS aircraft carrier Saratoga. I purchased it in the early seventies at a hobbyshop sale-out for just five guilders (which is now some EURO 2.20!) and I only bought it because it was so cheap! Think it is nowadays a collector's item!

[Jicehem]

Hi Nico, 

Sure, a real museum kit, this USS Saratoga by Aurora.

Cheers,
Jicehem

[Letipapa]

Eh, You guys... fantastic