For
the past few years in fits and starts I have been trying to build up my
collection of “modern” Canadian Military Aircraft. The majority of the collection is in 1/48 scale however; ever
now and then a deal too good to pass up comes by.
This was the case when I purchased the Hasegawa F-5E kit in 1/32 scale.
I thought “it shouldn’t be too hard to convert this to a CF116
(CF5-A).” I started to collect my
reference material and was fortunate to locate a copy of the book Canadair
CF-5, Aircraft No. 4 in the Sabre
Model Supplies Publishing series. With
book in hand, additional reference material from the web and the excellent Black
Box F-5E cockpit set I was set to go. Then
I heard that Belcher Bits were coming out with a resin conversion kit.
Why re-invent the wheel!
This
set is designed to permit the modeler to convert the 1/32 Hasegawa F-5E to a
CF116 or F-5A. Included in the set
are 2 halves of the fuselages. These
are a direct replacement for the kit parts. 2 wing tip drop tanks with the
correct “coke bottle” profile, a replacement center line drop tank and
center pylon mount, 2 fuselage air intakes, 4 rear fuselage mounted air inlets,
main landing gear fuselage doors, speed brakes, arrestor hook, refueling probe
(some assembly required), upper instrument panel, nose cone, spare decals and 8
pages (2 sheets printed both sides) of instructions.
The
comprehensive instructions are well thought out and include diagrams and
measurements, to modify the kit’s wings. As there is quite a difference in the
shape of the LEX on the CF-116 some surgery and filling is going to be required.
As the surgery removes the mounting flanges from the wings you have to
insert pins into the wings before mounting them to the fuselage.
Don’t fear, the directions are well illustrated and the resin
replacement fuselage pieces have indentations where they have to be drilled and
the pins inserted. The same is true
for the tail planes however there is no surgery required other than removing the
mounting flanges.
The
fuselage halves, as are all the parts, are cast in a light tan resin which is
fairly free of air bubbles. Some
drilling out of the engine inlet and exhaust outlets is required.
Again the instructions are well thought out and provide the drill sizes
that are required. The molding of
the major panel lines were somewhat subdued on my kit and will require some
attention. The remainder of the
panel lines will have to scribed as well. This
will necessitate the re-scribing of the panel lines on the remainder of the kit
parts.
As mentioned the kit also includes the main gear doors, speed brakes, aft
fuselage air inlets, replacement center line fuel tank, center line pylon,
wing tip fuel tanks, arrestor hook, and
the parts to make an aerial refueling probe.
The
wing tip fuel tanks are accurate in shape and size but will have to have
their panel lines scribed and the tank tip navigation lights added.
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Click on
images below to see larger images
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Main
gear bay and speed brake. |
Speed
brake. |
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Refueling
probe – wire is provided to complete the probe. |
Mr.
Belcher has again put together an all inclusive kit of his exceptionally high
standards. All in all this kit is
an excellent addition for any modeler who is thinking of building an F-5 A.
Ross
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