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1/48 and/or 1/32 F-101 and F-106


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A new !/48th F-101 (A, C,or RF) would be really nice. Manufacturers could even put in all three nose selections in the kit. I am currently building the Koster vacuform conversion for a RF-101, so by the time I just about get it done someone will come out with an injection molded one.

 

They could also do the F-106 A and B the same way.

 

I really love the Monogram kits of these fighters but a little update would be great. Both of these planes are large and both had some really interesting markings. This is just my 2 centavo's worth.

 

Wild Bill :D

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I'm on the fence on the F-94. I'm more interested in the F-35 myself. Some of the late 50's, early 60's stuff would be really cool though. How about a Banshee or Banjo for our Navy friends? Hope you put up a review on the F-94. Maybe you'l change my mind.

 

Bill

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I'm considering doing a "first look", but don't know if those who decide those thing will take a first look review.

 

I have the F-35 on order too. Pacific Coast Models is accepting pre-orders on it. Same place I ordered the F-94C. They have some interesting stuff if you poke around their site. MaryEllen is a kick to talk to.

 

I'd like to see a (current industry technology) P-80, T-33, F-89, F-94, F-100, F-101, F-102, F-104, F-105, F-106 and an F107. I know, I know there are kits out there for most, but current industry standards would be really nice to see. Most of those listed are pretty long in the tooth. I like 1/32 but 1/48 is good too.

Edited by TheWalrus
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Ok..I'll be the wet blanket! We already have two very nice kits in 1/48 for the F-101 and the F-106. They may need a little elbow grease, but other than that, they're very accurate in shape and well detailed OOTB. You can even get an "updated" F-106 from Encore with resin and pe goodies (and doing the same thing for the Voodoo would be a good idea too)!

 

Single seat Voodoos would be nice, but they ARE available through conversion sets. True, they take more work, but the cost of a conversion and the kit is less than the cost of any new tool kit that would be released!

 

While a new tool anything with "state of the art" detailing and recessed panel lines always sounds good, it comes with a set of problems all its own: First- the COST would be staggering compared to what's available now; Second- there's NO gaurantee that it will be as accurate in shape as the older kits; and Third- there's no gaurantee it will have all of the details (correct or not) that YOU desire. You can point to almost half of the "new" releases that have problems that ther' seems to be NO excuse for in this day and age, so the chances of getting things right seems less than getting them wrong.

 

As for 1/32, just bide your time. Seems Trumpeter is getting around to most of the well known jets. They did the F-105, and there's no reason that the F-106 and F-101 wouldn't sell just as well. In the meantime, if you can't wait, there are the Combat 1/32 vacs. Cheers!

 

GIL :smiley16:

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Ok..I'll be the wet blanket! We already have two very nice kits in 1/48 for the F-101 and the F-106. They may need a little elbow grease, but other than that, they're very accurate in shape and well detailed OOTB. You can even get an "updated" F-106 from Encore with resin and pe goodies (and doing the same thing for the Voodoo would be a good idea too)!

 

Didn't Encore do the Deuce, not the Dart?

 

While a new tool anything with "state of the art" detailing and recessed panel lines always sounds good, it comes with a set of problems all its own: First- the COST would be staggering compared to what's available now; Second- there's NO gaurantee that it will be as accurate in shape as the older kits; and Third- there's no gaurantee it will have all of the details (correct or not) that YOU desire. You can point to almost half of the "new" releases that have problems that ther' seems to be NO excuse for in this day and age, so the chances of getting things right seems less than getting them wrong.

 

I give you the HobbyBoss F-105's. I'll take Monogram's any day...

 

Cheers!

 

R

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Gil and Ralph,

 

I said in my post that I really like the Monogram kits. If they could update them like Encore did the 102 that would be excellent. Tooling costs what they may be would not be extravagant if they added and extra spue with some nose pieces to make the different varients of these aircraft. You would still have to buy the kit however many different versions you would like to build. I know it isn't just the nose that would need to be manufactured (cockpits, engines etc) but if they offered extra choices for you ala the old P-38, I think it would be win-win for all. I'm attempting the Koster RF-101 conversion as of right now. This is a great piece of work and fits really well to the original kit. But I still think more people would rather build which ever version that was available in plastic kit form than having to "use modeling skills" to make a different version. Some folks don't want to bother with rescribing a kit and have to deal with ill fitting pieces that are sometimes marginal in their use.

 

I think Monogram is the best value for the money that is out there but if they added just a few bells and whistles to an already fantastic bunch of kits, everbody wins.

 

Maybe I'm thinking out loud to much...just my opinion.

 

Bill

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I know that the Monogram kits are good for their day and still carry their ages well. But, I too, am one who just can't gert into a sanding off raised lines and then rescribing them. Goes the same for any extensive mods or re-shaping. At least at this point in my pathetic pursuit of this hobby. No patience (I'm working on it) and deteriorating motor skills along with fading eyesight. This is a young man's hobby populated by mostly us old geezers. Now, where did I put my Grecian Formula hair stuff?? :smiley29:

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OOPS! You're right..it was the Deuce and not the Six! :smiley9:

 

I also agree that "retooling" sounds like the way to go, but every conversation I've ever had with Monogram shows that they are just NOT interested in that. I've always thought that a 1/48 F9F-8 Cougar would be a no brainier for them, especially since they already have the tooling for the gear, the cockpit, the clear parts, etc.; in their Panther kit. But NOOOOOOooooooo.....

 

I know in some cases (such as the old Aurora molds they have) the tool steel is so old and hard that it cannot be retooled cost effectively. However, I'd think that the Monogram jets from the 80's might be alterable, though I don't know that for sure. Another problem with "multi option" kits is the fit of those options. The old P-38 was great,but those parts do fit terribly, and builders today desire (and in some cases expect) Tamigawa fit with any new release.

 

The good news is that with cheaper copper molds, CAD design, and lower production runs; more new types of models CAN be released, upping our chances for that single seat Voodoo we both want. The down side is the higher costs associated with paying for the molds and kits with fewer sales! Cheers!

 

GIL :smiley16:

Edited by ghodges
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Also consider the ProModeler re-work of the Monogram P-51B--it didn't work out as well, I'm sure, and the guys at Monogram wished it would have. And unlike some, I don't condemn a kit because of raised panel lines, nor do I resign myself to the fact that I have to re-scribe kits with raised panel lines. I prefer recessed lines, sure, but I can live with raised lines, too.

 

Now, if we were talking 1/72 scale, I'd be in agreement--there are only the old Hasegawa RF-101A/C, F-102, and F-106 to choose from. Interceptor Voodoos are well served by Revell--if you can find one. And hell, Hasegawa's Voodoo isn't that bad, but it is rather barren, detail-wise, and conversions to make the escort fighter versions are out there (and the conversions aren't difficult).

 

R

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OK, just to go over all of this...I think we are all in agreement that these would be OK to do. We are also in agreement that Monogram makes some very nice models and everbody has them and has built some of them. There are conversions out there for all of them to make different versions also. I still think that most modelers would rather build a regular kit than have to hack up one and stick some other companies addition on it in hopes that it will fit and have the proper provinance (pretty big word. eh). I think Iwould trust the original manufacturer to make these parts to closely resemble the original than someone elses work, ie.. having recessed lines on the new conversion vs raised on the original. If I were to make something for conversion I would think that it should match the original and not the other way around.

 

I like everone's input on this and really appreciate the how's and why's of their answers.

 

Really a nice conversation.

 

Thanks.

 

Bill

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I think your are exactly correct Bill when you point out most modelers want a kit to build, and do NOT want to have to convert something. In fact, I'd say MOST modelers will never attempt a conversion because of the work it involves.

 

Where I will disagree a bit is in your assertion that the conversion parts might be suspect (lack provenance! :smiley2: ), because those who make the conversions generally have something most model companies today do not have: passion for modeling! They care about the subject, and will take pains to get it right. They also realize that anyone who cares enough to by and build their conversion will hold them to a higher standard.

 

Even with all of the advantages of CAD design based on pics and measurements of the real subject, today's major manufacturers are still making HUGE gaffs in their releases! Why? In my opinion it's because the "model makers" we grew up with were not just designers, they were model builders and they cared about getting it as right as the budget allowed (thus, Monogram's big bang for the buck). The kit designers of today are largely people out of engineering schools who look at tooling a model as a design job, not a job to make an exactly accurate replica. It's a fine line, but having someone with the passion to design it correctly is important in kitting a model! Instead, they rely on technology to get things right, and don't care if it's slightly "off" when visually compared.

 

That's just one reason why so many of the older kits (like the 1/48 Monogram P-40B) are still the "golden standard" used to compare anything new, and why many modelers still build the oldies, trusting that newer will not necessarily be better!

 

GIL :smiley16:

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All I know is, I want a some different versions of the F-101 and F-106. I am attempting to do that with what is available and will post some photos soon. If Trumpeter wants to make these in a large scale that would be fine with me also. I give everyone a big thumbs up who can make a vac kit look like a injection molded one. Me, I'm like water...take the path of least resistance. I've tried a vacuform before (Nova KC-135, Model technologies Stealth Bomber) and thought they were OK but, to much effort and cost for a so-so product. I don't mean that in a negative way either. It's just the byproduct of their production. The Koster nose for the F-101 I am currently working on fits great and the other pieces are fitting to gether well. But, the molding process can only duplicate some things and not all the small nuances that an injection molded kit can. As long as I know that going in, I'm alright with it.

 

This whole topic was about what we want to see; I want to see these guys in an injection molded kit because they are cool and haven't been done...just trying to keep my dream alive.

 

Bill

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  • 6 years later...

A 1/32 scale Michigan Air National Guard F-101 and F-106 would be perfect with my 1/32 scale collection!!!

Joe Rivers

mag f106.jpg

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  • 3 weeks later...
5 hours ago, Mark Aldrich said:

OK, we all know that Trumpeter has released both the A & B versions of the Dart in 1/48?

And they did both in 1/72 scale as well.  And Meng's F-102A and F-106A are pure gems.  Valom's 1/72 scale single seat Voodoos also fill a niche, as do Kitty Hawk's 1/48 kits (they're typically Kitty Hawk, but you can build one of them, convert a Monogram kit, or scratchbuild).

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  • 1 month later...

This thread is all over the landscape, so let's shift over to the 80s vintage Monogram kits.  Not only do they hold their age well, there is still nothing out there to match their 1/48 F-105.  Is it totally accurate?  Hardly.  But the new Hobby Boss is worse.  As for raised panel lines versus recessed.  That one is going to depend on the kit in question.  Personally I don't have a problem with raised lines unless the manufacturer goes overboard.  And in a lot of cases, it literally doesn't matter.  For example, I have a 1/48 A-37B Encore kit.  As you know, it's nothing more than the Monogram kit with photoetch and resin parts.  The raised lines are so delicate that you have to tilt the parts against the light to be able to see'em.  And remember,  raised lines can always be gently sanded down to a very low level.  Recessed lines on an A-37B after it's been painted....especially in Viet Nam camouflage?  They'd be about as hard to see as the raised lines if not worse.

Going back to the Monogram F-105, there's enough aftermarket parts out there to turn one into a showstopper, raised panel lines and all.  Of course that does require us to be modelbuilders instead of box shakers.

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You have to realize that this thread is SEVEN years old! The original question and "wish" was made back in 2012! Since then, his wish HAS come true in 1/48 for the 106 and the 101. Unfortunately, some of the rest of the thread has also been proven true as some of those "newer" kits are NOT better than the older, Monogram kits.

Relevantly (to a degree), I'm currently building the 1/48 Eduard release of the Hasagawa A-4E/F AND the older Hi-tech Monogram 1/48 Skyhawk side by side. One of them is the "latest/greatest" kit complete with colored pe interior parts, a resin seat, masks, engraved panel lines, and an expanded decal sheet. The other is the old 70's plastic with raised lines and a few pe parts thrown in to spruce up the detailing here and there. So far, I've not found the engineering or the fit of the components to be much different between the two. Outside of the cockpits, the other detailing is VERY much equal. My advantage here is that since there's extra cockpit pe in the one, I've rebuilt the Monogram tub to take a resin seat and use the Eduard colored PE! My goal, as with my F-14 builds, my F-8 builds, and my F-16 builds over the last couple of years is that once on the shelf, you can't tell at a glance which one is the "new" one! Here's pics of them all....

882616754_001(7).thumb.JPG.59b7af365df9e764aea51fcddaf09df0.JPG

100_7645.thumb.JPG.ab0c409c41ad56f30060457232166a33.JPG

003.thumb.JPG.b485cc3b89d303b3e1da91a72a853378.JPG

1674084848_001(6).thumb.JPG.6006aa619e512a477db8f9cc87b2eaef.JPG

100_8046.thumb.JPG.f687bea32216253e0d94a6fd05b416c8.JPG

100_8060.thumb.JPG.892229e6fd846ebb6c773c6f477c301f.JPG

Half of those kits above are "raised line"; and half are recessed panel lines.......:smiley2:

As for "wishes"....part of the original post.....most things are so well covered in 1/48 that only the very obscure, or less popular (re: unprofitable) aircraft are left to cover. That said, I don't know why there isn't a 1/48 C-46 Commando in injection mold yet, or a true SLAT-WINGED F-86A or F-86E model Saberjet. My long desired FJ-2/3 is due out later this year. While they're SURE to be better than the old ESCI Fury, and easier to get and build than the nice 1/48 resin Collect-Aire FJ-3 Fury; it remains to be seen just how correct they are, and whether they'll be better engineered than the "newer" F-101kits were.

 

GIL :cool:

Edited by ghodges
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