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Old 11-10-2020, 04:42 PM
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CMDRTED CMDRTED is offline
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F7U-3 Cutlass 1/100 by S&P

The F7 cutlass was a big departure from traditional aircraft. It was tailess and had a large single wing. It looked like it could be the quantum leap in carrier aircraft, but it was a big failure. The aircraft was seriously under powered, had a bad habit of crashing when landing and earned the nicknames Gutlass and more sadly ensign eliminator. Despite these shortcomings the navy managed to go thru several marks and mods. Luckily they didn't last long.
The S&P kit looks a little daunting but after studying the real aircraft pics it is very do able. I started with the twin tails as they looked the most challenging.
the key here is to preform the complex curves via burnishing and folding along the dotted lines included in the design. It took 3 tries before I was finally satisfied with the result. A small design flaw was the cut out that slots onto the wing. it is too large by half the width and should be cut at an angle tapering aft instead of square... the first pic shows as designed, the last 3 show the cut out tapering aft.
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F7U-3  Cutlass 1/100 by S&P-p1040985.jpg   F7U-3  Cutlass 1/100 by S&P-p1050026.jpg   F7U-3  Cutlass 1/100 by S&P-p1050028.jpg   F7U-3  Cutlass 1/100 by S&P-p1050029.jpg  
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Old 11-10-2020, 04:48 PM
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While waiting for the rudders to dry the wings were built up. they were folded up and the wing tips were burnished. there is a small spar that inserts pretty far forward at the first printed spar. in the backround is a finished rudder
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F7U-3  Cutlass 1/100 by S&P-p1040995.jpg   F7U-3  Cutlass 1/100 by S&P-p1040996.jpg   F7U-3  Cutlass 1/100 by S&P-p1040997.jpg   F7U-3  Cutlass 1/100 by S&P-p1040998.jpg  
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Old 11-10-2020, 06:42 PM
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Even though not exactly a success it was a very interesting try in aircraft engineering.
Guess there's no realistic way to tell what it would have actually done with a far better thrust to weight ratio.
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Old 11-10-2020, 09:14 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by southwestforests View Post
Even though not exactly a success it was a very interesting try in aircraft engineering. ... .
Perhaps our greatest irony is that bad planes, cars, and ships can be great as models.
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Old 11-11-2020, 03:08 AM
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I had experienced building Emil Zarkov's version of this aircraft (1:72).
Looking forward to see how this design turns out.
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Old 11-11-2020, 04:18 AM
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Aircraft design would certainly have taken a different path with the cutlass success. Next up is the 2nd tricky part, the exhaust part of the fuselage. it came as a one piece structural unit and a bulkhead for the cans. I separated the inner shields formed up the part and re enforced it with a tab. I added the cans later, they are simply rolled cylinders...
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F7U-3  Cutlass 1/100 by S&P-p1050001.jpg   F7U-3  Cutlass 1/100 by S&P-p1050002.jpg  
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Old 11-11-2020, 08:13 AM
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Nice work again, Ted. Thanks for the useful information on shortcomings and corrections.

I have a tendency to like second-rate airplanes, including the Cutlass.

Don
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Old 11-11-2020, 10:14 AM
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My first aircraft carrier model I built way back in the 1970s had f7 cutlass aircraft for the deck with folded wings. Along with fury jets, the old sea knights and twin jet engine sky warriors.
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Old 11-11-2020, 10:16 AM
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Smile

Ted

I watch with attention for build my own samples. Cutlass is one of most interesting desings of 1950's based on Luft 46 projects (if I not a mistake Heinkel proposed designs).

Great start and great choice my friend!
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Old 11-11-2020, 10:38 AM
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Thank you for sharing, looking forward to your build!
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