1/72 Hobbycraft F2H-3 Banshee Royal Canadian Navy

Hey everyone,

well, only one more post (not including this one) until the season finale. I think you will really like it as it is not like the other posts I have made thus far. I may even do two posts tomorrow if I am feeling like it. Either way, I will tell you this about the finale and the final few posts of this season... the subject of each post is Canadian.

1/72 Hobbycraft F2H-3 Banshee Royal Canadian Navy

 This plane was kind of a bastard. I bought it from a shop on eBay but when it arrived it only had decals, the instructions and basically no pieces (nothing useful anyways).

I received a full refund as the model was factory sealed and I used the refund to buy another, except that it is technically American with the RCN decals from the "broken" one.

 Like most other Hobbycraft kits I have made, there are no complaints from me. It was an easy build with no flaws. I did have to use elastics to keep the thing together, but no other snags. As promised this aircraft is half air-brushed. The top I used the remainder of my lighter IJN Grey.

 The bottom is Medium Grey and is what I airbrushed. It doesn't look too different than using a spray can, except that Airbrushing is way easier to control and it doesn't show brush lines.
The engine exhaust is a mix of Metallic Grey and Chrome Silver to make a lighter engine look. The cockpit is Black with a Neutral Grey seat.

As this was airbrushed I will give you a few tips if you are also considering an airbrush:
1. Don't get frustrated. The paint will always look blotchy on the first go and will require a second or third coat before it looks pro.
2. Never ever leave the pain in the brush if you aren't using it. The pain will dry and become a huge pain in the ass to clean.
3. At the end of the day, disassemble your brush and soak it in a mixture of airbrush cleaning solution and water overnight. This will keep all the open parts open and free of clogging so it doesn't take forever to finish the model.
4. Tap, tape tape. This is an obvious one for any kind of painting, but it is easier to get away with no tape when using a simple brush. I don't usually have the windshield or any clear parts on the models until after it is painted, but make sure to tape the windows if you do or else you will have assembled the cockpit for nothing.

 OK. The F2H-3 was the first and only jet-fighter ever operated by the Royal Canadian Navy. It was a high speed interceptor aircraft and fairly advanced for its time. It served the Navy from '53 to '62. The RCN even used the aircraft with an aerobatic team but the aircraft was never painted in any special colours, it was just whatever aircraft was within the radius of an airshow.


General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 48 ft 2 in (14.68 m)
• Wingspan: 41 ft 9 in (12.73 m)
• Height: 14 ft 6 in (4.42 m)
• Wing area: 294 ft² (27.3 m²)
• Empty weight: 13,183 lb (5,980 kg)
• Loaded weight: 21,013 lb (9,531 kg)
• Max. takeoff weight: 25,214 lb (11,437 kg)
• Powerplant: 2 × Westinghouse J34-WE-34 turbojets, 3,250 lbf (14.5 kN) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 580 mph (504 kn, 933 km/h) at sea level
• Cruise speed: 461 mph
• Range: 1,716 mi (1,492 nmi, 2,760 km)
• Service ceiling: 46,600 ft (14,205 m)
• Rate of climb: 6,000 ft/min (30 m/s) from sea level

Armament

• Guns: 4 × 20 mm (0.79 in) Colt Mk 16 cannon, 220 rounds/gun (upper pair), 250 rounds/gun (lower pair)
• Rockets:
  
  • 8 × 60 lb High Explosive rockets or
  • 6 × 500 lb bombs and 2 × 60 lb H.E. rockets
• Missiles: 2 × AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles (in RCN service)

info from wikipedia and Canadian Forces website