1:32 North-American F-100F Super Sabre exterior

Eduard 1:32 North American F-100F Super Sabre - photo-etched exterior details

A set of photo-etched parts from the Czech maker Eduard meant for the exterior details of a model of the two-seat aircraft F-100F Super Sabre in 1:32 scale. The photo-etched parts are made of thin metal sheet whose thickness is an order of magnitude closer to the scale original than injection-molded plastic. They therefore replace the plastic parts where the real aircraft has thin sheet metal, grilles, loops and small covers. This is neither a kit nor a finished model but an accessory that is worked into a kit.

The real subject

The F-100 Super Sabre was the first American production fighter aircraft able to exceed the speed of sound in level flight. North American Aviation produced it, and one jet engine with an afterburner powered it. The F-100F version is two-seat, with the seats one behind the other and a lengthened cockpit. The type has an oval air intake in the nose and a markedly swept wing.

Building tips

Cut the parts off the fret with sharp photo-etch scissors or with a scalpel on a hard surface, and do not break them off. Make the bends in a bending tool or between two razor blades, so that the edge stays straight. They are glued with super glue or with a slow-setting epoxy, as ordinary cement for plastic does not work on metal. Degrease the metal before varnishing and apply a primer, or the paint will come away. First sand the plastic projections the photo-etched part replaces smooth and level the area, so that the part sits flush.

Who the set is for

• More experienced modelers who have worked with photo-etched parts before
• Builders of large 1:32 models, where the coarseness of plastic shows most
• Competition modelers who care about a realistic thickness of sheet-metal details
• Anyone interested in American aircraft of the Cold War

This is an accessory for a kit. The kit, paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.