1:144 F-101 A/C Boarding Ladder (2 In Kit) (Valom Kit)

A boarding ladder for the F-101 A/C Voodoo, 1:144 scale

A small accessory that gives a parked Voodoo model credibility. According to the name the set holds two pieces, so it is enough even for a pair of machines in one scene. It is made by 3D printing in resin, that is with thinner rung profiles than could be injected into a mold.

McDonnell F-101 Voodoo, versions A and C

The single-seat versions of the Voodoo came about as tactical strike machines with a pair of engines placed close side by side in the fuselage and with the horizontal tail set high on the fin. Compared with the first production form, the C version was given a strengthened airframe for higher g loads and was adapted to the task of carrying a nuclear bomb in low-level flight. The cockpit sits high above the ground and a pilot could not reach it without support, so a ladder hung on the left side of the fuselage was part of the everyday equipment of an airfield. Reconnaissance variants of the same airframe served long after the strike machines had gone to reserve units.

What the accessory helps with

• it brings a static scene with a parked aircraft to life
• it lets a standing ground crew figure be brought in
• two pieces for a pair of models in one scene
• thin rungs unattainable by injection molding

Handling the part

In this scale the ladder is fragile, so release it from the supports with a sharp knife and not by twisting. It works well to paint it while it is still on the carrier block and to break it off at the very end. A metal shade with slightly worn edges looks more convincing than a clean gloss. A drop of super glue applied with a pin takes care of attaching it to the fuselage; at this size any excess would flood the detail of the rungs.