F-100C slats 1/32

F-100C leading-edge slats in 1:32 scale

This set of photo-etched parts covers one particular assembly on an F-100C Super Sabre model in 1:32 scale, namely the slats on the leading edge of the wing. Injection-molded plastic simplifies this area for technological reasons; thin photo-etched sheet can suggest the real thickness of the edge and the internal structure that is visible when the slats are extended. The set is used as a replacement for, or an addition to, the plastic parts of the base kit.

The real subject

The F-100 Super Sabre was the first production aircraft of the US Air Force able to exceed the speed of sound in straight flight. The F-100C version was created as a fighter-bomber with a strengthened wing, external pylons and the ability to refuel in flight. The slats on the leading edge of the wing improved the aircraft's behavior at low speed, that is mainly on takeoff and landing, which mattered on an aircraft with a swept wing.

Building and painting tips

First cut the photo-etched parts out as close to the tab as possible and sand the remainder down on a glass surface, so that the edge stays clean. Make the bends in a bender or over a steel rule, always gradually and without pulling at the part. Degrease the metal with alcohol before gluing, so that it will take a primer, and use cyanoacrylate in a small quantity, ideally applied with a pin. Lay on a thin primer before painting; without it the paint rubs off smooth sheet easily. It pays to fit extended slats only after the wing has been painted, so that a thick layer of paint does not get into the slots.

Who the set is for

• Builders of an F-100C model in 1:32 scale who want a faithful wing
• Modelers who want to present a model with the high-lift devices extended
• More experienced builders with experience of photo-etched parts
• Collectors of modern American jet aircraft