1/72 P-80B from Sword F-80C kit

Gallery Article by Ed Ellickson aka TheRealMrEd on Nov 23 2010

 

Life magazine featured a cover with 94th squadron P-80B's in the 1948 to 1951 era, and I fell in love with them then.  In fact, the first model I ever tried to build was a carve and sand it yourself wooden kit of a P-80, possibly by Strombecker.

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

The Sword F-80C kit is a nice one with plastic and resin parts.  As has been reviewed elsewhere, the fit of the wing with the resin undercarriage block is very tight.  A lot of trimming and test fitting will be needed.

The only thing needed to convert the model to a P-80B was to add the pitot tube to the leading edge of the vertical stabilizer; add the whip antenna ahead of the speed brakes, and remove the canopy extractor ridge from the aft end of the canopy.  Also, use the early, 6-spoked wheel vs, the later, multi-spoked one.

Alclad II and Testor's Model Master enamels were used throughout.  Decals were from an old Microscale sheet I laying about from yesteryear.

I hope you enjoy the model. I had fun building it.

Ed Ellickson aka TheRealMrEd

Photos and text © by Ed Ellickson aka TheRealMrEd