1/48 Monogram F-102 Delta Dagger

Gallery Article by Ian Holahan on May 11 2017

 

      

This is my recently completed Monogram 1/48th scale Convair F-102 Delta Dagger. Although this is an older kit, it builds up into a fine replica of this great delta wing fighter. The cockpit, which is very detailed, was built out of the box. A Verlinden map was added to the instrument panel cover for detail, however. The kit represents an F-102 with Case X wings and the plane I wanted to depict from the Superscale decal sheet was a bird with Case XX wings. I therefore chose to modify the wing shape myself. I used a hair dryer to bend the wing tips down and the leading edges were subsequently reshaped. I also rescribed the panel line for the elevons and angled the line outwards.

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The rest of the construction was relatively trouble free. Once the plane was built, I primed it with Model Master Enamel Primer. The plane was then sprayed with Model Master Aircraft Grey, FS16473. Some light post shading was done on the aircraft since some photos did indicate light to moderate weathering. The panel lines on the F-102 were then drawn with a lead pencil and sprayed with Tamiya Smoke which had been thinned with Tamiya Thinner. Grumbacher Oil Paint was used to depict various fluid leaks and stains around hinges and vents. 

The wheel bays were painted with Model Master Chromate Green and a wash was added consisting of Pledge Floor Wax which had several drops of Acryl Black added to it. The wheel struts were painted with Floquil Old Silver and the tires were painted with Vallejo Dark Rubber. Once the finish had been completed, the plane was sprayed with Pledge Floor Wax to prep for the decals. I used Supercale decal sheet MS481251 to depict a Case XX winged F-102 from the 326th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, USAF. The decals went on perfectly and were nicely printed. The yellow trim on the sheet was exceptionally well done and really made the finish stand out. Finally, the F-102 was given a clear coat of Testors Dullcote which had been thinned with Model Master Metalizer Thinner. A few drops of Testors Gloss were added to give the finish a very subtle sheen. All in all this was a very enjoyable build and a testament to how well these Monogram kits have stood the test of time. 

Best wishes

Ian H.

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Photos and text © by Ian Holahan