Hello!  This is my Monogram 1/48 scale F-8 Crusader.  I started this kit in 1999.  I added a white metal landing gear correction set and resin Martin Baker Mk.5 ejection seat (from Cobra Company) and to the seat, I added a shoulder harness made from the foil from a wine bottle. 

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Inspired by a recent article in FSM, (and too lazy to do otherwise) I kept the raised panel lines and pre-shaded them with MM Acryl black.  After several attempts and experiments with finding a shade of white, I finally settled on Floquil White, then a top coat of MM Gloss Gull Grey enamel.  I elected to used the Red Rippers markings that came with the kit - it was the Gordon's Gin Boar that I liked!  Unfortunately, the years were not kind to the decal sheet, so there was yellowing around the edges and the blues seemed a bit discolored but by this point, after all these years of stopping and starting I just wanted this sucker finished. 

I used a watercolor set pilfered from my son's art box and some soft pastels to grungy it up a bit, then sprayed a coat of Acryl Clear Flat.  Lastly, I buffed it all over with a used dryer fabric softener sheet to lightly scrape the paint from the raised panel lines, exposing the black undercoating.  I'm not entirely pleased with the final outcome, but I did get some experience points from it so that's ok.  I still had fun with it, and that's what this is about anyways! 

CHEERS!

Ramon R. Lomeli

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