Czech Model 1/48 Douglas F3D-2 Skynight By Chris Banyai-Riepl

History

The Douglas Skynight was the Navy's first jet nightfighter. Developed in 1946 as a replacement for piston-engined nightfighters, the F3D first flew in March of 1948. Powered by a pair of Westinghouse J34 engines, the Skynight had a crew of two and was armed initially with four 20mm cannons. In early 1950, the first Skynights were delivered to the Navy and several saw action during the Korean War. An updated version, the F3D-2, had larger engines, distinguishable by larger nacelles. Later subvariants included a Sparrow-armed version and electronic warfare versions. The latter, by then redesignated F-10, saw service in the Vietnam War. The Skynight was finally retired in 1971.

The Kit

This is the first 1/48 kit of the Skynight, and only the second injection-molded plastic kit of this aircraft. Unlike the much older Matchbox 1/72 kit, this model features finely recessed panel lines and some outstanding resin detail pieces. The large decal sheet provides markings for three aircraft: two Marine and one Navy. On first glance, this looks like a nice little model of the Skynight.

Starting with the interior, this is made up from lots and lots of resin. There is a one-piece main tub, which includes the rear decking behind the seats. The instrument panel is separate and is also resin. There are separate sidewall pieces, a separate control stick, and two different seats. The completed cockpit fits between the two fuselage halves, as does the resin nosewheel well. No mention is made of placing weight in the nose, but a little bit would not be out of question here.

The rest of the fuselage construction is interesting. With the main fuselage together, the next step is the engines. Czech Model has decided to have these separate from the fuselage, with separate intakes and exhausts. This complicated assembly will likely require plenty of test fitting to eliminate the need for putty, although the area around the intake will likely need at least a bit of filler. Also going onto the fuselage is a tailwheel bumper and the tailhook.

The wings are split into upper and lower halves, with resin main gear bays. The flap actuators are also separate, and the completed wings butt up against the fuselage. The horizontal stabilizer is also split into an upper and lower piece, and the finished stabilizer slides into a notch in the vertical fin. Once this is done, the main construction is finished, with just the details left.

The final details include the landing gear, which is nicely detailed. The main gear is made up of no less than six pieces, not counting the right/left split wheel. The nose gear is also well done, with its wheel also split into halves. The gear doors are detailed on the insides as well, and the finished assemblies should look quite nice. For under the wing, there are a couple of racks, with separate sway braces. Onto these racks go a couple of drop tanks, which are split into upper and lower pieces, with two attached and two separate fins. For those who want to go a bit further, it would not be too hard to adapt some Sparrows for these hardpoints. The last bit is the canopy, which comes in three pieces and is quite clear.

The decals are beautifully printed and have good registration. The three aircraft presented illustrate the three main camouflage schemes worn by the Skynight. The Navy example is from VF-14 off of the USS Intrepid in 1954 and is finished in overall glossy sea blue. This plane has some attractive yellow trim and the classic VF-14 tophat emblem on the nose. All of the markings are white. The first Marine aircraft is from VMF(N)-513 in Korea, 1952, This plane is finished on overall flat black, with red markings and serials. The final option, also a Marine Skynight, is an EF-10B from VMCJ-1. This plane is camouflaged in gull gray over white, with black codes and a green and red chevron shape on the fin.

Conclusion

This is a great model of the US Navy's first jet nightfighter and it is sure to find its way onto many a modeler's shelf. I am sure it will not be too long before we see some aftermarket decal sheets for this kit, hopefully including the interesting US Army aircraft. My thanks to Squadron Mail Order for the review sample.