Hobbycraft introduced their 1/48th CF-100 Mk.V in 1989 followed by their 1/48th CF-100 Mk.IV in 1990. Hobbycraft specialty was releasing Canadian aircraft types that no other manufacturer would produce in an injection mold kit. While the kit was somewhat lacking in details and features, it got us Canuck modelers a jump off point (if nothing else) of this unique aircraft in Canadian history.
Notable Kit Features:
Generally accurate shape outline
Basic kit with few parts
Decent fit of parts with little filler required
A CF-100 in 1/48th scale
Build Inspiration:
The CF-100 was the first and only Canadian All-Weather Fighter designed, built and powered by Canadian designed and built engines. For a Canadian aircraft model maker the fact that I would buy and build one of these 1/48th Hobbycraft CF-100 kits isn't surprising at all (in hindsight I should have bought at least a couple... but I was on a budget then as my wife was about to have our first child). The question was more which squadron aircraft would I build. After reading Larry Milberry's book on the Avro CF-100, I had my special candidate. (I like an aircraft with a story.) F/O Gord Larkin and Gord Murray of RCAF 440 Squadron are likely the only crew having the distinction of ejecting together from a fighter aircraft on more than one occasion. Their first incident occurred on 07JL56 at Bagotville P.Q. (Canada) while getting combat ready for a deployment in Europe. During a night exercise in aircraft 18334 they experienced a fuel problem which caused one of their two engines to shutdown, returning to base, while on Ground-Controlled Approach (GCA) the other engine quit. Being short of the runway at a mere 900 feet at this point, it was time to punch out and live to fly another day. Their second incident occurred while deployed at Zweibrücken (West) Germany. During an air test of aircraft 18403 on 13MR59 pilot Gord (Larkin:) "de-boosted" to check manual control of the aircraft, unfortunately the aircraft immediately banked uncontrollably to port and could not be recovered and the same "Bat" crew, same "Bat" squadron, was once again forced to eject out of their aircraft to survive to fight another day.
The CF-100 "Night/All-Weather" interceptors served in the RCAF at the same time as the maneuverable (day-fighter) Sabres did, and found solace in a little poem:
"We often see the Sabre boys
Fly around in their little toys
But at night when the sky is black
Those Sabre jocks all hit the sack"
Heads-Up Report:
Very simplified ejection seats and cockpit
Some shape issues
No wheel well detail and limited gear details
Panel lines are overdone (being too wide)
Canopy is a one-piece closed version
Pitot tube is too heavy
No De-icers for engines provided
Kit Additions / Modifications:
Added de-icing fins to the engine inlets
Drilled out gun openings for more depth
Replaced pitot and have since broken it off (I noted after the photos)
Used after market decals from Arrow Graphics (D-3-48) as a base for the RCAF 440 markings and changed the A/C number to 18403
Finishing:
The paint scheme on my 1/48th Hobbycraft CF-100 Mk.IV Canuck was the RCAF European Camouflage used at the time, consisting of a Dark Sea Gray & Dark Green upper camouflage over a Medium Gray underside. (FS 36173 / FS 34079 / FS 36373) I also painted on the de-icer boots on the leading edges, anti-glare nose panel and nose cone black (but forgot to also do the inside upper portion of the fuel tank, as I am just noticing). A gloss was then added in preparation for the decals, which went down well. I didn't do any weathering on this aircraft as it was built to be a Museum display piece rather than a combat one. A final coat of semi-gloss was added to seal the decals in and then the final bits added.
The After-Build Report:
As this 1/48th Hobbycraft CF-100 Mk. IV is the only kit out there of this type in 1/48th, if you want one, this is your bet starting point... or was. Academy actually produced the kit for Hobbycraft back in the day (Hobbycraft has since gone under) however there has been no sign of a reissue of this type. The kit may not be great, however nor is it an unbuildable dog of a kit (by a long shot). With some patience to add detail and put your model making skills to work you could get a vey nice model from this kit. I may shy away from the NMF due to the broad panel lines, however I would take another shot at this kit and next time spend more time making it shine.
You tend to see Canadian aircraft types with many variations of the aircraft alpha-numeric designation (Especially the Hornet which got: F-18 F/A-18 CF-18 CF-188 CF188...) Steven Jefferys brought to my attention that technically the RCAF aircraft naming convention didn't include the dashes in the alpha-numeric identification codes. For more on that subject I have included the below:
Each RCAF aircraft fleet has a unique alpha-numerical designation consisting of two letters and three numbers. Officially stated "an aircraft type designation shall consist of a prefix letter “C”, a second letter indicating the primary role of the aircraft and a three-digit numeric.
The role designators listed in the Technical Airworthiness Manual (TAM) are:
C – Transport (i.e., Cargo)
E – Electronic support (no aircraft in the inventory currently carry this designation)
F – Fighter
H – Helicopter
P – Patrol
T – Trainer
U – Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)
Sometimes you may see an additional letter added to the end of the alpha-numerical designation; the TAM indicates that this “letter shall designate a model type, if required”.
There’s one more point about aircraft names. Sometimes you might see the five-character alpha-numerical designation (CC-130, CT-114, etc.) written with a hyphen and sometimes without. The official designation is without the hyphen, which is the way the designations are written in official DND documents and internal communications. But that little piece of punctuation is added in communications destined for audiences outside the Canadian Armed Forces. And why? As the National Defence Terminology Manual states, “a hyphen with no spaces is an acceptable way to write aircraft designations in order to comply with the Canadian Press Style Guide.” In other words, we add the hyphen in material for the general public because it’s a little easier to read and that’s the way the general public is accustomed to seeing it.
Feel free to comment or ask any questions - Keep on building, gain experience, challenge yourself if you like, but try not to stress yourself out over the build - it is supposed to be an enjoyable hobby after all - Cheers