The Subject

French Indochina, what is today Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia were occupied by the Japanese during World War II.  Following the war France wanted to retain its colonial hegemony over the area, however the local populace was not so eager to trade one empire (Japan) for another (France).  France chose to use force to retain its authority, and during the ’50’s a number of battles ensued in a number of areas.  The best know is of course Dien Ben Phu, which was the effectively the final battle for the French.  Their humiliating loss there forced them to leave Vietnam and shortly afterwards the US sent in advisors to the South to keep the Communist North from expanding into the entire region.  The rest they say, is history…

Under the Military Assistance Program (MAP), the US provided surplus war materiel to allied nations during the 3 decades following World War II.  At around 1950 the US Navy began replacing their F8F-1 and -2 Bearcats with jets, just as the Korean War was starting.  France, engaged in its own Communist uprising in Indochina, did not join the UN forces in Korea, but need the Navy’s excess Bearcats.  These were provided and served for a number of years, eventually the remaining aircraft were transferred to the infant South Vietnam AF, where they served into the ’60’s until replaced with more modern types.

US MAP aircraft in French Air Force service typically remained in their original camouflage schemes, the only alterations being the use of French national markings.  In the case of the F8F-1 Bearcats, the aircraft remained in Glossy Sea Blue with all USN markings removed and appropriate French national and unit markings applied.

Armee de l’Air Groupe de Chasse 1/21 Artois is one of 8 groups that operated the Bearcat in Indochina.  I chose this particular machine simply because it was on my decal sheet.

The Model

This is Monogram’s venerable F8F-2 Bearcat kit.  It still holds up well in terms of shape, with one exception, and is a great kit.  Out of the box it looks the part and with some aftermarket resin for the cockpit and landing gear wells, can be a real show stopper.

I’ve always liked the Bearcat and still have the first kit I made when I was teen.  

Other than a lack of interior details, which were generally visible on the real thing, the major issue with this kit is the fin/rudder.  It’s 2mm too short for a -2 (as the kit is listed) and 2mm too long for a -1.  So to make a -1 is an easy task with a sanding stick.  The -1B had 4 .50 machine guns instead of the -1 20mm cannons.  This is an easy fix as it only means cutting off the cannon barrels and drilling out the openings for the guns.  I also sanded off the cannon bulges as any photos I found with guns only didn’t seem to have them.

I didn’t add any details to the interior because I wanted a quick build, which this certainly was.  The Glossy Sea Blue paint is Testors, but for some reason the photos make it look a bit brighter than it actually is.

Summary

I’ve got 3 more of these kits in my stash.  I hope to someday make the yellow Beetle Bomb of the Blue Angels, a South Vietnam AF camouflaged aircraft, and a USN bird from the late ’40’s.  I want to add some resin and fix those holes called wheel wells, and the cooling intakes.  

Thanks for looking…