Convair XF-92A Dart

I have seen this airframe several times in Dayton and was happy to add it to my collection of experimentals. A pretty simple and straightforward build but with a few traps to look out for. You'll need some experience with limited-run kits and extensive mold-line cleanup and sanding. 

Lest I lull someone into a false sense of security, this is what I mean by "some cleanup is required" with a MACH2 kit! But as you can see, it is mainly a question of removing material which is pretty easy. Kit supplied part on left, cleaned up part on right. 

All parts are covered with barnacles and the scribing needs cleanup. Panel lines were so deep and wide I chose not to highlight them in any way. One side of the tail was taller than the other so needed some 2-part Bondo glazing and spot putty at the base. 

The overall shape is pretty good but I think the nose is a bit too pointed. The clear part was AWFUL, seemingly designed for another kit altogether. I filed and sanded it until it almost broke through in places, polished it up and carefully painted the framework. After installation I scribed some hinge detail around it. 

Landing gear is good enough. I just replaced a strut with bent wire, thinned door edges, and carefully glued them into a more realistic position than they wanted to fit into. The wheel hubs were awful so were covered with some spare PE parts. 

Front gear needed some reshaping and the addition of the long narrow center door. The wheel needed an aluminum axle. 

I printed the red lines and black dots, and a smattering of stencilling, around the fuselage on clear decal film just to get a neat look. 

Nose weight was dropped in through the open tailpipe late in the build and is barely enough. 

Kit decals were used except as noted, and were acceptable. 

There is a segment of brass tube in the exhaust, adding to the tailsitter issue. 

Paint is Tamiya primer white and X-11 chrome silver. I think I used Alclad II ALC310 gloss klear kote, applied at a distance to soften the shine. 

I also printed the XF-92A text on the nose.  

Final details included wire pitot on the tail, PE brass antenna post on the spine, and an aluminum rod for the nose probe. This is always breaking off. 

This pic reminded me that I had filled in the crudely molded dimples with putty before replacing them with decals later.