Voka-Gran Ltd

1/72 Lockheed F-80C “Shooting Star”

Kit Number: 7202

Reviewed by  Brian R. Baker, IPMS# 43146

MSRP: $12.00 History Following the limited production Bell P-59A "Aircomet" jet fighter, the Lockheed XP-80 was the first United States jet fighter to become operational, appearing just at the end of World War II, too late to be used in combat. It was modified and improved during the late forties in time to be used during the Korean War, after which the aircraft were used by various Air National Guard units before being discarded during the late fifties. A few were exported, mainly to Latin America. A few still survive. The developments of the P/F-80 were actually more important than the original model. A lengthened F-80 became the prototype for the T-33A, which became the standard Air Force and Navy jet trainer for many years, and the same prototype was again modified later in its career with the addition of armament and an afterburner to become the YF-94, which was produced as the F-94A, F-94B, and radically different F-94C "Starfire". So the P/F-80 was a historically significant aircraft, and it is surprising that so few kits of this aircraft have been issued in 1/72 scale. A good reference is the Squadron-Signal publication No. 40, which tells the story of the F-80 and its descendants. The Kit Many years ago, Airfix issued their kit of the F-80C. Burns states that the kit was not issued until about 1985, but my MPC kit instructions are copyrighted 1977, and the original Airfix issue had to have appeared well before that date, probably in the late sixties or early seventies. This kit was good for its time, with an accurate outline and better detail than many of its contemporaries. It was the only injection molded issue of this aircraft until the Voka issue of the kit that I received from IPMS. I thought, at last we have an up-to-date kit of the F-80. Would that this were the case. When I opened the box, my reaction was the same as the famous Yankee catcher Yogi Berra's remarkable quotation "It's déjà vu all over again." (Or something like that). It appears to be a reworking of the Airfix kit with only a few very minor changes. Most of the parts are interchangeable. A fuselage half from either kit fits the orther kit's half perfectly, only the Airfix kit has the fin and rudder integral with the left half of the fuselage, while the Voka kit has them on the right side. Really subtle change here. (See photos). One major difference, if this is major, is the fact that the Airfix kit has the flaps molded in the "up" position, while on the Voka kit, they are molded separately so they can be posed in the "down position". In addition, the pilot's seat in the Voka version is much narrower than that of the Airfix kit (maybe the Russians thought American pilots were skinnier than they actually were). Otherwise, the details are the same. So, a review of the Voka kit is essentially a review of the Airfix kit, only the moldings on the Airfix kit, or at least the version that I have, are somewhat cleaner and crisper. Both kits even have the same slightly raised panel lines. The Voka kit had a short shot on one wing panel, a defect easily remedied by putty, which is required anyway to fill in some of the seams. The rear portion of the canopy doesn't line up with the rear fuselage, and has to be trimmed and filled in with putty.

Assembly The kit goes together easily, and would be appropriate for modelers of any level of experience. This kit is relatively inexpensive, so it might appeal to youngsters starting out in the modeling experience. The cockpit interior includes a floor, seat, instrument panel, and stick, and a decal for the instrument panel which I couldn't get to fit on the panel. Another panel serves as the top of the nose gear well. The nose gear had to be glued into the fuselage before the halves are joined, causing a potential accident when you accidentally knock it off during the process of sanding down the fuselage halves. That was the same as the Airfix kit, however, so we can't blame Voka for that one. It would have been an improvement to redesign the gear to fit into the wheel well. Once the fuselage components are installed, the fuselage halves can be joined. The tailpipe can be added later, although the instructions say to add it before assembly. Be sure to add some weight to the nose, or the finished model will sit tail down, a most unrealistic position. But after detailing the cockpit, you won't be able to see much through the thick canopy. The wing sections fit together nicely, with only a little trimming and sanding required, and the kit does, as does the Airfix version, have wheel well detail. The speed brakes also can be extended. If you are going to add the bomb racks, be sure to drill out the mounting holes before you join the wing halves together, as I didn't, or you'll have a devil of a time finding out where they go. I was fortunate to have the Airfix kit close by, as the parts are the same, so I knew exactly where to drill. Don't install them until the model is almost finished and the decals are in place. The landing gear is petite, but it assembles nicely, just like the Airfix kit. There are a lot of gear doors to keep track of, so follow the instructions carefully. I painted the airplane before I attached any of the main gear, but I had to mask off the nose gear, as it was already on. The aircraft carried two wing tanks, and tanks of the two major types are provided. Choose the correct ones and make sure that the seams are filled, as they don't fit together too well on their own. Finishing and Markings The F-80C was usually finished in Alclad overall, and all four versions presented in the instructions carry this color scheme. I painted the tail stripes, but decals are provided. Three aircraft of the 36th Fighter Squadron are presented, along with one plane assigned to the 25th Fighter Squadron. All aircraft were used during the Korean War, during 1951 and 1952. The decals are very thin and delicate, and don't need a lot of trimming. Be careful on the long thin decals, as they will turn on you if you're not careful. Don't trim them too closely. The film becomes invisible once a coat of glosscoat is applied. The plans show some kind of rocket armament, but this is not provided in the kit. Microscale had a decal sheet on the Airfix kit many years ago, and this is good for the Voka kit also if you can find a set. Recommendations As the kit is really no different from the Airfix kit, it gets the same recommendation. If you can't find an original Airfix kit, or have to have one with the flaps down, this kit is for you. In fact, I wouldn't suggest trying to build this model with the flaps up, as you might have some fit problems. But down, they look OK, although in most of the photos in the Squadron In Action book on the F-80 show the planes with the flaps retracted, not lowered. Some are down, however, so maybe it was a matter of pilot discretion. In any event, this kit is worth getting if you don't have an F-80 in your collection. There are aftermarket decals for the Airfix kit that will be fine for the Voka issue, and an A, B, or C model can be built from this or the Airfix kit. Get one while you can, but get the putty out, as you'll need it. Thanks to Voka and IPMS/USA for the review sample.

Information, images, and all other items placed electronically on this site are the intellectual property of IPMS/USA ®.