Kit: No. 72007
Scale: 1/72
Manufacturer:: Valom, from Squadron Mail Order, 972-242-8663, www.squadron.com
Price: $32.98
Comments: Injection-molded, 72 parts (10 photoetched, 2 vacuum-formed canopies, 1 photo-film panel), decals
Pros: Interesting subject, excellent photoetched parts, good decals, handy color chart
Cons: Poor fit, lack of alignment tabs, vague placement instructions
Lockheed’s XFV-1 “Salmon” and Convair’s XFY-1 “Pogo” were both mid-1950s experiments in prop-jet-powered vertical takeoff shipboard fighters. Although both flew, neither flew well; landing was the biggest problem. Neither went into production.
Valom’s Salmon is a nice model of this machine, but you will need patience to assemble it. Molded in gray plastic, the flash-free parts have uneven recessed panel lines. The cockpit features a fine photoetched seat harness and rudder pedals. It looks good, but the cockpit doesn’t fit due to asymmetrical fuselage halves. I had to do a lot of scraping and sanding, along with cutting notches to fit the instrument panel.
The exhaust shroud is undersized and was difficult to hold in place. I added sheet styrene inside the fuselage to reinforce it. The propeller went together smoothly. It’s designed to allow the prop to spin, but it’s not geared for counter-rotation, so I glued it in a fixed position. Don’t mix up the upper and lower blades, or you will have fit problems.
Valom’s plastic is relatively soft, so I used liquid cement on all flying surfaces and filled the seams with super glue for added strength. The flat inboard wall of the ventral intake didn’t fit the curve of the fuselage, so more scraping was in order. Drilling holes in the tail pods to accept the landing gear requires care, as does sanding the out-of-round individual struts. Valom also provides the alternate add-on landing gear used for horizontal take off, if you want to use it.
The kit has two vacuum-formed canopies, and I needed both. The frames are barely noticeable. Before painting them, I made frames from tape, masked the remaining clear areas, removed the tape framing, and painted. The finished canopy didn’t fit the fuselage well. It would be better to glue the canopy on early and blend in with filler before painting.
Valom’s decals were thin but easy to move, and they snuggled down without any setting solution. I decided to go with gray instead of red for the prop spinner and wing-tip tanks.
It’s nice to have a kit of this unusual aircraft, but Valom’s is not for the beginner. Fitting the interior parts and working with the canopy require experience. I enjoyed building it though, and after 35 hours, was pleased with the result.
– Phil Pignataro