F2H-2/F2H-2P “Banshee”

Kitty Hawk, 1/48 scale

Reviewed by Cookie Sewell

Eduard's 1/48 scale Focke-Wulf Fw 190 D-9 is available online from Squadron.com
 

One of the early jet fighters adopted for the US Navy was the McDonnell FH Phantom, which solved the problem of low powered and unreliable jet engines by using twin engines mounted in the wingroots. But it was slow and underarmed with only four .50 caliber machine guns, so an improved variant was called for. This emerged in the late 1940s as the F2H Banshee, a larger and more sophisticated aircraft.

The first model, the F2H-1, left some things to be desired such as longer range and a better laid out cockpit. Accordingly, the design was modified by adding 200 gallon tip tanks to the wings and extending the fuselage and cockpit by 14 inches ahead of the wings. The result was an aircraft which could touch 600 mph, fly very high and had a range in excess of 1200 miles with combat loads as well as carry up to 1600 pounds of ordnance. While not as maneuverable as the smaller F9F Panther, it was an excellent air superiority and fleet defense aircraft.

Back at the end of the 1940s the Hawk model company released a styrene kit of the F2H-1, but soon realized it was a dead end and then modified it to be the F2H-2 (or at least said so on the box). The kit was simple: molded in Navy blue styrene, it had a pilot on a slab, a Coke-bottle green canopy, tip tanks and a stand – all together about 15 parts in the box. Later, in 1957, the kit was upgraded to the current version in grey and now added landing gear and ordnance with a new part total of 41. But it was still a modified F2H-1 kit with engraved “stick here” decal locations.

Ten years ago I made one of my rare forays into aircraft modeling and did a massive rebuild of the 1957 version of the Hawk (then Testors) kit. It received a scale 14" extension and new canopy, new wheel wells, proper ordnance, scratchbuilt landing gear, intake interiors, cockpit and rescribing where I could find out what the panel lines looked like. I also moved the tip tanks back 7mm to their proper place and drooping them down under the wings.

Now, some ten years later, Kitty Hawk has just released a gorgeous kit of the “Banjo” in 1/48 scale. And all of the stuff I had to fix the hard way is now done for you in one place!

The kit comes with a very interesting parts breakdown so that the wings may be built in any position the modeler desires - down, folded, down with flaps down, or down with the curious dive brakes/spoilers raised. The landing gear is now accurate with items down to the hydraulic brake lines included. Two very basic engines are include (no panels open to show them) as well as intake and exhaust trunking within the wing; some of the engine is visible when the flaps are down so this is not a bad idea.

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Thumbnail panels:

The cockpit now has gone from a slab of styrene to 17 parts plus the control panel and gunsight; no pilot is included (but considering Hawk’s pilot was in a USAF pressure suit at least they can’t be called wrong!) The nose gear and well are very nicely done.

The -2 gun bay is quite detailed, with all four cannon and ammo cans and feeds mounted on a platform with a one-piece nose cap at the front of the bay. Bay access doors may be shown open or closed.

The -2P photo bay is just as detailed, with four cameras and magazines as well as controls provided. A total of ten clear styrene panels are used for the photo window covers; the bay side ones insert from the inside and the lower ones from the outside, so this will have to be considered when painting the bay and the model.

While a two-piece canopy is included (comparison shows my take - a modified Monogram F-86 canopy - was the correct size and shape) the windscreen is missing the defroster tubes on either side, and the sliding hood does not have any provision for the slight rocking back motion of the original; the lower section of the canopy is mounted to the fuselage.

Most of the etched brass is for the dive brake/spoiler arrangement (four of the parts are the shoulder and lap belts in the cockpit. If not used a simple styrene strip covers their openings.

The wings either butt joint with their hinges into the center section or the root and wing panels are jointed by another seven parts to create an accurate hinge arrangement.

The kit provides two 500 pound bombs and four 5" rockets for armament. From what the manual says the normal arrangement is bombs under the center section, rockets on the wings. The only option the kit shows is the bombs and two rockets on the center section, but as all four rocket pylon mounts are provided I suggest using the wings as the Navy did.

Markings

Four different finishing options are offered in a center-section pullout in the assembly manual:

• F2H-2P, VMJ-1, BuAer 125687 (aircraft 3 MW) in Navy Blue with mission markers (Korean War);

• F2H-2, El Toro, USMC, BuAer 124978 (two-tone grey with international orange panels;

• F2H-2P, VMJ-1, BuAer 128870, late 1950s (aircraft 4 YW) (two-tone grey with red trim);

• F2H-2, VF-11 (USS Essex), Korean War (aircraft 116 T, BuAer 125068) in Navy Blue with red trim.

Note that four Banshee squadron served in Korea (VF-11, VF-22, VF-62 and VF-172) as well as two photo detachments (VMJ-1, VC-61). Twelve Banshees were lost in action as well as three photo Banshees. For example, 124978 was hit by a landing aircraft on USS Essex in September 1951 while assigned to VF-172 in Korea but repaired.

In summary, this is a great kit and many modelers will want two in order to do both versions. I must admit I did hiccup at the price - the Hawk one cost me $4 from a trader - but unless you love misery this kit provides most things you could want in one place but still leaves room for the super-detailer!

Sprue Layout:

• A 33 Wings, drop tanks, rocket racks, elevators

• B 104 -2P nose, cameras, -2 nose, guns and ammo cans, landing gear, armament

• C 69 Fuselage, engines, bomb racks, intakes, internal panels and details

• PE 12 Etched brass

• 19 Clear styrene

Review Text Copyright © 2016 by Cookie Sewell
Images Copyright © 2016 by Kitty Hawk
Page Created 4 October, 2016
Last updated 4 October, 2016

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