Wolfpack T-38A "NASA" Talons 1/48

[Styreneworx]

Hello everyone

So i've had these two 1/48 Wolfpack T-38 Boxes lying on my bench for the past month. But due to the heat and work i couldn't find the energy to get them started.
Then one day while watching the latest "At the Bench" video, i caught word about this GB in the midst of all the rambling I thought that this might help me getting started on the projekt, and i've wanted to try joining a GB for a while anyways



This is what i want to build. The T-38A in NASA livery. More Specifically one in the original livery that was used during the Apollo missions and one of the more modern ones with the stripe.
I fell in love with the idea of building a NASA T-38 while watching Apollo 13, where the T-38 appears in the original, all-white livery for a brief moment. But while researching and looking at kits i kind of liked the present scheme too, so i had to build two.



I'll build the planes in my prefered scale: 1/48, and i picked the Wolfpack kit over Trumpeters release because of the superior details. The early one has to be backdated a bit, but luckily Wolfpack offers a backdating set themselves. I got one kit in NASA spec, and knowing i would need other decals for at least one of the kits i just picked up the cheapest release of the same kit i could find. The Decals i bought are from Fundekals, who shipped them out very quickly from the states. Other than that i got a basic PE set, pitot tubes and resin exhausts for both kits.
The kits and every bit of aftermarket i bought for them, are visible on the following pictures, that also serves as the starting point for this build thread.











The plan ist to build them, as said in two different liveries, so i can display them on a circular base with the NASA logo on it. One will have open canopies, and the other one will be closed up with FOD covers in the intakes.
Here's a rough illustration:

[Styreneworx]

Here's a quick historical overview and some specifications on the T-38 Talon while i'm at it

T-38 Talon

The T-38 Talon is a twin-engine, high-altitude, supersonic jet trainer used in a variety of roles because of its design, economy of operations, ease of maintenance, high performance and exceptional safety record. It is used primarily by Air Education and Training Command for undergraduate pilot and pilot instructor training. Air Combat Command, Air Mobility Command and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration also use the T-38 in various roles.
The T-38 has swept-back wings, a streamlined fuselage and tricycle landing gear with a steerable nose wheel. Two independent hydraulic systems power the ailerons, flaps, rudder and other flight control surfaces. The instructor and student sit in tandem on rocket-powered ejection seats in a pressurized, air-conditioned cockpit. Critical components are waist high and can be easily reached by maintenance crews. Refueling and preflight inspections are easily performed. The T-38 needs as little as 2,300 feet (695.2 meters) of runway to take off and can climb from sea level to nearly 30,000 feet (9,068 meters) in one minute.
Student pilots fly the T-38A to learn supersonic techniques, aerobatics, formation, night and instrument flying and cross-country navigation. More than 60,000 pilots have earned their wings in the T-38A. Test pilots and flight test engineers are trained in T-38A's at the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Air Force Materiel Command uses T-38A's to test experimental equipment such as electrical and weapon systems.
Pilots from most North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries are trained in the T-38A at Sheppard AFB, Texas, through the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration uses T-38A aircraft as trainers for astronauts and as observers and chase planes on programs such as the space shuttle.
Air Education and Training Command uses a modified version, the AT-38B, to prepare pilots for fighter aircraft such as the F-15, F-16 and A-10. and F-111. This model carries external armament and weapons delivery equipment for training. The Talon first flew in 1959. More than 1,100 were delivered to the Air Force between 1961 and 1972 when production ended. Approximately 562 remain in service throughout the Air Force.
An ongoing program called Pacer Classic, the structural life extension program for the T-38, is integrating 10 modifications, including major structural renewal, into one process. As a result, the service life of T-38s should extend to the 2010. Additionally, the introduction of the T-1A Jayhawk significantly relieved the T-38's work load.

Primary Function: Advanced jet pilot trainer
Builder: Northrop Corp.
Power Plant: Two General Electric J85-GE-5 turbojet engines with afterburners
Thrust: 2,900 pounds (1,315 kilograms) with afterburners
Length: 46 feet, 4 1/2 inches (14 meters)
Height: 12 feet, 10 1/2 inches (3.8 meters)
Wingspan: 25 feet, 3 inches (7.6 meters)
Speed: 812 mph (Mach 1.08 at sea level)
Ceiling: Above 55,000 feet (16,667 meters)
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 12,500 pounds (5,670 kilograms)
Range: 1,000 miles (870 nautical miles)
Armament: T-38A: none; AT-38B has provisions for external armament
Unit Cost: $756,000
Crew: Two, student and instructor
Date Deployed: March 1961
Inventory: Active force, 562; ANG, 0; Reserve 0

[Styreneworx]

Aaaaaand a quick look at the box-contents of the Wolfpack WP10002 T-38A Talon "NASA"











I'm not going to do a full review here I'm shure you'll be able to find dozens of people elaborating on the quality and authenticity of the kit, and how it compares to the trumpy release etc. on scalemates and youtube.

All i will say, is that it looks fine to me There is a lot of detail present, and it doesn't seem to be exaggerated or out of scale. The cockpit is a bit meh, so i'm glad i have the PE set for that. The only negative thing that caught my eye, was that the canopy needed a polish. The instructions are clear and in color, and contains some reference pictures. The kit-decals are Cartograf and there's a mask-set included. In this NASA release they give you the correct wheels in resin, which shows that they worried about the details.

I'll give more information about the fit and so on as the build progresses.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Love the idea of the NASA livery
I will be following