Czech Models 1/48 FR-1 Fireball
| KIT #: | 4815 |
| PRICE: | $30 when new |
| DECALS: | Two options |
| REVIEWER: | H Davis Gandees |
| NOTES: | 2005 release |
| HISTORY |
The Fireball was a hybrid powered fighter concept of Admiral John
McCain as power lagged in the early jets during wave offs. I have always
wondered if the name “Fireball” failed to inspire confidence with pilots!
The first flight was June 1944 and VF-66 received them in March 1945, but they never saw combat. They had considerable structural problems and were withdrawn from service by August of 1947. The Fireball was powered by an R-1820 engine up front and a J-31 turbojet in the rear, both burning aviation gasoline. They were armed with 4- .50 machine guns and multiple hardpoints for rockets and bombs. Only 70 were built and they were all scrapped except for a few kept for continued testing. One final XF2-R1 Dark Shark variant was built with a GE X-31-GE-2 Turboprop replacing the R-1820.
| THE KIT |
The Kit: The kit consists of plastic sprues, cast resin and vacuformed canopy. It was a challenge to build. The shape and panel line detail were good for a limited run kit. Instructions were very good.
| CONSTRUCTION |
All the resin parts required dry fitting, and the canopy required
considerable fitting in the closed position. I was not happy with the engine and
cowling so replaced the R-1820 with one from a Revell B-17 and a Hobbycraft
Bearcat cowling. The engine was painted engine gray with aluminum cylinders. The
tailpipe was painted gunmetal. The exhaust troughs were also deepened. There was
not enough space for enough lead to avoid a tail sitter, so I constructed a
stronger aluminum tail hook that the model rests on. The kit cockpit was
installed, and seatbelt/harness installed. A nylon thread antenna wire was
stretched from the tail to an insulator on the left upper side of the fuselage.
The pitot, landing gear and gear doors were installed and carefully aligned.
| COLORS & MARKINGS |
The model was painted with Model Master F.S. 15042 Gloss Sea Blue. The
cockpit was painted interior green with a flat black panel dry brushed with
aluminum. The headrest was painted gloss brown. The oxygen tank was painted
yellow and steel and mounted behind the seat. The excellent kit decals were
used, and blue formation lights were made with a punch and die and applied to
the upper and lower wings. Red/green nav lights were painted on wing tips with a
fine brush. Exhaust staining was applied using a soft brush with light brown
pastel chalk dust.
| CONCLUSIONS |
This was my most challenging kit ever and required considerable modifications that eventually resulted in a nice representation of an FR-1 Fireball. Modelers with multi-media, limited run experience is recommended. Lots of dry fitting required. The build required 55 hours.
| REFERENCES |
The Mini in Action Number 5 Squadron FR-1 Fireball book that was included in the kit box, a nice feature.
6 May 2025
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