Dream Models F-5E US Air Force "Red Flag" Aggressor

[THarrison351]

First plastic aircraft model in 35+ years. My son recently commented the lack of affordable F-5 models either diecast or pre-built. Usually around $100 minimum shipped. I decided I'd buy a kit and build one for him. This kit offered decent details, multiple decal options, fair reviews, and looked easy enough to build. It took a month to ship from China, and another month of weekends to complete. Finding paint to match was the toughest part. Even those that were the correct paint codes needed tweaking and still ended a little off to my old eyes. Not much more than paint and decals. So finished just in time for his birthday last weekend and he put it proudly on a bookshelf. Today he became a proud father, and I'm a grandfather!

On my son's shelf

Pretty simple cockpit, the decals take care of most of it.

The belts were photoetch, and tiny

Comes with decals to do eight different versions. Very tiny decals and tightly grouped

Ready for final assembly

[Dragline]

That came out pretty awesome so I would say the rust is either off or never really developed. Congrats to your son and you for the newbie.

[the goon]

Very nice.

Mark

[Jim B]

Really great looking F-5.  Very well done.

[cobraman]

Great job, good looking model.

[Joe Nunes]

Very nice build and one of my favorite aircraft designs. 

Joe

[THarrison351]

23 hours ago, Dragline said:

That came out pretty awesome so I would say the rust is either off or never really developed. Congrats to your son and you for the newbie.

Thanks! I built about fifty or so various aircraft when I joined the Air Force between 1983 and 1987 before I got married. Once I was married, all my aircraft went into storage and I just built and collect model cars. Eventually I gave all the aircraft away to a neighbor. They never would have survived the moves anyways.

21 hours ago, the goon said:

Very nice.

Thank you!

11 hours ago, Jim B said:

Really great looking F-5.  Very well done.

Thanks!

6 hours ago, cobraman said:

Great job, good looking model.

Thank you

5 hours ago, Joe Nunes said:

Very nice build and one of my favorite aircraft designs. 

Thanks! It was and would you believe it's DNA is in the F-18 Hornet?

[Joe Nunes]

I didn't know about the F-18 Hornet heritage but can definitely see it in the F-5 design. Have to think the F-5 pilot would be wearing a smile piloting the "aerial hot rod" through its maneuvers.  ?

Joe

[TransAmMike]

Beautiful job on a cool airplane!!  

[PappyD340]

Looks great!