1:72 150 gallon underwing fuel tanks (F-5E/F/N, F-20, AT-3) (2 pcs)

A machine that flew almost everywhere

The light supersonic fighter from Northrop became an export hit: it served in Europe, in the Middle East, in Latin America and in South-East Asia, and a number of countries operate it to this day as a trainer and an aggressor type. Because of its small internal fuel volume, drop tanks belonged to it as naturally as national insignia. The same type of tank was shared by the two-seat versions, the later naval modernization, the solitary Tigershark and the supersonic trainer of Taiwanese production.

Why replace the supplied parts

In a small scale every tenth of a millimeter tells, and plastic tanks are built from two shells. The resulting joint runs exactly where the surface should be smoothest, and cleaning it up swallows more time than gluing the part on. A casting comes as a single piece, so it is painted straight away. The nose and the fins come out crisp, which on a part the size of a match decides the overall impression.

Working with a tiny part

Special attention goes to drilling the hole for the locating pin. A drill of a small diameter runs truer when the spot is marked beforehand with a needle. A pin of thin wire will hold the tank firmly even years later, whereas glue on its own may work loose over time on a smooth surface.

When the tanks belong on a model

Photographs of machines in ordinary service show a pair under the wing on ferry flights and longer patrols, whereas at static displays at an airfield the stores tended to be taken off. The choice is therefore not only a matter of looks but above all of which moment the builder wants to capture. A hung pair also visually widens the span, which benefits a small model.