Thank God for Herb Hunter

Max Lacobara
Feb 3, 2023
3 min read

Updated: Jan 23

CDR Herbert Hunter Vought F-8E Crusader

The Project

I built this F-8E Crusader for Mr. Perry Hunter, the son of Commander Herbert Perry Hunter. On July 19, 1967, Commander Hunter sacrificed his life in service to our nation while trying to save the aircraft following flak damage sustained during the attack on Co-Trai in the Vietnam War.

Because of its significance, this project quickly became close to my heart as I learned about CDR Hunter's personality and dedication to others. It took me about six months to complete, and I enjoyed every moment of it as I felt deeply honored by the opportunity of being able to do it.

A considerable amount of research was required to make this model as precisely as I could. There is not a lot of information out there, but I was fortunate to find the last photo of CDR Hunter with the aircraft. Also, thanks to some books, I was able to figure out what the payload could have been that day he went on the attack on Co-Trai, North Vietnam.

CDR Hunter was the Executive Officer (XO) of Fighter Squadron 162 (VF-162), deployed at Yankee Station on board the USS Oriskany (CV-34). To learn more about the squadron and CDR Hunter, I recommend the book "Over the Beach" by author Zalin Grant, which tells the story of this unit's deployment in the Vietnam War. It's an amazingly well-written story that I'm sure you'll enjoy. I was inspired to name the display from an event described in that book.

According to the book accounts, there was an outstanding balance between CDR Hunter and CDR Cal Swanson, the squadron's Commanding Officer. Swanson brought an engineering approach to flying. Hunter, a former member of the Blue Angels, made piloting a jet look effortless. In a short time, he had become the most popular Senior Officer of VF-162.

Cal and Herb had hit off immediately. Herb Hunter was an easy guy to like, and Swanson realized that Hunter's amiable personality made his direction of the squadron a lot easier. "Thank God for Herb," Swanson told his wife, Nell, in a letter.

The Model

This is the Academy kit on a 1/72 scale. It is an excellent kit, but I added aftermarket stuff like the cockpit from Eduard, a Quickboost seat, Aires wheels, Quickboost flaps, an Aires exhaust, and a wing fold set from Wolfpack. Ordnance-wise, the AIM-9B missiles and the TERs for the bombs are from Eduard, while the MK 117 bombs are from Hasegawa with replaced fins and fuses. The tow bar used for the display is from Brengun, the chocks correctly depicting the Vietnam era are from Reedoak, and the tie-down chains and hooks are from Infini.

I started the building process with the cockpit and added some detail to the interior of the fuselage under the wing and the wheel wells. Unfortunately, not much of this is visible, but I had to do it!

The painting process started as usual, with some black basing with Mr. Surfacer 1500 and some pre-shading. I painted the model with MRP 098 (Light Gull Gray) and MRP 099 (US Navy White). The metallic tone on the exterior of the exhaust is titanium from AK Extreme Metal.

I coated the model with Alclad Aqua Gloss and made some panel accents with Flory's Dark Dirt, then re-coated it and applied decals. The decals are a blend of custom-made decals I ordered from Bedlam Creations and decals I took from the kit and other aftermarket sets.

I also wanted to add some effects to the exhaust, so I used some Tamiya Weathering Master to create an orange tone variation.

Once I completed all this, I applied a third coat of Aqua Gloss, but in a way that achieved a satin finish, I used oils. I tested the Abteilung 502 oils, and I loved them! I applied a flat coat to seal everything after that and achieve the final finish.

Here are some photos of the completed model before going into the display base.

Mario Catania from Italy did the deck portion base, which precisely represents an Essex Class deck covered in wood planks. After adding some weathering, a tow bar and tie-downs, and the patch and plaque, it was really nice to see everything come together.

The following are the pictures of the completed model.

I had the fortune to meet Mr. Perry Hunter and deliver the model to him last January in Pensacola, FL. It was very emotional, and I believe we'll both treasure that moment forever.