Canopy Work

The fuselage is now glued together and the rounded tail tip. Also have glued the fuselage and wing together. So progress is being made.

Now starting on the canopy for the TA-4J.  Compared the Monogram OA-4M canopy, the crystal clear and delicate canopy Hasegawa offers is awesome.  Masking off the clear areas in preparation for detailing and painting.

I would use the Missing Link vacu-form TA-4J canopy on the TA-4H except it has been in the bag for so long there is now a long white streak along one of the curves.  So have to make do with the OA-4M canopy.  So I have to reshape the back of the OA-4M canopy to fit the Missing Link resin TA-4J fairing.

Off Topic Rant Pt 2

I finally got around to emailing that seller on eBay who is selling pre-built A-4N Ayits.  Their sample aircraft is 322 of the Flying Dragon Squadron.  The one with both the Colt 20mm cannons and the DEFA 30mm cannons installed.

Luckily I have a reference photo to base my questions on.  In Shlomo Aloni's book Israeli A-4 Skyhawk Units in Combat, Osprey Combat Aircraft 81.  On page 33 is a nice color picture of the right side of the plane.  Showing only DEFA cannons plus other inconsistencies as seen on the pre-built model.  So I asked the sellers a few questions.  I wonder what reply I will get.

Red 01

Here is A-4E Red 01 in standard TPS scheme except for the Soviet style red 01 on nose and red advesary star on the tail.  It was built clean except for the avionics hump.   Since this the Monogram A-4E kit, I cut apart and made the bent refueling probe.

This model is presently on display at Orange Grove Hobb Shop in Orange Grove, MS.  Joe and Nancy run a great model store jam-packed with goodies.  They can be contacted at (228)832-0100.

Rear Cockpit Standby Compass

I think I have finally figured out how to scratchbuild the stand-by compass in the back cockpit for the TA-4H.  I have tried to build the bracket that holds the assembly repeatedly but it's sheer delicacy, without photo-etch, is beyond my skills.  So I always managed to destroy it before finishing it.

Well the Hasegawa TA-4J kit has given me an idea.  Parts E23 and V23 are the stand-by compasses for the front and back cockpits and mounted in the canopy frame.  Hasegawa just molds little square blocks of plastic with raised dial detail.  I plan to sand at a 45 degree angle the back portion of V23 to simiulate the bracket profile.

For the TA-4H I will just take a similar block and do the same 45 degree sanding.  Then paint on the instrument dial and white details.  Then attach to canopy.  And finished with this one vexing problem.

Hasegawa TA-4J VT-22

Not bad since I started this model only last Friday.  Only things I have added have been the Classic Airframe wheels from the spares box.  Substituted the Classic Airframe nosegear door since I liked it better.  And the only scratchbuilt items is the oxygen hoses in each cockpit.  Nose weight is two 1/8oz sinkers glued in with whtie glue.  Building the kit with speedbrakes and flaps closed.  Canopy will be in the up position so still need to scratchbuild the white instrument hood for the rear cockpit.

VT-22 TA-4J 158085

It's offical, I am burned out on the major conversion project of turning that OA-4M into a TA-4H.  Which is why I have not been doing anything on this blog for so long.

To break the logjam I have moved onto another Skyhawk.  This time the Hasegawa 1/48th scaled TA-4J Skyhawk kit.  I am building it in the 75th Anniversary markings of TA-4J Bu No 158085 when assigned to VT-22 and painted in bright blue and gold paint scheme.

I am trying to build this kit as straight out of the box as possible.  So using the four piece ejection seats that are kit supplied, will add oxygen hose.  Stole from the spares box a set of painted main wheels from a Classic Airframes TA-4J since they are very similar to the Hasegawa wheels.  I am pre-painting as much as possible.

Got a few gripes.  There are about a billion little plastic tabs that need to be cut off even the most delicate of plastic parts.  There are details in the landing gear wells I have never seen in photos.  And the instrument panel decals and probably the whole decal sheet are incredily thick, I am using a lot of Micro-Set and Micro-Sol on them to make them sit.