Rethinking

I stumbled across this nice photo of four RNZAF TA-4K/G Skyhawks in echelon formation.  The second aircraft in the aggressor scheme with green&tan drop tanks NZ6255 begs to be built.  So now I am thinking of finishing the Hasegawa TA-4J in VT-22 markings as NZ6255 instead.

AF-1 finished

AF-1 #12 with my other Skyhawks - OA-4M, A-4E, TA-4H, and TA-4J

As the above picture shows, I have finally finished up the Brazilian AF-1 Skyhawk.  It has been an adventure in many ways.  But it has turned out with scratch-building, kit-bashing, and even an after market resin seat and decals; the Hobby Craft kit can be built into a nice kit.

The plane is now on display at Orange Grove Hobby Shop in Gulfport, MS.

Aftermarket Decals

Another major failing with the Hobby Craft kit is the decal sheet and the instructions on placement.  The sheet has almost no stenciling decals, the ejection seat warning triangles are just black line triangles.  All the other small stenciling is absent.  What instructions they do have are seen on the back of the box which also suffices for painting instructions.  Which are also incorrect.

Luckily there is a set of aftermarket decals that handily fills the void that I bought from Sprue Brothers.  FCM markets the decal sheet and instructions shown above with the model kit.  This is decal sheet 48-044.  It has all the small stencil decals needed for the AF-1/AF-1As.  Another life saver is this sheet precisely calls out where these markings go.  About the only shortcoming is a failure to show where the underside markings go, they are not placed outside the outer weapon stations as the Hobby Craft directions call for.  They are in fact located just inboard of the outer weapon stations.  Luckily I don't plan to waste this decal sheet since it also has markings for Indonesian Skyhawks along with Argentine A-4P and A-4Q aircraft.  Might take a stab at making an Indonesian A-4E.

This photo of AF-1 04, ex Kuwait AF #807, shows clearly where the roundel is located on the wing's underside.

Prep and More Prep

I used a Monogram A-4E to make the masks to cover the Aircraft Grey.  Lot easier to lay them out and mark on this kit than doing it on the almost built model.

Here is the AF-1 finally all masked off to receive the top coat of Neutral Gray.  Both leading edge slat areas have also been masked off.  And in spite of all the care in the world, still managed to break the refueling probe off.  So that has to be fixed.

Watching Paint Dry

Bottom color has been sprayed and let to dry.  Masked off the entire bottom to prevent over-spray.  Just finished shooting the middle gray, Aircraft Gray, and since it appears on the sides of the avionics hump painted the whole top the color.

Once this is dry will install the vertical tail antennas.  Then shoot the final top color Neutral Gray.  Followed by the gloss coat, decals, dull coat, and the other little fiddly bits.  But getting closer to being finished.

Keeping Tabs

There is a good thing about building two of the same plane at the same time.  Eventually you will notice little things that are missing.  For example there are small tabs on the trailing edge of the vertical stabilizer.  These are present on the Monogram kit but missing on the Hobby Craft kit.  So some quick cutting of sheet plastic and glue, voila, three tabs.  Once dry will trim and clean it up.

TA-4H 544 Climbing

In a fit of whimsy posed 544 as if it was climbing.  Amazingly everything was level and perfectly balanced. 

Scattered about are the tires and landing gear for these kits and even a set of tires for the next kit after these.

Hey Where's The Defrost?

So I am installing the refueling probe and have to overcome an oversight from HobbyCraft.  They did not include an alignment pin to make sure you install the probe correctly.  So built up a platform from modelers clay to rest the probe and nose on.  Made sure the probe was in line with the win and level, then glued.

And as I doing that something else finally smacks me between the eyes.  This kit does not have the defrost vent that is just in front of all flat windscreen Skyhawks.  Luckily quickly cut a piece of sheet plastic, sanded it to shape, and glued it before I changed my mind.  Then when I saw the picture, realized the vent was crooked; had to quickly fix that before the glue set.

And finally you can see the tan avionics hump from the Monogram kit that I took out of the spares box.  Still do not understand why the kit supplied one refused to cure and stay together.

Seats and Barrel

Finally got around to super-gluing the Quick Boost resin barrel to the OA-4M now TA-4H kit.  I obviously have a lot of work ahead of me to blend everything together.

All hail having a good stockpile of sheet plastic.  Built the aft bulkheads from flat sheet plastic.  The ejection rails are very thin tubing, still a bit over-sized since I cut each rail to a length of one inch.  Used a magic marker to keep track which bulkhead goes where. 

Progress Picture

L to R: HobbyCraft AF-1, Hasegawa TA-4J, and Monogram OA-4M converted to TA-4H

Skyhawk Progress

Building the AF-1 has prompted me to re-start the TA-4H.

Wing is glued to the AF-1 and now fixing the usual seam issues with the leading edge slat area plus wing root and where the wing trailing edge joins the fuselage.  Looks like the avionics hump now fits properly.

For the TA-4H, started to scratch build the bulkheads behind the ejection seats.  Also fixing the leading edge area of those seams.  I think this time its will get sorted out.

Non-sticky problem

I am not sure what is going on.  But with two different bottles of Testors glue and a bottle of Weld-On I am experiencing the same problem on the HobbyCraft A-4N model kit.  Sometimes the glue will bind the pieces together.  Other times the glue will dry and the parts seem to be joined, but the slightest pressure the parts will pop apart.

Latest example - the avionics hump.  It has been curing for 24 hours after being glued.  Even glued in a sheet styrene bulkhead to help make it stronger.  Then with test fitting find the hump does not fit flush, there is too much side in the middle of the hump.  So sand and sand more, think I have it.  So lay down the Testors glue and tape the hump down.  So the rear the hump splits at the seam as if never glued.  So having to fix it again after pulling the hump off.

AF-1 N-1012

 AF-1 N-1012 of the Brazilian Navy.  Decals for this aircraft are included in the HobbyCraft A-4N model kit in 1/48th scale.  Notice no cannon is fitted at the wing root.

One of the things missing from the model kit is an A-4M/A-4KU HUD.  So from sheet plastic and careful cutting/sanding I have crafted one.  I also replaced the ejection seat with a resin True Details Escapac seat.  Pulled from the spare parts box a control column from a Monogram A-4 to replace the T-handle HobbyCraft calls a stick.