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.

Progress Picture

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

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.

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.

Franken-hawk

I got frustrated with the model and took a break.  Now resuming work on it.  From now on if I want to build any TA-4 the Hasegawa kit will be the way to go.

First I gave up on the wing and trying to reshape the leading edge slat areas.  So now building another wing.  This time I used a razor-saw to cut out the slat areas.  Glued the wing halves together.  Added sheet plastic to the cut slats.  Now awaiting the glue to dry.  Will resume work on the other wing later on and this time get it right.

As for the fuselage above, progress and title of this post.  Squared tail-tip from Hasegawa TA-4J.  The dark gray tail fairing came from the parts box, a Monogram of Germany OA-4M.  Engine intakes came from the Monogram A-4E.  Rear fairing resin part for the cockpit came from Missing Links.

Plus used sheet plastic to fill in hole where the spine of the airplane should be.  Let me say I screwed up when I did this originally.  The hole was a bit irregular in shape.  The sheet plastic I had originally made and installed the vent, started to twist around as I sanded it to fit.  So started again with just blank sheet plastic.   Soon will drill out and re-add the vent.  Then scribe panel lines that got sanded off.

TA-4J 158500

Looking down the right side of 723 assigned to VT-7 CTW-1 USS Lexington at the 1991 Keesler AFB open house.  Notice the various stains down the side.  One of the launch bridle hooks can be seen hanging down from the main gear well.  And the reds are different shades.  Look at the leading edge of the verticle tail, it has been re-painted in a lighter shade of red. In the background is the Collins Foundation B-17G Nine-Oh-Nine.

Left hand detail shot of TA-4J 158500 723.  Notice the wear from the moving tail surfaces.  And the dirty look of the rudder.  Bu. No 158500 was one of a 75 plane production run of new build TA-4Js.

Here is a close up picture of TA-4J 158500 723's nose gear.  The details pictured here are common for all Skyhawks built with nose gear steering from the first A-4F to the last off the production line in 1979.

TA-4J 723 Left Side

Left side picture of 723.  Notice the bare metal on the front of the canopy.  The wires and white cover that is rolled up in the back cockpit is for student pilots to practise instrument training.  Can also see scuffing on the side of the fuselage. 

TA-4J 723

Taken at a Keesler AFB open house.  Close up shot.  Notice the canopy is not all the way up, barely cracked open in fact.  Can see two of the canopy latches and angle of mirrors.  Through the windscreen can be seen the gun sight.  Notice how close the 3 is to the anti-glare panel demarcation.

Reference Books

A-4 Skyhawk in Action, Aircraft #11, Squadron-Signal Publications, 1973.
A-4 Skyhawk Walk Around, Number 41, Squadron-Signal Publications, 2006.
A-4 Skyhawk in Detail & Scale, D&S Vol. 32, TAB Books, 1989.
Colorful U.S. Navy A-4 Skyhawks, C&M Vol. 18, TAB Books, 1990.
Douglas A-4E/F Skyhawk in Marine Service, Naval Fighters #52, Ginter&Albright, 2001.
USN/USMC Two-Seat Skyhawks, Naval Fighters #82, Ginter, 2008.
- covers TA-4F, EA-4F, TA-4J, OA-4M, TA-4G, TA-4H, TA-4AR, TA-4S/SU, TA-4PTM, TA-4KU, AF-1A, and TA-4K.
A-4 Skyhawk, #346, Model Art Co. Japan, 1990.
Douglas A-4 Skyhawk Variants, Wings of Fame Vol. 4, Aerospace Publishing Ltd, 1996.
Topped Gun:Requiem for the Skyhawk, OSP, Ross Ewing, 2002.
Douglas A-4 Skyhawk Attack & Close-Support Fighter Bomber, Pen and Sword Aviation, Jim Winchester, 2005.
The A-4 Skyhawk Ayit, IAF Aircraft Series #2, AD Graphics, Amos Dor, 1999.
Israeli A-4 Skyhawk Units in Combat, Osprey Combat Aircraft 81, Shlomo Aloni, 2009.

Ejection Seats

Here are the ejection seats I had all ready for the TA-4H posed in front of my OA-4M kit.  New information shows the seats to be a color almost like dark ghost gray.  So the second seat of seats will be built up for the TA-4H while these two seats go into reserve for the Hasegawa TA-4J.

I apologize for the quality of the picture, still learning how to shoot small items with digital camera.

TA-4J Rear Instrument Panel

Cockpit TA-4J 158500.  Taken w/Canon AE-1 35mm SLR and 400ASA film.

While various things dry with the TA-4H, thought I might post a picture from my scrapbooks.  This picture was taken during the Keesler AFB Open House in 1991.  Can see the color of the padding at the bottom of the instrument panel, stick, and an extra instrument surrounded by placards where the radar screen would be in a TA-4F.  Will post more pictures of this TA-4J soon.

The Stash

While I am doing an assembly line production of late model Escapac ejection seats in 1/48 scale, thought I might list the Skyhawk kits in the stash.

In 1/32d scale I have all three Hasegawa kits - A-4E, TA-4J, and Hi-Grade OA-4M.  One of each.

In 1/48th scale is where things have certainly gotten a bit out of hand.
1 Monogram Pro-Modeller A-4F
4 Monogram A-4E original production run kits.
3 Monogram A-4E Hi-Tech kits.
2 Monogram A-4F Blue Angels re-issues.
1 Monogram OA-4M
2 Monogram-Revell of Germany OA-4M kits.
1 Hasegawa A-4M
1 Hasegawa TA-4J
1 Hasegawa A-4SU.

Nothing in 1/72d or smaller scales.  Intervention anyone? LOL