A-4K Wing

Opened up the cannon ports and mounting holes for the pylons.  Then clamped everything down for the glue to set.

Also swapped over the lower anti-collision light with the fuel dump.  Carefully sawed off the light base to move it.  The fuel dump was easy in comparison.

A-4K Cockpit

 Added the little pouch and put paper in it.

Stock Hasegawa cockpit except the Escapac ejection seat.  It is a True Details resin one with scratch-built lap-belts and ejection handles made from thin wire.

Kiwi A-4K

So started yet another Skyhawk build.  Took the Pro-Modeller A-4E that is a re-box of the Hasegawa model kit out to build an A-4K of the Royal New Zealand Air Force.  I have decided to model one early in their service which means the reinforcement plates on the sides of the intakes must be removed.  Here I have removed one.  The separate inlets also have part of these plates, so they have to be sanded away also.

Masking Maybe in Order

I tried to free-hand with the airbrush the Tan and Pale Green patterns.  Did not turn out too well. 

TA-4H 544 Camo

I might have finally figured out the pattern used on 544.  As the two photos show I spent a bit of time with a pencil marking up the model.  The problem is 544 even on the left side as displayed at the museum does not follow exactly the 1999 symmetrical pattern and the right side is similar to a pattern seen on some A-4Ns.  The wing patterns also reflect this schizophrenia. 

 Right side pattern that is a mix of an earlier TA-4H and A-4N while the wing pattern is based on the original 1968 pattern and xnir.com's photo.

Left side that is close to the 1999 symmetrical except that the intakes are painted brown on both sides and that stripe of brown on the trailing edge that extends to the wing.  

Actually I just looked at the photos again and the left wing pattern has a brown leading edge slat which means on this side it seems the Symmetrical pattern extends to the wing except for that one variation on the trailing edge.

Glad I am using a pencil to sketch this all out.  Once satisfied, will cut out masking patterns for the Dark Tan FS30219 and Pale Green FS 34227.  Erase everything, clean up surfaces, and then re-shoot Sand FS 33531 as the upper base coat.

Are we having fun yet?

Battle of the Coral Sea

In early May 1942, the warriors of the US Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy squared off in what would be the first all aircraft carrier battle.  Japan wanting to take New Guinea and the Americans trying to stop it and save their sea link to Australia.

There would be many heroes on the American side in this battle.  Butch O'Hare throwing his VF-3 Wildcat fighter at a formation of G4M Betty bombers would earn him the Medal of Honor.  Aboard VS-2 two others would be catapulted to fame - Eng Leppla and ARM3c Liska who would use their Dauntless dive bomber to shoot down seven Japanese aircraft.

The model kit is the Accurate Miniatures SBD-3 Dauntless in 1/48th scale built almost straight from the box and using kit decals.

Playing in Photoshop to give it a real feel.

Overall view of kit on the Squadron carrier flight deck.

A peek into the pilot's cockpit.

Used Model Master paints for this project.  Diluted the Intermediate Blue with Light Gray to fade the top side paint.  Then dry brushed a Flanker Blue/Gray or used undiluted Intermediate Blue to represent touch-ups.  After sealing the paints used a silver pencil to make worn areas and tiny drops of black smeared front to back to represent spilled fuel on the wings or grime.

The tri-color propeller tips are decals I made.  In the -3 run this was how Douglas painted the propellers.  The TBD from Douglas had similar propeller tips.

Tried to scratch build the canvas cover for the canopy, this cover was used to protect the cockpit area from the elements but most importantly to prevent all that glass from reflecting sunlight and giving away the aircraft carrier.  Used diluted white glue on a white napkin to make a rough form.  Then painted it with Dark Earth which soaked into the napkin that gave a rough texture.  Once dried I cut it down and shaped it to represent how the canvas cover would look as the flight crew were going to move the plane on the deck.

All bombed up and ready to launch.

Change of Plans

IAF A-4E 819 build has been shelved.  Instead will build this model when they were in late Indonesian service.   I have found better pictures of these A-4Es.  Notice under the nose what looks like a radar altimeter in top picture and on the right side offset is a large blade antenna in bottom picture.

Luckily have the FCM decal sheet and very advanced on the build.  Will just have to scratch build the blade antenna, a few other sensors, and the radar altimeter.

819 Progress

Cockpit is in and fuselage glued together.  Avionics hump and barrel also glued.  Now working on seams to blend everything together.  Wing and landing gear are not glued in yet, just like putting plane together.

So far its been an easy and fun build.  Even attaching the barrel went on quickly and so far no major fuss.

Indonesian Skyhawk

Remember my talk of possibly building one of the Israeli A-4Es that were sold to Indonesia?  Here we go on the start of the build.  Once again the basis is the Monogram A-4E model.

But I have sawed off the sugar-scoop for the installation of the barrel.  The barrel is a leftover from the Hobbycraft A-4N/AF-1 kit.  The DEFA 30mm guns are coming from the spares box also, the ESCI A-4N kit since the Hobbycraft 30mm fairings are far too long.

The wing, intakes, speed brakes, and avionics fairing have been glued together.  All the ECM fairings and various antennas have been removed.  Will replace with needed and correct items later in build.

Paint and markings - as originally delivered to Indonesia.  Light gray, medium gray, and medium blue top colors.

A Scoop on Scoops

Finally got around to making a new scoop to represent an aircraft equipped with the J-52P-408A engine.

Top to bottom

1. The white scoop on tan fuselage I made from sheet plastic, X-Acto, and judicious use of files and sanding sticks.
2. The light gray large scoop is from the Hasegawa A-4M kit I used as the master.  
3. Finally the small medium gray scoop is what normally comes on all Monogram A-4 kits to represent the J-52P-6/8 engines.

As for what has been distracting me is the building of another earlier Douglas product the TBD-1 Devastator.

Going a bit detail crazy on the still excellent Monogram kit in 1/48th scale.

TA-4H Correction

Just when I thought I was going to start shooting Sand for the top pattern I found a problem.

Upon closer examination of photos of TA-4H 544 the plane has the mis-matched small intakes just aft of where the fuselage breaks in two for engine replacement.  The right side one is larger than the one on the left.

Left side - small intake just above and in front of the open spoiler.

Right side just above the right main gear can see the larger intake.

What this means is, 544 should have fitted the J-52P-400 engine of over 11,000lbs thrust like the A-4N.  Which means the OA-4M intakes that I have glued on are incorrect, would need the intakes from an A-4M or Super Fox to be correct correct.  Or I leave it as is since the difference between the two intake styles in 1/48 scale is almost microscopic.

Messing Around

This A-4E I had built oh about ten years ago in the low-viz markings of VA-127.  It was a very dirty and worn looking model.  So tried to clean off the grime that had accumulated.  And started to actually remove the paint giving this mottled appearance.  I thought it was neat looking so super glued a new refueling probe, re-attached the canopy, and snapped a picture or two.

Getting closer

About ready to shoot the light ghost gray underside color.  Just a little bit more sanding and should be ready.  Got main gear doors and flaps attached with white glue.

Test fit of the pylons.  I think I used ones from the A-4E kit - centerline with MER, external tank pylons from a first run OA-4M, and outer pylons from the Monogram of Germany pressing of the OA-4M.  Have I mentioned before that I have a large stash of Monogram kits?

Will be shooting the external tanks at same time as underside.  Once I mask off the bottom that is.

Added from the Hi-Tech A-4E the photo-etched sway braces to the MER and outer pylons.  Practice bombs are finished.  Should I make two more bombs for the outer pylons?

The home stretch beckons and then I will have finally finished this conversion build.

Small Progress?

 TA-4H 542 in the boneyard showing how the blade antenna in front of the canopy is offset from the centerline and just behind the pitot tube.

 TA-4H 544 taxiing showing the placement of all antennas.

Measure and mark twice before drilling locator hole for antenna.  Decal came from the already used HobbyCraft kit.  Also six practice bombs almost ready to install on centerline MER.

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.