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Since there is still a little time left, I'll see if I can squeeze in one more build before they lock the doors and turn out the lights. This time, a Grumman OV-1A Mohawk by Rodan I don't have box anymore but I do have the nifty painted poster that came with the kit. Along with all the other bits. And for good measure, Eduards P/E sets and a set of Quick Boost bang seats. Somebody cue the Stones " Paint It Black" and lets Rock and Roll!..

I present you Roden's model of the OV-1A Mohawk. The plane represents a machine of the 23rd special warfare aviation detachment of the US Army from 1963 in Vietnam. The basic task of this unit was intelligence and reconnaissance. In its first variant (presented here), the Mohawk also had certain offensive (self-defense) capabilities, which in further use of exploitation was a stumbling rock in the bureaucratic circles of the Army and Air Force. How much this machine was valued and hated by members of the National Front for the Liberation of the South (better known as the NLF or VietCog) is also shown by the fact that a special financial stimulus was paid for its shootig down. I don't have much to say about the model except that it is already well known and the only one in this scale. The fit is very good and the detailing is at a very solid level! As a minor problem, I would mention the unpolished plastic surface as well as the shallow panel lines, which can be a significant problem if the plastic surface is polished. What is absolutely reprehensible are Roden's decals, which already have a bad reputation. Rigid, semi-transparent, poorly reacting to decal setting solutions, prone to cracking... In one word, BAAAD! I used the Eduad Zoom PE set (FE320), which is designed for the OV-1B, but with the modification of the control panel works just fine. I also used the Eeduard`s PE set for air brakes (from the second set for the OV-1D), which significantly enriches the area of the air brakes. The rest of the cockpit is self-built, which includes the floor of the cabin, the back wall of the cabin, as well as hoses, cables and other small things... The painting was done so that you can feel the level of employment of these machines! The model is Hi-Vis semi gloss painted and has a glossy finish. I played a little bit with the degree of brightness of certain zones/panels on the model, and hence the non-uniformity of the brightness. Little due is from some old monogram model and the base is halved Eduard`s PSP base. Gunza colors with weathering effects in painter's oils, tamiya washes, dry pygmies, wooden crayons... In the end, I must say that I am very satisfied with how the model turned out! All criticisms and suggestions (as well as contributions in money, plastic, meat and sweets...) are more than welcome! P.S. I would like to apologize for the large number of photos! And details:

Just finished. Yeah, no pilot. I suck at painting pilots in 1/48. Besides, none was included. Maybe it’s a drone. 😂 Using hi-tech leveling device and jig.

Having gotten pretty far along with my Roden 1/48 OV-1D, I decided to also tackle their OV-1A and OV-1C Mohawks. Since I pretty much strictly build recce aircraft, I was trying to figure out where the camera(s) was/were located in the OV-1A. The kit instructions mention a KA-60 camera being used for night photography, but that was a panoramic camera, which can't take night pictures with photoflash. I read elsewhere that a KA-30A framing camera was installed somewhere in the rear fuselage. Does anybody have any photos and/or drawings of the installation, especially the camera window(s)? On the OV-1C, the Aircraft In Action book says the side airbrakes were removed on that version, but I have found pics online of what are said to be OV-1Cs which have the airbrakes. Does anybody know for a fact that there were no airbrakes on the OV-1C? Larry