Jump to content

Skyraider question...


heloman1

Recommended Posts

Good evening guys. A question if I may? I'm building the Italeri (nee ESCI) AEW 1/ AD-4W Skyraider kit in 48th scale. The quuestion is, did the type carry/was it fitted with the armour plate on the fuselage/cockpit sides and underneath? I suspect not, which if that is the case then it will require some serious filing.

 

Any light that can be shed would be greatfully recieved.

 

Colin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Colin,

 

I know AD-4's and -4N's had the external armor plates fitted, and the photos I have seen of AD-4W's show some with and some without. According to a Tailhook Topics article I read by  Tommy Thomason, if an AD had the additional armor fitted, the kick-in  pilot step  under the cockpit on either side was replaced with a small fixed ledge, so if you have a photo that shows this area of the airplane, you can use that fact to confirm the existence of the external armor plates. Not my scale, so I'm not at all familiar with the kit you are using, but IIRC, the AD-4W'salso  had a wedge-shaped spoiler fitted to the leading edge of both inboard wings, so you might want to check your kit for these and consult photos. Maybe Tommy and/or Steve Ginter can enlighten us both on this topic, as they are true experts on 'hookers!'.

Sure wish we could get a true Korean War AD-2/3/4 in 1/72  scale someday.

Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Many thanks guys, I though it improbable that the FAA cabs would be fitted with the plates. Now for some serious file work... June the link to Air Britain was imvaluable, thanks.

 

Colin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just to add to the above here are a couple  of shots I took at Aces High in North Weald in the early 90's. 

 

It's an ex Swedish target tug but before that I believe it was with the FAA. These are snaps I took with an iPhone of mine of original prints, so the fidelity may not be up to scratch. No idea whether any armour was removed, but I offer them up anyway.^_^

 

7cbe4086.jpg

 

11a20967.jpg

 

Trevor

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've got a few pictures of RN Skyraiders with some interesting graffiti - can't remember where I downloaded them from, but you are welcome to them along with some "walkround pics of the Swedish plane. Send me a PM if interested.

 

Dave

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Jure Miljevic said:

Hello, Colin

Take a look on a following Air-Britain webpage:

https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/model/Douglas AD-4W Skyraider AEW1?f=&sort=airport&order=desc

Several of these photos had been taken while AEW Skyraiders were still in service. Try as I may, but I cannot see any trace of armour plating. Cheers

Jure

After looking at these pictures and some of my stuff, I'm pretty sure that there was a stall strip on the leading edge of the wing above the right main landing gear but not on the left. There were fixed scabbed-on slots on the outboard wing panel when the radome was fitted. No armor plate (it wasn't intended to go in harm's way). The oil cooler outlet was now a duct added on the sides of the fuselage aft of the cowl flaps. The catapult hooks were now mounted on the landing gear struts with a cutout in the forward facing landing gear doors. All the dive brakes were deleted. The new fact that I recently became aware of is that both finlets on the horizontal stabilizer were angled three degrees to the left like the vertical fin. Let me know if any of that doesn't make sense and I'll work up a blog post.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Tailspin Turtle said:

After looking at these pictures and some of my stuff, I'm pretty sure that there was a stall strip on the leading edge of the wing above the right main landing gear but not on the left. There were fixed scabbed-on slots on the outboard wing panel when the radome was fitted. No armor plate (it wasn't intended to go in harm's way). The oil cooler outlet was now a duct added on the sides of the fuselage aft of the cowl flaps. The catapult hooks were now mounted on the landing gear struts with a cutout in the forward facing landing gear doors. All the dive brakes were deleted. The new fact that I recently became aware of is that both finlets on the horizontal stabilizer were angled three degrees to the left like the vertical fin. Let me know if any of that doesn't make sense and I'll work up a blog post.

Hi Tommy, many tahnks for th einput. I picked up the stall strips but was not aware of the deflection of the finletts, will keep that in mind. i also saw the ducted oil cooler, so besides soem file wrk there is some scratch building to be done.

 

Thanks to everyone for the input mutchly appreciated. I was astounded by my lack of Skyraider ref but then I could have passed it on to another modeller after building the Monogram kit back in the 80's.

 

Colin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The armour plate was added to the AD-6 and -7. Earlier Spads never had it. Also watch out for the wheel wells. Up to the AD-5, there were no main gear doors, just a hole in the wing for the wheel when it was retracted.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You shouldn't have to do any filling in, the large holes in the fuselage sides take different panels to represent different types (it was based on their AD-6 kit), you just fit the AD-4W/AEW.1 side panels in place.

AEW.1 s definitely didn't have armour plating, if of use I have got pics of the stripped AEW at Yeovilton.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, Jessica said:

The armour plate was added to the AD-6 and -7. Earlier Spads never had it. Also watch out for the wheel wells. Up to the AD-5, there were no main gear doors, just a hole in the wing for the wheel when it was retracted.

Actually, the armor was at least retrofitted to the AD-3s and 4s. (I don't know if late production AD-4s were delivered with it.) See

http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2013/07/ad-armor-all.html

 

Also, the wheel-well doors were introduced on the AD-4 and the AD-5 reverted back to the open hole. The doors were reinstated with the AD-6. However, you are correct in that the AD-4W, like the AD-5, had no wheel-well doors.

Edited by Tailspin Turtle
Add AD-4W wheel-well configuration
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, Tailspin Turtle said:

After looking at these pictures and some of my stuff, I'm pretty sure that there was a stall strip on the leading edge of the wing above the right main landing gear but not on the left. There were fixed scabbed-on slots on the outboard wing panel when the radome was fitted. No armor plate (it wasn't intended to go in harm's way). The oil cooler outlet was now a duct added on the sides of the fuselage aft of the cowl flaps. The catapult hooks were now mounted on the landing gear struts with a cutout in the forward facing landing gear doors. All the dive brakes were deleted. The new fact that I recently became aware of is that both finlets on the horizontal stabilizer were angled three degrees to the left like the vertical fin. Let me know if any of that doesn't make sense and I'll work up a blog post.

Yep- RH side only! See attached link with good detail photos. You da man, Tommy!

Mike

http://skyraider.org/skyassn/memberpics/cowell/cowell.htm

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've got a few pictures of RN Skyraiders with some interesting graffiti - can't remember where I downloaded them from, but you are welcome to them along with some "walkround pics of the Swedish plane. Send me a PM if interested.

 

Dave

PS. Here is a link on the web to those pictures :

http://skyraider.org/skyassn/memberpics/cowell/cowell.htm

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...