Anatol Pigwa

Here is my first take on the Skyhawk: the lovely Italeri kit. While it may not be good as the Arfix or Fujimi offering it still offers great value for money, and a quick and easy build. I suggest to seek out either the Revell rebox; or get some nice AM decals,. As part of my "1 new build, 1 SOD project finished policy" I present the Super Etendard companion project.

The first Skyhawk is finished (well kind of - the photos showed mercilessly all defficiencies of the project): I decided to take some Zunis for the ride besides the Walleye. Probably a load mix that makes little sense, but both were widely used in during the Vietnam war on Skyhawks, therefore quite fitting for this aircraft. And I also finished his little friend: Kind of ironic: a Skzhawk and Super Etendard finished during a GB on Britmodeller and neither of them has argentine markings!.

I am currently working on the ACE/Kangam/Revell release of this tooling (engravedpanellines and a diffrent spruce layout, but essentially the same master parts) and I would suggest to save the nice resin seat for a better (Airfix/Fujimi/Hobby 2000) kit.

I will start this one later todayor tomorrow. Since all ordered decals and AM Parts arrived. I am still not sure if I#ll build the Recon version or the strike one. Any suggestions? Sadly the plane will be gunship grey (FS 36118 according to Hasegawa), so no SEA camo on this one I'm afraid (in fact of my planned 7-10 F-111 there are only 2-3 which will be in SEA camo).

The decal are placed. I have to say this particular boxing disappoints sightly when it comes to decaling. I am showing in the photos the Revell boxed "Lady Jessie" for compharasion. Plasticwise it is exactly the same kit, but as you can see Revell added more stencils. Generally I am fine with a sparse decal sheet and this would not be an issue, However the placement instructions are very crude. You get two side views for basic stencils, which partially differ in scale from what is on the decal sheet and two b&w pictures of a build aircraft - with different markings than those in the box. Also there are is a major mistake with the crest placement in the pictures. The lion should be looking forward (from left to right or back to front of the aircraft) not back. By preliminary verdict before placing the bits bobs and bombs on the belly of the aircraft: Great simple kit which builds into a nice humpback Skyhawk. You may want to remove the RWR? antennas by the engine exhaust as I believe they are particular to the A-4M version. Also the single Lau on the inboard pylon is a fairly unvommon loadout which I suggest replacing. Save yourself the money for the Eduard PE set and buy instead some nice AM decals. The ones in the box do their job, but seem to be somewhat lacking. Or get (second hand) the Revell boxing of this kit with the Lady Jessie/Marines decals which are somewhat more complete. Decals are setting, before the final finishing touches. While not apparent at first glance the missing "No step" stencils make the wings look bare. Lady Jessie and the VA-212 machine. In this view the differences in detailing of the decals is an even more pronounced, particularly since Revell gives us some stencils for the pylons/ undercarriage, which are omitted from the Italeri boxing. Btw.: The cut of LAUs made it to the Lady Jessie kit (along with the bend air refuelling probe). This is what you get from Italeri for decal placement instructions. Ok I lied. There is also the back of the box which shows the second decal option, where you get at least to see the belly of the aircraft:

The kit is fairly straightforward - a perfect BB kit as I mentioned above, therefore I am confident that I'll finish it by the end of the weekend at a leisure pace.

Progress has been made, and now the airframe is basically ready, with only the gear doors still outstanding. No big surprises yet, apart from me not looking at the instructions and therefore switching the horizontal rudders. I pre-painted them on the spruce, so it was easier to sand them into submission then repaint them again. Next step: sealing and decaling.

Isn't this the sane nose though? as far as I'm aware there nose has not changed between the C and E versions.

I bite for the Osperey!

WellI I commenced the Italeri kit. I build this kit earlier in it's Revell outing (twice) so few surprises on this one I hope. Due to the simplicity of the kit (I estimate less than 10 hours worktime forthe build - a great kit for a BB if you ask me.) I intend to focus on stuff like blackbasing ans washes during this build. As you can see I removed the LAU-3 form from the inner pylon. The weaponof choice for this one will be the AGM-62 Walleye (from thetestors/Italeri Weapons kit) the VA-212 pioneered its use in Vietnam so it is onlz proper the honour them this way. See this (slightly biased) documentaryabout hte Walleye: The pictures and movies I found show the 1967 cruise, where the Walleye was introduced, when the VA-flewthe A-4E Skyhawk (without the hump) and had a slightly different badge (colour-inverted) I am just assuming though, they also used the Walleye on the 1969 cruise when they had the A-4F in the markings supplied by Italeri. I would also like to hang some Shrikes on the outer pylons does that make any sense? Anyway back to the build: There is actually a PE set for this one! Due to the size of the cockpit and the fact that the canopy is not really meant to be posed open I would dissuade anyone from buying it though, unless you - like me - want to practice your PE placing skillz. THe result after day one. Unfortunately I lost two of the four ECM antennas to the carpet monster (Why do they never put any spare ones in the kit?) I try to skrech replacements from the kitparts meant for the A-4M?

Well life. Always Full of surprises I tell you. Turned Out I finished the Voodoo and had to defer the paper planes. Of course I have to make an Enzo and post somepictures from the building process:

Thenks to the extension I was able to finish a project for a GB since... Nordic 1 I believe. It was slightlyrushed in theend, but there is no subsitute for last minute panic, asfar as work motivation is concernedi guess. On the bright side I managed to finish one of the Tonkas fromtheTornado STGB aswell, so that is a bonus. You are herefor thepictures tough so enjoy: Kit: F-101B by Revell (1:72) Aftermarket: Resin seats and Model Master pitot Build thread: Pictures:

Indeed it could @klr: I was wondering though if it was used operationally by the USN and found this little gem on skyhawk.org From the VA-212 "Rampart Raiders" log (I will be building a machine from this unit): "May 1, 1966: Lt. R.H. Mansfield ejected (BuNo. 151179) and was rescued by a Navy helicopter after firing a rocket from a LAU-3 which either hit his Skyhawk or fodded the engine while attacking a truck convoy 10 mile S of Vinh." This proves to me conclusively that the Navy used the LAU-3 on their Skyhawks. However I have other plans for my build

Now that info about the fin tip makes sense! Now I wonder if I should jump the KIWI scooter bandwagon!

I noticed that I have Skyhawks from Italeri, Revell and Fujimiin my stash (no Airfix though). Wouldn't it be fun to compare hw they build against each other? Sure it would Therefore welcom to my Skyhawk build-off! Now I intended to build them all concurrently, but due to commitmentsto other GBs, life and and wayto manystarted models on my desk,I'llworkon them one plane at a time. (more or less ;)) I intend to sart over the weekend, but am eager to introduce the contenders already Apologiesfor the quality of the photos - my mobile is not a night shooter by any means) The contenders: Initial remarks: Contender #1 - Italeri The Italeri kit appearsto be the simplest and oldest of the three. Two grey spruces, one clear. While the kit claims to be a Skyhawk A-4 E/F, Is say that realistically only an upgraded E, or a F Version can be build: - The hump is fixed (E were reffited with the hump and came initially without one) - There are wingtop spoilers on the wings, which were introduced with the A-4F (those can be sanded off I suppose) You could build an early A-4K though, as this was essentially A-4Fs and there was supposedly a release of this kit with RNZAF dcals, but sadlytheywere not included in my kit. There are two nice touches though: - The kit comes with a straight and a bend refuelling probe (The bend one in my kit has already been canibalized for my "Lady Jessie") - THere are three different Tail tips (one for the early E version, one for theF version and a third one which looks either like the AF-1 or an Israeli A-4H/A-4N tail tip. Other than that there are not many modifications you can make OOB to the build(apart from a closed gear bay) - Tha cabin has to be build closed - There are not wing slats of flaps which can be shown open - The choice of loadouts is... strange.You have one 3000gal centerline fuel tank,two inboardpylons with LAU 3 launchers (the launchers are moulded to the pylons) and tzwo empty outboard pylons. Now I have not found any accounts or imaginery suggesting the Lau 3 launchers as a common loadout Particularly for Navy aircraft. (Even thoughthe launchers were initally developed by the Navy!) The decals (which I don't intend to use for this project) are OK. Also the kit has raised panel lines. Contender #2 - Revell This appears to be the same kit @stevej60 is building here three grey spruces, one clear. On paper the kit looks more promising than the Italeri proposal sporting engraved panel lines, way more loadou options, including additional fuel tanks, Shrikes Bullpup missiles and dumb bombs and also the abilit to build the plane without the hump, as the necessary part (B-16) is there,also you can build the kit with open airbrakes, something not possivle with the Italeri offering.. However there are some issues: First there is no bend refueling probe, even if the decal variants provided are onlz for planes with bend probes. Secondly The Shrikes and Bullpups look slighlty off. Neverthelessit might be an interesting build particularlyIf I can peruse some of the decals to dispaly an early "E" model. Unfortunately the decals included in the kit look very fragile and I don't kno If I will be able to use them. Finally Contender #3 Fujimi Five grex spruces, one clear The kit is bought second hand which explains the two decal sheets (plus the Italeri A-4M sheet) and the missing MERs, TERs and Zuni rockets. This kit portrays the A-4M version of the Skyhawk It gives the Option of an open or /closed cabin (there are separate pieces on the spruce for that!), Open airbrakes, Open flaps, extended slats and a fully configurable armament load (no load pre-attached to any of the pylons), The escape seat is fairly detailed (not resing quality, but still great considering the age of the kit) you get a proper intake as well. Certainly the most complex kit of the build. The only kit superior to this one is last years Hobby 2000 rebox of this kit, which includes also the OA-4 fusalge and cockpit aswell as paint masks (the Hobby 200 details are poorer though).

I amtempted to slot in, before the "main dish", this little Italeri kitty: However it would be in the guise of Bu# 150001 A-4E from the VA-152 with a straight refuelng probe. I am mostly wondering about the loadout of this plane. Italeri provides only the LAU-3 Lauchers which are poured onto the pylon (sigh...) OTOH I have not seen an operational US Skyhawk loaded with LAU 3s on any station. Where those used at all? What kind of mission and additional loadout would would be suitable for the kit (The LAU's on pylon 2 & 4 as well as the tank on pylon 3 are a given). .

@trickyrich when was the SEA camo phased out on the F-111C?

This. Also the wings are unfolding aftre launch, plus there are actually several versions of the Spice i.e. Spice 2000 does not incorporate flying surfaces.

Sure! The CF-18 are always a welcome subject. I am actually inclined to waive the 25% rule for this STGB. I find it rather daft to be honest, unless there is a prize attached, then it makes sense to "level the field" I guess. But if there are no prizes attached., whom am I to forbid you to finish/refurbish a model which might linger on the shelf of doom for ages otherwise?

Thanks for your kind words. Growing up in the eighties, the famine in Ethiopia is the first remembrance of news from Africa and therefore shaped in my perception of the continent. The story is sad, but this helicopter is a sign of hope and relief - a nice change from the martial machines I am usually building. Therefore, yes I will build the version with the big red cross markings.

So you prepare for a GB. You identify the kit in your stash which fits the topic and start a thread on BM, just as I did with my Gripen, Maybe you even post some pictures of the sprues. And then a kit is release which tells such a compelling story that fits a GB topic so exceptionally well, that you just cannot help it, but have to slot it in. This is the case here: The kit itself is a repack of the well known Zvezda mould by a fairly unknown polish company called Akkura (at least I haven't heard abou them unitil a week ago or so). However it is the story behind the markings is well worth telling (they are made by a company called Oscar Lima Decals - the decal sheet includes additional undescribed markings for Czech and EUFOR machines). I would like to concentrate in this GB on the machine depicted on the box art though. Gentlemen and Ladies, I present to you the: MIL Mi-8 T "LIVE AID" (POLISH RELIEF SQUADRON ETHIOPIA 1985) The great hunger To say Ethiopia was not really blessed with luck in the 20th century would be a gross understatement. The country, which had remained independent during the rampart colonization phase of the 18th and 19th century but was invaded and conquered by the Italians during Mussolini’s fascist reign. After regaining independence in 1941 the country struggled with similar problems as other African nations ideological changes, war and poor government policies, The most prominent crisis was particularly though the famine and drought in the mid-eighties which led to the demise of between 400,000 and 1,5 million of Etiopians. This crisis was widely publicized in the world and sparked a lot of relief efforts, with “Live Aid” concerts being the most well-known. What was remarkable that the relief was not only orchestrate by the west but was an effort involving also countries from the communist bloc. In fact, it was the Soviets who majored in the logistic support of the operation. While the response to the famine is regarded critically in hindsight, as it prolonged the civil war and rule of the communist regime in Ethiopia, it was a pivotal moment in terms of NGO involvement, relief and humanitarian aid. Poles in Ethiopia As mentioned, the humanitarian effort gathered support from all around the world. For Poland this became an opportunity to regain some international goodwill after lifting the martial law which was imposed in the wake of the pro-democracy protests in 1980/81. Therefore, while struggling with economic issues on it’s own, the polish government decided to send in 1985 a detachment of three MI-8 helicopters to Ethiopia, which became known as the “Polish Relief Helicopter Squadron in Ethiopia. What might come as a surprise the Poles rejected to put their squad under Soviet command arguing that the UN, RAF and Luftwaffe requested urgent help, in scouting out locations for landing strips, and also since their Transalls and Hercules could not reach all parts of the country. Therefore, the Ethiopian mission became one of the first instances of cooperation of Poles with it’s later NATO partners. An interesting feature of the kit I am about to build are the markings. The kit shows a prominent red cross, but you may struggle to find images of this livery. The reason is, that these initial markings were vetoed by the International Red Cross, which did not want to associate itself with the communist regimes. This led to, after the first month of operations, to a replacement with the red and white checkerboard, the traditional insignia of the Polish air force.

You mean kike those? Eithet fron VX-5 or the promo shots I'm afraid.

I bought the IDF weapons set from skunk model Workshop (1/72) and found out that thr Rafael SPICE system has apoarently been adopted on the Italian Tornados. Are there any pictures to support this claim? Also has the SPICE or Delilah cruise missile been sold to any other countries? (I believe the Indians bought the SPICE for their Mirages). Finally, does the Popeye and also the Delilah cruise missile require the DLP-2000 Data pod for guidance? The SPICE can, as far as I found out, be guided trough the aforementioned pod but also be preprogrammed, i. which case the pod would nit be necessary.

OTOH, I found a descriprion of the last Skyhawk A-4M (160264) which claims it was ony of two (the other apparently being 160263) wired to launch the Maverick. So understandably I am a tad confused.

Yeah. Forgot about the AGM-45! Thanks!