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  1. Hello, I was asked by an manager of an aircraft museum om how to gett an (ex RN) Swedish AD-4W / AEW-1 Skyraider in 1/72. What I knew that isn't an easy task. Is there an resin set or anything out there? http://www.joebaugher.com/usattack/newa1_24.html Cheers / André
  2. One of my more recent work, the immaculate Skyraider. Here seen in the colours of VA-176. Modelled in Modo with very little Photoshop post render work needed on this one, more or less just changed the contrast and added a tiny bit of grainy 'noise' to the image.
  3. Good day everyone! Its been along time since I started a new build. I was steamrolling on at the beginning of the year but then in April (Violins ready!) I broke my elbow and that was that for a couple of weeks, and I have since struggled to get enough interest going. Then when Photobucket threw a spanner in the works with their blatant blackmail scam I just hit the stage of 'I really cannot be bothered!'. I didn't even contribute that much on the forums over the last few months. Just blindly scrolled through with apathy then slowly but surely this hobby will eat away at you and after a couple of false starts I managed to finish off a 109 that was part of the group build earlier (may appear in RFI later this week), even dusting off the airbrush as well. Life past summer has started to quiet down a little what with kids back to school and Uni. So I was looking for something to make to kick things off again. I also experimented with Flickr to try and banish my PB demons, which seems ok so far! So what to do? I do have a 48th Wessex, Wasp, Canberra and a 72nd CP140 still in progress but I wanted something nice, fresh, goodlooking and easyish to get me going. That's where I stumbled upon this on line for a decent price She is a good looking bird, should be easyish to put together as its a modern Tamiya kit and will look good straight OOB. Lots of plastic and loads of weapons! But here is the problem, that those who know me, know I am WAFU, Fleet Air Arm, Navy stock through and through, and to do an Air Force plane, especially a darned Yank Air Force plane is not something I can really do (No offence intended to our beloved Air Force Brethren ), so luckily I have this tired old beast kicking around as well So to spice things up a tad I am going to simply merge the two together into one beautiful Royal Naval aircraft, simples, what could go wrong? A quick dig into the decal pile produced this delightful selection I did think they were a recent release but looking at them I think they are nearly 10 years old (showing my age lol, thought they were only released last year!) but they are still looking in good order, with this version as the only option. So the plan is a Skyraider WV183 of the mighty 849 'B' flight, Fleet Air Arm. I'm not going to bother with any suez stripes or anything like that, just glorious blue, and I even have a fresh pot of Model Master FS15042! So there is the background, I have seen a couple of Tamiya AEWs attempted OOB (should be OOB2!) and it is perfectly achievable. I'm not going to bother doing the observer station either, the window curtains will be firmly drawn for that. I know about the armour issue around the cockpit and will look into that to see if it is worth removing or just pretend it isn't really there and I will only use the minimal number of parts from the Esci kit as they aren't of that good a quality really. So there it is, the build is afoot! Bob
  4. An all new 1/48th Douglas AD-5Q Skyraider resin conversion set is in the development stage. The maker of this yet to be announced product is currently unknown (North Wing Model Craft ??). To be followed Source: https://www.facebook.com/groups/695711033832473/permalink/1740945512642348/ V.P.
  5. The fourth one this year, a record for me! It's the Tamiya 1/48 Skyraider in a French Air Force scheme with MDC update set & decals. They were used in the Counter Insurgency role in Algeria. This particular aircraft was operated by EC2/20 "Ouarsenis" from Boufarik in 1961. The MDC set includes resin aerials, rockets & rocket rails as well as brass fins for the rockets. These were individual, 4 for each rocket x 12 rockets = 48 fins. I made such a town halls of the first one that I gave up. The kit itself goes together without any problems, as you'd expect with Tamiya. I'm reasonably pleased with the results, any comments or criticisms welcome. Pete
  6. Thanks Tali! A new Ukrainian brand, Skale Wings (formerly Ukrop Models), is to release a 1/72th Douglas AD-5W Skyraider kit - ref. VS001 Sources: http://www.greenmats.club/topic/1784-ad-5w-172/#comment-19682 http://hobbyterra.com/product/skyraider-ad-5w-attack-aircraft-in-1-72-scale-skale-wings-001.html V.P.
  7. Hello modeller friends, I'm currently building a Tamiya 1/48 Skyraider USN early 1960s with a bucket seat (as opposed to the later Yankee extraction seat). I searched long and large but cannot find a reference for the colour of the seat belts/harness. Can any of you Skyraider experts help me in that matter? Thank you in advance, Cheers, Quang
  8. Hello, Long time lurker, first time poster. After many (30-mumble) years, I've got back into this hobby, so please be gentle. After a couple of semi-sacrificial builds, getting my eye in and trying new techniques, this is the first I'm calling finished. Tamiya 1/48 A-1J of 56th SOW. Tamiya acrylics through airbrush, with Humbrol enamels on the pilot and wheel wells etc. I know there are things wrong with this beast (silvered decals for example, and I haven't plucked up the nerve to do the canopy frames yet), but I'm really happy with how it's turned out. This guy looks happy enough (I suspect the double-chin is a helmet trap I forgot to paint - whoops!) N
  9. Douglas Skyraider 20mm Cannon and Pitot Probes 1:32 Master Models The latest batch of items from Master Models included these two sets for 1:32 Skyraiders. As usual, they are beautifully turned and finished and are so much more realistic than the kit parts. Though easy to assemble and fit, one set is a little more fiddly than the other. [AM-32-093] – This set is for any 1:32 Douglas Skyraider. The set includes turned brass barrels without flash hiders and aluminium pitot tube. The set contains two versions of cannon muzzles. [AM-32-094] – Has also been designed for any 1:32 Douglas Skyraider and contains turned brass 20mm gun barrels with flash hiders and a turned aluminium pitot tube. Conclusion Here we have another pair of really useful and well produced items. Both sets are well up to standard we have come to expect from Master Models. All you have to do is a bit of research on what the particular aircraft you are modelling was fitted with and choose the correct set. Review sample courtesy of Piotr at
  10. Evening, I tried to start this thread a while ago, but managed to mess up the pictures, let's hope it all goes a bit better this time. So after the Tamiya Spitfire I fancied something a little simpler so went for the venerable Hasegawa FW190-A5, which went together very nicely indeed: So after that I needed some inspiration regarding the next victim to be sacrificed on the alter of my ineptitude... I had some time, after all, Susan was away in 'Nam*... Well that was a pointer and it narrowed the choice down to an F100D - but I bought the Thunderbirds version and want to do a 'Nam aircraft, but need some pylons etc, which in theory I could get from the leftovers when I've built the F105D, but I've got the Hobbycraft boxing and the transfers are broken and there's no colour guide. That left just one option, so having confirmed the policy with my SpAd Frankie, I made a start. *Yeah, about that... no, she's not been running missions out of Da Nang, although she was in 'Nam... that is to say Chelt'nam... yes, she was at the literary festival. That's right, it's two Spads together... Having gone through the usual pre-choice process of fondling plastic and looking at instructions, I headed full bore for the toilet bomber... I mean seriously, they give you a proper loo to build (parts 13 and 15)! It was only after I'd made the decision to build, that I realised that the markings for the bog-bomber were not included in this version, sad times indeed. I'll still be going for a Navy aircraft, partly to escape having to do another SEA USAF scheme, and also because the oil leaks and weathering shows up so well on the white and grey. So on we go... as usual, it starts with the really exciting stuff... yup, a stack of control surfaces. Don't worry, I won't bore you with a picture of that. So how about the engine? Plenty of bits: Which build up pretty nicely. I thought I'd try to add some wires and pipes, so had a quick scout online to look at some pics... now that is one huge hunk of metal, and the oft cited fact that this aircraft could carry the same ordnance load as a B-17 is astounding. A combination of Vallejo Dull Aluminium and various shades of black, rust and weathering. I kind of think that I can assemble and paint the main airframe before attaching the engine, I think this will negate the necessity for masking it as I might have a couple of panels open which could prove a bit of a hassle. So on with the cockpit then... And some pretty spurious colouring on the buttons, particularly when one looks at the real thing and sees that they are all black, oh well, it'll show up well... Next up the IP. Now for the last few years I've had a real problem with Trumpeter's IPs. One is provided with a plain flat back panel, a great transfer of the dials to set against it, and then a solid transparent part which is in effect the whole IP. Now I've never managed to figure this out, I've tried to paint around the dials; disastrous. I've tried to drill out the dials to show the transfer of the dials; really disastrous. I've tried to put the transfer over the transparent part... best not mentioned at all. But this time I had an inspiration... I dropped Maskol into the recessed dials and painted the whole thing black. Managed to lift out the Maskol and then clean up the clear bits with a toothpick... the results? Well you can be the judge, but I don't think it came out too badly at all: Well that's about all for now. I've got a stack of work on for the next week, but then Susan's away for Singapore for a week and then Delhi for a week, so that should be a fortnight of pure plastic fun, without having to watch any dancing/singing/jungle etc. So hopefully more to follow soon. Thanks for looking, Peter
  11. Built in 1948 at the Douglas El Segundo Plant in California as an AD-4NA this Skyraider saw service with the French and Gabon Air Force's. The Aircraft is now owned by Kennet Aviation and based at North Weald. Is now marked as A-1H 126922 from VA-176 "Thunderbolts" Pics from Tony (swordfish fairey)
  12. Hi. This was the second model i built, and even though it was only my second model, i could tell what an awful kit it was. For a newbie anyway. Nothing really fitted at all. Part of the canopy snapped off within 5 minutes of opening, and the raised panel lines? Another steep learning curve but i’m glad i persevered with it. Learn’t loads! Like not to buy another Italeri kit. Its put me off ever buying another Italeri kit. I think i may have touched this model with a bit of filler, but for the most parts, i couldn’t muster the enthusiasm to do much with it. Airbrushing and weathering where new skills for me also to get to grips with. And it kinda shows. I really do like the Skyraider, and really enjoyed researching it but this kit stunk. Apologies for the bad vibes and the cardboard ! Anyway, all comments & remarks welcome. Cheers
  13. I've had this kit in the stash for nearly 10 years and I've been saying I'd build more of my nice models, so here goes. The only addition will be the Eagle Strike decals for VNAF aircraft. I'll be building the third one down in the green and brown camo. It was from the 83rd Special Operations Squadron, commanded by General Nguyen Cao Ky, flown out of Tan Son Nhut during 1965.
  14. Usually i build models so that i can sell them on built up to pay for the next one. This one is a keeper! I love it. Its Trumpeters 1/32 A-1J. It has been built straight from the box with no faffing. I seem to have gone off weathering too. Im happy with just exhaust streaks. It is what it is , a plastic model. Great build with no problems at all. Im so impressed i am just starting a Trumpeter 1/32 A-1H , which again will be straight from the box but with gun bays open , engine shutters closed but cowling open and wings folded. I havent put the seat in this one yet , i will leave that for another day. I was too lazy to mask the camo so i just airbrushed it freehand.
  15. I have come by this set but it is not boxed and there are no instructions. So I am not even sure if it is complete. Anyone got a scan of the instructions? Thanks, John
  16. North American/Fiat QF-91C In 1961 the US DoD authorised the loan of two Luftwaffe Fiat G.91s for trials by the US Army. These were flown alongside Douglas A4D-2 Skyhawks and a Northrop N-156 (F-5 prototype). One was an Italian built G.91R-1, c/n 0052 that served with the Luftwaffe (BD+102) whilst the other was a German built G.91R-3 (c/n 0065) Luftwaffe EC+105. Although all three types were highly regarded none were deemed suitable for the role of Close Air Support or Forward Air Controller. Rumours abound that this decision was based on political grounds as the US Army could not be seen to fly foreign, (G91), Navy (A4D) or High performance USAF types (F-5) .... In 1965, however, with the US deeply embroiled in the Vietnam war the lack of a dedicated CAS aircraft to replace the venerable A-1 became far too visible. With the USAF reluctant to give up it's F-100s, even though they themselves needed replacement, the US Army dusted off it's reports and looked again at the G91, albeit now in the new Y variant, much favoured with it's twin engines and greater performance. New trials once again proved the validity of the dedign and with minor changes the type was authorised for production under license by North American Aviation. By 1970 the type had virtually replaced to A-1 and had also been adopted by the Airforce as a F-100 replacement. It went on to have an excellent service record both in combat and peacetime up until it's withdrawal in the late 1980s. It was not the end though and many airframes had a 2nd life awaiting for them. Post Vietnam cutbacks meant the conversion of F-102,106 and F-4s to the unmanned drone role was under threat. North American jumped in and utilised the experience acquired from the successful QF-86 and QF-100 programs to offer a lower cost solution. Slowly the ranks of F-91Cs sunning in the desert shrank as the majority of airframe not allocated to museums or the spares pile, were returned to flying condition with the ubiquitous bright red markings associated with their new lease of life. Some were mostly grey, others mostly green, a few had 2 or 3 colour camouflage, and a rare couple had special schemes. One thing was agreed upon by all - even the anonymous birds looked spectacular in their new feathers.
  17. Hello Guys, Below are the images of my "Final Reveal" for the Tamiya 1/48 Douglas A-1J Skyraider. After the images, I will include some notes regarding this build; my opinions of the kit in terms of quality, cost, value for money etc and any points to look out for if you decide to buy and build this kit. I hope you like the following views, and, forgive me for all the photos, but I always have a problem trying to decide what to show! I bought this kit for $32.00 from Hobbylinc.com last year, but it is now for sale from their website at $33.29: http://www.hobbylinc.com/tamiya-douglas-a-1j-skyraider-usaf-attack-aircraft-plastic-model-airplane-kit-1:48-scale-61073 Quality of molded product: The parts are molded well, zero flash on the majority of parts and if there was flash, it was very little. There were no warped parts and ejector pins were away from seen surfaces. The parts are molded with finely recessed panel lines to aid highlighting them when painting, and every parts details are crisp and faultless. The clear parts were very clear, not thick and there were no blemishes or distortions to disrupt the visual transparency. I give the Quality of molded product a score of 10/10 Quality of Engineering/Fits: This kit literally falls together, and without a shadow of a doubt, this has to be the best kit that I have had the pleasure to put together, out of the 15 I have built to date since starting modeling in January of 2014. The molded parts come loaded with nice details within the cockpit, on the undercarriage and the exterior surfaces. I give the Quality of Engineering/Fits a score of 10/10 Assembly and Painting Instructions: The assembly instructions come in black and white and they are clear, concise and easy to follow with each part clearly numbered along with the Tamiya color code for that part to be painted in. There is a separate sheet for painting guides for two Squadron markings. A full size view sheet is included that can be used as a paper mask for when painting your model. I always take a few photo-copies of this sheet and use the copies for this task. I give the instructions a score of 10/10 Decals: There is one sheet of decals that do not include the smaller stencils such as "Danger", "No Step" "Caution" etc and therefore, there are only 28 decals to put onto this model. That includes the 4 decals that go onto the propeller- one on each blade. The decals are thicker than normal, take a long time to release from the backing paper and some are delicate when applying to the plane. I had one tear on me, but I managed to position the two torn parts together to hide the tear. Be careful and patient when using these decals. I give the decals a score of 6 out of 10. Packaging: There are four bags of light grey/beige sprues and a bag with a clear sprue inside. These are within a card exterior box base and lid which is pretty sturdy, has great artwork and some images of the finished model in the two different color/marking schemes on two opposite sides of the box. I give the packaging 9/10 Value for money: 10/10! Would I recommend this kit...a resounding YES, ABSOLUTELY!! It offers a great looking build with two full sprues of weapons/ordnance and options for layout of those weapons. It includes a nicely detailed cockpit that looks great built OOB! There are options to have the rear canopy open or closed, the two fuselage and one ventral air-brake doors open or closed, the ailerons posed up or down, a detailed radial engine and a Pilot figure to finish it off. There are after-market extras that can be purchased for enhancing this kit, such as resin cockpit tub and ejector seats, PE parts and resin bombs and undercarriage, should you feel the need to "enhance" this kit further, although in my opinion it looks great built OOB. My only two "issues" with this kit are; 1) The decals; if Tamiya were to include Cartograf decals into this kit, it would have a perfect score of 10 out of 10. 2) The artwork on the box illustrates a "Whip Antenna" on the port-side of the fuselage next to the rear sliding canopy, but this isn't included in the kit. I therefore scratch built the Whip Antenna" mounting block by carving/sanding the end of a piece of sprue and cutting it off. I then stuck this to the end of a cocktail stick and painted it black. I then made the Antenna by using the "Stretched Sprue" method and cut a piece to length, stuck it to the mounting block and painted that black. When it was dry, I mounted it to the plane. If you're thinking of buying this kit, think no more, go ahead, make your day, you won't be disappointed!! Below is my "Final Reveal" YouTube video link for this build: https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=hzqeA71uvB4 Thanks in advance for taking a look and commenting, much appreciated! Cheers, Martin
  18. Hi everyone, This time i would like to introduce you my A-1H Skyraider. The kit is the Hasegawa and is very accurate and easy to assemble. The only critics I have is that it has no good options for the ordnance. I used a Print Scale decals sheet with the Mig killer markings. I had many problems because the decals are too thin, impossible to slice without folding on themselves. The other problem with these decals is that are incorrect. for example the numbers should have 90º anlges instead of 45º and other inaccuracies. Anyway for me the result was good and I hope you like it. I´ve searched on pictures of real Skyraiders and noticed that most of the times, htey were very clean, except for the exhaust stains and some oil leaks on the underside. I used pastels and oil colours to do that. Please feel free to comment and all sugestions welcomed!!! best regards The uruguayan guy... Ignacio
  19. Finally managed to finish this one, with a few stumbles toward the end. I tried out a host of new techniques and materials on this thing and am pretty happy with the result. Another thing I'm fairly happy with is I can now get rid of the ginormous box cluttering up the apartment. The only addition was a set of belts, some engine detailing and some nylon thread static dischargers. So without further ado, I give you the pictures.. The build thread can be found here: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234940474-trumpeter-132-a-1d/
  20. After its original 1/32nd A1H Skyraider "Korean War" boxing (http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234919671-132nd-douglas-a-1h-skyraider-by-trumpeter-sneak-preview-released/?hl=skyraider ), Trumpeter is to re-release this kit as Douglas A1H/AD-6 Skyraider "Vietnam War" - ref.02253. Release expected in December 2013. Source: http://www.trumpeter-china.com/a/en/product/fly/1_35_Series/2013/0930/2506.html V.P.
  21. I am back into the man cave following a brief break from my building. I remember building a large scale Skyraider with my father when I was very young, so I am looking forward to having a go at this Tamiya kit. I have started with the cockpit and decided that for the first time that I would include a pilot. So the challenge of painting a small figure was taken on. I think its OK. the images are greatly magnified and the original size looks quite realistic and pleasing. A white wash was given to the black instruments and knobs to give them relief. A few dabs of red and white helped to liven it up. The light grey interior was just Vallejo grey primer mixed with Home brew thinners and some acrylic floor gloss. The home brew thinners has properties that give a very smooth finish to the paint. The primer mix allows sanding much more quickly than the un-modified mix, which tends to peel if not left for 24hrs to dry.
  22. My tamyia 1//48 spad been wanting to do one for a while, first attempt with a air brush, also first attempt using "mig" pigments , am happy with the top BUT not with the bottom went to heavy with the pigment trying to reprisent mud .
  23. Douglas A-1H Skyraider Trumpeter 1/32 The Model Trumpeter follow up their A-1D early version of the Skyraider, they have now released the A-1 as used in the Vietnam War. Having reviewed the A-1D on BM HERE it would be churlish to repeat the history of the design but feel it may be helpful to include the build. The kit comes in quite a large box with an artists representation of the aircraft in flight over a target in Vietnam, duelling with a North Vietnamese Mig. As with the previous release on opening the box it is stuffed full with eighteen sprues of medium grey styrene, one sprue of clear styrene, rubber tyres, a small sheet of etched brass, and two quite large sheets of decals, one for the aircraft and one for the weaponry. Both kits have exactly the same sprues and parts, with only the main aircraft decal sheet changed. All the parts appear very well moulded with no sign of flash and not too many moulding pips. Surface detail is a mixture of engraved and raised lines where appropriate such as strengthening straps and rivets. The instructions, on twenty four pages of landscape A4 are very clear and easy to follow. Since there have already been aftermarket releases for the A-1D its natural to assume that there will be quite a few for this kit. Since there is very little difference between the kits, the modeller could use the same sets for both aircraft. Construction starts with the engine build. The front and rear banks of cylinders are in two halves, each bank is then attached to each other and the push rods are fitted, as is the rear engine mounting plate. The crankcase is then built up with the addition of the magnetos and other ancillary parts before fitting to the front of the engine. The air intake manifold is the assembled and fitted to the rear of the engine followed by the complex arrangement of exhaust pipes which look quite fun to assemble and fit to each cylinder. The planetary gear case with the oil tank and sump moulded integrally is fitted with the two part battery and attached to the rear of the engine as are the very sturdy looking engine mounts. With the engine complete, the cockpit is then assembled. To the basic cockpit floor, with the side console shapes pre-moulded, the console inners and tops are added, along with the seat, joystick, rudder pedals and instrument panel. The panel consists of a backing plate and clear front portion, onto the back of which the instrument decal is positioned. The instrument faces then need to be masked off before painting. When the masking is removed if should give the effect that the dials are behind glass. With the panel in place the rear bulkhead, having had the headrest attached can be fitted to the floor. Etched belts are provided for the lap and over-shoulder positions. To the completed cockpit assembly the main fuselage bulkheads fore and aft are attached. The foreward bulkhead also has the main engine oil tank, oil pump and fire bottle fixed to the front face, whilst the rear bulkhead has the fuselage fuel tank fitted to the rear face. The engine assembly is then attached to the front bulkhead and the whole assembly fitted to one side of the fuselage. The tailwheel bay is made up of the roof, sides and small front bulkhead to which the fuselage tail bulkhead is attached. The tailwheel itself is made up of the oleo, three part wheel support structure and the three part wheel including the rubber tyre. The tailwheel is then fitted into the well and the whole assembly fitted to its position in the fuselage. There are six further bulkheads fitted within the fuselage two of which are attached to the separate lower air brake well. With everything fitted into one half of the fuselage, the other half can be attached closing the fuselage up. The newer style aerials and domes on top of the fuselage for this version can now be fitted. With the fuselage closed up work still continues on the nose area. Firstly the two intakes are attached above and below the nose, aft of the engine; the lower intake is fitted with a PE grille. The two side panels aft of the engine are moulded in clear styrene, presumably so that the internal can be seen if one or both panels are left unpainted. The four nose strakes are attached to their respective positions, two per side whilst the cowling mounting ring is fitted over the engine and attached to the fuselage. In the cockpit the two canopy rails are fitted, whilst behind the cockpit two air scopes are attached. The engine cowling has the option of being posed open or closed as do the front and rear cowl flaps. If posed closed there is a very nicely moulded single piece outer cowl, into which parts representing the internal structure and front cowl flaps are fitted. Whilst this is a nice feature, it would be a shame to hide all the great engine detail. For the open cowling there is a separate nose structure into which the front cooling flaps are fitted, the support beam, two hinged panels and their gas struts. Moving back to the cockpit opening the coaming is fitted with a switch box and glued into place. There is a panel fitted behind the headrest and fitted with a support posts. The canopy slide rail is then fitted along with a blade aerial and the windscreen. The single piece canopy, moulded in clear styrene is a very complicated moulding and due to this does suffering from a mould seam which will need some careful sanding and polishing with something like the micromesh system before sealing in Kleer or Alclad aqua gloss before fitting to the fuselage. With the fuselage now complete work moves to the tail with the assembly of the horizontal tailplanes, elevators and rudder, each of which is in two halves. For the elevators to be posed drooped two small tags need to be removed first. The lower wing centre section is then fitted out with the main undercarriage bays box structures with cross bracing between the inboard and outboard sides. The inner wing cannon ammunition boxes are also fitted, as are the fold join ribs. The inner cannon are made up of the breech, with ammunition belt feed and ejector detail and a three part barrel and barrel bracket. The cannon are then attached to the inner wing between the inner and outer fold join ribs. If the wing is to be modelled unfolded then the three piece barrel can be replaced by a single, less detailed one. With the cannon fitted the upper wing parts can be attached. Turning the wing over, the flaps are assembled and attached to the wings by four actuators the choice of parts will depend on whether the flaps are to be modelled up or down. At this point the instructions call for the main undercarriage to be fitted, but it may be prudent to leave this until after the inner wing section is attached to the fuselage to prevent any breakages. As it is, the main undercarriage is each made up of the main oleo, retraction frame, gas strut, and front bay door. The wheels consist of the inner hub with separate brake piston detail, internal axle mount, a choice of spoked or solid outer hub and the rubber tyre. Once fitted to the wing the inner and outer bay doors can be attached. With the inner wing attached to the fuselage the side air brakes are fitted, again with the option of posing them open or closed. If closed then the internal panel and retraction jack can be omitted. The same goes for the underside air brake, just forward of which, on both sides a footstep is fitted. Right aft the two piece arrestor hook is attached, presumably in either retracted or extended position, but its not clear just going by the instructions. The propeller is then constructed out of a two part boss and four individual propeller blades. The completed propeller can be fitted once painting and decaling has been finished. The outer wings are now assembled with the wing cannon constructed in the same way as the inner wings guns and fitted into the gun bays built using the front, rear and side bulkheads with the ammunition boxes outboard of the guns. The wing lights, just inboard of the tip is fitted along with the wing join rib which has had the fold mechanisms attached, the type used will depend on whether the model is to be built with wings spread or folded. With the internal parts fitted the upper wing panels are attached, followed by the clear light covers and the ailerons. If the wings are spread then the outer cannon and ammunition bays can be shown with their access panels open. The completed assemblies can then be attached to the inner wings. Again, these can be left off until after painting and decaling, particularly if the wings are to be folded. Final attachments to the wings and fuselage are the various pylons. Alternative pylons are provided for the inner wing, dependent on whether the 2000lb bombs are to be mounted. Each pylon is detailed with separate crutch plates which is an item normally missed on kits, even in this scale. The kit has plenty of weaponry provided, including:- Four M64 500lb bombs Eight Mk82 500lb bombs Two M66 2000lb bombs Eight Mk81 250lb bombs Two M-117 750lb bombs Eight M-57 250lb bombs Four LAU-3 rocket pods Four SUU-14A/A cluster bomb units Sixteen 5 rockets Two wing drop tanks One centreline drop tank Two toilet bombs, (Although it appears from research that only one was used and not by an aircraft of the units given on the kits decal sheet. At least in this release the majority of weapons can be used to give a fearsome loadout. Although research should still be carried out to fit the appropriate weapons for the aircraft you wish to depict. Etch Of all the parts on the small sheet of etched brass only five are actually used, the two lap straps, two shoulder straps and the intake grille. Although quite a thick sheet, it appears to be malleable enough to use without the need to anneal beforehand. Decals The two large decal sheets, one for the aircraft and one for the weaponry are both very nicely printed, in good register and opacity. They are quite glossy and thin, but some of the backing sheet is quite noticeable, although with a good gloss coat beforehand they should bed down well without silvering. Two aircraft schemes are provided, these are for:- US Navy, VA-176, A-1H 412/AK, BuNo135326 US Air Force, 22nd Special Operations Squadron, 56th Special Operations Wing, A-1H, 628/TS BuNo137628 The weapon sheet provides the yellow live weapon rings and placards for the M-64, M-66, Mk-82 and M-117 bombs, even though the latter two are not relevant for this era. The rest of the sheet covers the placards for each of the pylons. Conclusion Its great to see Trumpeter release the A-1H which gives the modeller the opportunity to do the aircraft in the schemes its probably most renowned for wearing and the conflict its most associated with. The detail is great and should cater for all but the most fastidious of modellers, who can add detail to their hearts content as the basics are definitely here. As with the earlier version its not as complex as the ZM releases, but should and indeed does build into an impressively detailed and large model. Highly recommended For reference we have walkround photos HERE Review sample courtesy of
  24. Douglas A-1D Skyraider 1:32 Etched sets The Trumpeter 1:32 A-1D Skyraider, even with the odd issue, is a really nice kit, with plenty of detail straight out of the box. Obviously this is not enough for the crew at Eduard, where more is definitely more in their eyes. To this end they have released three etched sets for the big SPAD, well four if you include the cut down Zoom set. They provide details for the Interior, exterior and engine. They are up to the usual standard we have come to expect from the company, but they still really need to sort out the clarity of the instructions. All the sets come in the poly sleeve style packaging. Some of the kit detail needs to be removed before being replaced by the etched parts. Additionally you are instructed to add depth to the strengthening ribs in some of the panels by rolling a ball point pen back and forth until the rib is correctly formed. A-1D Exterior Set – 32330, comprises of two sheets of etched brass and contains new panels for the rudder and vertical tail, a panel for the tail wheel oleo structure, additional details for the exposed wing fold areas and end plates for the flaps, which is exposed by the folding of the wings. Along the upper wing fold line there is a new strengthening plate and angle plate fitted, whilst there are replacement details for the outboard cannon including the mounting structure and spent cartridge chute. The most work takes place within the main undercarriage bays. The bay doors receive new hinges and bead seal, in the bay, new side walls are added and, after what looks like a very interesting series of folds the wing structure visible on the bay roof is fitted. The oleos and retraction struts also receive replacement details, such as link arms, hinge link, and end seal for the jack along with new brake pistons. Moving to the airbrakes, each internal panel is replaced with a new, and quite large, etched panel. The gun bay access panels are fitted with new piano hinges and right aft there is a new arrestor hook fairing and inspection panel. There are also new items for the weapons, including arming vanes for the bomb noses and more complex ones for the tails, inspection panels for the drop tanks, bomb hangers and pylon cover plates for the main inboard pylons. A-1D Engine – 32349. Naturally, as the title purports, this single sheet set is for the engine, but also covers parts for the cowling panels. While the set doesn’t appear too complex, it will require a lot of patience and a steady hand, as there is a lot of rolling to be carried out, particularly on the wiring harnesses, cylinder head covers and cowling attachment rings, which make up the majority of the parts. There is also a large ring that fits at the rear of the cowling nose panel, new hinges for the side panels and, rather interestingly, a work platform which hangs from the side of the aircraft, allowing a maintainer to access the top of the engine in some comfort. This is a neat addition, especially for those modellers wishing to use the model in a diorama. A-1D Interior – 32789. The parts are contained on two etched sheets, which whilst quite small, appear to contain a lot of addition detail for the cockpit. One sheet is not only pre-painted, but also self adhesive saving a lot of hassle gluing them in place. The smaller of the two is plain etched brass. The set provides a comprehensive rebuild of the cockpit which will need to have most of the kit detail removed first. The main parts are the instrument panel with additional backing plate with the instrument dials painted on, each of the different facets that make up the side consoles tops and sides, additional circuit breaker panels and the like for around the cockpit, rudder pedals and what looks like a map table projecting off the instrument panel. Most, if not all of the knobs, levers and other paraphernalia are also included, some on the pre-painted sheet, the others on the standard sheet. The joystick is provided with an extension to bring it to the correct height, which will need to be careful folded to ensure a good fit. There are also grab handles and locking handle for inside the canopy. Both the coaming and rear decking receive a host of additional details, including brackets, instruments and a birds nest of wires. Unusually, the seat belts are included in this set rather than being available separately and include all the buckles and fittings required to make up a very realistic set-up. Finally there a couple of data plates that are wrapped around each of the main wheel oleos. A-1D Interior Zoom Set – 33127. This is the much simplified set for those modeller who don’t want to add too much to their model, but just add that little extra detail to enhance the completed model. The set includes just one sheet which contains all the parts that are on the pre-painted, self adhesive sheet mentioned above. Conclusion These are all very nice and useful sets to really enhance the big Skyraider, particularly in the main wheel bays and the cockpit. The quality of the pre-painted items is superb and will really help even a less experienced modeller build a good looking cockpit. There’s nothing too tricky to catch the modeller out, just take care with the folding. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of Review sample courtesy of
  25. My favourite model for the past year, a very easy construction, and my first propeller!
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