1/48 OA-10A Thunderbolt II callsign Sandy

[Sid de Koning]

I read a story on the internet of the rescue of Vega 31. The F-117A which was shutdown over Kosovo in 1999. This was the main inspiration for wanting to make one of those Warthogs. An OA-10A of the 81st Fighter Squadron 'Panthers' on a Combat Search and Rescue mission. That squadron was normally based on Spangdahlem, Germany, and are the ones ever so often practising attack runs on a major bridge in the Netherlands I live close by to.

Always a nice sound and sight to see!

Decals I have ordered from Afterburner and are on their way.

I have all the different boxings of the A-10 but I will be using the Hobby Boss one because it looks to be the most detailed. I also have the Aires sets for cockpit and wheel bays. And an Eduard exterior set as well. Lovely Royale Resins wheel will be following shortly as well.

And of course the bible by Jake Melampy.

So far the Aires pit needed some updating for a LASTE version, an scratchbuild Option Select Panel on top of the IP and a Data Transfer Unit on the left side of the seat just aft of the ejection 'rails'?

Easily made but it adds a lot. Also new side wall insulation because the pattern was wrong and the airco vents were no longer there because the LASTE update changed that to just below of the IP. Made from wine lead.

Also the airco pipes on both sides needed therefore be removed.

I couldn't find any specific FS number for the cockpit grey, which I finally eyeballed to be Mr.Color 306 Gray FS36270. So I just airbrushed that.

Also the HB kit has got some exhausts/vents covered on the aft part of the fuselage. They are now opened up and have a small metal tube inside to create depth.

So pictures say more than a thousand words I am told..

Aires is 1,5 mm too short and 1 mm too small.. won't be using that despite the small bump being correct (toothpick)..

OSP..

DTU and some oxygen hoses..

other site..

http://www.sidneydekoning.nl/upload/thunderbolt/Hawg036.jpg

opening those holes..

Mr.Color 306 is on..

[russ c]

Love A-10`s, Great start !

[SaintsPhil]

This will be one to watch, I always like a build with a back story

[Sid de Koning]

I engraved all the panellines to slightly deeper and glued the wings together to start modifying the wheelbays.

The ECU ram air ducts were too thick, Eduard to the rescue. I modified that part more to look like a duct (in the background)..

inside with all tubes so far..

A is not a hatch, B is the old ADF antenna, C is an ILS marker beacon and should be on D. E has to have an UHF/TACAN antenna..

F doesn't exist..

G is not shaped correctly (C/D Band antenne) and also missing a round access hatch, H are missing the radio-altimeters, K (AN/ALR-46) is misshapen and J (RHAW antenna) had to go as well. Slime lights missing as well, but are in the Eduard set, despite them not mentioning that (parts 6). Italeri kit supplied the right parts for G and H.

stiffening plates missing.. translucent tape to the rescue, as well as some wine lead.. cheers!

vertical stabilizers (left HB, right Eduard/Sid)..

today's pit, not finished yet..

[amason61]

Wow! That pit and IP look incredible. Thanks for all the notes on the antennas/panels. I learned a few things that I will be applying to my Blacksnakes A-10C build. Keep up the good work . . and keep sharing the progress shots of it all. It is most helpful!

[Shalako]

Jolly good job mate.

From what I can see, Hobby Boss has produced a rather nice kit with adequate detail.

Nevertheless, I was wondering if it gives the extended ladder for the pilot and if you know if it's possible to use it as it is on an A-7 Corsair.

Keep up the good work

Cheers

Sernak

[Sid de Koning]

...Nevertheless, I was wondering if it gives the extended ladder for the pilot and if you know if it's possible to use it as it is on an A-7 Corsair...

I haven't got a clue.. sorry..

[Sid de Koning]

there is quite a lot to see inside the exhausts, so out with the filler..

left is Italeri's, right the HB.. pretty much interchangeable..which do you think looks better?

real thing..

pit so far, not yet finished..

[Sid de Koning]

I measured the exhaust on the pictures and translated it to scale and it turns out HB is about 1,2mm too small and the Italeri just a little bit (0,5mm) too wide.. I will try to make the Italeri exhausts fit because the inside is better detailed and shaped correctly. Also the turbine has got a dome. HB is lacking the turbine at all and Eduard only gives a flat turbine disc which is way too big in diameter for the real thing.

The inside will be thinned of course.

the seat so far after Aires PE..

HB forgot the stick shaker at the bottom..

the yellowish Royale Resin wheels are truly gorgeous! It's even got text on the sides (thanks Doug), the rubber is a little too big for the HB hubs, the True Details gray resin is a terrible cast off of these and the remaining is the acceptable Italeri wheel. Royale it is!

Now go and find that toothbrush.. instant 3D bulbous handles..

[woody37]

Lovely progress, that cockpit is scrumptious

[Michaelvk]

That is impressive work! Makes me fearful to start my own Italeri A10 for fear of it looking like it was built wearing oven gloves by comparison.

[Stinger 9]

superb so far. Looking forward to the rest of the build.

Monty

[Rich F]

That pit is beautiful, love the attention to detail.

This is going to be good

[Sid de Koning]

I did a test on whether or not I could make the missing rivets on the tailsection myself but I gave up on that. There are just too many any it's a very BORING job which is also is not easy.

I think Italeri's (left) will do better, especially since thinned..

sidewalls with mig pigment dirtied up locally..

last time without sidewalls..

pitots on the seat..

not a perfect fit, but could be worse I guess..

windshield a bit too narrow..

Canopy is soaked in Future and now drying safely..

[LT Motta]

Love this bird!!! You are doing an amazing job, the cockpit is fantastic!!!

[Shaun]

Nice work, looking great.

Did you see my build?, I found quite a few errors in the kit during my build.

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=22365&hl=warthog

 

Keep up the good work, look forward to seeing the completed model.

 

Shaun.

Edited January 8, 2013 by Shaun

[Sid de Koning]

How could I have missed your build.. thanks Shaun! I read it and found some things I otherwise would have missed.. any time you see something strange just say so!

 

The Aires nose wheel bay is useable and I even got it to fit, not the easiest task with Aires. The main gear wheel bays are not useable, they are too small and too short.

Eduard does help but I needed more than that. The bulkhead (13,14) was did not fit due to my extended wings inside the wheel bays. Also the parts Eduard provide to keep help the structural shape of the nose cone is a bit to meagre. So I used Evergreen and the inner part of Eduard.

The springs are Aires and self made. Added some more 0,2 mm lead wire and another bulkhead at the far end (own imagination).

Getting rid of HB..

started scratching and basic Eduard..

Making it a little bit more robust..

all 3 of them..

after 3 days..

more lead wire..

home-made springs..

not very focussed, sorry..

i can't glue these till later..

primed with mr.Surfacer 1200..

[woody37]

Really enjoyable scratch building to watch

[Nobby]

Very nice.

[Sid de Koning]

The exposed sides of the elevator show some rib structure which was missing, also there was no trim tab mechanism nor drain holes..

Same for the flaps and I made 4 drain holes in each..

HB's stall fence is too thick and short. Should curve around the leading edge. Eduard faithfully copied HB to a thinner version which is therefore also short.

something like this..

Italeri ® has got it right, which make the slat stick outwards correctly..

HB ailerons are way too thick at their hinges. 0,3 mm near the wingroot and a even 0,8mm at the wingtip. Left one has been fixed..

HB version of the trim tab mechanism could use more attention, as well as the mass balance on the right (the hump)..

Eduards mass balance and the hole needs to be enlarged accordingly..

aileron hinges..

aileron trim mechanism..

Thanks to Shaun's build on Britmodeler I learned this intake was in the wrong position. You will never find out till it's too late, or when you are warned.. Thanks Shaun!

[Sid de Koning]

Only just visible is the halfround exit hole, the other plate was reinforcement for the moving of the intake on the side..

67g lead..

gives a nicely balanced model, with a center of gravity forward of the wings..

..

Yes, it is full in there, but room for more through the inflight refuelling door..

intake for gun cooling is a little different than HB..

quite some cracks around the instrument coaming and some small grating to avoid looking in..

added some black painted wine lead for the cracks and around the gun housing (after sanding it magically disappeared)..

YESSS.. it all fits! (without too much pressure).. happy feeling..

[Sid de Koning]

It has been quite but nonetheless I haven't had a break, just a boring job of hand drilling all the rivets with a 0,4mm drill. There are just a couple of thousands and they are not that obvious, which will get worse after sanding and priming.

Not done..

done..

the rivets on the exhausts will be drilled as well..

covert and slime lights from Eduard, just a little too big, but it will have to do..

Edited January 22, 2013 by Sid de Koning

[SaintsPhil]

Coming on really nicely! I take my hat off to you for taking the time to do the rivets. It's worth it come the end of the build but I just can't sit still that long!!

[Stinger 9]

This is surely a museum piece when finished.

Simply outstanding.

Monty

[Sid de Koning]

Thanks guys!

old situation was not correct. The back channel should be longer and the top of the fuselage should be closed further inside..

I am counting on it that not more than 3 rows will be visible anyway..

O is the lengthened fuselage, next to P should be an engine oil access door, next to Q and S access doors as well..

next to R part is missing a part (strange mistake by HB), panellines U and V are incorrect. Next to T should be what looks to be a double panelline..

black panellines to be filled, red panellines to be made in stead..

Notice access door is in a different position than where P was..

old vs new engine bay cover..