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Best A-1E Skyraider Kit - 1/48 or 1/72?

mhaselden

By mhaselden
in Aircraft Cold War

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mhaselden Very Obsessed Member

mhaselden

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News of the recent passing of Medal of Honor winner Bernie Fisher has me considering making a kit of his A-1E. However, I have no clue what are the best options available. Any suggestions? Also, has Fisher's aircraft ever been depicted in decals?

Thanks for any responses.

Cheers,
Mark

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Giorgio N Blabber Mouth

Giorgio N

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The only way to have a decent model of this variant is through kitbashing: Monogram with Hasegawa in 1/72 scale and Matchbox with Tamiya in 1/48. Alternatively C&H has a resin conversion for the Tamiya kit

A new good quality A-1E is something we really need

Caracal decals did decals for Fisher's aircraft in 1/48 scale, but in cany case this only carried numbers and these can be made from generic sheets or easily printed on a laser or inkjet printer on clear decal sheet. Ooop

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Murph Obsessed Member

Murph

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News of the recent passing of Medal of Honor winner Bernie Fisher has me considering making a kit of his A-1E. However, I have no clue what are the best options available. Any suggestions? Also, has Fisher's aircraft ever been depicted in decals?

Thanks for any responses.

Cheers,

Mark

Wolfpak Decals covered his aircraft in 1/72 scale on sheet 72-036 "Pirates In The Mist" LINK; however, they're sold out. Fantasy Printshop (who does the printing for Wolfpak) still has it available though. LINK

Regards,

Murph

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mhaselden Very Obsessed Member

mhaselden

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Thanks Murph, that's very helpful. They got the scheme wrong, though - Fisher's bird didn't have white undersides on the Medal of Honor mission. However, that's trivial compared to having the right style of numerals and all the other markings.

Really appreciate the steer! Now for Special Hobby to release their kit....!

Cheers,
Mark

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SleeperService Very Obsessed Member

SleeperService

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The only way to have a decent model of this variant is through kitbashing:...Matchbox with Tamiya in 1/48....A new good quality A-1E is something we really need

Can anybody point me to information on how to do this?

I've finally discovered the Cobra cockpit and just ordered it so I can finally make my long term stash resident (Thanks Jonners) up.

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datguy New Member

datguy

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The only way to have a decent model of this variant is through kitbashing: Monogram with Hasegawa in 1/72 scale and Matchbox with Tamiya in 1/48.

Can anybody point me to information on how to do this?

1/48 conversions are here:

http://hsfeatures.com/a1ejs_1.htm

and here:

http://hyperscale.com/features/2002/ad5er_1.htm

1/72 is here:

http://hsfeatures.com/ad5lb_1.htm

You can do little better than reading Tommy Thomason's blog on any US naval aircraft

http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2009/12/widebody-skyraider.html

(That's where the above links came from)

DG

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Tailspin Turtle Very Obsessed Member

Tailspin Turtle

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Re the Tailhook Topics post. Seeing it referenced here, I went over it and made a few clarification changes. I also provided some more information here: http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-widebody-skyraider-redux.html. One of these days I'm going to provide some more details on the tow target configuration...

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SleeperService Very Obsessed Member

SleeperService

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Hi Guys

Brilliant! Thanks for the pointers, knowing very little other than I wanted to build one I had no idea where to start.

Tailspin Turtle, I have found your Blog to be excellent. The F-111B is another one I want to build I have your book and found the recent updated cockpit outline post. Fatntastic work.

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  • 1 year later...
Plumbum Newbie

Plumbum

Posted
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I built the 1/72 Revell A-1E a few months ago using the excellent Cobra Company cockpit.

I was originally going to do the MOH plane but I have an affliction to dark blue planes

and lots of dark blue paint so I ended up doing the kits Navy version. The only major

problem was the prop shaft was a few millimeters too long, had to be cut down.---John

26041898574_3dd2c3bb3a_o.jpgSkyraider 2 by jvandeu53, on Flickr

26582086311_5f16bd5433_o.jpgSkyraider 4 by jvandeu53, on Flickr

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Antoine Completely Obsessed Member

Antoine

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Hi Mark,

In 1/72, there's also a conversion from RVHP, in fact a few conversions for (nearly?) all the four-seat skyraiders.

The one for A-1E is C7201, and I'd get mine from Hannants.

If you need an overview of what's inside, just tell me.

I've got to check, but there might be a decal option that'll suit you.

If I'm wrong, there's always the Wolfpak sheet, as said above.

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Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies Completely Obsessed Member

Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies

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Thanks Murph, that's very helpful. They got the scheme wrong, though - Fisher's bird didn't have white undersides on the Medal of Honor mission. However, that's trivial compared to having the right style of numerals and all the other markings.

Really appreciate the steer! Now for Special Hobby to release their kit....!

Cheers,

Mark

Just a tiny aside - the white underside on SEA schemes was a light grey :)

I quite fancy building an A-1E now it's been mentioned.

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Hook Completely Obsessed Member

Hook

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Just a tiny aside - the white underside on SEA schemes was a light grey :)

Some may have been repainted in the field with just the SEA topside colors - a number of F-4C's were similarly camouflaged when the scheme was introduced, even retaining the large under wing insignia over the Gloss White undersides of their USN style delivery scheme.

Cheers,

Andre

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Plumbum Newbie

Plumbum

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I am not 100% sure but the Navy switched from dark sea blue to gull gray over

white in the early 50s, and as the Navy kindly "gave" up it's old Skyraiders to

the Air Force I believe it would have been possibly in the original Navy gray

over white scheme. It seems I read somewhere that some were repainted using

Air Force gray colors? But I don't remember where I read that.---John--- BTW I

believe somewhere it was said to be ADC gray, overall?

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Spad Very Obsessed Member

Spad

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Posted (edited)

It was my understanding that the MOH aircraft was a Gull Grey scheme, not SEA scheme.

As an aside, isn't the decal option in the original Monogram 1/72 release supposed to depict Fisher's aircraft? Or am I confused here?

If it is, I have at least a couple of sheets from that kit if anybody wants one.

ATB
Rick

Edit: belay that last comment - MOH aircraft is 132649, the Monogram sheet is 132638 - I was confused!! Offer still stands though!

Edited by Spad
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  • 3 weeks later...
Gene K Very Obsessed Member

Gene K

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A new company is soon to release a 1/72 AD-5W, that while not perfect (some interesting comments can be found in the thread) is likely to be a much better starting point compared to the ancient Monogram kit

Of what company do you so cryptically speak? Is this "the thread"?

Thanks.

Gene K

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