1/72 Douglas Skyraider A-1J - Build No.2 (now A-1H) **FINISHED**

[nimrod54]

This Skyraider A-1J will be my second build. After a quick glance at the contents, the kit looks as though it could make up into a nice model but I think that I will have to look around for some replacement decals.

 

 

[CliffB]

.   A great choice for your second build John - a radial engined classic!

 

[Grandboof]

Classic Radial Classic Kit Good luck will be watching 

Martin H

[Dermo245]

Great choice...a classic if there ever was one! 

 

Extra popcorn ordered..

 

Dermot

[milktrip]

Great choice

[PlaStix]

As has been said above - definitely a real classic! Will follow with interest!

Kind regards,

Stix

[jean]

Hi John,

 

great idea to build a Skyraider.

The Airfix kit can look great, but I have always been baffled by the banana shape of its back... But at this end of the day, it still looks like a Skyraider.

Have fun!

JR

[nimrod54]

56 minutes ago, jean said:

Hi John,

 

great idea to build a Skyraider.

The Airfix kit can look great, but I have always been baffled by the banana shape of its back... But at this end of the day, it still looks like a Skyraider.

Have fun!

JR

 

Hi Jean

 

It will be a first build of this kit for me. Thanks for the heads-up re the shape issue, if it is easily rectified I will attempt to sort it out. But as you have said it will still look like a Skyraider when it is finished. The decals look a bit sketchy too so I may have a look for an alternative. Don't worry I will definitely be having fun, just as I always do.

 

Hope you enjoy watching.

[Tailspin Turtle]

1 hour ago, jean said:

Hi John,

 

great idea to build a Skyraider.

The Airfix kit can look great, but I have always been baffled by the banana shape of its back... But at this end of the day, it still looks like a Skyraider.

Have fun!

JR

If you're referring to the odd intersection of the top of fuselage and the vertical fin (some modelers have gone to the trouble to "fix" it), it's actually supposed to be that way. See http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2011/10/ad-skyraider-modeling-notes.html

 

The basic shape is pretty good except for the canopy, which appears is a little undersized.

[nimrod54]

I haven't started this build as yet, but I have purchased this Aries resin set which is for the Hasegawa kit.

 

by John Leigh, on Flickr

 

I'll try and get this painted and assembled over the next week and then see how it looks for fit before hacking any of the plastic about, that way I can still fall back on the Airfix parts if there are any issues.

[nimrod54]

I have spent the past few days painting the Aires cockpit parts and I hope to give these a wash and dry brush tomorrow before final assembly. It seems a lot of effort if I have to do too much to get it to fit, but as I have said if that is the case I will use the kit parts and then hunt around for a suitable Hasegawa kit.

 

by John Leigh, on Flickr

 

by John Leigh, on Flickr

 

I have done a small amount of prep work on the kit parts too which includes wing assembly and the engine has been painted and assembled.

 

by John Leigh, on Flickr

 

by John Leigh, on Flickr

[John_W]

Hasn't aged too badly. The "Working wing fold" brings back memories.

[nimrod54]

The plastic of this particular boxing looks a little odd John, some areas have a mottled look and there are fine cracks in others but there is still plenty of surface detail.

[Tailspin Turtle]

Using that cockpit with that kit is close to the classic application of lipstick on a pig...

 

It it fits, you will need to do a lot of work, including finding a replacement canopy and (if I remember correctly) reshaping the prop, to bring the rest of the kit up to the standard that you have established...

[nimrod54]

13 hours ago, Tailspin Turtle said:

Using that cockpit with that kit is close to the classic application of lipstick on a pig...

 

It it fits, you will need to do a lot of work, including finding a replacement canopy and (if I remember correctly) reshaping the prop, to bring the rest of the kit up to the standard that you have established...

As it happens I do have a Squadron replacement canopy and at first glance the prop seems to be OK, so with a few sessions of rescribing work on some of the main panel lines, this little kit will be close enough to a Skyraider for me. 

 

I have never tried to putting lipstick on a pig (at least not whilst I have been sober), but if that rocks your boat then please feel free to carry on.

[nimrod54]

I have had a couple of sessions today rescribing and assembling the wings. There are a few areas which require some repair where I have slipped and I need to add some superglue to fill the wing joint on the upper surface, after another sand it should look more representative of the detail that is there.

 

by John Leigh, on Flickr

 

Fuselage next.

[nimrod54]

With @Tailspin Turtle 'lipstick on a pig' comment ringing in my ears I have decided to take heed of this and go with the kit parts. After checking things over I felt that I would need to do quite a lot of work to get it to fit properly so I will now keep the resin tub for a future build. Tonight I have scratched a couple of basic side consoles and I will do some work on the seat tomorrow before I complete the painting and close up the fuselage, there won't be a lot to see once that has been done anyway.

 

by John Leigh, on Flickr

 

by John Leigh, on Flickr

[nimrod54]

Work has been continuing with the addition of the basic cockpit details including a seat back pad, headrest and some tape belts. There's not as much detail as the resin set but once things are closed up the seat takes up the majority of anything that can be seen. Once the belts had been painted up it was time to join the fuselage halves before filling and sanding the seams.

 

by John Leigh, on Flickr

 

by John Leigh, on Flickr

 

by John Leigh, on Flickr

 

Then this morning the canopy and engine cowling were added.

 

by John Leigh, on Flickr

 

I am hoping that I can have this and the Avenger ready for paint over the weekend, then I can try and make a final push to get them finished.

 

 

[qn30jEkPz7]

Looking nice

 

A shame you couldn’t use the resin cockpit having already put the work into it but that’s a valid excuse to eventually build the other kit. If you spot a bargain somewhere there’s even time to get it in in this GB

[nimrod54]

On ‎17‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 2:41 AM, LostCosmonauts said:

A shame you couldn’t use the resin cockpit having already put the work into it

 

Yes it was a shame, but I have packed it away for another build. Aries do say that some thinning and trimming of parts and kit may be required to get the fit right, I just felt that more work would be required for this kit than the Hasegawa version.

 

I didn't get any work done over the weekend, Mrs N managed to find some other duties that needed sorting so the paint plans have already slipped. I did manage a bit of work today though and the undercarriage legs are now in place, I have also added a set of Quickboost pylons.

 

by John Leigh, on Flickr

 

by John Leigh, on Flickr

[nimrod54]

A bit more done to this over the last few days, the lower fuselage wing and tail plane areas along with the upper control surfaces have all received some white paint. I managed to get those masked up earlier today before spraying a coat of primer in preparation for the Light Gull Grey and I have also done some work on the prop.

 

by John Leigh, on Flickr

 

by John Leigh, on Flickr

 

[nimrod54]

I was able get some Xtracolor Light Gull Grey on yesterday and everything looks to be ok, this now has to harden off before I mask up and paint the black areas. With wheels and underwing tanks to paint there is still have plenty to be getting on with.

 

by John Leigh, on Flickr

 

by John Leigh, on Flickr

 

 

[CliffB]

This is looking great John. Fingers crossed for completion this week 

 

Cliff

[nimrod54]

45 minutes ago, CliffB said:

This is looking great John. Fingers crossed for completion this week 

 

Cliff

 

Thanks Cliff, I am trying hard to get both builds finished and this one should make it before the deadline. I made a start on masking the Avenger canopies and sundry glazing last night and if I can get that finished and everything painted by Friday, I can see a marathon decaling session taking place over the weekend.   The only possible delay I can foresee are Mrs N's plans for Christmas decorations. 

[nimrod54]

Just the final few details to complete on this build and I can call it done. I made a start on the decals a couple of nights ago and because it was proving difficult to source A-1J decals, I took the decision to complete this as an A-1H aircraft. I think that the main differences are some wing strengthening and an uprated engine on the 'J' and I don't feel that either of those are easily discernible in this scale without a magnifying glass and some close scrutiny. So this is how things stand at the moment and I am very hopeful of this one making it over the line now.

 

by J Leigh, on Flickr

 

by J Leigh, on Flickr