A-6E tram intruder, 1/48, desert storm

[modelling minion]

Very nice work Glynn.

I like Hobby Boss' approach to the landing gear, should make it nice and sturdy.

This certainly looks to be a nicely detailed kit, and accurate too, pity they don't get it this right all the time.

I like the radar array too, nice that they've included it and a nice job on your part with the detailing.

[Pappy]

G'day Glynn,

 

Nice work on the sub-assemblies. I think your cockpit looks a LOT better now that the pre-painted grey of the PE panels was touched in with the matching cockpit colour,

 

cheers,

 

Pappy

[Hewy]

8 hours ago, modelling minion said:

Very nice work Glynn.

I like Hobby Boss' approach to the landing gear, should make it nice and sturdy.

This certainly looks to be a nicely detailed kit, and accurate too, pity they don't get it this right all the time.

I like the radar array too, nice that they've included it and a nice job on your part with the detailing.

I agree hobbyboss can be a bit frustrating at Times, this is definitely one of they're better ones, i think they're f-14 kit is pretty decent too, cheers

 

7 hours ago, Pappy said:

G'day Glynn,

 

Nice work on the sub-assemblies. I think your cockpit looks a LOT better now that the pre-painted grey of the PE panels was touched in with the matching cockpit colour,

 

cheers,

 

Pappy

 

Thanks pappy i did touch in the pre painted bits, i also painted that little console between the co pilots legs it was light grey should have been black, should move forward quite a bit this weekend now i can concentrate on this

Glynn 

Edited October 31, 2018 by Hewy

[Jabba]

Some really good work carried out there.

[PlaStix]

Wow! That's looking very impressive Glynn! Your additional wiring really adds to the appearance too.  

Kind regards,

Stix

[Hockeyboy76]

Just caught up with your build. Loving your work it’s all paying off dude. 

[Hewy]

A little work on the intruder to report, 

Wings are together and pe parts on, I've decided due to a change around in my hobby room it's going to be both wings up, 

Also the inner wings have they're flaps, upper (flaperons?) and lower added with the pe parts, and marked for the movement of the wing fence which I reckon to be 8mm further inboard

 

 

I added the pe to the arrestor hook recess and added the air brake panels which are fixed closed on the version im doing, also this version has an two holes filled in and some corresponding panel lines filling in, thanks to Tailspin Turtle and the link he posted, also I've formed some sides to the bird cage bay as I'll be using the pe designed for the kinetic kit here

 

Onte other side of the fuselage, rather than just a round hole, I've added a little bit of styrene tube  at an angle, to better (i hope) represent an exaust outlet, i'll ream this a bit thinner and sand it a little closer to the fuselage before paint

The beginning of of the birdcage bay, not a great deal at all will be seen in here in the end (he hopes) 

One more thing, i also picked up the most exellent  "aoa  sandbox" decal sheet for the intruder, and I'll be switching the scheme, it will be grey and it will be a  va 55 warhorses aircraft,  operating off the USS coral sea in 1986 from operation eldorado canyon. P

Thanks to everyone who's posted, liked, and offered links and info, i do appreciate it. 

Glynn 

[PlaStix]

Looking excellent Glynn. Should be impressive with all the extra PE work. 

Kind regards,

Stix

[Hewy]

Hi stix, hope you  had a good telford, thanks mate, i think this build will live or die on the finished paint job, I'm practicing already🤔

[PlaStix]

Hi Glynn. No Telford for me this year I'm afraid. 

And I'm sure you'll achieve a fantastic paint job as usual. I have my fingers crossed for you!

Kind regards,

Stix

[modelling minion]

Nice progress Glynn.

I think she will look great with both wings folded.

You inspired me to come back from Telford with one of these which will  be done in the earlier grey and white scheme, and no not for this GB as I'm too busy as it is!

[Hewy]

 Cheers craig, I reckon they are the best of the intruder bunch,  (I'm going to slacken off a little over the coming weeks too, an enjoyable easy Christmas build  to be planned though ,) a lot of care dry fitting is needed around the nose, radar bulkhead, and coaming,on the hb intruder, other than that you'll really enjoy it, doog explains it quite well in a search , and it will look great in a hi-viz vietnam era  scheme. I wanted a kinetic, italeri prowler from telford but no luck, maybe an auction site will have one, i came back with plenty of brassin snakeyes for this though, i think  18 are apparently needed, and there are only 2 mers rails in the kit so i had to get brassin mers too,  but  you  get 3 mers per brassin kit, what do i do use them with  1 hb mers, or buy 2 brassin mers sets, and have 2 spare? 🤔, yep i got 2 sets, I'd better not fluff it up, the decals, mers, and ordanance were more than the kit let alone the pe, easily my most  expensive total of the year, but it keeps me out of trouble, 

 

[Hockeyboy76]

Enjoy your easy build dude. She’s looking good so far. 

[modelling minion]

24 minutes ago, Hewy said:

I wanted a kinetic, italeri prowler from telford but no luck

The only one I saw was in the kit swap and they wanted £40 for it, it was an Italeri boxing, so I left it where it was. A German friend was supposed to be bringing me one over for £20 but he could not find it, his stash is WAAAAAY bigger than Narnia!

[Jabba]

Like the work that you have done, and I do think that the wings folded on an aircraft add a bit je ne sais pas.

[Hewy]

I've had a little time to work on the intruder. 

I've got the fuselage halfs together eradicated the seam and resribed and lightly riveted where necessary, also fitted the wing fence bases, and glued all of the scoops on and drilled them out, 

 

 

Got the p e on  the belly tank pylon, a little will  still be seen, also a couple of areas to alter the white squares are yet to be sanded, they were supposed to have some kind of inlet but this was removed on the version I'm doing, and the two holes have been drilled out these are vents, there's pe still to add to the wing pylons

 

P e on the gear doors

And painted

 

Getting the coaming in the right place was very difficult, unfortunately the radome bulkhead doesn't help, so the radar idea has been binned, i glued the radome halfs individually to the fuselage halfs the day before i zipped her  up, this aids alignment greatly, I've also drilled out and thinned down the steps on the intakes, 

 

 

1

 

I'm working on the screen and canopy atm I've started applying the pe, i am a little further along with this but  haven't took any photos as yet

[PlaStix]

The PE is certainly adding a lot of lovely detail and the cockpit looks awesome!! 

Kind regards,

Stix

[Hewy]

35 minutes ago, PlaStix said:

The PE is certainly adding a lot of lovely detail and the cockpit looks awesome!! 

Kind regards,

Stix

Thanks stix, but I have noticed that the pilots foot controls have been bent out of place by my fat fingers, doh

[PlaStix]

8 minutes ago, Hewy said:

Thanks stix, but I have noticed that the pilots foot controls have been bent out of place by my fat fingers, doh

To be honest I would not have noticed that if you hadn't mentioned it! Will you be able to sort it? 

[Hewy]

20 minutes ago, PlaStix said:

To be honest I would not have noticed that if you hadn't mentioned it! Will you be able to sort it? 

A pair of fine nose tweezers, my glasses, and fingers tightly crossed🤑, i reckon so, i only noticed it on the posted photos

[modelling minion]

Coming along nicely Glynn.

I wouldn't have noticed the pedal issue either until you pointed it out, sure you will get it sorted, just don't hold your breath for too long when doing it.

[stevej60]

Excellent work Glynn and rapid progress too,that cockpit look's the biz!

[Hewy]

This is the scheme I'll be doing the intruder in now that I've shelved the camo idea

 

It'll be loaded up with16 mk82 snakeyes in the slant 4 configuration, 4 bombs each on the outer sides of  4  eduard mers, that are under constuction

I'm going to give these paints a try out, although I will be thinning them with Mr hobby lacquer thinner

 Pe added, and I've made the LG  and doors suitably dirty

 

 

Painted and masked the ochre colour anti corrosion tape on the leading surfases

And I've finished the priming

Trying, maybe in vain, to give a bit of variation straight off the bat

 

I've tested the paint and lacquer thinner combination on the rear, I think there's promise 

Thanks for looking, comments welcome 

Glynn 

[modelling minion]

Excellent work Glynn, the undercarriage looks fantastic, just the right amount of wear.

I'm interested to see how the pre-shading works out, you should get an interesting variation.

I've never used Mig paints so I'm also interested to see hoe they work out, did you get them from Clifton Curios?

[gingerbob]

I kinda like it the way it is!  Not accurate, admittedly, but nifty mottled camo look.