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1/72 - Douglas A-4E/F/M Skyhawk by HobbyBoss - released


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On 1/7/2019 at 6:23 PM, Uncle Dick said:

 

I have at least 25 Fujimi (various variants / boxings)!

 

Will have to get me one of the new Airfix 2019 boxing just for the Tonkin Yacht club boxing...

 

a03029a_douglas-a4b-skyhawk_artwork.jpg

 

I have yet to find a photo of this aircraft with the red markings on the fuel tanks. l have seen a colour photo which shows it as blue and the only time l have seen it as red is a side view  colour illustration drawn by someone. Airfix latest work bench still shows it as red.

 

Robert

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21 hours ago, Tomppa B said:

Could you tell me where I could find an A-4 in 1/72? Can't find one on Hannant's neither on Aviationmegastore. If you want one you have to buy the Italeri Top Gun set in which you get the F-14 Tomcat as a sort of bonus.

Here's a listing of just the Fujimi options on Ebay. https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=1%2F72+a-4+skyhawk&_sacat=1188&_oaa=1&rt=nc&Brand=Fujimi&_dcat=50297

 

There are also Airfix (some old, some new), Hasegawa, etc. 

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4 hours ago, Kevin Callahan said:

Here's a listing of just the Fujimi options on Ebay. https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=1%2F72+a-4+skyhawk&_sacat=1188&_oaa=1&rt=nc&Brand=Fujimi&_dcat=50297

 

There are also Airfix (some old, some new), Hasegawa, etc. 

Yeah sure, if you want to be fleeced! A readiness to pay through your nose makes every model available! Even if it hasn't been modelled before, you can by paying somebody enough have a model made of it!

 

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Ah, you want them widely available AND cheap. Fraid I can't help you there. Cue the line about how models were $.49 when I was a kid.... 

 

But since they are available, you can't really characterize them as "rare". Now, 1:72 Vickers Windsor, that's rare. Only one kit AFAIK, a Contrail vac, and it was produced in the, what, 70s? 

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Is the Esci one completely horrible? I remember a vendor at a local show who had a stack of about 20 of them, so if raised panel lines (it does have raised panel lines, doesn't it?) don't bother you, the Esci kit must still be as common as dirt, and similarly cheap. Albeback52's suggestion to check sources like Kingkit seemed like a good idea to me. I built one of these some years ago and quite liked it.

 

John

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The Esci kit has a really finely engraved fuselage but the wings are raised panel lines.They can be picked up cheap,at least here in the UK (under £5).The Fujimi kit is nice for it's time but it's the 21st century and we really need a new Skyhawk family.

The recent Airfix kit is nice ,but i wished they'd gone down the E,F,,J route (all those Aggressor schemes!).

I recently picked up a few Airfix ones on the cheap and added some bits from the ESCI kit.

2cg1sbb.jpg

 

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2 hours ago, Gwart said:

I recently picked up a few Airfix ones on the cheap and added some bits from the ESCI kit.

That sounds like a cross kitting that makes sense, any real hassles? Much as I could do this with what I have in  stock or easy to pick up, I'd still like a nice 21st century kit covering the later models, some RNZAF & IDF ones in my future I hope.

Steve.

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On 3/3/2019 at 11:43 AM, Kevin Callahan said:

Ah, you want them widely available AND cheap. Fraid I can't help you there. Cue the line about how models were $.49 when I was a kid.... 

 

But since they are available, you can't really characterize them as "rare". Now, 1:72 Vickers Windsor, that's rare. Only one kit AFAIK, a Contrail vac, and it was produced in the, what, 70s? 

Anigrand did a 1/144th scale resin kit, as did S&M Models

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I like that Airfix/Esci crosskitting, should lead to some good models.

Years ago a local modeller told me how he had compared all 1/72 kits and in his opinion the Esci kit was the most accurate, with the fuselage in particular having the correct cross sections, contrary to the Fujimi kit that while nice had IIRC a fatter fuselage.

Said that, the Fujimi kit may not be up-to-date anymore but even today there are companies that would struggle in matching the mould finesse of that kit...

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5 hours ago, Giorgio N said:

but even today there are companies that would struggle in matching the mould finesse of that kit...

It all comes down to how much money the company is willing to spend / capable of spending on the tooling.

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7 hours ago, Giorgio N said:

Said that, the Fujimi kit may not be up-to-date anymore but even today there are companies that would struggle in matching the mould finesse of that kit...

I agree completely. Fujimi is still number one in my book, especially with the option of lowered flaps & slats.  To me, it's the 1/72 version of Hasegawa's 1/48 Skyhawks. Dunno why Fujimi is sleeping on this goldmine and letting others eat it's lunch. Their A-6 Intruders & A-7s are little gems too.

 

By the way, is it my imagination or does the Esci Skyhawk's main canopy look a little too pointed on top / too tall ( sort of like Hasegawa's Su-33 canopy...great kit but something's a little off about the canopy...esp when compared to Zvezda kit)?

 

Esci:

ea4b.jpg

 

vs:

 

a-4e_24_of_24.jpg

 

 

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/a-4e-skyhawk-plane-closeup-rose-santuci-sofranko.html

a-4e-skyhawk-plane-closeup-rose-santuci-

 

 

 

a-right-side-view-of-a-fighter-squadron-

 

a4e-skyahawk-pcam-05.jpg

 

 

To be honest, I don't even mind the odd combination of recessed panel lines in fuselage + raised panel lines in the wings of the Esci kit; it's the canopy that irks me. Something about it ain't right. Can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe the rear 'bump' just behind the canopy (where the canopy hinges are) is a slightly too high on the Esci kit? Or the windshield is slightly too tall that gives the main canopy a too tall/too squashed look?  Almost like a cross between an A-4E and the taller A-4M canopy.

 

 

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It seems a tad bit tall from the photos. I had never noticed it before until you pointed it out though. 

 

Speaking of the Hobbyboss item, so now that we've established that the slats are molded on to the wing, would this be rectified by cutting the slat pieces off from the top and bottom wings, gluing them together, then adding a piece of plastic card on the wing to represent the bit under the flaps (sorry, not sure what those bits are called)?

Edited by Supertom
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3 hours ago, Supertom said:

It seems a tad bit tall from the photos. I had never noticed it before until you pointed it out though. 

 

Speaking of the Hobbyboss item, so now that we've established that the slats are molded on to the wing, would this be rectified by cutting the slat pieces off from the top and bottom wings, gluing them together, then adding a piece of plastic card on the wing to represent the bit under the flaps (sorry, not sure what those bits are called)?

Hi

 

What you describe is what you have to do when you want mean to build an accurate Esci/Italeri F-100D or Tamiya F4D-1 (Skyray) - (good kits though).

That said with the Fujimi Skyhawks still holding on strong, I think this is a real flaw on the part of Trumpeter/HobbyBoss if they don't provide slats with their little A-4 series...

 

Eric B.

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6 hours ago, Jackman said:

 

a4e-skyahawk-pcam-05.jpg

 

 

Cool! This is a picture from when I was in the squadron. I almost certainly worked on this very aircraft. It was still a couple of years until they transitioned to the A-4M! I have to say that all the squadron's aircraft were generally as grungy as this one seems to be.

Edited by VMA131Marine
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6 hours ago, Jackman said:

Dunno why Fujimi is sleeping on this goldmine and letting others eat it's lunch. Their A-6 Intruders & A-7s are little gems too.

The most true words on the site in 2019!  Preach it, brother.  

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On 3/4/2019 at 12:39 PM, Gwart said:

I recently picked up a few Airfix ones on the cheap and added some bits from the ESCI kit.

2cg1sbb.jpg

 

I've got two spare Fujimi noses from their Blue Angels display team boxes (one fuselage, both a single and twin seat nose, and one set of wings). I was thinking of mating them to Airfix wings. 

Edited by Magua87
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  • 4 weeks later...

First look at the sprues - confirmed no wing slats! no air brakes open option, no fancy flaps, (no wing spoilers either for that matter), no tail wing moveable option with correct see through slot... wing join to fuselage looks a touch curvy to my eye - Crikey we are hard to please...! Time for Eduard to do their magic to the Scooter as given up on Fujimi re-releasing theirs... 

 

5c9edd281815e.jpg

 

5c9edd2a912e2.jpg

 

5c9edd295c400.jpg

 

5c9edd33a4852.jpg

 

Source: Hobbyboss 

 

Edited by Uncle Dick
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9 hours ago, Uncle Dick said:

First look at the sprues...

5c9edd295c400.jpg

Source: Hobbyboss 

 

This appears to be a re-use of the weapons sprue from the Hobbyboss A-7 series (2x same tree in each kit).  Which is less than ideal since the Mk 80-something 'dumb' bombs have widely reported issues of shape and size (underscale for the intended 500 lb Mk 82).  The tanks are also less than stellar, and you get two of the AN/AAR-45 FLIR pods which were only used (one at a time) on late-model Corsair IIs.

 

Hopefully the Skyhawk-specific parts will show some improvement in quality and accuracy.

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The cockpit looks better than the Fujimi. Separate rudder pedals, separate instrument panel coaming, much better seat, and it includes that area behind the backrest which Fujimi doesn't. And it won't be hard to make something that fits a lot better than the Fujimi one.

 

I don't like the one-part intakes. It will be a pain to paint, and it won't be easy to modify it to make a Superfox version of the A-4F.

 

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On 3/5/2019 at 6:20 PM, Jackman said:

By the way, is it my imagination or does the Esci Skyhawk's main canopy look a little too pointed on top / too tall ( sort of like Hasegawa's Su-33 canopy...great kit but something's a little off about the canopy...esp when compared to Zvezda kit)?

 

Esci:

ea4b.jpg

 

A matter could be that the canopy rear frame may be too narrow for an early Scooter. Narrow like the M's canopy rear frame.

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