Argentina Armada A4 Attack Trio

[Col.]

All three look good but 304 looks great. Well done so far

[Valkyrie]

Thanks Col. Been a project I was wanting to do for long time. 304 wasn’t meant to be part of it but I’m pleased with her so she can stay.

[Moggy]

Good show! your A-4Q x3

 

I've dug up my Fujimi A-4Q conv... seeing your work inspired me :). The best way to get the Light Blue markings on the tail fins is indeed the way you did it; that's the way I do it too. I build Argentine aircraft; the best representation of the Argentine flag Light Blue (in acrylics) is Tamiya XF-14.

 

A couple of pictures (I should have done this earlier!)

 

3-A-304 the wings get really grubby during sustained operations. Compare with the fuselage

 

 

 

 

Cheers, Moggy

 

Edited April 4, 2019 by Moggy
typo

[exdraken]

Very nice Armada armada here!

Does the real one actually have more planes available nowadays?

[Sturmovik]

2 minutes ago, exdraken said:

Very nice Armada armada here!

Does the real one actually have more planes available nowadays?

😂😂😂😂 we only have four A-4ARs Fightinghawks for the Air Force and like 10 Super Etendards for the Armada, and all are near the brink of being grounded because of the lack of spares and founding. The Argentine Armed Forces are virtually inexistent.

[Valkyrie]

4 hours ago, Moggy said:

Good show! your A-4Q x3

 

I've dug up my Fujimi A-4Q conv... seeing your work inspired me :). The best way to get the Light Blue markings on the tail fins is indeed the way you did it; that's the way I do it too. I build Argentine aircraft; the best representation of the Argentine flag Light Blue (in acrylics) is Tamiya XF-14.

 

A couple of pictures (I should have done this earlier!)

 

3-A-304 the wings get really grubby during sustained operations. Compare with the fuselage

 

 

 

 

Cheers, Moggy

 

WOW thank you Moggy!!  I thought I had seen every single Armada picture and had never seen one of 308. These are great. Thanks for sharing. I agonised for days over which blue and X-14 was nearly it. I shall use it on my 3rd Skyhawk which will be 314 which was downed with Marquez as the pilot. Thanks for the photos and help. Grubby wings it shall be for 304. 

Good luck with your build and glad I inspired you to look yours back out, please post any pics you have I’d love to see it too.

 

Do you know of any current suppliers of 1/72 conversion kits for Qs?

Edited April 4, 2019 by Valkyrie

[Sturmovik]

Going back on topic, if you get decals for 3-A-309 you can make the experimental camouflage she wore before or after the war: http://aeronavespreservadasdelaaviacionnaval.blogspot.com/2012/09/douglas-4q-skyhawk-3-309.html?m=1

[Valkyrie]

I do like that scheme, tricky though to pull off I think. I do intend to eventually make every camouflage for the Argentina Skyhawks so thanks for this link....don’t think I’m ready yet to try this.

Cheers, V

[Valkyrie]

Okay that settles it, these will be posed taking off from the carrier and in flight after my nose weight calculations have not worked out and we have tail sitting issues. I could pose them on deck tied down I suppose and I’ve forgotten to paint inside the canopy. I’m away it start my FW190 Torpedo bomber before these go in the bin...

 

[Sturmovik]

1 minute ago, Valkyrie said:

before these go in the bin...

Are you really considering binning these models after all your effort?

[Valkyrie]

Just now, Sturmovik said:

Are you really considering binning these models after all your effort?

Yes after hammering them to pieces first! When will they make some sort of model specific easy to use nose weight thing in kits. I remember the Airfix sabre had a piece of 5g plastic on the spüre to stick in the nose, why can’t all models be like that?

Try some easy FW therapy and see if I can forget it 

Cheers Sturmovik 

[trickyrich]

that's a shame because they looked so good. Skyhawks are notorious, amongst a few others, at being tail sitters. 

 

You could always fill up the nose wheel well? with the gear does down it's very had to see in there, or you could try a small metal pin in the main wheels? Just drill a hole in the main wheel at an angle facing down and rearwards them insert a small metal pin and adjust so that it keeps the nose down. Not perfect but effective, or fit some wheel chocks to the main wheels, will do the same. 

[Moggy]

One possible solution:

 

1- buy "Liquid Gravity"

 

2- drill a small hole under the nose

 

3- fill cavities with Liquid gravity!

 

For an encore: drill small hole behind the cockpit but forward of the landing gear, drip white glue into it and then fill cavities with Liquid Gravity.

 

This should be a better alternative to destroying the A-4Q:s 😎

If it doesn't work - make small stands and glue the wheels to the surface  :))

 

Cheers, Moggy

[RMP2]

13 hours ago, trickyrich said:

or fit some wheel chocks to the main wheels, will do the same. 

This!!

[Hewy]

Smashing job valk, the paint looks to have gone down really well, there's ways round that tail sitting, the liquid gravity looks good, if its finely balanced, and only just tipping the scales a small hole drilled under the nose and some lead wire fed in does the trick too

[Valkyrie]

Thanks chaps! Il try the liquid weight. What is white glue? And where would i get that? Thanks 

[trickyrich]

here's the link to the stuff and there's a list there of their distributors in the UK

 

https://deluxematerials.co.uk/products/liquid-gravity

 

 

[Valkyrie]

Thanks Rich, il see if I can grab these at the Perth show in 2 weeks if not il plump for online 

Thanks

hopefully I can rescue these and avoid future issues 

[BerndM]

Maybe an idea for your tail sitters.

I had the same problem with my recently done P-400 Airacobra so i simply made wheel chocks and attached them at the backside of the main wheels.

[Valkyrie]

Thank you for all the advice and guidance. I ordered the liquid gravity and cyano glue from Wonderland models which arrived next day. Test fit of 3-A-301 undercarriage revealed it would also tail sit so tonight I will be brave and attempt the liquid gravity and glue method in the front nose gear well or drill a hole in the nose and do it blind. I think the A4Qs actually had a hole for something on the end of the nose so might go in via there. 3-A-314 will be posed in flight and 3-A-304 has has some blue tac wheel chocks made and that might be an option too.

 

 Well.....thanks guys! Liquid gravity into the front gear well squirt of cyano and tail sitter no more! 

In the end not a bad 90 minutes work. Tail sitting fixed and decal started on Marquez’s machine 314.

 

Edited April 17, 2019 by Valkyrie

[Col.]

Good save!

[trickyrich]

awesome news!!! 

 

I love you model holding device!

 

[Valkyrie]

Update time, after being inspired to proceed and guided how to, I feel enabled and empowered to push on and not bin these. Here they are on deck. 314 Marquez has Condor decals complete on port side. Much better than the old Airfix, colours are sharper and they are a touch larger. They didn’t go down easy and I lost 3-A-3..but substituted it for a spare from Airfix, perhaps you notice the difference. The intake decal is superb as is the unit badge. 304, who was not involved in the HMS Ardent attack, got her leading edge flaps attached and canopy frame touch up while 301 Philippi got a humbrol clear gloss coat. Waiting for paint to dry, varnish to cure and decals to set. 

 

[modelling minion]

Really glad that these haven't been binned as I have been enjoying this build very much and your A-4's are excellent, a bit too good in fact as they make me want to build an A-4 of my own (I own a few of them) and I already have too much on my plate.

[Valkyrie]

Wow thanks! 😀

The A4 is a cracking little plane and so many options. If you have a few to get through, like me, a few at once is a fun way to reduce the stash. I know il only replace these 3 with another 3 when I go to the next show. Thanks again