RA-5C Vigilante

[reini]

RA-5C Vigilante BuNo156633/NK603 of RVAH-13, USS Enterprise, Operation Linebacker II, December 1972

The last of the Vigilantes to be lost in the Vietnam war. It was hit by 'Atoll' missile fired by MiG-21 - unfortunately killing the navigator and pilot becoming a POW. This was in fact the only Vigilante lost in aerial combat.

 

Kit: Trumpeter RA-5C Vigilante (#01616)

Scale: 1/72

Aftermarket: Eduard Photo Etch, Master pitot tube, Print Scale decals

Paints: Vallejo Model Color, Model Air & Metal Color

Weathering: Flory Models Wash, Mig weathering products

 

Mixed feelings about this kit - but it's (more or less) a Vigilante, so that's cool  

 

Built for the In The Navy GB.

 

Build thread:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[neil5208]

Very nice work, I have this one to build but waiting for the Cta decal sheet to become avalible.

[ForestFan]

Great job on a great looking aeroplane 👍

[Aigore]

Great looking viggie! Lovely looking beast...looks fast standing still.

 

[SAT69]

Oh my gosh, that cockpit is incredible! Very nice build. Love the lines of the Vigilante. Wish someone would produce truly accurate kits in 1/72, 1/48 and (I know, I'm dreaming) 1/32 scale.

[RMCS]

Fantastic 

[Sky Keg]

Very nice Reini...............AGAIN!!!!!! 😉 

 

Mike

[Booty003]

Lovely Vigilante Reini, I have built the same kit with the same decals.  It is an impressive looking and sized kit once built - you have done a great job of yours, the weathering is very well done.

 

Phil

[Duncan B]

It looks very much like a Vigilante to me and a very nicely built one too.

 

Duncan B

[binbrook87]

Absolutely fantastic! 👍You don't see too many Vigilantes built, and yours is excellent. What a huge beast of an aircraft it is. It looks large even in 1/72nd scale! 

[reini]

6 minutes ago, binbrook87 said:

Absolutely fantastic! 👍You don't see too many Vigilantes built, and yours is excellent. What a huge beast of an aircraft it is. It looks large even in 1/72nd scale! 

Yeah - takes a bit more space on the deck than for example a Skyhawk  

 

[Richard E]

Fantastic representation of a very underrated aircraft with a very poignant backstory attached to this particular example - it's a fitting tribute to the crew.

[stevej60]

Beautiful build and finish.

[Harry_the_Spider]

Very nice. Lots more detail than the ancient Airfix version that I have.

[binbrook87]

2 hours ago, reini said:

Yeah - takes a bit more space on the deck than for example a Skyhawk  

 

Wow that shows how big it is! Who on earth thought it was a good idea to put these on the deck of a carrier? 🤯Although i bet it's very close in size to the F-14?

Edited June 11, 2020 by binbrook87

[alt-92]

3 minutes ago, binbrook87 said:

Wow that shows how big it is! Who on earth thought it was a good idea to put these on the deck of a carrier? 🤯

Wait 'till you see a Whale (A-3)

Goes with the territory of being a late 50's/early 60s nuclear capable bomber....

[Bangseat]

Fabulous work. A great subject, a very nice kit with extra goodies, and an expert build. The world is a happier place!

[Mark Joyce]

Wonderful job on the Vigilante, and the photoetch really livens up the cockpit. 

 

After reading your build thread, I don't think I could get the kit if only because some type of support system is required for the fuselage.  What was Trumpeter thinking?

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

[Harry_the_Spider]

8 minutes ago, Mark Joyce said:

Wonderful job on the Vigilante, and the photoetch really livens up the cockpit. 

 

After reading your build thread, I don't think I could get the kit if only because some type of support system is required for the fuselage.  What was Trumpeter thinking?

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

The Airfix is just as bad.

[Mark Joyce]

Just now, Harry_the_Spider said:

The Airfix is just as bad.

I was wondering that.  No Vigilantes for me!

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

[Harry_the_Spider]

Quote

Wow that shows how big it is! Who on earth thought it was a good idea to put these on the deck of a carrier? 

It is a big old lump. Here's my less-nice Vigilante with a Tomcat and Phantom for an idea of the size of it.

 

 

 

I don't have a London Bus, football pitch or Wales to hand, so I recon a Lancaster is an acceptable unit of scale.

 

 

 

[F-32]

Very impressive indeed

[PattheCat]

Can't understand why such a nice plane is so "under"kitted.

Nice work, spot on weathering.

[sandros]

I really like the Decals placement. It is stunnig how the decals followed the panel lines and each rivet. Any tip about applying decals so effectivelly would be much appreciated.

[reini]

2 hours ago, sandros said:

I really like the Decals placement. It is stunnig how the decals followed the panel lines and each rivet. Any tip about applying decals so effectivelly would be much appreciated.

Thank you. I use two products - Tamiya Mark Set and Micro Sol. But the thing is, decals are different. So solutions that work for one decals - might not work for others. For example Tamiya decals are usually bit thicker than most, They do get down eventually, but need more applications of the decal solutions.

 

How I go about doing this is as follow:

-Apply Tamiya Mark Set on the surface where I put the decal. This will soften the surface a little bit and help with the decal adhesion.

-Once in correct place I gently push the decal down with cotton swab. Lightly re-apply Mark Set on top and let it dry.

-Apply Micro Sol to soften the decal up and really hug the details. If you see the decal wrinkle a bit, it's a good sign. You'll better leave it and let it straighten out itself. Mark Set will also soften decals up but Micro Sol is usually more efficient.

-I will re-apply Micro Sol as many times as needed, letting it dry a bit in between applications.

-Once I know the decal is secure, I use hobby knife to cut thru the major panel lines. You can use a needle for the rivets. Just be careful, it's real easy to mess the decal even when secured well, Sharp blade is a must.

-One more layer of Micro Sol, gently pushing down on any ragged edges that might have occured during the 're-scribing' of the decal panel lines.

 

So basically just patience and multiple thin applications of the decal solutions. But like I said, those are the products that work for me - you might find out that some other products work better for you or for the decals that you use.

 

Oh, and probably the biggest thing I've learnt - make sure that the paint surface is smooth! You don't need gloss surface to apply decals, it's just that gloss is usually much smoother than flat. So if you have super flat surface and the texture feels bit rough under your finger, it's better to take care of it before decals. I've moved away from using gloss coat - and rather polish the surface lightly before decals. You can gloss coat it too but gloss coat won't magically turn rough surface into smooth one. I know I have that problem, I usually spray acrylics bit too high pressure so it creates lightly rough surface.