"Self Reliance" - AIDC AT-3 “Tsu Chang” – 1/72 Lo Models

[malpaso]

Way back in 2018 I started this kit for the Trainers GB, but ground to a halt before completing the cockpit.  With lockdown I decided to work through some of my half-started models, though barely a sixteenth-started might be more accurate.  I acquired this kit for a fiver from the chap that attends our monthly (in the old days) IPMS meetings.  I’d never heard of the plane or the kit maker, you can find the aircraft easily enough on the net but I do recommend care if you Google “Lo Models Taiwan”! 

 

 

 

 

 

I believe the AT-3 was Taiwan’s first jet, designed in cooperation with Northrop, and this kit was Lo-Models first and possibly only 1/72 kit – there is a vague suggestion on the net of other AIDC types being kitted but I found no sign.  The kit itself is reasonable for its vintage, parts breakdown is fairly standard, the pilot figures are some of the best sculpted I’ve seen!  The kit comes with  underwing stores for the light attacker role.  It would look quite impressive fully loaded out with tanks, bombs and sidewinders, but I stuck with the clean trainer airframe.

 

The paint job on the boxart I assume is from the first deployment of the aircraft.  Some have also appeared in SEA-style camo and its also the mount of the ROCAF display team.  Anyway I went with the silver and “red”, which I mixed 2-3 parts orange to one part red (Tamiya).  I forgot painting red over silver is even worse than over grey primer, so had to add a coat of white hallway through – hence those panels ended up with 5 or six coats!

 

The kit, whilst basic, builds up reasonably well, not noticeably any worse than an Airfix or Revell of the era, certainly not as bad as the few other builds on the net suggested (or maybe their warnings adjusted my expectation).  Its certainly quite an attractive aircraft, I believe there is or was a 1/48 version in the offing from some manufacturer.

 

Cheers

Will

PS Self Reliance is the translation for Tsu Chang as per the boxart, elsewhere the name is quoted as Tzu Chung or Tsu Chiang.

[Learstang]

I don't normally use 'cute' as a descriptor for an aeroplane, but that is a cute aeroplane, and you did a nice job on the kit!

 

Regards,

 

Jason

[malpaso]

Jason, cute would be a good word, and I do like its lines, but the plane is quite chunky alongside the L-39 Albatros I built recently, which was designed and built for a similar role!

Cheers

Will

[SAT69]

Nice model. Really like the paint work!

[binbrook87]

Blimey i haven't seen this kit for about 30 years! I made it when it first came out. Yours looks a hell of a lot better than my effort did. Great work on the silver and orange....not easy!

[Shorty84]

Hi Will,

 

not bad for a fiver. Always good to see a well built trainer aircraft, especially such an uncommon type 👍

In 1/48 there is the old Kiddyland kit and Freedom Model Kits should grace us this year with an new tool.

 

Cheers

Markus

[Vultures1]

That's very nicely done and a seldom-seen type.  Great stuff!