Booty003 Posted August 31, 2020 Share Posted August 31, 2020 1/72 Academy A-37B Dragonfly - Supertweet USAF, 8th SOS, 14th SOW, Bien Hoa AB, Vietnam 1970 The fantastic, yet tiny, A-37B from Academy is a cracking build. Loads of fine detail, ordnance options but let down by the lousy decals that Academy own brand are famous for.... Airbrushed using Tamiya colours, little bit of etch thrown in for good measure and some stretched sprue for the wiggly bits. From what I have read, troops in contact loved the Supertweet during CAS missions. Cheers all, Phil 58 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheyJammedKenny! Posted August 31, 2020 Share Posted August 31, 2020 First rate job on this "jet fuel to jet noise converter." It's so tiny! On the real thing, you stand pretty much eyes-level with the upper part of the canopy, depending on your height, of course. Lots of details to absorb in looking at your work, such as the unit citation above the pilot's name. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
binbrook87 Posted August 31, 2020 Share Posted August 31, 2020 That's a cracking build Phil. I keep looking at getting one of these as they seem to turn up quite reasonably priced from time to time. Love the camo work and the panel wash, plus the aerials just add the finishing touch. Superb 👍👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted August 31, 2020 Share Posted August 31, 2020 That's superb Phil great job,I've been thinking about this kit for the Vietnam GB. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAT69 Posted August 31, 2020 Share Posted August 31, 2020 Excellent build. I'm impressed with the detail and how clear the windscreen and canopy transparencies are. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dashellis Posted August 31, 2020 Share Posted August 31, 2020 That looks fantastic, I've got a 1/48 to tackle but the size puts me off I'm stunned that's only 1/72. love it great job Darren 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted August 31, 2020 Share Posted August 31, 2020 Really nice Phil. Have one of these lined up for the current GB. I'll use your build as a benchmark! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark4700 Posted September 1, 2020 Share Posted September 1, 2020 Wonderful build. I’ve always loved this little aircraft. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-32 Posted September 1, 2020 Share Posted September 1, 2020 That's lovely work, looks really really good 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natter Posted September 1, 2020 Share Posted September 1, 2020 72nd? What a belter. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hook Posted September 1, 2020 Share Posted September 1, 2020 Great job! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverkite211 Posted September 1, 2020 Share Posted September 1, 2020 I built the Monogram 1/48 scale kit of that very same aircraft. Your A-37 came out looking very nice! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vultures1 Posted September 1, 2020 Share Posted September 1, 2020 That's really great work, so much to enjoy. Well done! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kapam Posted September 4, 2020 Share Posted September 4, 2020 Amazing! You've produced a real showpiece there! So petite and yet...so heavily armed at the same time! Excellent job! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sky Keg Posted September 4, 2020 Share Posted September 4, 2020 Very nice ( as usual 😉 ) Phil. It`s amazing how much “muscle” these little airframes sport. Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corsaircorp Posted September 4, 2020 Share Posted September 4, 2020 Very good Supertweet Phil !! Great achievement !! Sincerely. CC 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket-Rider Posted March 17, 2023 Share Posted March 17, 2023 Late to the party but just picked up this (£10) kit. Always do a search on the site for inspiration when I buy a new kit .. and your build certainly provides that. Keith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgeusa Posted March 17, 2023 Share Posted March 17, 2023 The Super Tweet was a very welcome sight when hostiles were a bit too hostile in your area. It flew in low, slow, was very accurate (more attributable to the fine pilots who risked all the ground fire to save our scruffy behinds). One of these aircraft came to the rescue more than once and provided needed support to complete a bright light mission. I preferred them as air support rather than the Skyraider (but I owe my life to a Skyraider pilot and the aircraft holds a special place in my heart.). You did a great job detailing this kit and finishing it with minimal weathering. It looks nice and menacing. Thanks for sharing. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mig88 Posted March 18, 2023 Share Posted March 18, 2023 Smashing result!! Well done! Miguel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vlada Posted March 21, 2023 Share Posted March 21, 2023 Perfect model. Very Nice. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cpoud117 Posted March 21, 2023 Share Posted March 21, 2023 Nice one! On 3/17/2023 at 12:39 PM, Rocket-Rider said: Late to the party but just picked up this (£10) kit. Always do a search on the site for inspiration when I buy a new kit .. and your build certainly provides that. A word of caution regarding the academy decals which are notoriously bad with this kit (and so many others of the same vintage) An aftermarket sheet is highly recommended. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket-Rider Posted March 22, 2023 Share Posted March 22, 2023 On 21/03/2023 at 07:07, cpoud117 said: Nice one! A word of caution regarding the academy decals which are notoriously bad with this kit (and so many others of the same vintage) An aftermarket sheet is highly recommended. Noted, and thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hook Posted March 23, 2023 Share Posted March 23, 2023 8 hours ago, Rocket-Rider said: Noted, and thank you. If (and that's probably a Rather Big If these days) you can find it somewhere, this is a great set: https://www.scalemates.com/nl/kits/albatros-modelworks-72007-ferocious-bugs--950218 Cheers, Andre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UberDaveToo Posted March 23, 2023 Share Posted March 23, 2023 Very well done. I have a kinda special connection to the A-37B. I went through crew chief training in 1979 at Sheppard AFB, Texas, the very last class for crew chiefs on piston powered aircraft (43171A-Aircraft Maintenance Technician. The A meant piston power) and was assigned to 0-2A aircraft. While I was there, they held an air show and one of the display airplanes was an Air Force Reserve A-37, the pilots showed off their airplane as I looked it over. They pointed out how it was much heavier than the T-37 "Tweet" it was derived from. It had armor plate, a mini gun, a bigger wing spar and lots of hardpoints for ordnance. It also had a much larger engine, but the same proximity to the ground as the T-37, so engineers had tied a foreign object debris screen to the landing gear. I asked about that, to ensure no FOD entered the engines, the screens would pop up when the gear was lowered, and drop into wells under the intake lips when the gear was raised. The pilots said raising the gear after takeoff was like hitting an after burner due to increased volume of air into the engines. A few years later, I had been assigned to Shaw AFB with the 4507th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron working on Cessna 0-2As in the phase docks, we had a tiny hangar with two docks. I had developed a reputation among my buddies for knowing aircraft, there was an identical hangar next door, and when a strange looking aircraft parked there, guys would grab me to explain what they were. One day a KC-135A showed up and was parked at the end of our flightline. They had an engine problem, and the next day the crew ran up one engine, a J-57 with water injection is one of loudest things I've ever heard. We had to dash out and make them stop, our little O-2s strained at their tie downs nearly snapping them, but I digress. The O-2s were getting a bit old and the Air Force decided to retire them. They announced that we would be getting OA-37s to replace the O-2s. A sergeant who had just come into the outfit from a training squadron equipped with T-37s went ballistic, he hated those planes and let everyone know. I told him T-37s and A-37s were not the same airplane, so don't sweat it. He told me I didn't know what I was talking about. Over the next two days, it was as if God smiled on me and proved my cased for me, next day, two ATC T-37s showed up, creating a din that could wake the dead. The sergeant sought me out for a "see, I told you so" lecture, I stood my ground, but my friends confidence in me was shaken. The very next day, two AF Reserve A-37s wheeled in making a totally different sound. I got one of many apologies from people who thought they knew more than I did about airplanes. I got out of the Air Force before that change was made, as it turned out, the OA-37s were retired as well, both airplanes being sold to South American Air Forces. As it happened, the Air Force was experimenting with what became the J-Stars, and little spotter planes went the way of the Dodo. For a short time, you could buy an O-2 with an extra pair of zero timed engines from AMARC for as little as $20,000. That makes me one of the few people who could have bought the airplane he worked on in the military... Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booty003 Posted March 23, 2023 Author Share Posted March 23, 2023 Thanks Dave, what a great story. It's fab hearing first hand accounts from the guys who worked with and around the aircraft that we build models of. Thanks to you and @georgeusa for sharing. Phil 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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