JR's 1/72 Airfix A-4B

[modelling minion]

Well I think it is looking very good Jean.

It looks like the main assembly was trouble free, we all end up doing some filling and sanding.

By the looks of things she should be in the paint shop soon.

[Fabrice Simon]

The soft plastic of AIRFIX is clearly a mystery - is it just plastic or is it derived from bread? The practicality of it, apart from making sandwiches, is that it allows for flexible adjustments. I tested this on a sea hurricane. In any case your A-4 is starting to look very nice

[planecrazee]

Looking good JR - nice job so far 

You're pretty much at the same place as me.  I desperately need to get her pushed along so hopefully get some work done on her this weekend and provide an update.  

Kris

[jean]

3 hours ago, Fabrice Simon said:

The soft plastic of AIRFIX is clearly a mystery - is it just plastic or is it derived from bread? The practicality of it, apart from making sandwiches, is that it allows for flexible adjustments. I tested this on a sea hurricane. In any case your A-4 is starting to look very nice

Salut Fabrice,

 

Airfix, in my opinion, is full of contradictions. Soft plastic on one hand, so easy to mark and/or destroy, and ridiculously small tolerances, meaning that the slightest layer of paint or drop of glue will throw the whole kit out of kilter... Hard to figure.

I still think that even if sometimes painful to work with, soft plastic is better than ridiculously hard and brittle, like I encountered on a ESCI UH-1D in the late helicopter GB. Not sure if I'll ever finish it, for that reason alone.

 

Having had my bitch, I nonetheless think that the Airfix A-4 is a lovely kit, well worth building.

I must try it one day as a sandwich too... will let you know.

 

Cheers

JR

[Andwil]

6 hours ago, Fabrice Simon said:

The soft plastic of AIRFIX is clearly a mystery - is it just plastic or is it derived from bread? The practicality of it, apart from making sandwiches, is that it allows for flexible adjustments. I tested this on a sea hurricane. In any case your A-4 is starting to look very nice

 

3 hours ago, jean said:

I must try it one day as a sandwich too...

You can always use the underwing tanks as baguettes. 🥖

 

AW

[jean]

Hi all,

 

just when I thought I was on the straight line for priming my A-4, I found the following photo.

 

 

I am going for BuAer 144956, of VA-106 Gladiators.

Like the one in the photo, it turns out to be an early A-4B. That is, the air scoop on the side of the fuselage is not yet a feature, In its stead is a flush intake. So I have to remove the air scoop and carve a flush one. Not my forte...

Of course I could not touch it, and pretend I missed it, but I have just told you, so it's too late!

That will be the last change I make to this model. I want it finished sometimes in May.

 

Photos of the model in next post.

Have fun!

 

JR

[basket]

Too bad ...... but if you don't change it  ( a matter of a few minutes or hours  )  ... you will regret it ... ( a matter of a lifetime .... ) .

I think your choice is the good one .

I wish you good luck for this modificaton .

[jean]

Hi everyone,

 

apologies for the silence. I have been focusing on my other A-4B in the WIP... There is no rational explanation for this dereliction of duty, I'm afraid. 

I have tried to "carve" the flush fuselage intake and got a serious hash for my pains, so I decided to just cut out a trench and fill it back in with an inclined sliver of plastic sheeting. It should look much neater... or at least that is the theory, if I do not screw up.

Here is a photo of the damage:

 

 

I will have to adjust the size of the intake by using the decal in situ, or at least a photocopy of the fuselage arrow.

These vents are actually the main reason why I have postponed the continuation of this build until now. Definitely irrational, but no more excuse now that I have done the damage.

 

Thanks for watching.

 

JR

[modelling minion]

Good to see this moving forward again Jean.

Looks like you have a good idea for the intake, I look forward to seeing how it looks when completed.

[basket]

Salut Jean .

You're gonna make it !

[jean]

Hi all,

as planned I copied the decal sheet, cut the blue arrow and positioned it on the fuselage.

Based on the photo I tweaked the opening I had made originally and it is better. Not perfect, but much better.

Here is a photo of the surgery in progress:

 

 

When all is really dry I will cut anything that sticks out as well as shorten very slightly the end of that new air intake.

 

Quite fun actually.

Thanks for watching.

 

JR

Then the whole model will need a good polishing cloth treatment.

[modelling minion]

That looks very interesting Jean and looks like it will work well too.

Glad that you are enjoying the experience.

[jean]

Hello everyone,

 

well, here is the interim status of my mild Frankestein attempt.

First after adding another plastic stick to the gaping wound.

 

 

And after trimming everything sticking out with a new 11 blade:

 

In my modest opinion, after straightening the odd wiggle with a gentle scalpel and a dab of putty, it will look just fine.

Or am  kidding myself? Naaah, it will be OK.

 

Thanks for watching.

JR

[modelling minion]

45 minutes ago, jean said:

Or am  kidding myself?

No, I believe you are right, it already looks better.

[jean]

Hi everyone,

 

after a quick spurt of primer... Just needs some minor TLC, although the slight defects cannot be seen with the naked eye. But it could be my failing eyesight.

The other side has already been trenched. It does not look good.

 

 

Have fun!

 

JR

[modelling minion]

That turned out very well Jean, great attention to detail adding the details missed by Airfix.

[jean]

 

 

3 hours ago, modelling minion said:

That turned out very well Jean, great attention to detail adding the details missed by Airfix.

Hi MM,

 

thanks, but I am changing these air intakes with a gun to my head. It is a pain and time consuming, but I want my mind to be at peace whenever I look at this Skyhawk in the future. On the starboard side, the circular vent below the air intake should be oval on an older A-4B version, and not circular as on the kit.

I went to a Nepalese monastery for intense meditation and came back strong in the knowledge that this vent will stay exactly as it is! It is too late to change its shape as I should have noticed it before gluing the wings in order to use a drill there. Again, unlikely my neighbors will ever notice.... and I am at peace with the universe.

Airfix haven't sinned by omission really: they chose the later A-4B version, although they offer the older wheels version, not the most recent ones...

Such is life, and if I had noticed these differences on the airframe I am modelling, I would have chosen another paint scheme. Unfortunately I had made up my mind.

 

Cheers

JR

[JOCKNEY]

Great work JR

Looking really sharp mate, I wondered what you had been up to.

Cheers Pat 

[jean]

15 hours ago, JOCKNEY said:

Great work JR

Looking really sharp mate, I wondered what you had been up to.

Cheers Pat 

Hi Pat,

sometimes, life sucks and this is just such a time.

In WIP, though, I have another A-4B that is almost at decaling stage, so both A-4s will pretty much reach completion close to each other.

Then I shall finish the Etendard. 

I may have to go to the DRC end of June for 2 months or so... that will not help with the modeling progress. 

Anyway, I will keep at it and do the best I can.

 

Cheers mate.

JR

[Fabrice Simon]

great work on the flush intake. Post chirurgy is always a pain (from a man who just carved its tomcat landing gear bays after gluing them...)

[jean]

Hi guys,

I snapped the refueling probe on this build as well: that is 100% IR probe on my two A-4B builds....

So I did not throw the model in the trash but I started a Bf 109 E-4... where trying to use the Aires resin cockpit led to more breakage. I should lay off coffee!!!

So back to my A-4B now: may not finish it, but it won't be long. Windscreen is next and then primer!

 

Have fun!

 

JR

[helios16v]

Sucks about the IR probe.  I ended up leaving mine off for the time being.  I figured since it's resin I've got about a 99% chance I'd snap it before I was finished decaling.

 

Plenty of time to get this one aboard.  We've got until the 20th.  

[modelling minion]

Sorry to hear about the IR probe snapping Jean, something that is very common with Skyhawk builds and that I have done myself.

Glad to hear that you didn't destroy your kit though, and don't forget we have an extra 2 weeks so hopefully that will help you get her across the line.

[JOCKNEY]

Hi @jean

Had you had a chance to come back to this one ?

Cheers Pat 

[jean]

4 hours ago, JOCKNEY said:

Hi @jean

Had you had a chance to come back to this one ?

Cheers Pat 

Hi Pat,

 

again, very close to the finish line.  The A-4 will come on the front burner as soon as the Bf 109 is done. It will be a bright and colourful Navy scheme, as I love them.

 

Take care

 

JR