A-4KU Skyhawk "Free Kuwait"

[Lifeline]

Hi all,

Originally want to join with F-4G, but scrap it sonce I don't have the correct marking.

 

But I still have a Fujimi 1/72 A-4KU "Free Kuwait" although I can see the decal has already start yellowing...

 

I will build it without any aftermarket, but will probably add some detail which I will simply scratchbuild along the way.

 

 

As always, any comments are welcome.

 

Cheers,

Mario

 

 

[Vultures1]

Nice choice Mario.  I'm looking forward to this one, although those decals don't look great

[modelling minion]

A great choice Mario, I am turning a hasegawa 1/48 A-4M into a KU in the Skyhawk STGB. I have found the following link to a walkaround of Brazilian Navy AF-1's which is what the Kuwaiti KU's became when they were sold.

 

https://www.carrierbuilders.net/articles/20050627_Brazil_Skyhawk/20050627_Brazil_Skyhawk.htm

 

One thing to note though, I see that Fujimi give you Kuwaiti roundels for the wings/fuselage but they didn't carry any national markings other than a small flag on the tail, even before the Iraqi invasion. 

 

This page;   https://www.dstorm.eu/pages/en/kuwait/skyhawk.html    has some great pictures of Kuwaiti A-4's during Desert Storm and the links at the bottom of the page have even more excellent pictures.

 

I look forward to seeing your build.

 

Craig.

[Lifeline]

Hi, 

 

6 hours ago, modelling minion said:

A great choice Mario......

I look forward to seeing your build.

 

Craig.

Thanks Craig @modelling minion , I admit your built was the one reminds me I have this kit in my stash, thus inspire me to build.

Rest assured I'm keeping eye on your build (great progress, btw 👍) and will shamelessly robbed any idea I could use in mine. 😈

 

Anyway, the build start with cockpit and the intake/engine face.

A bit of aluminum foil and palstic sheet to add slight details on the bare cockpit wall. 

 

Like all(?) Skyhawk kit, there's a step between the slat floor and the wing whilst there is none on the real thing. I decided to fill and reshape it using white putty...

 

 

Cheers,

Mario

[Jabba]

Nice choice and a good start. I like the correction that you are doing to the wings where the slats are.

[modelling minion]

Off to a great start Mario.

The cockpit looks nice and busy now and you are sorting out the step in the slat area very nicely.

[Lifeline]

Thanks for the comments..

 

Updates for past few days...

This kit is actually a simple one but with a lotof inserts and parts being modified since I believe Fujimi intended this kitto be build as A-4M (?). This cause several fittings problem but could be fixed with careful alignment and small putty.

 

I bought the kit many years ago, and even then it was second handed from other modeler whom already have it for years. I found the plastics are starting to brittle. I accidentally chipped the small rectangular shaoe in front of the cockpit. 

 Thankfully it could be fixed with plasticcard, superglue, and careful sanding..

 The kit also suffer from missing framing. It's really challenging to cut the liquid masking I used. 

 

But, overall the progress still good. After slight primer and inspection; the gaps around the fuselage are closed, and putty on the slats worked out fine...

 

 

Cheers,

Mario

 

 

 

 

[modelling minion]

Nice work Mario, didn't take long to look a lot like a Skyhawk.

[Jabba]

Good work on the repairs that you have done. I have always found especially on their older kit Fujimis plastic to be on the brittle side.

[Lifeline]

Anyway @modelling minion(and everyone...).

Do you have any suggestions on what color are you going to use on your build?

Fujimi originally put FS36622 for the underside area.

While the photos from the dstorm.eu web shows the underside shows a more "blue" kind a grey. 

I downloaded Hasegawa's 1/48 A-4KU which shows FS36321.. I decided to follow it instead;

But does it looks too dark?

 

Further dive into the internet shows other instructions showing FS36357 or FS26307(?) 

Both shades are not familiar for me...

 

Cheers,

Mario

 

 

Edited April 2, 2021 by Lifeline

[Vultures1]

The IPMS Stockholm reference chart (link) gives the undersurface colour as DN9529 Light Grey, matched to Xtracolour X325, but doesn't offer any other matches

 

I'm no authority on the subject but, if you can't find the Xtracolour range, FS36375 or RAF Medium Sea Grey might be worth a try.  

[Lifeline]

Good Idea @Vultures1... Thanks

I did remember to saw one of the instructions I found on the net says FS36375.

We don't have Xtracolour range here. But I have Gunze's and Ammo Mig 

Will cross check theae with the reference photo...

 

Meanwhile, thanks to the dstorm website with the loadout data, I planned to have 8x Mk.20 Rockeyes, and 2x External Fuel Tanks on my skyhawks. 

Most of the rockeyes was robbed from Academy's F-15E, While the light grey were from Hasegawa's F-15E. Both need works to correct the details. Hase's was actually slightly smaller, that's why it will be hanged on the outmost pylons.

 

 

Cheers,

Mario

 

 

 

 

 

[Jabba]

Sorry to hear that you don't have the Xtracolor paints (mind you I do not like them personally) where you are as they used to do all 3 colours for a Kuwaiti Skyhawk. I do have a set of decals from Air Graphic for The Gulf War which include a Kuwaiti Skyhawk, but although they suggest the correct colours (well this is what they say), the equivalent paints are from Xtracolor. A very good weapons load out.

[Shalako]

Just for the paint scheme this kit is worth it's money!!!

 

Beautiful work so far mate!

 

Cheers,

Bill

[modelling minion]

Hi Mario, 

Sorry for not looking in earlier. I have had the same issue as you regarding the underside colour, I didn't think any of the quoted colours looked right as like you say the pictures available show a definite blue tint to the grey. I have gone with an old pot of Aeromaster Warpac undersides grey, looks about right to my eyes. 

 

I see you are taking the Rockeye option too, I am having 5 of them on my build with 3 on the centreline pylon on a TER and one each on the outer pylons. 

[modelling minion]

Looking at your choice of paint I think that AMMO's 36375 is the closest, especially when you take the scale into account. 

[Lifeline]

No worries @modelling minion 

I see you also have the same problem with the grey underside...

But, The warpac grey looks good, unfortunately we don't have aeromaster brand here. 

And yes, I also thought the Ammo 36375 is the closest one for me. But, I already have a coat of 36321, so I'm going to use highly thinned Gunze's 36375 plus a few drops of 36622 for the white and brownish tint.

 

Yep... Same ordinance like mine. I think the white from the rockeyes would really add a contrast.

 

 

Cheers,

Mario

[modelling minion]

1 hour ago, Lifeline said:

I'm going to use highly thinned Gunze's 36375 plus a few drops of 36622 for the white and brownish tint.

This sounds like a good idea to me, being sprayed onto a darker background will help give a good variation on the colour too.

[Lifeline]

Hi,

The result from the skyhawk underside;

Pretty happy with the result.. it still looks rather blue in the picture, but it is actually rather pale with subtle "brown" tint in real life

As you can see the whole kit was being masked, and white areas (wheel well) as well as areas which going to be painted red. 

 

This is followed by painting the upperside... 

The reference in

A-4KU color chart in dstorm.eu

Stated the upperside should be FS3348 for the lighter color and FS30219 for the darker one. 

Since I'm mainly have tamiya and gunze lines in my rack, this translated to Tamiya XF-60 desert yellow for the lighter side.. this turned out pretty good for my eyes, since the color have darker tint.

as for the darker tone, the site states Gunze C310. This was too "bright" and did not give me the correct contrast as per reference picture, so I replace it with C22 (Dark Earth)..

 

Both color was airbrushed free hand to obtain the feathered effect as shown on the reference.. Not the best there is, but this is the best I can do with my $15 airbrush pen 🤷‍♂️

 

Red areas painted;

 

Cheers,

Mario

 

 

Edited April 5, 2021 by Lifeline

[Lifeline]

Tail antennas added, refuelling probe installed, plus hand paint the red line on the intake lip...

The rockeyes are also ready..

 

Remember the decals? I decided to test one of it.. 

Exactly what I fear... It basically torn the moment I touch to move it.

 

Luckily, I have a bottle of liquid miracle named microscale liquid decal film, and it really helps..

Noted a silvering on the decal, which is quite normal after using a liquid decal film... Should be (at least) be minimize after a coat of clear gloss, or probably a small drop of extra thin cement 😈

 

This gonna be fun... I hope 

 

Cheers,

Mario

 

 

 

[Shalako]

What short of weathering do you plan to apply? The reason I'm asking this is because the sand and the high temperatures tend to give a different kind of 'faddiness' to colours.

[Lifeline]

Hmmm... not a maestro of weathering here, but would likely to wash it with dark grey, and dust color. 

Might also going to try dot filtering, but the reference picture didn't showed an overly fading color?

 

Cheers,

Mario

[modelling minion]

Looking very nice indeed Mario.

I think your colours look pretty good to me, I have sprayed some 30219 on mine today and I am not happy with how it looks at all, far too light and too much red in it, so I am going to go over it with a dark earth tomorrow.

[luis pacheco]

Looking good.

 

Hope to see the "KU" being reboxed by Hobby 2000 some day.

[luis pacheco]

On 4/2/2021 at 6:32 PM, Jabba said:

Sorry to hear that you don't have the Xtracolor paints (mind you I do not like them personally) where you are as they used to do all 3 colours for a Kuwaiti Skyhawk.