Slywolff Posted June 5, 2021 Share Posted June 5, 2021 (edited) Hello, I started this project some months ago, various delays due trying to finding an accurate colour paint for it. Its a typical eastern European kit with its quirks around part fits and the instruction sheet, but it is a nicely detailed kit with a good selection of decals. I have chosen do to mine as a RN FAA aircraft with the wings folded, Airwaves do a photo etch wing fold for the Hasegawa kit, but with some tweaking it works on this kit as well.... This is the Airwaves set available from Hannants. I picked up this publication from the FAA Museum back in 1991 on a trip to the UK The kit instructions in places need a lot of careful studying such as where these undercarriage bay parts go.. it is not all that clear!! The ends of the wings folds needed tidying up with plastic card.. The wing join was pretty poor so I added strips of plastic card rather than putty but a stronger bond The kit comes with a very nicely detailed resin engine just that its location if not too clear so it needs these bits added otherwise it wobbles about.. Again some filler needed around the radome.. The SMS paint is an acrylic lacquer: The kit decal roundels are wrong the blue is too dark fortunately Avalon decals do a set for the FAA Skyraiders available from Hannants This is where I am up to now: As to how to attach the folded wings the strut shown here will be the way I go I can't see the p/e parts being strong enough to hold the wings in place! Edited June 5, 2021 by Slywolff update 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJP Posted June 5, 2021 Share Posted June 5, 2021 That looks like quite a nice kit and it is coming together well - good job CJP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted June 5, 2021 Share Posted June 5, 2021 This is looking brilliant. I love the detail you're putting into this & the info you're sharing. Guess who has one in stock Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted June 5, 2021 Share Posted June 5, 2021 Thanks for doing this kit as I too have this kit and have held back on it due to my being unsure about how to proceed with either engine or slats and looked through loads of photos but could never see the area concerned so will now use this for ref. Your wingfold workooks wonderful and now with the paint on looks gorgeous. Great work Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slywolff Posted June 7, 2021 Author Share Posted June 7, 2021 On 6/5/2021 at 8:37 AM, bigbadbadge said: Thanks for doing this kit as I too have this kit and have held back on it due to my being unsure about how to proceed with either engine or slats and looked through loads of photos but could never see the area concerned so will now use this for ref. Your wingfold workooks wonderful and now with the paint on looks gorgeous. Great work Chris Hi Chris, Happy to oblige. Yes lots of photos help, as the instructions in places is woeful for locating some parts I also forgot to mention two parts are incorrectly numbered…. Part 48?? I think. On 6/5/2021 at 7:27 AM, stevehnz said: This is looking brilliant. I love the detail you're putting into this & the info you're sharing. Guess who has one in stock Steve. Hi Steve, thank you! 👍 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shalako Posted June 7, 2021 Share Posted June 7, 2021 Back in the late-90s I did the mistake to try and work on the aft cockpit that housed all the electronic equipment, without having any photos, just a technical drawing that showed very little. The kit ended up in the "shelf of doom" and ever since I have never touched or even thought about building another Skyraider! However, now that I saw your build (and the book you have in one of your photos), there is a small spark inside me that's growing..... would it be too much to ask you to upload here some photos of that particular area from the book? Cheers, Bill 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted June 7, 2021 Share Posted June 7, 2021 44 minutes ago, Slywolff said: Hi Chris, Happy to oblige. Yes lots of photos help, as the instructions in places is woeful for locating some parts I also forgot to mention two parts are incorrectly numbered…. Part 48?? I think. Hi Steve, thank you! 👍 Thanks Steve for the heads up too. I have ordered the decal sheet from Hannants and have bookmarked your thread too. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slywolff Posted June 14, 2021 Author Share Posted June 14, 2021 On 6/7/2021 at 7:11 PM, Shalako said: Back in the late-90s I did the mistake to try and work on the aft cockpit that housed all the electronic equipment, without having any photos, just a technical drawing that showed very little. The kit ended up in the "shelf of doom" and ever since I have never touched or even thought about building another Skyraider! However, now that I saw your build (and the book you have in one of your photos), there is a small spark inside me that's growing..... would it be too much to ask you to upload here some photos of that particular area from the book? Cheers, Bill Hi Bill, Yes I am happy to do that, let me just clarify you would like photos of the area behind the pilots cockpit..... the exterior? Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slywolff Posted June 14, 2021 Author Share Posted June 14, 2021 On 6/7/2021 at 7:47 PM, bigbadbadge said: Thanks Steve for the heads up too. I have ordered the decal sheet from Hannants and have bookmarked your thread too. Chris Hi Chris, Just to give you a heads up the decals blue colour isn't quite right.... and the registration on my decals was pretty mediocre! Simon 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_alfisti_ Posted June 14, 2021 Share Posted June 14, 2021 Very nice project, I really like the AEW version of the Skyraider. Sometimes a plane needs some humps or a big belly to look interesting.😄 Sword kits are not the easiest way to get to a nice modell, but your work looks very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slywolff Posted June 14, 2021 Author Share Posted June 14, 2021 Well here we go using the Avalon Decals, which I am not too fussed about.. the roundel blue looks wrong and the decal alignment is not too good either. But see what you think? I'm not doing any of the decal schemes but that of an RN Skyraider that landed on HMAS Melbourne and got zapped with a roo.... not sure if I will be able to replicate that zap! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shalako Posted June 14, 2021 Share Posted June 14, 2021 2 hours ago, Slywolff said: Hi Bill, Yes I am happy to do that, let me just clarify you would like photos of the area behind the pilots cockpit..... the exterior? Simon Hi Simon, Check the photo from the link that I have attached: Noticed the doors that are missing? I want photos (or, technical drawings) from the inside of this area that housed the two-crew members that were handling all the electronic equipment. Cheers, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tailspin Turtle Posted June 14, 2021 Share Posted June 14, 2021 (edited) Thanks for the excellent build information. Some more on the airplane and kit here: https://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2019/08/sword-172-douglas-ad-4w-skyraider.html Edited June 14, 2021 by Tailspin Turtle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted June 14, 2021 Share Posted June 14, 2021 8 hours ago, Slywolff said: Hi Chris, Just to give you a heads up the decals blue colour isn't quite right.... and the registration on my decals was pretty mediocre! Simon Thanks Simon, I could look at using the kit roundels and Avslon other bits. I wonder if they looked at one of the photos on the link above which seems to show them of a similar colour ??? Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slywolff Posted June 15, 2021 Author Share Posted June 15, 2021 14 hours ago, Shalako said: Hi Simon, Check the photo from the link that I have attached: Noticed the doors that are missing? I want photos (or, technical drawings) from the inside of this area that housed the two-crew members that were handling all the electronic equipment. Cheers, Bill Hi Bill Sorry but the book has no interior photos but I did find this on the web... Could this help? Simon 9 hours ago, Tailspin Turtle said: Thanks for the excellent build information. Some more on the airplane and kit here: https://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2019/08/sword-172-douglas-ad-4w-skyraider.html Thanks for sharing that, some very useful information in that post! Cheers Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slywolff Posted June 15, 2021 Author Share Posted June 15, 2021 7 hours ago, bigbadbadge said: Thanks Simon, I could look at using the kit roundels and Avalon other bits. I wonder if they looked at one of the photos on the link above which seems to show them of a similar colour ??? Chris Hi Chris, The Avalon roundels look to me to be more purple in colour, which is sad... but I could not find anything else either in my decals spares box or on the web as a suitable replacement! Maybe ModelDecal will do something to help solve this problem. Could be they used those photos.... Simon 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heloman1 Posted June 15, 2021 Share Posted June 15, 2021 Good build Simon, I was at RNAS Culdrose, when they were scrapping the Skyraiders. Chief Petty officers out with cutting torches! The radomes were nabbed by officers for fish ponds! I'm not sure but can't at the moment find my Skyraider ref, but the underwing serials look dodgy to me! I would have thought the font style wound have been te same as the fuselage side codes. The fit of the parts in your early shots, look as bad as he Italeri (nee ESCI) kit. A fit like an oven glove! Colin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shalako Posted June 15, 2021 Share Posted June 15, 2021 10 hours ago, Slywolff said: Hi Bill Sorry but the book has no interior photos but I did find this on the web... Oh brother! First of all, thank you for the technical illustration. Yes, it does summarises what's in that cabin very well. However, I can't see any seats. This cabin was supposedly designed to have seats for two of the three crew members. Could it be that it only depicts the left-hand part of the cabin? Cheers, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tailspin Turtle Posted June 15, 2021 Share Posted June 15, 2021 2 hours ago, Shalako said: Oh brother! First of all, thank you for the technical illustration. Yes, it does summarises what's in that cabin very well. However, I can't see any seats. This cabin was supposedly designed to have seats for two of the three crew members. Could it be that it only depicts the left-hand part of the cabin? Cheers, Bill You see those straight-sided rectangular recesses slanting back from the top of the bulkhead with the large lightening holes in it? The right one appears to have a cup holder to the right of it. Those are where the seat pack parachutes go that the guys in back sit on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tailspin Turtle Posted June 15, 2021 Share Posted June 15, 2021 24 minutes ago, Tailspin Turtle said: You see those straight-sided rectangular recesses slanting back from the top of the bulkhead with the large lightening holes in it? The right one appears to have a cup holder to the right of it. Those are where the seat pack parachutes go that the guys in back sit on. For the rest of the story, go here and scroll down to the bottom: https://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2018/06/ad-4w-skyraider.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shalako Posted June 15, 2021 Share Posted June 15, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, Tailspin Turtle said: For the rest of the story, go here and scroll down to the bottom: https://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2018/06/ad-4w-skyraider.html Cheers mate. Isn't it strange that we can find so many photos of various areas/parts for other aircrafts on the internet (and in books) but for the AEW 1, there are none? And I'm referring to the specific cabin. Thank goodness I got the good-old ESCI kit in 1/48 that allows to add details of this complexity, because I see a lot of equipment in there!!!!! Now, looking at all these equipment back there, I presume it must had been really heavy for take-offs from a carrier. And not an area for claustrophobics. Cheers, Bill Edited June 15, 2021 by Shalako Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted June 15, 2021 Share Posted June 15, 2021 It's not that strange: this is from a time when such things were very secret, and people took that sort of thing very seriously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shalako Posted June 15, 2021 Share Posted June 15, 2021 2 hours ago, Graham Boak said: It's not that strange: this is from a time when such things were very secret, and people took that sort of thing very seriously. I hear what you say mate. From my experience, it has to do with the level of security each country's military imposes and it's related to various equipment in service. However, we are talking about technology that is obsolete and it is easy to research and record when for instance, as a publisher you are planning to release a book. We used to have only books and magazines (and some of us T.O.s) to refer to when we were building scale models back in the good old days (80s and 90s) but, with the advent of the internet is much easier for anyone to post what he has in his personal archives. This is why I consider it as strange not to be able to find a photo of the interior from the specific version of the Skyraider. I mentioned the 1/48 ESCI kit. For me and at my age it's easier to work on a larger model than on a smaller one to reproduce various details but, in order to do so I must have good references and at sometimes you simply can't afford to buy everything that is available out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slywolff Posted July 3, 2021 Author Share Posted July 3, 2021 (edited) Hello, Well it is time that I finished this build off and moved on to all the other projects! I have put on all the remaining decals, attached the tail hook and did some touch up of the paint.... tomorrow I hope to be able to attach the folded wings and mark her as finished or well pretty well done bat something I can't be bothered to do. One error is the kit decals for the canopy don't go all the way round! The kit decals are generally pretty good and take a lot of handling... odd though they give you yellow decals for the prop tips but don't mention them! Some of the decals should be left off such as the yellow lines around the fuselage doors... they are not appropriate.. Edited July 3, 2021 by Slywolff 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted July 3, 2021 Share Posted July 3, 2021 Excellent to see this again, looking great with the decals, shame about the canopy decals not going all the way round. It does look good and can't wait to see the wings on . Great work Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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