Gekko_1 Posted September 3, 2021 Share Posted September 3, 2021 (edited) Inspired by an A-4F Skyhawk 'What If' profile by Damian, I thought to myself, why don't I try something similar but base my profile on a scheme that could be easily modeled with easy to get hold of decals too! So what I've come up with is an A-4F Skyhawk in RAF colours of Dark Green and Dark Sea Grey in a wrap around pattern using markings from a Lightning F.6 of 74 Squadron based in RAF Tengah in Singapore in 1970. We all know the scheme of a silver Lightning with a black fin. I'm not going to bother with a backstory for it. It is, as they say, what it is! Cheers Richard. Edited September 5, 2021 by Gekko_1 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAF4EVER Posted September 4, 2021 Share Posted September 4, 2021 Link not working Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gekko_1 Posted September 4, 2021 Author Share Posted September 4, 2021 4 hours ago, RAF4EVER said: Link not working Looks like its OK now. 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gekko_1 Posted September 4, 2021 Author Share Posted September 4, 2021 (edited) What I forgot to mention in the original post was that the sheet I based this scheme on is the 72nd scale Xtradecal X72-155 Lightning F.2A and F.6 sheet, used on a 1/48th scale side profile of an A-4F Skyhawk. So armed with that decal sheet and say a 1/48th scale Hasegawa A-4E/F Skyhawk kit you could make a model of this if you wished. This time its an A-4E with the bent refueling probe, squared off fin tip, A-4K type aerial and drag chute housing. And no ECM antennas. Cheers Richard. Edited September 5, 2021 by Gekko_1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gekko_1 Posted September 5, 2021 Author Share Posted September 5, 2021 (edited) And the obligatory black fin! Cheers Richard. Edited September 5, 2021 by Gekko_1 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandsaw Steve Posted September 5, 2021 Share Posted September 5, 2021 Sorry @Gekko_1 instead of photos I’m just getting large grey squares with some computing text across the top line. No Skyhawks yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gekko_1 Posted September 5, 2021 Author Share Posted September 5, 2021 40 minutes ago, Bandsaw Steve said: Sorry @Gekko_1 instead of photos I’m just getting large grey squares with some computing text across the top line. No Skyhawks yet. Oh! Damn! OK, how about this? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandsaw Steve Posted September 5, 2021 Share Posted September 5, 2021 Yep! That one I can see. Looks wicked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gekko_1 Posted September 5, 2021 Author Share Posted September 5, 2021 21 minutes ago, Bandsaw Steve said: Yep! That one I can see. Looks wicked. OK, cool, now I can get the others up. Thanks for letting me know about this. 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandsaw Steve Posted September 5, 2021 Share Posted September 5, 2021 Yep - that’s fixed it. They look great! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abandoned Project Posted September 6, 2021 Share Posted September 6, 2021 Gotta love the wraparound camouflage! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gekko_1 Posted September 7, 2021 Author Share Posted September 7, 2021 Here's the first of the 5 Squadron birds. Keep in mind that I'm working within the restrictions of the decal sheet. Having said that though I did cheat a little by adding the red bar behind the roundel, something that 5 Squadron did on their Lightnings anyway. The approximate size of the rectangle is 28.6 mm x 5.1 mm. And for those wondering, here's the decal sheet I'm working off. Cheers Richard. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gekko_1 Posted September 23, 2021 Author Share Posted September 23, 2021 No. 56 Squadron. RAF Wattisham 1983. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainpeden Posted September 23, 2021 Share Posted September 23, 2021 @Gekko_1, I have always admired your work, especially those African nation FGR.2s you did some time ago. Just a thought that any RAF Skyhawk would have been with a mud mover squadron such as 6 or 54 rather than the fighter boys or alternatively the TWU such as 79(R) or 151. The relevant Xtradcal Hawk sheets should fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gekko_1 Posted September 23, 2021 Author Share Posted September 23, 2021 7 hours ago, iainpeden said: @Gekko_1, I have always admired your work, especially those African nation FGR.2s you did some time ago. Just a thought that any RAF Skyhawk would have been with a mud mover squadron such as 6 or 54 rather than the fighter boys or alternatively the TWU such as 79(R) or 151. The relevant Xtradcal Hawk sheets should fit. Thanks Iain, yes you're right. I never really thought of that. I was just going with what I had at hand. Looking at Xtradecal sheet X48155 there's a lot on there that I could play around with profile wise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard E Posted September 23, 2021 Share Posted September 23, 2021 7 hours ago, iainpeden said: @Gekko_1, I have always admired your work, especially those African nation FGR.2s you did some time ago. Just a thought that any RAF Skyhawk would have been with a mud mover squadron such as 6 or 54 rather than the fighter boys or alternatively the TWU such as 79(R) or 151. The relevant Xtradcal Hawk sheets should fit. If you wanted to add a splash of colour some of the TWUs' grey Hawks wore blue or black painted tails and 79 squadron operated camouflaged Hunters with red spine and wingtip flashes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gekko_1 Posted September 23, 2021 Author Share Posted September 23, 2021 22 minutes ago, Richard E said: If you wanted to add a splash of colour some of the TWUs' grey Hawks wore blue or black painted tails and 79 squadron operated camouflaged Hunters with red spine and wingtip flashes. Yes, looking at Hannants Xtradecal sheets for the Hunter there are some nice possibilities there, along with the Hawk schemes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gekko_1 Posted September 27, 2021 Author Share Posted September 27, 2021 No. 19 Squadron. RAF Binbrook 1977. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gekko_1 Posted September 28, 2021 Author Share Posted September 28, 2021 No. 19 Squadron. RAF Binbrook 1979. No. 92 Squadron. RAF Gutersloh 1977. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainpeden Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 As you are on to the RAFG squadrons you could try the blue retirement schemes for the F-4s - that way you could get away with the arrow head unit markings. For 1/48, the Revell boxing of the FGR.2 had the 92 arrow head on the decal sheet. I have a 3/4 finished Esci/Italeri A-4 (1/48) on the shelf of doom and nothing currently in progress - off to the decal spares box I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gekko_1 Posted September 29, 2021 Author Share Posted September 29, 2021 No. 11 Squadron. RAF Binbrook 1978. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gekko_1 Posted September 30, 2021 Author Share Posted September 30, 2021 First of the low-vis schemes. Not sure if I really like it? I tried placing the eye and shark mouth as seen on the Lightning F.6, but it doesn't look right on a Skyhawk at all. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gekko_1 Posted October 1, 2021 Author Share Posted October 1, 2021 No. 5 Squadron. RAF Binbrook 1987. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainpeden Posted October 1, 2021 Share Posted October 1, 2021 XS919 is spot on ......... XR770 isn't.😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gekko_1 Posted October 1, 2021 Author Share Posted October 1, 2021 6 hours ago, iainpeden said: XS919 is spot on ......... XR770 isn't.😉 OK. Suggestions for XR770? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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