Jump to content

RAF A-4 Skyhawk


Gekko_1

Recommended Posts

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! :hmmm:
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.

 kwsGhjJ.png

 

Edited by Gekko_1
  • Like 15
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

3wezDnJ.jpg

yIKLUtU.jpg

Edited by Gekko_1
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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! :shrug: Damn! OK, how about this?

kwsGhjJ.png

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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

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 :wicked: 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.

pXMI6qh.jpg

And for those wondering, here's the decal sheet I'm working off.

JmbeyPO.jpg

Cheers

Richard.

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

@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

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

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

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

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

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. :shrug:

 

nlqGZzK.jpg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...