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Correcting a Matchbox 1/48 AD-5 Skyraider Its gonna be one Crazy Water Buffalo FINISHED!


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And now for something completely different(Nothing images of Monty Python to start a build.) Todays build is going be a major correction and enhancement of Matchbox's 1/48 AD-5 Skyraider. I have an old Finescale modeler

article from Jan 1998 to use as a guide. Why am I not doing this in the current Matchbox GB you ask? Well by the time I get done there may not much left of the original kit which would not be in the right spirit for that GB. A little change here and there is ok, but this will have whole sections being gutted and changed. 

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And I'll be using the wing assembly from a Revell AD-6 which are much better detail wise.

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There will probably be other additions as I go along and I hope I can use the kits decals but if not I'll have to what's available after market wise.

 So all are welcome to follow me down this white rabbit hole. So any comments, suggestions, and general mayhem are always welcome. Time to cue Jefferson Airplane and Grace. Bring on the fun!

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41 minutes ago, Robin-42 said:

Nice to see other crazies trying to correct these kits. My 1/32 F22 has been epic fun! I think there will be 11 original parts in mine!

Thanks Robin welcome aboard for all the fun😜

35 minutes ago, AdrianMF said:

I never knew that Matchbox even ventured into 1/48. Sounds like a mash-up I can sign on for… good luck!

 

At this point I’m thinking more “where are the bodies for dinner - I want my food”

 

Regards,

Adrian 

Thanks Adrian and welcome aboard. May not be as crazy as some of @corsaircorp's builds but might be a little entertaining. I just finished a Sea Sprite over on @Rabbit Leader and @JOCKNEY's Matchbox GB. Those guys rounded up a lot of excellent builds. Mine is here:

 

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Yiiiihaaaaa !!

Loren is on AD too !!

I already have 2 beasties like that !!

I'm looking for a third one to start one more lunacy !!

May I take a seat at the bar !!!

Can't promise to behave...

Sincerely.

CC

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 CC your honored throne awaits you in der Wirtshaus er sorry... Estaminets and I do believe a round has already been set up for you. Welcome aboard! This will be a crazy build so that means all bets are off as to minimal mayhem:hobbyhorse:

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Ooh, I'm very interested in this! :popcorn:

 

I have one in the Shelf O' Doom. I did work on the wings to fix the MLG bays and get rid of the cheesy wing fold. I intend Caracal markings for an aircraft that was stationed at the former NAS Los Alamitos, now JFTB Los Alamitos, a couple of miles from my house.

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1 minute ago, dnl42 said:

Ooh, I'm very interested in this! :popcorn:

 

I have one in the Shelf O' Doom. I did work on the wings to fix the MLG bays and get rid of the cheesy wing fold. I intend Caracal markings for an aircraft that was stationed at the former NAS Los Alamitos, now JFTB Los Alamitos, a couple of miles from my house.

Welcome aboard and make yourself to home.

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  • LorenSharp changed the title to Correcting a Matchbox 1/48 AD-5 Skyraider Its gonna be one Crazy Water Buffalo

Moving along And going by the article(which will be deviated from some) I've started with the closing in of the main gear wells. AD-% didn't have gear doors, the gear went into opening like on  a P-40. So plastic card at the ready, I used .030 sheet and cut the basic shape out of the opening. To keep things from falling into the wing I used some thin strip to keep everything stable. The holes for the tires are supposed to be 5/8" (.625)  but the tires are actually 21/32" ( .656) Not much but it does make a difference..

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Then sanded off the armour plating on the bottom along with filling in  the catapult hooks and the sides of the top portion of the bay, Narrower gear door was used instead of the wider kit one. I'll re-scribe everything later. iIce thing is at least they're all straight lines.

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I then took some .010 card and punched out a new wingtip light base, sanded it down some then drilled a new hole for the lens. I have some spare clear sprues that will work perfectly for this.

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Now for major surgery. The AD-5 is narrower than the AD-6 so I split the wing down the middle ad spread it apart 1.5 mm. The original article said 3/16 but that was way too much. as the writer later commented on.

The inside of the wing I used a piece of sheet stock to mate the sides together at the proper width.

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Then used some plastic rod to fill the gap before applying filler. I also filled a couple of sink holes on the ailerons.

 

 

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Where the wing attaches to the fuselage on the matchbox kit is a straight wing root. on the Revell kit, curved. and since its easier to make a curve straight then a straight a curve, (confusing ain't it?) that's what I did.

And I like things a little stronger so I added card to the wing roots of the fuselage so it will securely mate with the wing.

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I'll let these dry overnight then tomorrow sand them down and begin work on the cockpit/cargo area.

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10 hours ago, Tailspin Turtle said:

Hello TT,

They got the yankee ES fitted in AD 5 too ??

I knew for the USAF and VNAF AD-6 but...

Firing a rocket in the cockpit with (sometimes) a fuel tank just beside the seat....:suicide:

Thanks for the links !!

Sincerely.

CC

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4 hours ago, corsaircorp said:

Hello TT,

They got the yankee ES fitted in AD 5 too ??

I knew for the USAF and VNAF AD-6 but...

Firing a rocket in the cockpit with (sometimes) a fuel tank just beside the seat....:suicide:

Thanks for the links !!

Sincerely.

CC

At least some non-USN/USMC A-1Es had the Yankee seats in the cockpit. As far as I know, the "blue room" was almost always empty. There was no need for fuel tanks in the cabin unless maybe they were being ferried from the west coast to Hawaii (I don't know any were).

Edited by Tailspin Turtle
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4 hours ago, Tailspin Turtle said:

At least some non-USN/USMC A-1Es had the Yankee seats in the cockpit. As far as I know, the "blue room" was almost always empty. There was no need for fuel tanks in the cabin unless maybe they were being ferried from the west coast to Hawaii (I don't know any were).

THat's interesting that the cargo area was almost always empty. might be why I've had difficulty finding info on passengers( not strechers) placement. Seems like a looong time ago as a kid I built one of these (1/72 scale maybe?) and it had fold up benches and webbing backs on both sides. 6 passengers max? but I've yet to find this particular arraignment to confirm.

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1 hour ago, LorenSharp said:

THat's interesting that the cargo area was almost always empty. might be why I've had difficulty finding info on passengers( not strechers) placement. Seems like a looong time ago as a kid I built one of these (1/72 scale maybe?) and it had fold up benches and webbing backs on both sides. 6 passengers max? but I've yet to find this particular arraignment to confirm.

The sidesaddle setup was proposed and mocked up but I doubt that it was ever used, almost certainly not for carrier landings. The basic passenger configuration was four rearward facing seats. See https://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2009/12/widebody-skyraider.html

 

The utility version (no mission avionics) could be pretty quickly configured for passengers but my impression is that the back of the USAF/VNAF A-1Es was usually empty. 

Edited by Tailspin Turtle
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14 hours ago, Tailspin Turtle said:

The sidesaddle setup was proposed and mocked up but I doubt that it was ever used, almost certainly not for carrier landings. The basic passenger configuration was four rearward facing seats. See https://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2009/12/widebody-skyraider.html

 

The utility version (no mission avionics) could be pretty quickly configured for passengers but my impression is that the back of the USAF/VNAF A-1Es was usually empty. 

Apparently, the extra fuel and oil tanks were used in Sandy mission, giving them a lot more time for the jolly green giants to pick up the survivors...

I'll look for more infos, VNAF did'nt have any use of such a long autonomy...

Now, with all that, there's a risk for me to give a go to my AD-5 too.....:tmi:

I'm definitely not serious !! 

CC

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2 minutes ago, corsaircorp said:

Apparently, the extra fuel and oil tanks were used in Sandy mission, giving them a lot more time for the jolly green giants to pick up the survivors...

I'll look for more infos, VNAF did'nt have any use of such a long autonomy...

Now, with all that, there's a risk for me to give a go to my AD-5 too.....:tmi:

I'm definitely not serious !! 

CC

Aww gawaaannn CC you know you want to,,,,:wall: Can't have too many Spad builds going on you know.

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I planned to kitbash a Monogram AD-5 to Hase A-1H, as an article on hyperscale. Your WIP is great reference! Thanks.

1.5mm width is 1mm on 72nd scale,  I may ignore it...just try to get them together...

However the belly armour still need to be removed, I know it(they) will be lot of work, so starting this project after I finish everything on stash? 😅

A question on AD-5, I usually see (most) AD-5Q or -5W carrying such a  bulk pod under one wing pylon, as matchbox provided in light gray sprue, what is it?

 

Quote your post's pic, parts at bottom right: 

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15 minutes ago, fernandocouto said:

I planned to kitbash a Monogram AD-5 to Hase A-1H, as an article on hyperscale. Your WIP is great reference! Thanks.

1.5mm width is 1mm on 72nd scale,  I may ignore it...just try to get them together...

However the belly armour still need to be removed, I know it(they) will be lot of work, so starting this project after I finish everything on stash? 😅

A question on AD-5, I usually see (most) AD-5Q or -5W carrying such a  bulk pod under one wing pylon, as matchbox provided in light gray sprue, what is it?

 

Quote your post's pic, parts at bottom right: 

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That part from checking my references is probably an external ECM pod it was only carried on one wing. The kit also has two other similar pieces but those are the external drop tanks.

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A little bit of an update in between GB builds, Got the wing issues sorted out and removed the ailerons and flaps

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I'm sure there will be more sanding once I give this a coat of primer. But getting back to the fuselage. I cut out for the Revell tailhook and opened the dive brake area for re-contouring.

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