Aggresive Scooter!

[eng]

Morning,

1st project for 2009 (apart from all the stuff already on the go!!). I've had 2 of these kits in the stash for a couple of years now, but aquiring the TwoBob's "Good Guy's Gone Bad" sheet last year has had me itching to build this for ages. The A-4 is a stunning Hase kit and you get plenty plastic in the box.

This build will be in the last scheme on the TwoBob's sheet, a "hump-less" A-4F of VF-126 from around 1989, which has an Iraqi flag on the fin, and a 4 colour camo scheme

I've made a start on the cockpit and bits of the airframe, the seat isn't to bad, but the seam on the headbox will need cleaned up and I think I'll remove the moulded belts and add some of my own and also some basic detail to make it a bit more 3D

The side consoles on the tub are well detailed, as is the instrument panel, and I'll paint these rather than use the decals to keep the panels from looking too flat, I've off-set the rudder pedals and will adjust the rudder to suit. My plan is to add a pilot and have the aircraft configured as it would be on touching down, i.e flaps, slats and speedbrakes extended.

The wing halves fit together beautifully without any gaps or filler required, and on dry fit to the fuselage, are absolutely perfect with literally a hairline gap along the upper surface that will take the smallest swipe of filler to make disappear. The surface detail is lovely and the joins between the control surfaces and the rest of the wing are so deep it will be very easy to deflect any of the control surfaces (elevators, rudder and ailerons).

I've only taped the fuselage halves together to dry fit the wings, but the speedbrake bays have been painted red and I'll blu-tak the surfaces into position for airframe painting at some point.

So far it's progressing very quickly and without a hitch, but its painting that always stalls my builds and I don't know whether to stick to what I know and brush paint or bite the bullet and have a bash with my airbrush and Xtracrylix, i can picture it airbrushed and know it will look better, but I just don't have the confidence with it, I guess that only comes with practise though!

One snag I have hit is I can't seem to find any underside pic's of aggressor A-4's, so I can determine which, if any, chaff/flare dispensers are fitted to these aircraft (kit parts A3, A4, A5). I know which section gets used just below and forward of the jet pipe, but not these bits just aft of the wing trailing edge. I've a couple of the old Osprey "Superbase" books somewhere in the loft which are great if I can find them, but wondered if anyone here has any links or pic's close to hand?

Hopefully get some more pic's posted later in the week, it's my daughters 4th birthday tomorrow so unlikely to get anything done til Wed or Thurs.

Bye for now

Eng

[KiwiSteve]

Sweet scheme for the scooter