Hasegawa 1/48 TA-4J

[Sid de Koning]

There isn't any 400 Gal tank on the market. The best there is, is an old 300 Gal tank from Monogram which basically should be just a little bit 'thicker'.

Also, a bit late I know, did you dryfit the intakes? I came to my conclusion that the Hase intake duct was about 2 mm too small on the inside regarding the intakes.

Regards,

Sid

[Silver Fox]

Looking good can't wait for mine to arrive. I also had a real problem with mixing the LAG on my single seater.

[KiwiBob]

Hi all

Just a short update today as I'm renovating the house (which apparently has priority... go figure...). I repainted the LAG so it's bluer but the pic is pretty bad - the light washes out the colour of both the LAG and the Aircraft Grey - it is darker on the kit - and with some decals, a wash or two, it will all look darker.... Anyway I'm happy with it as it's a compromise between the closest colour reference I could find (being Tamiya XF-23) and pictures on the net, specifically this shot:

Just like my pic, the angle of the pic, the light at the time, etc all make the LAG look different.....

Anyway here she is at the moment. Next tasks are to add the intakes and other minor parts, mask and spray the white panel on the underside just behind the nose cone, complete the tanks, etc. I've already applied a couple of gloss coats in prep for decals so may get some of those on over the week...

Cheers from NZ

Rob

[KiwiSteve]

Shes coming along nicely Bob I have to say having Richards other Kiwi A-4 decals sheets, I'd definetly want to get a TA-4 sheet if he released it

Edited May 4, 2009 by KiwiSteve

[Scooby]

OK I've decided to go ahead with the decal sheet. It will include ALL RNZAF TA-4G/K colour schemes from the very first right up to the very last day. The sheet will also have markings for the A-4K Skyhawks as they were for their final flight in RNZAF service plus a few interesting markings that got missed on the first two sheets!

As for 32nd scale, well first I'll see how sales of this new sheet go, and what sort of job Trumpeter do with their kit. (but I wont be doing RAAF Skyhawks! Possibly RAN ones though! )

Why the difficulty and expense to get my RNZAF Skyhawk sheets?

Cheers

Richard Chafer

Gekko Graphics

[email protected]

I loved your first two sheets and I'll love these two as well. What time frame can we expect to see these sheets in?

Thanks much for the excellent products!

[Gekko_1]

I loved your first two sheets and I'll love these two as well. What time frame can we expect to see these sheets in?

Thanks much for the excellent products!

Thanks Scooby,

just finalising artwork on the new sheet now. I'm awaiting some pics/information from NZ. The new sheet, whilst covering ALL the T-birds, will have additional markings to cover some of the A-4G and A-4K markings that I either didn't know about at the time of release of the first two sheets or didn't have enough info on. That has since been rectified and I now have that information. So, this new sheet will close the chapter on RNZAF Skyhawk / Kahu Operational History having covered as many schemes, marking options and unique markings as anybody could hope for...........I hope!

As for a time frame? I really can't say as the next stage is out of my hands. Cartograf say that they can get the sheet printed in three weeks from confirmation of quote, so.............

Cheers

Richard.

[Scooby]

Thanks Scooby,

just finalising artwork on the new sheet now. I'm awaiting some pics/information from NZ. The new sheet, whilst covering ALL the T-birds, will have additional markings to cover some of the A-4G and A-4K markings that I either didn't know about at the time of release of the first two sheets or didn't have enough info on. That has since been rectified and I now have that information. So, this new sheet will close the chapter on RNZAF Skyhawk / Kahu Operational History having covered as many schemes, marking options and unique markings as anybody could hope for...........I hope!

As for a time frame? I really can't say as the next stage is out of my hands. Cartograf say that they can get the sheet printed in three weeks from confirmation of quote, so.............

Cheers

Richard.

Thanks again for your hard work, I will be buying this new product. I can't wait!

[Calum]

Hi all

Just a short update today as I'm renovating the house (which apparently has priority... go figure...). I repainted the LAG so it's bluer but the pic is pretty bad - the light washes out the colour of both the LAG and the Aircraft Grey - it is darker on the kit - and with some decals, a wash or two, it will all look darker.... Anyway I'm happy with it as it's a compromise between the closest colour reference I could find (being Tamiya XF-23) and pictures on the net, specifically this shot:

Just like my pic, the angle of the pic, the light at the time, etc all make the LAG look different.....

Anyway here she is at the moment. Next tasks are to add the intakes and other minor parts, mask and spray the white panel on the underside just behind the nose cone, complete the tanks, etc. I've already applied a couple of gloss coats in prep for decals so may get some of those on over the week...

Cheers from NZ

Rob

Looks better with more blue Rob.

I went through the hosue renos' getting in the way of modelling last year. Most inconvenient

[Talon]

You are going to have fun with the intake fronts. I fitted mine before painting, and the outer edge of the two front parts you are painting red before fitting protrudes a good 1/2mm all round. And I can guarantee you it was not my assembly process.

[KiwiBob]

Hi Talon

Yup you're right. On previous A-4 builds (single seaters) I've managed most times to get the intakes to fit after painting with no further work - sometimes have use a bit of clear filler (like Micro Crystal Clear) to fill any minor gaps but they usually turn out quite well - see the pic of the RNZAF A-4 earlier in my post (the red looks better in the flesh - the pic shows a difference in shade between the intake and the DANGER flash). However this time around I stuffed up and have had to sand the intakes to blend into the fuselage. Haven't got around to shooting paint on it yet to patch up the sanding - hope to get that done this weekend. I'm renovating my house so the powers that be determine that has priority most of the time.....

Cheers from NZ

Rob

[Talon]

Rob,

Any updates on this one?

[KiwiBob]

Hi guys

Well I've been a complete Slackbladder on the old modelling front in the last few weeks. I'm renovating my old 1920's bungalow at the moment and frantically trying to get at least the insulation installed in the walls and ceilings as it's cold... well as cold as a winter in sunny Auckland can be - I'm sure we hit single figures the other day....

And I have to confess I have been working on other things that haven't required me to work in the old cold shed - I do all my airbrushing in a shed with no power - so when it's cold and wet and not ideal for airbrushing I prefer the comfort of the dining table - but am limited to gluing, hand painting and a little bit of sanding. Then I try to go nuts for a day or two and spray as much as possible but that then tends to be once a month ....

Anyhoo, I wasn't happy with my intakes so sanded them back and resprayed them red. I've masked and sprayed the light grey and now have to tidy up the dark grey. I've applied a few decals near the rear fuselage to see how they go but can't progress forward until I finish cleaning up the paint work. One thing I have realised is that I don't have enough numerals in the Gekko sheet to chop and change to get the correct aircraft number for the scheme so I may have to leave that off until Richard of Gekko Graphics produces his TA-4 sheets or unless I can find some among the spares that are suitable. I'll post some pics on the weekend...

Cheers from NZ

Rob

Edited July 7, 2009 by KiwiBob

[KiwiBob]

Hi all

As mentioned above, I've been very slack in progress on the TA-4J. My wife seems to think lining the half of our house that I've gutted is more important.... go figure.... Anyway, I have been pottering around with kits that have been sitting around 90% complete, just needing the odd piece finished - pitots, windscreens, etc - things that can be done in the evening on the dining room table. So here's a few pics (apologies for some of them - I have a very simple digital camera and can't get the depth of field sorted...):

First, 1/48 Hasegawa Junkers Ju-87D-4 - Torpedo Flieger

1/48 Tamiya Me262 (Clear) and Dragon Me262

A departure in scale for me: 1/72 Hasegawa B-26B/C Marauder (an easy fun build - prompted me to grab a B-25 and Mossie also in 1/72):

1/48 Eduard P-400 (I have a couple of Hasegawa versions in the stash as well so will be an interesting comparison):

An Italeri Tornado - a very difficult build that I've pottered with on and off for years - sanding, scribing, etc - and the decals, don't talk to me about the kit decals.... mutter mutter.... they just about caused the kit to become airborne.....

1/48 Tamiya Storch - another beautifully engineered kit from the House of T that was a pleasure to build... just a few details to complete...

1/48 Hasegawa TF-104 in Italian markings from Sky Models. It will be finished with scratch-modified wing tanks I had left over from another F-104 kit as well as wing-tip tanks:

And finally, I also build cars (and ships, and sci-fi, and figures....), mainly Italian and mainly Ferraris. Here is the 1/24th Hasegawa Ferrari 250 Testarossa with KA Models etched wire wheels (which are stunning...):

Cheers from NZ

Rob

Edited July 12, 2009 by KiwiBob

[KiwiBob]

Hi everyone

Well I can't believe that it's been 5 months almost since I updated this - just goes to show what a slacker I am. Actually I've been renovating the house and coming down to the finishing details so that consumes most of my spare time. And coming into summer here in NZ it's hard to justify a day stuck in the model room when the sun is shining and the lawns are beckoning....

Anyhoo, this is where I'm at with the scooter. I have to thank John D for allowing me to pinch some numbers (the 255 on the nose) from his spare Gekko decal sheet - the sheet I had just didn't have enough 5's on it to complete the code. I've also sourced a buddy refueling tank from Red Roo Models in Australia - a nice wee kit - all I had to add was the prop fins on the nose (made from aluminium drink can and cut to size - plans supplied by Red Roo). My own scratch-built tank wasn't far off but i wasn't able to find decent pics of the whole tank so on receiving the resin part from Red Roo I can now scratch the rest to use on another kit - perhaps the A-7 I have languishing in a box somewhere.

I have also have to paint the drop tanks in the SEA paint scheme as per the pics in the first page...

So I now have to add details like the guns, assorted aerials, mirrors and handles to the canopy and the canopy support....

Then to add the seats (True Details resin replacements) - but having painted them (and they look worse here with the macro on the camera than in the flesh) they don't fit in the cockpit - I'll have to shave off the detail on either side to get them to fit.

I've washed the kit with Promodeller Dark Wash which came out ok-ish. Not entirely happy with it as it stained some of the lighter paint - nevermind.... from pics I've seen it looks like they were in quite clean condition in this transition scheme so I didn't want to dirty it too much. The flash has washed the colour out a bit anyway. So, in the next week or so a coat of satin varnish, add the dangly bits and then back in the box for storage....

Cheers from NZ

Rob

[KiwiBob]

Just a wee update - a few pics of the scooter with the RedRoo buddy tank installed. The tank is all resin and you are supplied with a small template to make the fins at the front - I made these from aluminium cut from a soft drink can.

Just need to spray the brown/green SEA scheme on the wing tanks and add a few of the dangly bits. Then a final clear coat, polish the screen and canopy and it's done...

I hope to get this done in the next week and then can call it complete....

Cheers

Rob

[KiwiBob]

Hi all

Well I've had a very slow month of modelling - been concentrating on house renovations so more woodwork than plasticwork lately.

I'm going to call this one done - or at least 99% done - couple of touch-ups to do, some minor weathering around the guns, exhaust, fuel tanks and a final spray of clear to seal it all - but knowing the rate at which I work and get bored with subjects, move on and come back to them, it may be some months before I get everything wrapped up.

So here is the scooter as she stands:

Close up (ish) of the Red Roo refueling buddy tank (used on A-4 and A-7 - excellent casting and instructions from Red Roo).

And one or two more:

Not entirely sure I'm happy with the demarc lines on the wing tanks - I'll have a think about that - if it doesn't bug me too much they'll stay as is - and as they are now glued in place I think they will stay as is.... perhaps a bit of fuel weathering and some scratches on the underside.....

Apologies for the pics - the model looks better in the flesh! Honest! My point-and-shoot digital camera has no control over depth of field and I was relying on light in between passing rain clouds...

So now I need to complete the other two birds from the RNZAF as seen above - A-4E/F from the mid-70's in it's SEA livery and a A-4K post-upgrade. I still have plans for another single seater in the all green livery just before the strike wing was disbanded and another TA-4 I plan to do in the SEA livery - and then I think I'll be scootered out.

Cheers from NZ

Rob

[Calum]

Nice looking T Bird Rob

[KiwiSteve]

Thanks one sweet looking Kiwi scooter bob The buddy pod looks great might have to grab me on of those from Red Roo