How to Install
Seamless Suckers'
A-6E Intake

by Dave Roof

HyperScale is proudly supported by Squadron

Seamless Suckers has been around for a few years now.

Over the years Robert Brown, the ‘Head Sucker in Charge’ has brought smiles to the faces of many Modern Jet Modelers. His intakes have saved the modeler quite a few hours in one of the most difficult areas of jet modeling, filling and sanding the seams inside the intakes. The most recent release in this line is product number SS-24, A-6E intakes for the Revell 1/48 scale Intruder. The set consists of four pieces in a hard white resin. The two intake’s, and the engine faces for each.

On the real A-6E, the distance from the edge of the intake splitter plate to the engine face is 7 feet. Revell’s measures out to a scale 2 feet. These new intakes are the correct 7 scale feet and give the kit a much more realistic appearance.

Installation of the new intakes is pretty much straight forward. However, like any resin aftermarket item, they may need to be modified just a bit to fit your kit. Follow the directions, take your time, and test fit often. It is recommended that you remove a little bit of plastic from the kit at a time, dry fitting as you go.

I have included a scan of the instructions for this review/build article, so you can follow the steps (click the thumbnail to the left to view larger image of the instructions). However, if you have a specific question or the instructions are unclear to you, feel free to drop me an email.

After removing the casting block from the backs of the intakes, wash the parts in warm soapy water to remove the mold release agent. Once dry, spray the interior of the intakes Gloss White and set aside to dry.

Next paint the engine faces Steel. When dry, insert into the intake and push it in as far as it will go. It may be necessary to remove a bit of the casting plug from the engine faces to prevent them from hitting the main wheel wells in the kit.

After removing the necessary plastic from the kit, and you are satisfied with the intakes fit, glue the kit boarding ladder door in the closed position on the left fuselage half. When gluing the ladder door, you must first remove the detail from the inside, as this will interfere with the intake itself. This will ensure you get the left intake in the proper position.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

---

Now glue the intakes in position using either Super Glue or 5 minute epoxy. On my kit, I tacked the boarding ladder door in with white glue so I could remove it later.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

---

When you install the fuselage bottom and nose wheel well to the kit (kit parts 11, 60, and 61), you will need to sand the wheel well as shown in order for it to fit properly. You may also need to thin the intakes more with a Dremel. You can see how the bottom fits without this modification.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

---

The rest of the kit will be built according to Revell’s instructions.

On my kit, I chose to add the Black Box cockpit and scratch build the boarding ladder to show it in the down position. In order to get the BB cockpit to fit, some surgery will need to be performed on both the cockpit and the intakes. I had to thin the bottom of the cockpit tub so much, you can almost see through it. I also had to thin the intakes themselves to get the tub to seat properly. I can’t stress it enough. Remove a LITTLE at a time and dry fit often until you get it right. After a few dozens swipes with the Dremel, I was able to get everything to fit snug.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

---

There was a slight step on the right intake to fuselage join, and a small gap on the left intake to fuselage join on the bottom. I filled both of these areas with White Miliput. I use Miliput because of it’s working time, as well as the fact that it is easy to sand when dry and sands to a glass smooth finish. You can also see where I used Miliput to fill in the gaps where the boarding ladder will be. I used a sculpting tool moistened with water to work the Miliput in.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

---

I hope you enjoyed this article. With any luck, I’ll have this A-6E done in time for the North Central West Virginia Scale Modelers show in November. I’ll try to get more photos posted when I finish.

 

Model, Images and Text Copyright © 2002 by Dave Roof
Page Created 13 August, 2002
Last Updated 04 June, 2007

Back to HyperScale Main Page

Back to Features Index