Trumpeter's 1/32 scale
A-4E Skyhawk with A-4C conversion

by Inima

Trumpeter's 1/32 scale A-4E Skyhawk is available online from Squadron

This model depicts a Douglas A-4C Skyhawk (BuNo 145143), from Attack Squadron VA-172 Blue Bolts, touching the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42) off Vietnam 1966. This
aircraft was lost on 2 December 1966, when it was shot down by a North Vietnamese SA-2 missile during a night reconnaissance mission over the Red River Delta. The pilot, Commander Bruce A. Nystrom, VA-172's
Commanding Officer, was killed.

I used AMS/Zotz 32056 A-4C conversion plus Argentine version with decals. I also used Eduard 32304 for the flaps, 32305 for the slats and 32730 for the exterior. The tail hook bar was replaced with piano wire in the down position. Pilot was hired among available TAMIYA's F-4 jokes. Primers were GUNZE Mr.Surfacer 500 and Mr.Resin Primer Surfacer (not to be used on plastic), both sanded with 1200 grit wet sandpaper.

Aluminum tubing was used to extend the main landing gears oleos. Resin was glued with CA and plastic with TAMIYA Extra thin cement. For painting and post-shading, I used car laquer mixed to the FS. Wash was done with artists oils diluted in turpentine. Pastels always help dirt. The cockpit and pilot were painted with Vallejo Model Colors.

Bilding models is fun and it gets even more rewarding when you depict a particular object with a history record. You can put a cherry on top of it if your model displays action. That is what drove me on this project. Trumpeter offers a nice kit and AMS allows you to backdate it to A-4C guiding you on the details. Among all the fun, assembling the wind wiper was exciting, second by the slats.

On the other hand, dealing with multimedia (resin and plastic together) requires planning and patience. On the learning side, I think Zotz could have made decals thinner. It may not show but I provided a telescopic assembly for the IRP, in order to prevent package hazard. The base is a simple MDF box top cover where I glued a wood reinforcement underneath to support the
piano wire.

Enjoy the photos!

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Model, Images and Text Copyright © 2013 by Inima
Page Created 21 January, 2013
Last Updated 21 January, 2013

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