Monogram EA-6B Prowler

Looking forward to this one.  I've had several kits that I get started and for one reason or another they get set aside.

May just have to cut the SS intakes out and ditch them in favor of the kit parts. I favor the R/M kits, and this one by far is the best I've seen OOB. It's also the 1st one I tried to use resin parts on.

Well, I had to trash it to get the SS intakes out, so shopping for another kit, because I'm gonna build this thing come hell or high water......

Is there a category for this,  the Unfinished Air Force or something?  After a layoff of many years I restarted this hobby.  Total started so far:  7.  Finished:  2.  Finished because it's toast:  1     Unfinished for whatever reason:  4.

This situation must be a common affliction for the practitioners of this hobby.  

Found another kit.....$20 delivered to my front door. Not too shabby..

Merry Christmas to me...back in business. Methinks that perhaps I won't use the SS intakes on this attempt. I have some other photo-etch/resin goodies that don't require hacking the fuselage up.

Got some goodies for this kit

Its not an easy build, but since its an aircraft built in my home state, I've got a few in the stash...

I actually got to sit in one when I was stationed @ MCAS Cherry Point

Watching this build closely, Sarge. When were you at Cherry Point, and what unit? I was stationed there from 1984 through 1995, with a two-year break for recruiting duty in Alabama. I was attached to H&MS-32 until they changed to MALS-32, then, once I got back from recruiting, was attached to MALS-14 until I got out. Worked in the 640 & 64C avionics shops (DECM).

I was there from '76 to '79 when I mustered out. 2841....ground radio repairman, assigned to MWCS-28, in support of the only ground unit assigned there, the 3rd LAAM Bn.

If I had it to do all over again, with my now love of military aircraft, I would have tried to be more involved out on the flight line.....avionics....or maybe even a pilot.

I saw this today as I was searching for photos to help with the build, and it kinda broke my heart to see such a fine machine in such condition...I guess they gotta go somewhere.......wouldn't be like this if it was in my back yard, I can tell you that....

I donno what to do with this thing here......these main gear doors don't look a thing like the opening they should fill if the gear was up.....I suppose I could massage the parts to get them to fit....fill the notch and put a small hole on the inside instead for the pin to seat into.....I'd have to play with horizontal and vertical positioning of the door tho.........how about these doors just aft of the wheel wells...are they speed brakes? See how the tabs extend into the wheel wells....should I cut them off flush?? There's no detail to the wheel wells, but to me it looks stupid.....

Yes, those are the speed brakes, and the hinge arms do extend into the MLG bay like that. Also, as you might of discovered by now, the gear doors you have in the photo are mixed up, with the left door on the right wing & visa versa, and the straight edge of the door faces inboard, not outboard as they are positioned in the photo.

The best way to get the gear doors to fit decently is to fill the gear bays with some tissue paper (or something that will provide some support), then glue the gear doors in place. You can adjust the thickness of the gear bay filler by trial-n-error until you get it just right before gluing the doors in place.

SargeUSMC

I was there from '76 to '79 when I mustered out. 2841....ground radio repairman, assigned to MWCS-28, in support of the only ground unit assigned there, the 3rd LAAM Bn.

If I had it to do all over again, with my now love of military aircraft, I would have tried to be more involved out on the flight line.....avionics....or maybe even a pilot.

I saw this today as I was searching for photos to help with the build, and it kinda broke my heart to see such a fine machine in such condition...I guess they gotta go somewhere.......wouldn't be like this if it was in my back yard, I can tell you that....

Man, kinda heart-breaking to see that classic sitting like that. I'd love to have that cockpit section and attempt to make a simulator out of it. I got to fly the A-6E simulator at Cherry Point back in the late '80s. I was taking college courses at night on base, and the civilian in charge of the simulator was in one of my classes. He invited me out one night after work for a few hours of fun. Had a blast on that!! Got to do a lot of simulated carrier landings, and also some engine flame-outs. Man, I miss that...........

Crap....all this Phantom stuff should've gone under my Phantom build thread!!

Ther straight edge of the door is the bottom, with the point of the door facing fore, yes? If you stood those doors up on the narrow end, that's they way they attach to the MLG......or so it says in the instructions. Problem is the notch on the door is not in the right place apparently, and I gotta "wrassle" them into place.

This is the location of the gear doors when closed. Hope it helps.

WOW...what a lucky dog!

Afraid this build is gonna get pushed back some.......I've got 3 others going that I've stalled out on......I'll get to it...eventually. In the late 70's @ MCAS Cherry Point, this and Harriers were all we ever saw, so I'm looking forward to the attempt.