1/48 Revell A-6E Intruder Complete

Hello!

I don't know the kit nor the markings you mention, but I'd say don't let a decal stop you! It's a good thing you're on a lookout for trouble, no go and overcome them! It's always a good idea to scan the decals first. This way you can make replacements should something happen. I have had decal professionally printed several times now and the ones I get are very thin and responsive to decal solutions, so I know I'll be able to put those even on top of pretty wild surface. If I knew my decals don't conform well, I'd re-draw them and use the custom printed one for easier application. Or you could transfer the patterns to a masking foil and cut a mask and paint the markings - just a few ways to overcome a problem. I hope this helps you and you give it a shot - good luck with your build and have a nice day

Paweł

Yes, you can use Snakeyes and Rockeyes on a TRAM Intruder. The TRAM is just a sensor turret to give the aircraft more all weather capabilities. It has a FLIR to see thru clouds, rain, smoke, etc. and a laser to self designate targets for laser guided weapons where conditions allow their use. A non TRAM Intruder needs a laser designator pod (Pave Knife or such), a buddy aircraft with a laser, or some other laser designator (GLD, etc.) to employ those weapons otherwise. TRAM Intruders more often than not carried "dumb bombs" as opposed to PGMs on combat missions in the Med, Gulf, and Middle East.

You're welcome. I don't know how often a mixed load of Snakeyes and Rockeyes was carried, but you won't go wrong with pretty much anything in the Navy inventory of air to ground weapons, guided and unguided, from the late 70s onwards thru the mid 90s. 

Yes, I built the kit when it was first released many years back. I loaded mine up with Mk.82 slicks and drop tanks. There are plenty of load outs to choose from. The choices are yours.

I've finally been able to get a start on my Intruder after being waylaid by a cold and a stomach bug.  I started in the cockpit and I'm still working on it, but I was wondering if anyone had any decent pictures of the deck behind the cockpit.  I can't seem to find any pictures of that area on an actual aircraft, and of all the builds I've seen online, each one is different.  This is the area I'm talking about.

I think I'm finally finished with the cockpit.  I did it OOB.  I'll probably go back and repaint the yellow on the ejection seat handles, I'm not really happy with how they look. There is flash on almost every piece so clean-up takes awhile.  And putting the seatbacks together was a pain.  I also realized Revell didn't include anything to cover the backs of the seats so I just put some styrene sheet in there to blank it off.  Any comments/critiques welcome.

Great start on the cockpit, I'm looking forward to more!

Toshi

This is the only photo I have that shows the area aft of the cockpit at all, but it looks very busy.

And a photo from the Detail & Scale Vol. 24 of the A-6:

Thanks for the pics John!  I thought I replied earlier, but I must have closed the window before submitting it.  Oh well.

It's been awhile but I've finally made a bit of progress on the Intruder.  I've got the fuselage together and the cockpit installed.  There was a bit of a gap behind the cockpit and the fuselage and some small ones here and there along the join.  I filled them with Testor's contour putty and spent the next week or so sanding it out and getting rid of the prominent seam line since there was a bit of a fit issue and there was a step along the entire join.  To protect the raised panel lines, I placed masking tape on top of the panel lines around the area I was going to sand.  Pretty time consuming but it worked and the seam looks pretty good to me.  I'll have to check it out when I prime it after I get the rest of the plane assembled.  I also primed and painted the landing gear bays.

I had some experience with Intruders from 77-91.  You can hang snakes and rocks on the aircraft together, but it really was not practical to plan on dropping them on the same mission.  Ballistics are really different, and you really only made one pass and then went back home.  If you want to be realistic choose either rockeyes or snakes.  That would be a more realistic combat load.  By the time TRAM came around there were fewer snakeye type missions, more rockeye.  

Not saying there were not mixed loads, but mixed load usually meant one or two rockeyes and an LGB on a surface patrol mission.  if you didnt use the weapons, you could bring them back.  

That said, hanging a mess of ordnance on an Intruder looks pretty impressive.  Maybe get some exta rockeyes or snakes.  

good luck.  can't wait to see it finished.  

Hey Bob, looks to be a fun project. I searched my files and here's a couple of shots at least showing details. Watching!

Max

Here is a good list of various ordnance loads carried in Desert Storm. Some links to example photos as well.

http://www.dstorm.eu/pages/loadout/a-6e.html

I've been slowly plugging away at this.  Sanding and filing always slow me down because it's the part of this hobby I hate the most.  I did a little bit of painting in the nose gear bay and followed it up with a wash and some light drybrushing.

And now it's starting to look like an Intruder

Exceptional job, everything looks great!

Toshi

Looking good Bob.  

Chris

Thanks guys.  I can't believe it's been a month since I've updated on this.  I've had some personal issues come up that have taken me away from the bench, but I'm slowly getting back to it.  I've been cleaning seams on fuel tanks and ordnance, and a lot of flash on the MERs and sway braces.  Just about ready for everything to be primed so I can start preshading.  I have an idea about preshading for the weathering and corrosion control on modern Navy jets, we'll have to see how it works out.

I've decided on a loadout of two fuel tanks and rockeyes.  Unfortunately the kit only comes with 8 rockeyes so I can't do a full bomb load, but hopefully at some point I can get my hands on one of the Hasegawa weapon sets and finish it off.  

This is looking good! Can't wait to see your preshading idea. 

Thanks Mongoose!

Sorry I've been gone so long, had some personal things to take care off and I've finally gotten motivation to get back to the bench.  My preshading idea was to spray squiggles and dots of varying intensities inside the panels to replicate the touch-up corrosion control that would occur.  I have a few places that need some correcting, but I can handle most of it with a hand brush.  I just have a little bit that will need the airbrush to come back up to deal with a weird ghost line on the port side under the cockpit where the gull gray meets the white, and on the port side just above the horizontal stabilzer where my masking tape didn't get burnished down right.

really looks good.  great job varying paint coverage.....all you need is a little bit of hydraulic fluid on the panels to complete it!

I was looking at reference pictures of the exhaust area on the A-6E and noticed that on some pictures of VA-35 aircraft there is a yellowish color on the leading edges of the wings and tail surfaces, as well at the edges of the intakes.  I'm debating on whether or not to add this as it's not mentioned in the kit instructions.  If I were to add it, what color would it be?  Then I need to decide if it would be worth the effort to go and mask all those areas to add it.  Thanks in advance.