Viet Nam War Aircraft Group Build

Yes, Sigep_Ziggy, post your builds here.  Lot of pictures are good.

I'm in with a Monogram 1/48 scale A-4 Skyhawk.  I just started it this month, will post some pics of WIP ASAP.  I'm doing it as an adversary aircraft at the Navy Fighter Weapons School (aka Top Gun), the development of which was a direct result of air combat over Vietnam.

Here's the boxart, the page from the instructions for the scheme I will be doing, and the decals for the Roden 1/72 C-123B.  Why don't I do it in camo instead, you ask?  Because the old girl looks so much more svelte in bare aluminum!

As promised, WIP pics of the A-4 Skyhawk:

The ejection handles (in black and yellow) were all scratchbuilt:

The wings aree a bit of a pain.  Some of the holes were not all the way through, by design, in case you didn't want to install the hard points for holding various weapons (a good thing!) but others were, whether you need them or not!  On the Top Gun school version, nearly all the hard point pylons for weapons would be missing, as the A-4s at the school were stripped of most everything (except the centerline attachment point for the TACTS pod).  However, the holes for the hard point attachment for fuel drop tanks are already molded all the way through, even though they weren't used on the adversry aircraft, meaning you need to fill those holes.  Ugh!

Armor_Aficionado

Look great so far, your paint scheme will be a Russian theme with Red Stars?

jeaton01

Here's the boxart, the page from the instructions for the scheme I will be doing, and the decals for the Roden 1/72 C-123B.  Why don't I do it in camo instead, you ask?  Because the old girl looks so much more svelte in bare aluminum!

 

 

 

 

Behind the desk was a photomural, maybe 10 feet wide, of a C-123 taking off, from the end of the runway.

I complemented it, the desk guy asked if I knew what it was. I did, and told him so. He then asked if I was an airline Captain (their usual customer). 

God I hope I don't look 75.

So I ask,"what do most other people think?".

"A B-52"

Very cool, can't wait to see your paint job. I'm going with gray and white but I will find some PE and aftermarket decals.

Adversary/Aggressor airplanes are on the outer edge (tenuous at best) of the theme here.  Ones already initiated are given the blessing, but any other subjects not actually in or over Viet Nam in the 1965 to 1975 time period will result in mess hall duties specializing in cockroach eradication and grease trap cleaning for a week!

Don't make me go all Admiral here!  Well, in this case, General.

Actually I'll be also building a Hasegawa 1/72 F8-E for the Weekend Madness GB.

Whatever the markings are in the kit, therefore era.

I'll look at it later.

 Hello, I'm starting with the 1/72 Italeri Antonov An-2 "gunship".  This is the Bilek kit reboxed.  The impetus for this build is an article I read years ago in an Aviation history magazine.  The North Vietnamese used a couple of these to attack a CIA radio relay post on top of a mountain in Laos.  After making their attack run, they in turn became the prey.  An Air America Huey that was at the base, took off in hot pursuit armed with just an AK47.  The Huey managed to catch them and shoot them down.  

I managed to get the wings and a few other items done.  It took a bit of putty and a coat of primer, and even a little plastic strip to get them together.  The prop was broken when I got it, so that's now fixed.  I think I'm going to really like this one.  The An-2 is an interesting plane.  It also came with the bilek photo etch set, but I will see how much I'm going to use when I get the Pavla sets I ordered from hannant's.  It was the only way to get the vacuform windscreen and resin wheels.  

Wrong image.  And I'm not sure why everything is underlined???

That's a good story. The guy with the AK said it looked like WW1.

General LeJeaton,

I've got a shed full of aircraft from that time period.

Trumpeter 1/72 IL-28 Beagle.

Hasegawa F-8E Crusader VF-162 "Hunters" USS Oriskany.

VF-162 USS Oriskany 1/540 Revell (on the ship)

That's in the pattern behind a couple of other bird farms.

Hasegawa 1/72 SR-71 

Bilek Mig-19

Italeri 1/72 B-26 Invader. The last operational aircraft with the Norden bombsite.

Williams Bros. 1/72 C-46

Italeri 1/72 C-47

Ok, I guess you can put me down for an Italeri 1/72 F-100D Super Sabre...

The kit seems simple enough that even I could finish it in a few months :-P

I started on the A-7 although I don't have any pics now. It's an older mold with raised panel lines and very sparse cockpit detail. I sprayed the interior color and will try to do something with the "ejection seat" and dress up the absolutely vacuous pit somewhat.

So basicly, nothing to see.

GMorrrison, interesting list of possibilities.  Italeri, with their suspect color choices, is suggesting US medium green as the top color for my An-2.  Anyone have any experience with Soviet aircraft colors and have any suggestions?  I use enamels such as model master and humbrol.

I was at my storage unit looking for Christmas decorations and I found a 1/72 Monogram F-4J well along in the build process.  I will add a picture later for the moderator's consideration for possible inclusion here.  It would hopefully give me the motivation to get it across the finish line. 

Cheers, 

Greg

John, 

Please count me in on this GB. I will let you know what I am going to build shortly.

I do already have a Viet Nam era C130 gunship that I've already completed which I would like to share...

Ben

Welcome, Ben, that's a nice looking AC-130.  Greg, I've got you down for the AN-2 and the F-4J.  Bill, I've got you down for a definite maybe on the whole air force.  Let me know!

This is going to be a fun group build with this many participants.

Here some pics of the pit . I stole a seat from my F-4 (forgot I had that one too). No worrys F-4 fans, I ordered some Verlinden replacements.

I will replace the square board of a seat with the F-4 seat. I know it's not the proper seat but it's better than the OOB seat. Now just to come up with something to add a little intrest to the rest of the pit.

It begins..

Ben

Thank you for your service to our country.

I would love see more photos of your gunship, is that a that the C130 version of a 'Spookie'?

Began construction. Kit looks much better inside the shrinkwrap ! 

Lots of flash cleanup done. Tested fitted major components and not serious issues found other than the gun insert panel on the botton of the nose (not much detail gona be left in that area). Ejection seat assembled.

John, thanks for adding me.  Glad to be here.  

Ben, sweet spectre!  I would love to build one, but I'm not sure where I would put it, or I should say where my wife would let me put it..... 

Steve, I think the resin seat will do the trick.  One of the benefits of building in 1/72, is that a good seat is all you need in most aircraft.  

Cbaltrin, good start on the Hun.  Are you going nmf or sea camo?

My hannant's order came in yesterday, so I'm cleaning up the resin, and then I am going to determine what's worth using.  Definitely the canopy, engine and wheels.  I should get some photos up tonight.  

Hope everyone is having a great weekend.  It's actually beautiful weather here in Texas.  

Cheers, 

Greg

Gregbbear

Cbaltrin, good start on the Hun.  Are you going nmf or sea camo?

My hannant's order came in yesterday, so I'm cleaning up the resin, and then I am 

Hi Gregbbear.  SEA Schema, Caracal decals...