Review & Build of Hellers 1/400 Kit #81071,
Brazil Sao Paulo, A12, Aircraft Carrier
Last updated: Introduction, starting the model, island and hull - march 30, 2015
Introduction and What's in the Box - October 11, 2014
About the ship:
The Sao Paulo is the Brazilian aircraft carrier. it is the only operational aircraft carrier in South America, and outside of the numerous US Navy aircraft carriers, the only other aircraft carrier in all of the Western Hemisphere.
The Sao Paulo started life as the French indegenously built aircraft carrier Foch. The Foch was the second of the two Clemencceau Class aircraft carriers and served with the French Navy from 1969 until the year 2000. when the French nuclear aircraft carrier, Charles de Gaulle, was completed, the French decommissioned the Foch and sold it to Brazil.
Brazil purchased the carrier to upgrade and replace their first aircraft carrier, the World War II vintage and former British Colossus class carrier, the Minas Gerais, which they had operated for almost 40 years. This gave the Brazilians prior experience in catapault take-offs and arrested landing. After purchasing the Sao Paulo, the Minas Gerias was retired and decommissioned in 2001.
When the Brazilians purchased the carrier, they also purchased 20 A-4K attack aircraft from Kuwait to operate off of her. These aircraft were in good shape and had reltively small amounts of hours on their airframmes. Specifications for the Sao Paulo include:
Length: 873 ft
Width: 167 ft
Beam: 104 ft
Displacement: 33,600 tons
Propulsion: 6 La Valle boilers, 2 shafts
Speed: 32 knots
Crew: 1,920
Airwing: 35 fixed, rotary
Armament:
- 4 X 2 Simbad SAM (8 missiles)
- 4 x 12/7mm machine guns Elevators: 2
Catapaults: 2
Ships in class: 1
In 2005, the Brazilians embarked on a major overhaul of the Sao Pualo, which included some modernization. This refit lasted from 2005 and 2010. It was extensive and included the repair of the steam turbines; maintenance of the surface condensers; retubing the boilers; repair of the high-pressure compressors; maintenance work on all pumps, valves and several structural items; upgrading and modernizing the Optical Landing System processing unit; the purchase and installation of two API oil-water separators; updating the alternating current electrical generator; installation of two water cooling units; an upgrade of the chemical oxygen generator; the repair athe oil tanks; modernizing and updating the Naval Tactical Data System; installation of a new closed-circuit television system; installation of IFF transponders; installation of new MAGE ESM equipments; a complete flight deck inspection, repair and painting; and finally a full updating and modernization of the carriers rcatapults.
A significant modernization of twelve of the A-4 aircraft (nine single seat and three two-seaters) began in 2012-2013. This upgrade significantly enhances the A-4KUs (designated AF-1s by the Brazilians) adding new avionics, a digital/glass cockpit, new, modern weapons, a new Israeli pusle doppler radar (giving the aircraft BVR engagement capabilities) and a refit of the engines and power geneartion as well as data linking capabilites. This signifianctly enhances the Sao Paulo airwing and its capabilites in both the air to air and air to surface areas for the A-4s. The new single seat aircraft are designated AF-1B and the two seaters are designated AF-1C.
These new aircraft will join S-2T Turbo trakcers which the Barzilian Navy has also purchased and is equipping three to the AEW configuartion, three to the TA-4KU tanker configuaration, and three to the COD configuartion. IN addition, Brazil has purchased modern, S-70B Skyhawk helicopters for the Sao Paulo to serve in the ASW and SAR role.
This will create a new air wing for the carrier containg the folowing aircraft:
06 x A-4KU fighter/bombers
02 x TA-4kU tankers
02 x S-2T AEW
02 x S-2T COD
04 x S70-B Seahawk ASW/SAR
This is a total of 16 aircraft that will be normally deployed.
Finally, in October 2014 Brazil announced that they would purchase thirty-six modern 4+ generation Saab JAS 39 Grippen aircraft from Sweden. The aircraft are to be delivered between 2019 and 2024. At least fifteen aircraft are to be assembled in Brazil, and Brazilian companies are to be involved in the full production run, such as parts manufacturers.
The deal includes Brazil's involvement in the development of a Sea Gripen version of the aircraft. The proposed carrier-based version of the aircraft, if fully developed and then purchased, would operate intially from the Sao Paulo and significantly firther enhance the air wing capability of this aircraft carrier.
The Kit:
There is no kit available in 1/350 scale for the Sao Paulo. However, Heller does have a 1/400 scale kit of the Foch. I decided to buy this kit and build her as the Sao Paulo. This will involve removing all of the 100mm guns and the Crotale missile launchers since the Sao Paulo does not have these weapons.
It also meant not using any of the aircraft that were provided with the model (F-8 Crusaders, Super etenards, etc.) because the Brazilians do not have any.
I purchased after market, 1/350 scale A-4K, S-2, and SH-60 Seahwak aircraft to place on the carrier as part of her airwing. I will also use some of the 1/350 scale photo etch kits I have for other vessels to create the railing and sensors for this model.
The Heller kit is an older model. It is well done for the time period, but has quite a bit of flash and the pieces are rather bulky by today's standards. There is also not as much detail as one would get on a more modern model. The PE parts should help in this regard, and the aircratf are much more detailed than the older aircraft that came with the kit fo the former French airwing.
The hull and the flight deck both come as single pieces. The detail that exosts is found in the sponsons, the island, and various weapons and sensors provided. Of course the 100mm guns and Crotale missile launchers will not be mounted so those decks are rather sparse...but this is also the way the Sao Paulo is in life.
The decal sheet is fairly good, and gives good representations for the flight deck. I wil, of course, have to improvise and use other decals for the A12 pennant number since this is not even close to the French number.
The instructions are also rather sparse. Three sheets of large paper with 2 1/2 sheets having front and back instructions. The painting callouts are all for Humbolt, but they just give the numbers so I had to look them up. But, it is also a different paint scheme since it is for the French carrier. The vertical surfaces for the Sao Paulo are going to be nuetral gray, with flat gray for the weather decks, and gunship gray for the flight deck. The below waterline will be insignia red, and a flat black waterline mark.
I will model the kit with the deck elevator up, and the single side elevator in the down position. I do not intend to scratch build a hanger for this carrier.
I will show the haner open, with both Z-8s on deck preparing to take off. I believe I have a Z-9 helo left over from another model which I will show in the hanger.
Here's how everyhting looked out of the box:
This looks like it is going to be fun build. I am looking forward to it and have had the model almost two years waiting to do it. After I am done, at soe point I hpope to find a 1/350 scale model of a Type 22 destroyer. Brazil has three of them and one is almost always escorting the Sao Paulo.
The Build - ISland, hull, props/rudder, flight deck - March 30, 2015
This build is relatively straight forward.
I began by assembling the pieces for the island and then putting it together (without all sensors or the mast), and then painting it.
I then painted the hull and assembled the various sponsons for the hull and attached them. I also painted the flight deck. I then added the props and then masked off the area for the below waterline portion of the hull and painted it. Once this was completed, I then dry fit the flight deck and Island onto the vessel.
That does it for this first session. In the next session I will glue the flight deck and island down and then add the various details to the hull and island, including the elevator and mast.