Vietnam Air War GB - Extended!

The Monogram A-7 kit should be an "A", not and "E". It has the twin 20mm cannon and not the single 20mm Vulcan gun

The monogram A-4 with McCains markings says its an E model, but I keep finding things on it that make it look much much more like a C. Anyone know for sure?

What do you mena make it look like a C? The Monogram kit is an E, and that squadron was equipped with Es for the markings provided at that time period. The intakes and nose are the primary visual physical differences between a C and an E.

It always struck me as kind of a bizarre subject too....

On another front, I am still trying to find references for the camo on the H-21C.

Certainly they were that way in 1963, at least some of the ones in the 93rd in Vietnam.

Note: these pictures are not from that time and place. Best I can come up with.

That top pic looks to be from that time and place based on the paint scheme...

The nose and marking look like a C, and another very confusing thing is it shows now black areas on the wings or nose like other skyhawks?

The nose profile of the kit itself is an A-4E. It has been the same since Monogram first released this kit back in the day. It has to be replaced to make an A-4C (along with the intakes). Now the markings are an intersting point. Some A-4E Skyhawks in VA-46 did indeed have the national insignia on the nose like A-4Cs did, as this photo shows.

while some apparently had the standard A-4E star location on the rear fuselage...

Thanks stik! but what about the black ''rectangles'' on the wings and nose (top) ?

Update...

Those are probably wing walk and anti glare areas. Looking at pics of VA-46 from that cruise it looks like the nose anti glare should be dark gull gray, not black. I can't find any cleart shots of the wings to show if any were there but the photo below from a different time period shows no wing walks.

make sure you use plastic rap (cant think lol) to cover the rest of the model because overspray is a bi....ottom ;)

bondoman

It always struck me as kind of a bizarre subject too....

On another front, I am still trying to find references for the camo on the H-21C.

Certainly they were that way in 1963, at least some of the ones in the 93rd in Vietnam.

Note: these pictures are not from that time and place. Best I can come up with.

"I'm getting hints of tan, medium green, olive drab and something dark... black maybe, or hydraulic fluid?"

It looks like green drab(dark) and olive drab(light) in MM enamels

the upper part of the air brake (inside like wheel wells) should be white and the bottom of the air brakes red

www.vhpamuseum.org/.../93trans.shtml

made me sit back and think

yeah I guess i have seen it like that before

I know ... wierd huh?

bondoman

bondoman

It always struck me as kind of a bizarre subject too....

On another front, I am still trying to find references for the camo on the H-21C.

Certainly they were that way in 1963, at least some of the ones in the 93rd in Vietnam.

Note: these pictures are not from that time and place. Best I can come up with.

Like a wine snob:

"I'm getting hints of tan, medium green, olive drab and something dark... black maybe, or hydraulic fluid?"

I am gonna go with an educated SWAG here... those airfrimes arrived in Vietnam in overall OD which would fade to that lighter browner OD shade seen in the top photo. The black is obvious for the first color on the locally applied camo scheme. But the green color??? Medium green 34102 is a guess that I would suggest is not too far out of line.

I really do wish that Revell or Airfix would do one of these in 1/48 (along with an AH-1G). At least Revell is gonna re issue their 1/48 H-34 kit later this year so I can finally get one affordably for a Marine Corps Vietnam build... span="" id="mce_marker" data-mce-type="bookmark">

stikpusher

bondoman

bondoman

It always struck me as kind of a bizarre subject too....

On another front, I am still trying to find references for the camo on the H-21C.

Certainly they were that way in 1963, at least some of the ones in the 93rd in Vietnam.

Note: these pictures are not from that time and place. Best I can come up with.

Like a wine snob:

"I'm getting hints of tan, medium green, olive drab and something dark... black maybe, or hydraulic fluid?"

I am gonna go with an educated SWAG here... those airfrimes arrived in Vietnam in overall OD which would fade to that lighter browner OD shade seen in the top photo. The black is obvious for the first color on the locally applied camo scheme. But the green color??? Medium green 34102 is a guess that I would suggest is not too far out of line.

I really do wish that Revell or Airfix would do one of these in 1/48 (along with an AH-1G). At least Revell is gonna re issue their 1/48 H-34 kit later this year so I can finally get one affordably for a Marine Corps Vietnam build... span="" id="mce_marker" data-mce-type="bookmark">

I've got the 1/72 Hobby Boss H-34 which is a dandy model, esp. since I ordered the PE. Still debating that one for the Shawnee, but at least the exterior set probably.

I need to get a set of Marines decals for the Chocktaw. (It came w/ Belgian markings).

Well, I went and bought myself a birthday present (56 on Sunday):

If that doesn't help, I'm out of guesses.

I just got the Italeri 1/72 F-100D Super Saber, looks like a nice kit!

bondoman

Thank you Stik, and I agree, but there IS a tan in there.

Well, I went and bought myself a birthday present (56 on Sunday):

"Army Aviation in Vietnam 1961-1963: An Illustrated History of Unit Insignia Aircraft Camouflage & Markings" Young, Ralph B.

If that doesn't help, I'm out of guesses.

My freind, there may be a dark tan there, but I will still wager that the lightest color is faded OD 34087. Our Hueys and Cobra's in 5th ID used to weather to the same shade, a very light brownish OD. Especially when seen in direct sunlight. It was in marked contrast to the later Cobras and Hueys in the dark Helo Drab that we also had. But with color shift in film age and printing, who knows. It could be some locally avalible paint made in Taiwan or Japan in the 1960s.

That book sounds awesome and I do hope it holds your answers. I dont know why, but I am really fascinated by that period in Vietnam. My friends father was an Army Aviator there in the early days. I also had a neighbor who served in an Army Aviation unit there and that time. Someting of a P.I.T.A. for a neighbor but quite proud of his service there and then. He was planning on getting a tattoo of somethng like a map of Vietnam, the campaign and service ribbons along with his year of service, (64 or so I think) and the line "when I left we were winning". I liked that idea.

Happy Birthday to you span="" id="mce_marker" data-mce-type="bookmark"> BTW, my oldest turned 22 on Monday... where does the time go?

Ok i finished pre-shading the A-4

I will probably resume work on my Hun tomorrow or on my days off next week. Today I finally finished up another project that I had going, a Korean War era H-13 medevac chopper.

This is the Revell kit. It can also be built as an early Vietnam scoutship

But you would need to get a new crew figure or two.

I have my Hun sidelined until I finished up this one and a Mirage IIIEA that will probably be done tomorrow.

I am holding off on the F-4J as a sideline and finishing up my F-4C this week, all pictures of all finished models willl be put on the front page. Stik, I see that another odd thing is that the A-4E has sorta a step lookin' thingy in front of the intakes , but the revell doesnt have them just like the C.. Is it possible that VA-46 upgraded their old C's to E's?

I am not sure of what you are referring to by "step looking thingy". The horizontal plate over the 20mm cannon muzzles or the vertical splitter plate between the intake and the fuselage? The C and the E were two different birds so when the C was upgraded it became an A-4L or A-4S depending upon the user. The A-4E had different bombing avionics and engine from the A-4C, hence the different nose and intakes.

OK, I went to have a look at my Monogram A-4 in my stash. you are referring to the strakes above the 20mm cannon muzzles. Those are easy enough to scratch from some strip or sheet plastic. Monogram just boned up and never molded those in place. Although the 1990s vintage "high tech" release of the kit that I have does include them on the PE fret.

Thanks stik! Now I had broken this off but scratch built it back, but I can't find a reference to it? It's the rod/sensor in front of the pilot/windscreen...

I believe that is the pitot tube

Is it correct?

Pretty close... it should be more pointy and narrow in profile