Viet Nam War Aircraft Group Build

I realize I never reponded to the badge voting. For the record I like the first one the best.

Stik I used to live in San Diego years ago so I get the CA appeal. 

I realized I missed painting the tail "after" I started the decals so I had to go back one step to add that blue. I am now at the stage where I have all decals on and most of the weathering done. I just need to add the wheels, ordnance, and hit it with some flat and I believe I will be done. Should be back with final pics in the next few days.

Jack, your Tweety is looking good! 

Yes, I was CA born and raised right on the coast. It will always be part of me. But it is no longer what it was, and not for the better. I will miss some people and things there, but not much else... 

Yesterday, I did seam clean up on the wing to fuselage join, rescribe of lost panel lines, and began seam clean up on the ordnance. I’m gonna go with a mixed load of “slant four” Mk.82 500 lb LDGP bombs from the kit, plus a pair of Mk.20 Rockeye CBUs and AGM-45 Shrikes from a couple 1/48 Hasegawa US Aircraft Weapons sets

all based off of this photo, so I know that the load out is real. 

However I will not mount the Sidewinders, as I have yet to come across photos of VA-93 A-7s carrying them at that time

Found one here with sidewinders http://www.seaforces.org/usnair/VA/Attack-Squadron-93.htm

68GT

Found one here with sidewinders http://www.seaforces.org/usnair/VA/Attack-Squadron-93.htm

 

Thats on an earlier cruise with the original shark mouth markings fitting the intake warning triangle. By the time of Linebacker ops they had the larger shark mouth.

It's been a while since I droped by but I got back on the A7.

So here it is buttoned up and black based. I'm going to load fule on inner pylons, Mk82's on MERs mid hard point and napalm on the outer TERs from the Hase weapons set.

Streight out of the box except for the pit.

I’m catching up to ya MC!

Today’s work done update: 

First up, I added the landing gear struts. Since the under surfaces, wheel wells, and gear struts are all the same color, gloss white, why not? Mold seam line clean up took a good while with needle files... I also added the refueling probe

now I have the Detail & Scale book on the Corsair II and it points out two shortcomings of the kit: 1, the nose gear support strut ends before reaching the wheel well wall; 2, the Sidewinder rails are too close to the fuselage and need a spacer. I know that I said I was not going to do any superdetailing or whatnot. But these shortcomings bothered me, so I fashioned up the required corrections from some Evergreen Strip Styrene.

missile rail spacer

 Nose Support strut extension

different angle of both

That’s all for today...

Nice scratching Stick. The 1/72 Hase version doesn't have nearly that level of detail. 

modelcrazy

Nice scratching Stick. The 1/72 Hase version doesn't have nearly that level of detail. 

 

Monogram did a decent job of improving the old Aurora kit. The detail is ok, better than the ESCI kit, but nowhere near as good as the Hasegawa 1/48 kit.

Great progress stick.  I cant put the gear on before fuselage paint.  Just something wired in my head.   Actually reworked the nose gear on my f84 to make that happen.  Like the load out.  An a7 loaded for bear looks grea . 

Thanks John. I normally won’t attach landing gear until near the end, but in this case I deviated from that norm. And yes, an A-7 doesn’t look quite right without a full warload. Just like an A-10.

Spent last night filling and sanding.  I have to say removing the formation lights is a pain - she's ready for paint.

Nice work John.

Stick, I attached the gear up fron as well. The bottom is painted white anyway so....

I completed the light grey and sprayed a gloss coat. I'll get another gloss coat after the decals. The canopy has a terrible fit but oh well. I wasn't expecting much from the kit and not going to worry about it.

Two corsairs ! I can't take it. I need to build one!  J/K.. mebe...  Looking good there MC and Stik.

Well I blew through an obstacle with my F-100 build tonight. Could not decide if I wanted to remask the canoy to fix the paint that got lifted off the frame, or try to hand paint it..

I figured the odds were great that I would do more damage by remasking, so I went for the hand painting approach. I can't believe it came out pretty good and you would not notice unless you were 6 inches away with your optivisor on. I just hand painted the 2mm stretch of fram with tamiya xf-26 and used a sharpened tooth pick to push a tiny bit of paint that got onto the windscreen back to the frame line. After a few minutes I brushed over that with clear coat to give it a consistent sheen to the rest of the framing...

Now that the canopy is fixed, I can start attaching all the exteral probes and other bits...

cbaltrin

Two corsairs ! I can't take it. I need to build one!  J/K.. mebe...  Looking good there MC and Stik.

Nobody has signed up to do an A-7D....

The Destroyer is fini.  I've really enjoyed this build. 

TJ, your Destroyer looks real good! That’s a fine job on the camo scheme.

Very nice, John.  You are on the wall.

Nice work on the EB66 TJ!

stikpusher

 

 

cbaltrin

Two corsairs ! I can't take it. I need to build one!  J/K.. mebe...  Looking good there MC and Stik.

 

 

 

 

Nobody has signed up to do an A-7D....

 

Hmm, I reallly like a Grey Corsair though!

With all of the down time this weekend I was able to put the finishing touches on the A-37 Dragonfly by Monogram in 1/48 scale. I used all MM paint, followed by futures and a wash Mostly panels lines etc. and a final dull coat. I think it turned out nice despite me doing my best to massacre the canopy with glue. Not a bad little kit at all. Thanks for letting me get in on this GB! Completed pics:

I don’t blame ya CB... but the A-7 looks good in USAF SEA colors too...

This weekend’s progress... I broke out the power tool... the Dremel...

I removed ejector pin marks on the weapons pylons and inside the main wheels. Afterwards I applied some Mr. Surfacer on the pylon ares, allowed that to dry overnight, then sanded them today. I also cleaned up the mold seam lines on the pylons. Since I’m doing a slant load on the TERs, and the kit bombs have sway braces molded on them, I added a pair of sway braces to each TER on the inboard side. Then I glued the pylons for stations 1, 2, 7, and 8 in place.

I have one more kit shortcoming to address, then I’ll start on getting this puppy ready for paint...

stikpusher

I don’t blame ya CB... but the A-7 looks good in USAF SEA colors too...

 

  

Stik, I could be tempted if I found an old Revell 1/72 A-7D...

Regarding your build, I did the Monogram A-7 Also has a squashed intake. Wonde why it's so hard for kit makers to get a round intake? Anyway, your make quite some progress there. Can't recall what markings you said you were using?

Congrats on getting the A-37 done jacknewbill. Looks good!

Got the decals on, most of the weathering and working on the stors.

Looking good with the markings on MC! 

cbaltrin

Stik, I could be tempted if I found an old Revell 1/72 A-7D...

Regarding your build, I did the Monogram A-7 Also has a squashed intake. Wonde why it's so hard for kit makers to get a round intake? Anyway, your make quite some progress there. Can't recall what markings you said you were using?

 

I think that Matchbox made a better 1/72 A-7D than the Revell kit. I vaguely recall building one ages ago.

This is the Monogram A-7 that I’m building. But the kit was originally tooled by Aurora in the late 60’s. Monogram revamped it a decade later when Aurora folded and they obtained the molds. So the basic shape issue originates there. It does not look squashed to my eye, but... I’m no expert.

Ill be doing mine in VA-93 markings... another shark mouth!

The old Revell 1/72 kit got it pretty close, I think.

jeaton01

The old Revell 1/72 kit got it pretty close, I think.

 

 

From the angle of that photo, I’d say yes...

and now back to another A-7 WIP...

Now, one thing I can’t stand on a modern aircraft kit is an empty IP hood. Like here on this build

That area usually has at least a gun sight or Heads Up Display (HUD), and often other items as well. The A-7A/B is no exception. Doing some online searching I was able to find some good reference photos of the sight used on the A & B  versions (the C, D, & E have a HUD).

So.... using some sprue from the kit I decided to create one

Once it was filed to shape and drilled out, I cut it off the sprue, test fit it on the IP hood, then filed a groove for a better positioning and glued it in place. Then lastly, I added a couple pieces of strip plastic to replicate what looks to be two expanding map/document pockets on either side that are visible in photos of that area.

Once I get the area painted black, I’ll add some clear strip acetate for the sight lens...

stikpusher

 

 

jeaton01

The old Revell 1/72 kit got it pretty close, I think.

 

  

John, First one of those old Revell A-7's I've seen built up. It does look pretty good I must say. Might just have to pick on up somewhere!

Stik, Very nice craftmanship on that gunsight/HUD. Can believe you did not break the plastic!

A gentle touch CB... a gentle touch on that sight.