Viet Nam War Aircraft Group Build

NICE JOB on the HUD Stick!!!!

A-7, loaded with fuel, Mk 82s and napalm, ready to launch.

Pic # one on the wall if you please sir.

Thanks MC. Your SLUF turned out great!!! That looks super!

Very nicely done on that A-7 MC!

Nice A-7 MC! Like the napalm cans! 

That's a well done A-7, Steven, congratulations.  And you are on the wall.

Great work on the A7.  Cant get enough of that bird.  

Area under windscreen painted up

And seam clean up finished on the Rockeyes and sway braces added

Just a few more things to do, then painting can start

Excelent Stick 

Thanks guys.

fantastic work fellas . Im in with a monogram A-37 got me some new paint to try.

Thank you Steve, it’s getting there.

Nick, what new paints do you have?

BTW this is proof that postimage works after mantiance..

this is the kit for this GB. 

the pic is out of focus sorry.. this would be a good GB experimental builds good or bad you dont succeed until you fail and try again..

Your entry is added to the first page, Nick.

Nick, I’m in the same boat with you on Postimage after maintenance... but damn if I didn't go into alert mode thinking that I had been hacked on there...

So my last updates for Thursday were delayed due to the shenanigans on Postimage. Thank goodness that they passed and my BP returned to normal.

Anyways, a few bits of small progress were done...

First up, I filed slots in the pylons for Stations 3 & 6 to accepts the sway braces on the Rockeyes

Then I trimmed and filed down the sway braces that I added for the Aero 5-1A launchers for the Shrikes that will go on Stations 2 & 7

I also filed slots into those pylons, which I should have done before I glued them onto the wings to make that task far easier.... It I did not take any photos of them at that point... and then I glued the launchers onto their pylons. Positioning is all best estimate based off of less than ideal reference photos...

and I also drilled out the bores for the 20mm guns using my pin vise and some micro bits

No work done Friday due to errands, but yesterday I did add the gunsight lens

And this morning, since he is something of a weapons specialist, Klaus inspected...

Klaus approves

More tomorrow... I now have to dip the canopy, mask it, glue it in place, and get ready for main painting...

Nice work on the A-7s guys!  

I finally got some paint sprayed.  Have a few touch ups to do here and there but overall I'm pretty happy.

Look'n good SB!

Thanks SB, your Tweet is looking pretty sharp too!

Today was lots of little things getting to the point where I can start painting in the next few days. 

First up, I had to modify the upper main gear doors. The kit part has them molded as a single piece, when in reality it has a separate narrow section over the main gear strut, and a wider main section, so I measured and cut

then glued the narrow section in place.... as well as the main gear lower doors and the nose gear doors

I’m leaving off the remaining upper doors, like the inboard pylons to ease painting in that area a bit.

Now this kit also has an ECM bullet antenna molded at the base of the rudder (circled area), but the A-7B did not have this feature, so I removed it

I also began painting the ordnance

and I dipped the canopy in Future

I’ll let the canopy dry and cure overnight, then mask and install it tomorrow... main paining to begin the day after....

Hey FSM,

Well, it seems that my district is not planning on resuming classes until May 5, at the earliest. I'd like to get in on this GB with a Hasegawa Skyhawk. 

I think I can get this one done in a month. I'll post more pictures as I make progress.

Cheers!

-O

Welcome, Omar. You are added along with your A-4E.

Nice progress, Carlos.  Those are odd looking wheel hubs.

Thanks John. The wheels go over those. The do give a nice solid mounting point.

Hello, sorry I haven't posted in awhile, work has been crazy.  This is my proof of life photo.  I have got her on her wheels.  I realized after painting, that the kit instructions were inaccurate, as these birds flew with the big center drop tank, not the two wing tanks. So, I am in the process of building the center tank.  

I am digging all the A-7 action.  An awesome aircraft for certain.  

Boy I love me a big grey and white F-4. Looking good Greg!

Hey gang,

I'm thinking about working on a couple of other projects alongside the Skyhawk. I found a couple of unfinished SR-71s at a garage sale.

It seems that all the parts are there to complete them...

...but they're started but in bad shape. There's an -A and a -B that need some love. I'm going to try to restore the -A for this GB.

My focus will be the Skyhawk, but I'll try to interject with the Blackbird when I can.

-O

wow awesome stuff fellas.

what is done with this mongram puzzel.

wow awesome stuff fellas.

what is done with this mongram puzzel.

Oh, there are a couple of Tweets in progress here! Nice!

Greg, your Phantom looks great! But I might suggest another type of Sidewinder. Those look like Air Force J models and not Navy/Marine Corps D/G type.

Today’s progress update...

Canopy masked off with Tamiya tape, then installed. For the windscreen I am trying Humbrol Clearfix, which I accidentally picked up instead of their Liquid Poly on one of my last visits to Brookhurst Hobbies... must pay better attention to what I pick up... the hood I am attaching temporarily with Testors clear glue, as I am going to pose that open once completed

I had attached the landing light to the gear door yesterday. Today I foiled it up and masked off the lens

and lastly, another coat of white onto the Shrikes and Rockeyes

Tomorrow, set the airbrush up and time for primer...

Today’s update: 

I finally set up my compressor and did some airbrushing! Woohoo!

I primed white in the intake using Tamiya White Liquid Surface Primer. That should give a nice vivid white in there

I airbrushed on a coat of Humbrol Enamel Flat Black on the canopy for the framing interior color

and lastly a coat of Tamiya Gray Liquid Surface Primer overall after masking off the intake and the exhaust.

 I’ll let that dry overnight, then tomorrow start on white for the control surfaces and undersides.

May not make the finish line.  The F-4J will sit with the F6F-5 (not for this build) as I've run out of  CO2...  I'll check here in town to see if they local gas co is open but...

You do not have a compressor John? 

Today’s update- more airbrushing! 

First up, I decided to try a marble base coat of Tamiya Flat White on the lower surfaces and flying surfaces topsides.

then I lightly airbrushed on multiple coats of very thinned (2 parts thinner 1 part paint) Tamiya Gloss White over the base coat

not too bad...

That looks great Stik - may try that myself.  I had a compressor years ago but after converting to CO2 I never replaced it.  Called the local gas co here in town and no answer so I figure they are closed.  Amazon to the rescue.  I ordered a compressor with a small tank - I'll never give up on CO2 but there's no way I'm going weeks without painting!