A-10 Group build

Hey Guys,

      Sorry about the delay in the badge results.  I have to tie up one loose end, and then I will ahve the results.  I do want to thank Chasd25 and Dice for their submissions, and everybody else who voted.

      Cwalker, I have heard that a sewing needle chucked in a pin vise works good for restoring rivets, but I haven't tried the technique myself. Another technique that I do use for saving detail is putting a strip of masking tape ove the details I want to save, and leave just enough room around the area to be filled, otherwise, if you are using gap-filling super glue, it builds up a ridge that is difficult to clean up. Hope this helps.

     Dice, thanks for the pic of the helmet.  I loved it.

     As to my build.  I have started with the wings and the tail.  So far I have the tail put together, and one wing asssembled.  I am working on the other wing tonight.  Looks like a little filling to make everything right.  I heard another modeler usually builds two kits at once, to find the errors.  I think that this is sage advice.

    One more thing, I have a picture of a couple of patches that I own, that I thought that everybody would like to see.  From my home state of Alaska, here are two A-10 patches.  The one on the left is for the Alaskan OA/A-10.  The one on the right is for when the unit was deployed in OEF.  They were based out of turkey, and the "A-10" is actually written in their language.  Of course, there is Horatio Hogbreath is desert uniform, over a silhoutte of Afganistan, and what I think is one of the mottos for the Alaskan A-10s:

Enjoy!

Dice and Cuda,

       Thanks.  I look forward to seeing what you guys got. 

~R.W.

reluctant_wanderer;

I'll need to check on those pix, I do have the some of the ones when I was in Iraq on my work computer, but I'll take a look tonite when I get home.

Thanks Dice and Cuda,

          Thanks for the info, and the understanding.  Cuda, it was a badly worded question.  I would have made the same assumption that you did. But ont he info, I have only one thing to say: wow, that's a lot. Thanks, though.  I have one favor to ask, Cuda.  I know that you have pics of when you were deployed, by chance do you have one of the A-10 loaded for CSAR?

Thanks

~R.W.

bofuf;

CAR means Close Air Support, this terminology is what we had called it when being deployed to OEF & OIF, but actually it should be CAS, we changed it to CAR (for Close Air Reconnaissance) to Close Air Support because the A-10's would help the ground troops look for insurgents and dispatch them

I think CSAR stands for "combat search and rescue". What does CAR stand for?

It is not in berny13's

Chris 

reluctant_wanderer;

NO HARM, NO FOUL, I may have miss read the question, you wanted info so I went ahead and gave you what I have found and passed it on, and the info you have read is correct but the plane has no "real modifcations" to show the differences like the F-14A to the F-14D, it's just a funding site for the mission, maintenance and training. 

About the weapons loads they are about same, but when we flew CSAR missions compaired to CAR missions, the CSAR missions seemed to carry more flare pods then weapons because they where looking for survivers then targets, but also when I was in Iraq we used the 1 A/C with CSAR loads to look for the insurgents, and the second with CAR loads to dispatch them, but both of the planes (in the units eyes) where A-10A's, NOW I really confused you, the OA mission depends on what's needed for 1 specific mission, like how many flares, fuel, and instrumentation is it going to need to look for someone or something then mark it for the next guy to locate and do what's needed to do either pick up or dispatch it.

reluctant_wanderer wrote:

Thanks for the info.  My apologies, I worded my last question wrong., I looked at my last question, it looks like I took what Dice said, and ignored it.  My apologies to both of you.  ~R.W.

RW, I didn't take it that way so, no apologies needed. There is no "standard" load for a OA-10 mission but, most of the time they will carry "Willy Petes" for marking targets along with it's other load-out.

Sanman,

          I think it looks fine.  Thanks for posting the first "in-progress" pics

Cuda,

         Thanks for the info.  My apologies, I worded my last question wrong., I looked at my last question, it looks like I took what Dice said, and ignored it.  My apologies to both of you.  I understand that the OA-10 is more a mission designation having to do with money and what the A-10 is doing, than a real variant difference like the difference between the F-14A and D.  What I meant to say is, when an A-10 is designated an OA-10, and used for those mission parameters, what is the typical weapon loads for that mission? 

~R.W.

reluctant_wanderer;

With the A-10A & OA-10A there is nothing different just the funding site, and some units have had their plane designated as the OA-10's and the rest A-10 like my old unit did the oldest planes where considered to be the OA's (1978 year) and the newer ones where A's (1978-80 years) and like what DICE said some units changed their designation daily or bi-daily in some cases but its easier to say the "OA" would be used for CSAR (Search & Rescue) over the "A" CAR (Close Air Support) funding sites, SAME PLANE DIFFERENT MISSION, AND DIFFERENT FUNDING, and another note the OA-10 fund site was orignially used for the failed F/A-16's funding which Congress had already established but the AF found the F/A's where lacking in range & loads to target so the AF desided to reinvest it into the A-10's CSAR mission (now known as the OA-10

Sanman383;

I'd wouldn't worry about the correct color of the cockpit, the shades DO CHANGE when exposed to the daily routines of flight & maintenance crews crawling about the plane, what I use for cockpit gray color is FS 36270 Neutral Gray and the usual Flat Black Instrument faces w/Flat White details and FS 36231 Dark Gull Gray instrument knobs on the side consules, then I dry brush it with silver to show some wear then I do a black wash the make the shadows and supposed muck & dirt stand out, the black wash also darkens the Neutral Gray to almost the Dk Gull Gray

YEAR OF THE HOG GREAT MOTTO

Not much new to report. I haven't had alot of time lately for modeling, but I have been doing some assembly work. Gluing parts that don't need to be painted (like the cockpit).

Also planning the stages of assembly. Looks like I can paint the wings separate, and then attach after everything is painted (whish should make painting easier).

 Charlie

Thanks Dice!

        Want's the difference in the weapons loads between the two?

reluctant_wanderer wrote:

...  One more question fot you, Dice or Cuda.  What is the difference between an A-10, and an OA-10? ~R.W.

Nothing, it's all about pilot traning and funding. The same aircraft can, and has, flown as an A-10A in the morning and an OA-10 in the afternoon.   

Cwalker3,

No need to apologize! We are all busy here, and have other things going. I understand.  Thanks for the comkment on the motto.

        I have good news. I heard from the Decal manufacturer, and the Eielson sheets are still going to be produced but I have to wait a little while...  If that is the worst that I have to worry about, then I am a happy camper.  So, it looks like that I just have to wait a couple of months to get the updates, or build two A-10s, one old, and one current...

        One more question fot you, Dice or Cuda.  What is the difference between an A-10, and an OA-10?

~R.W.

RW, I believe you were referring to my email that you were waiting for. Sorry, but I completely forgot. Anyway, I just sent it.

As for your proposed motto, I love it! The Year of the Hog. Has a nice ring to it.

My progress is going pretty slow. I'm still struggling with painting the cockpit controls. Man, those dials and gauges are small! I've painted and re=painted twice now and am getting ready or a third try. If this one doesn't come out right, I'll have to strip the paint as it's getting pretty thick right now. 

Hey Guys,

      I am waiting for a member to re-email me his vote, and then I will have the results of the GB Badge. 

      I know that we have all gotten off to a slow start here, but we will pick up as time gets going.  I have been working on another model, while trying to decide what to do with my A-10.  I had an abrupt plan change.

      Progress report on my build.  You know the old saying about the best laid plans of mice and men... I have had to change my plans on how to build my model.  Originally, I was going to update the model with an A-M set, and deck it out with decals for the A-10's based out of Eielson AFB here in Alaska.  However, the A-M update is temporarily unavailable.  I have a P-E set that covers half the updates (the slime lights, and some antennae), but the trick is the laste bumps.  If I remember correctly, Weren't all the updates to the A-10A mainly additions of bumps and antennae?  There were no major shape changes? 

      Markings are another matter.  The set was a future release that looks like has been cancelled by the manufacturer.  I could make decals, but I don't have enough data to do it.  Oh well, There are plenty of other cool A-10's to model.  I looke into a set for the JAWS scheme, but none seems currently available.  I have a set in 1/32 scale, and maybe could make a set based on that.

    So, right now, I am deciding what to build. So many options, just one model...

    A third item. I noticed that this Chinese New Year is a pig.  Let's make this the year of the Hog. Maybe use that for our motto :A10 Group Build, the year of the Hog.

~Reluctant Wanderer

Dice;

I thought the Euro Scheme came out in the very early 80's like 1980-81 and the 75-76 year Hawg's where painted the MASK scheme prior to that, but I could be wrong about the EURO scheme, when I came into the AF (April '82) they've been painted (Euro 1) that way for a while and I thought it was a new type of scheme then, also I know the MASK scheme was a little bit darker too then the Ghost Gray scheme and there wasn't any FS colors issued at the time of that scheme either like the JAWS scheme it must of been a experimental before the AF found a true scheme for the Hawg and they went straight into the Euro 1 scheme off the line.

72cuda wrote:

Dice, Didn't the old MASK scheme become the standard before Euro 1? And they didn't have any FS numbers assigned, also I forgot about the experimental JAWS paint scheme

Kuda, the mask scheme oxidized to badly so the AF adopted the "false canopy" scheme which is basicly the same scheme as today but with different colors. The orignal colors were (from A-10 colors and marking by Dana Bell) 50% reflectance super desothane (close to 36559) 30% RSD (close to 36280) and gunship gray.

The aircraft started being dilivered in the Euro I in 1979 so some units didn't even have their A-10 before the Euro paint scheme was adopted.

No progress  for me, although I do plan to get some time in this weekend.

Looks like we might be moving in the next 3-6 months, so I'll do my best to keep building as long as I can! I got about 6 kits on the bench I'm going to try and finish before the move (this one included)

Charlie 

Dice,

Didn't the old MASK scheme become the standard before Euro 1? And they didn't have any FS numbers assigned, also I forgot about the experimental JAWS paint scheme

reluctant_wanderer wrote:

Thanks Cuda,            Thanks for the info on the color schemes.  So many options, and that's just the operational schemes.  Did the old MASK schemes use the Dark & Light Ghost Greys of the current Ghost scheme?  ~R.W.

Sorry if I'm answering for you Kuda. RW, the first 20 aircraft rolled of the line with different schemes, they tried everything from 30%-50% Mask, The "False canopy", and a scheme called the Asymmetrical scheme. In fact the A-10 went into production without an offical paint scheme. Not until the False canopy scheme did all A-10 wear the same paint job until the Euro I in the late 70s and eary 80s.

Unless someone wants to do one of these early jets (schemes) I would rather not get into detail on any of them but, I will if someone does wishs to do an early A-10.  

Thanks Cuda,

           Thanks for the info on the color schemes.  So many options, and that's just the operational schemes.  Did the old MASK schemes use the Dark & Light Ghost Greys of the current Ghost scheme? 

CuriousG

           Welcome to the build. I look forward to seeing the finished model. Yours makes me think of an A-10 flown by a Capt. Kim "Killer Chick" Campbell, whose A-10 was heavily damaged in the early days of OIF, but she managed to get it home.  It's amazing the amount of punishment the A-10 can take and still get her pilot home. 

            I have only one request for you, CuriousG, Please vote on a badge, and I will post results at the end of the week.

            To Everybody, I will wait a few more days for everybody to vote on the badge who wants to, and I will announce the results on Saturday.

            Thanks everybody for your interest.  I have opened up the kit, too.  I had forgotten what a fine kit that R-M A-10 is.  Just the basic stuff right now.  Laying out a construction plan, getting my references together, deciding on what I want the kit to be when I get done. 

             I have had a busy week, and I will get stated in earnest this weekend.

Thanks everybody, Thanks Dice and Cuda for your help.  Thanks for the votes, and thanks for being a part of this build.

~R.W.

reluctant_wanderer;

That new paint scheme is called Gray Ghost Scheme or just Ghost for the Dark & Light Ghost Gray's, and the old Green is called Euro 1 or 2, or Lizard, and the oldest Gray scheme is called MASK,