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1/32 Electric Intruder - Grumman EA-6A Conversion


allthumbs

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  • 1 month later...

Really glad I found this site. I'm a 48th scale guy but decided to join after an internet search for info on my current Monogram A-6 build resulted in finding WIP threads on this site. Great site with a lot of useful information. Further searches led me to your WIP and I have to say I'm very impressed with what you're doing here; great attention to detail and end result. Should be a stunner when it's complete!

 

Elmo

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Really glad I found this site. I'm a 48th scale guy but decided to join after an internet search for info on my current Monogram A-6 build resulted in finding WIP threads on this site. Great site with a lot of useful information. Further searches led me to your WIP and I have to say I'm very impressed with what you're doing here; great attention to detail and end result. Should be a stunner when it's complete!

 

Elmo

 

 

Welcome aboard, Elmo!

 

:post1:

 

The dark side beckons... :coolio:

 

Kev

 

 

 

Indeed, Welcome!      You very well may get hooked on LSPs with some of the astoundingly talented modelers we have here in ANY scale. Just so happens its the best scale.  ;)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Barry, Loic, Vitali, Rich, Kev, Elmo, Alan, Tony, and Peter...thanks so much for the praise and support!

 

Bench time has been limited as of late - the usual excuses; life, work, etc.

 

But here's a small update, starting with the seats. You'll recall from last time, the plan was to mate the True Details resin "bucket" with a scratch built head box. I decided to go full-on scratch. This would allow me the flexibility to install properly draped risers and parachute harnesses. As Vitali correctly points out, the inertial reel tension tends to gather up these belts up in a "loop."

 

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On to the nose job...

 

Although not obvious at first, the EA-6A had a different nose and radome configuration. Compared to the attack variant, the Electric Intruder had a longer nose, by eight scale inches as measured from the windscreen forward, perhaps to account for the added weight of the tail pod and the sensors it housed. Despite this, the radome itself was smaller, the space behind it taken up by large avionics compartments on either side of the nose.

 

Compare these photos. An A-6E nose followed by one of an EA-6A...

 

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To accomplish the modification, I glued two rectangular spacers to the sides of the kit radome, along sections that do not curve, establishing the position in space of the extended nose. A thin plastic liner was then glued to the inside of the radome to form a lip around most of the circumference. To achieve a matched contour, the radome is positioned low, with a slight downward tilt. After the fuselage sections are lined with adhesive backed foil and treated with mold release agent, epoxy putty will be applied to the 1/4 inch wide channel and sanded smooth. The modified nose will then be removed, cleaned up and detailed, before serving as a one piece master for resin copies...

 

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That's all for now.

 

Tomorrow, I'm headed to Oakland Airport in California. My son plans to pick me up and treat me to a Father's Day brunch. After that, we will head to the Western Aerospace Museum. It's open cockpit day and I plan to size up and document a real A-6 Intruder.

 

Yee Haw!

Edited by allthumbs
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Great to see you've decided to build your own seats........if you're looking for accuracy, it really is the best way to go. Hoping you'll share some pics from your trip. I've been on my current A-6 project for quite some time and during that time I've been growing my own collection of Intruder pics. I've amassed quite the collection so if you come across something you need let me know, I just might have what you're looking for.

 

Elmo

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Andy, Vitali, Ben, Stanton, Shep, Elmo...thanks for the kind words and your continued interest in this project.

 

Regarding parts...yes, a conversion kit is in the works. Look for a new product announcement next month from a reputable aftermarket manufacturer.

 

The museum visit was a real treat. In addition to an intact KA-6D Intruder airframe, with a complete cockpit interior, there was an A-6A cockpit simulator, fully furnished down to the last switch and circuit breaker. The latter was equipped with MB GRU-5 "early" model ejection seats, a rare find these days.

 

Although a little rushed - open cockpit days draw big crowds and long lines - my son and I were able to measure and photograph most of the key features I was after. My thanks to the staff at the Oakland Aerospace Museum for their patience while I indulged!

 

Here are some pictures, starting with the simulator...

 

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oakland%20aerospace%20museum%20JUN2015%2

 

oakland%20aerospace%20museum%20JUN2015%2

 

continued...

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And the KA-6D cockpit photos, emphasizing the seldom seen aspects...

 

oakland%20aerospace%20museum%20JUN2015%2

 

oakland%20aerospace%20museum%20JUN2015%2

 

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To sum it up, the Intruder cockpit is "busy" - a three dimensional maze of consoles, switches, circuit breakers, wire bundles, and air conditioning conduits. It's a super detailer's dream...or nightmare, depending on your perspective. :hmmm:

 

That's all for now...back to the workbench.

 

Rich

 

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Edited by allthumbs
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