A-4 Skyhawk

[Woogey]

Good morning all,

 

Time to raise the dead thread.  I have a few of the Hasegawa’s, and a couple of the Trumpeters.  I am in the planning stages of a couple builds, trying to figure out the direction I want to go.  I have not seen it mentioned, but it appears that the Trumpy nose is more pointy than the Hasegawa version.  Can anyone confirm which is more accurately shaped fwd of the windscreen?  (I am leaning towards the Hasegawa) 

 

I am thinking about casting a copy of the Hasegawa nose for use on my Trumpeter.  I also had contemplated mashing the two kits together using Hasegawa from the Intakes Fwd.  (much less scribe work this way). 

 

-Preston

[CRAZY IVAN5]

On 7/18/2020 at 10:11 AM, allthumbs said:

Dave pretty much summed it up, but here are some more pictures that further illustrate the issue with the Trumpeter and Hasegawa windscreens.

 

The real deal...

 

The crash photo is of an A4D-2 (later re-designated A-4B), but the windscreen was the same on all single seat production models up through the A-4F.

 

Trumpeter part...

 

The A-4E and F models had a rain removal system comprised of a hot air duct that partly obscured the lower front windscreen...

 

...thus making the error less visible on the completed model.

 

 

Hasegawa's windscreen has the same problem...

 

...but the framing is less prominent and, theoretically, lends itself better to sanding, re-scribing and polishing out. 

 

Rich

I've got the Trumpeter A-4, though I haven't started it yet. I'll probably take the easy[lazy] way out and just use the kit windscreen, as I don't think the Alley cat is available anymore. The rest of the kit will be fine ,although I'll have to scratch up a throttle. It's rather amazing [to me] that the throttle is left out on a lot of kits, new and old. If I can find intake covers  I'll use them ,if not , oh well.

[CRAZY IVAN5]

Decals seem to be a little thin on the ground from what I can find. I did get an older MicroScale sheet for and E model.

[allthumbs]

As this photo suggests, there were versions of the Skyhawk windscreen with a truncated forward center pane. Maybe the kit manufacturers were right all along, at least for the variants they portray (later A-4E/F). Total conjecture, but perhaps when Douglas switched from a wiper to bleed air based rain removal system (with the E), heat was a problem necessitating the modification.

From Akira Watanabe’s website 

[BiggTim]

39 minutes ago, allthumbs said:

As this photo suggests, there were versions of the Skyhawk windscreen with a truncated forward center pane. Maybe the kit manufacturers were right all along, at least for the variants they portray (later A-4E/F). Total conjecture, but perhaps when Douglas switched from a wiper to bleed air based rain removal system (with the E), heat was a problem necessitating the modification.

From Akira Watanabe’s website 

Does the bird crap come with the decals?

[LSP_K2]

12 minutes ago, BiggTim said:

Does the bird crap come with the decals?

 

No, those are optional. You can choose between pigeon, pigeon or pigeon. For other birds, you're on your own.

[CRAZY IVAN5]

2 hours ago, allthumbs said:

As this photo suggests, there were versions of the Skyhawk windscreen with a truncated forward center pane. Maybe the kit manufacturers were right all along, at least for the variants they portray (later A-4E/F). Total conjecture, but perhaps when Douglas switched from a wiper to bleed air based rain removal system (with the E), heat was a problem necessitating the modification.

From Akira Watanabe’s website 

Well, alrighty then, I'll leave it as is, makes all that simpler for me. Still going to have to deal with the leading edge slat wells. Shouldn't be much of a problem, so sayth me, right.

[thierry laurent]

7 hours ago, allthumbs said:

As this photo suggests, there were versions of the Skyhawk windscreen with a truncated forward center pane. Maybe the kit manufacturers were right all along, at least for the variants they portray (later A-4E/F). Total conjecture, but perhaps when Douglas switched from a wiper to bleed air based rain removal system (with the E), heat was a problem necessitating the modification.

From Akira Watanabe’s website 

Look very closely at that picture or enlarge it. You will see the oval window perimeter is actually not truncated. The straight grey area is actually under the windshield.

[CRAZY IVAN5]

44 minutes ago, thierry laurent said:

Look very closely at that picture or enlarge it. You will see the oval window perimeter is actually not truncated. The straight grey area is actually under the windshield.

Very true kind sir! I think I'll still just use the kit part and maybe do some buffaloing the painted frame bit . Careful masking should do it , if anybody gets too close I'll backhand them[ just kiddin']

[phasephantomphixer]

Recently photographed an A-4L (wiper arrangement) at Castle Museum which has full oval windscreen.

[Tony T]

11 hours ago, allthumbs said:

As this photo suggests, there were versions of the Skyhawk windscreen with a truncated forward center pane. Maybe the kit manufacturers were right all along, at least for the variants they portray (later A-4E/F). Total conjecture, but perhaps when Douglas switched from a wiper to bleed air based rain removal system (with the E), heat was a problem necessitating the modification.

From Akira Watanabe’s website 

 

That looks like just masked paint to me. The oval windshield remains under the paint.

 

Personally, I'd go for a Trumpeter A-4E/F but would love a Hasegawa TA-4J re-release. I built the Bicentennial release (white plastic) back in 1982 and it was a lovely kit.

 

Tony

 

 

[CRAZY IVAN5]

I've got an OA-4M that Hasegawa put out on a limited issue basis, I haven't built it yet because the decal sheet is damaged  beyond repair , and I haven't been able to secure any decals that could be useable. I 've even been trying to piecemeal them without a lot of success. I will build it eventually. It's really not a bad kit, probably has some accuracy issues no doubt.

[Anthony in NZ]

On 8/16/2023 at 4:38 AM, Woogey said:

I have not seen it mentioned, but it appears that the Trumpy nose is more pointy than the Hasegawa version.  Can anyone confirm which is more accurately shaped fwd of the windscreen?  (I am leaning towards the Hasegawa) 

I agree, I’m probably going to use a combination of both. To me the Trumpy nose looks a little pinched. Whereas to me Hasegawa nailed it especially on the T Bird. But once I’m done with my RAF Phantom conversion I’ll be studying the Skyhawk next. 
Im probably going to graft my TA nose onto my Trumpy kit

 

cheers Anthony 

[BiggTim]

I am curious about this, as I know very little about A-4s, but Harold of AMS was a huge fan of them and made lots of conversions and correction sets for them. The only nose he ever made, that I know of, was the one he included in the A-4C conversion. How does the A-4C nose differ from the other versions? Would the C nose I have be of any use in correcting the problems with the kit noses?

 

Tim

[Kagemusha]

32 minutes ago, BiggTim said:

I am curious about this, as I know very little about A-4s, but Harold of AMS was a huge fan of them and made lots of conversions and correction sets for them. The only nose he ever made, that I know of, was the one he included in the A-4C conversion. How does the A-4C nose differ from the other versions? Would the C nose I have be of any use in correcting the problems with the kit noses?

 

Tim

 

No, the B/C nose was a lot shorter.

 

A-4B

 

 

A-4N - basically had the same nose as the E onwards