VF-126 A-4E Top Gun completed.

[Padubon]

 

Here we go again.

I will try to enhance this kit with the Aires detail set that would be perfect, if only it fit properly!

I want to build A-4E Bu151059 on its later time.

Based on what I have found about it, the plane was repainted, from its first Adversary camo, between 1989-1990, in which the Sand FS 33531 and Brown FS 30219 were inverted. I have no clue why.
The fuselage and wings stars, went from grey to brown on the inside part.
Photographs suggest that, at least initially, the Adversary red star on the vertical plane, changed to a North Korea star representation, while the left side kept the red star. By late 1991, both sides had the N. Korea star.

If anyone knows something about

Red 32, please let me know.

 

This is how it looked in May of 1989. Note the camo pattern, not hollow grey stars and the vertical plane adversary red star.

Freshly repainted between 1989-1990 with inverted camo pattern, hollow grey stars and N Korea marking on the right vertical.

This picture from June 1991, indicates weather wear and a replacement LH wing slat.
Note that it still have the Adversary red star on the left vertical.

 

This December of 1991 picture shows the N Korean star representation on the left vertical.

This picture of December 1992 shows what it appears to be the beginning of the sad ending for A-4E Bu 151059, my favorite looking Scooter.

So far this is what I have done:

 

 

I read a review about the terrible fitting of the Aires resin wheel wells, I’ll let you know tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

Now, the wings have the “step” that the 1/48 Hasegawa A-4 have at the wing slat area, I fixed by cutting it and with patched it with plastic strips. I’ll finish them tonight.

so far so good.

 

Edited February 13, 2021 by Padubon

[Kagemusha]

Great to see a Scooter, and what a choice, particularly like the vibrant colours of the last photo. 

[Daniel Leduc]

Oh yes... Top Gun Scooter, nice, was it hard to put your hand on that sheet...?

 

Dan.

[Padubon]

28 minutes ago, Daniel Leduc said:

Oh yes... Top Gun Scooter, nice, was it hard to put your hand on that sheet...?

 

Dan.

Actually, I am going to mask some of the markings. I gave up looking for the decals.

[Padubon]

Here some work done. 
I don’t like the kit’s intakes so I went for the AMS set. Unfortunately, is not deep enough, so I had to do some surgery.

I also test fitted the wheel wells and sure enough, they don’t fit. More surgery will be needed.

 

The Aires cockpit went well and it did fit very well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 3, 2020 by Padubon

[Padubon]

3 hours ago, MARU5137 said:

Your Interior  work  on the cockpit looks SUPERB.

 

keep  up the   

 

 

Thanks! 

 

[Padubon]

I finally had some time today.

To be able to make the intakes work well, I had to cut the forward section, due to the resin intakes being not deep enough. 
I think it all went well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rockie Yarwood]

Nice work! The intakes came out great!

[Anthony in NZ]

Beautifully done on those intakes...they really came up well.

 

 

[Out2gtcha]

Intakes look great!

[Padubon]

On 11/19/2020 at 11:45 PM, Rockie Yarwood said:

Nice work! The intakes came out great!

 

10 hours ago, Anthony in NZ said:

Beautifully done on those intakes...they really came up well.

 

 

 

10 hours ago, Out2gtcha said:

Intakes look great!

Thank you gents, I appreciate it.

[Padubon]

Finally after a few days of nothing I was able to do some progress.

The Aires wheel wells, although gorgeous, they simply won’t fit, unless a lot of plastic surgery is performed!

Anyway, this is how it looks:

First, most of the parked A-4 pictures I have seen, they show their horizontal surfaces in the nose up position.

I wanted to make it that way so, more surgery.

 

 

Second, the dreadful Aires fit!! Beautiful buy yikes!!!

 

[Padubon]

Here some more:

 

The slats need a little work, as the some of these tails have several ejection pin marks.

 

 

 

Finally it is starting to look like a scooter:

 

[Anthony in NZ]

Oh yea, that's brilliant!  Those Aires w wells are a bear to fit, but the detail is just so impressive, you just gotta do it.

 

Really well done, really love the little Scooter

[Padubon]

Thank you gents.