Hog's firepower display - A-10C - Full makeup

[Jim Kong Un]

Jaw dropping 

[red Dog]

Thank you all for your comments.

 

One year after starting this project I have now finally decided which specific A-10C I'll model.

The 354th Bulldog squadron during their 2017 OIR Incirlik deployment was picked up quite a while ago but I was still hesitating between two (actually three) specific aircraft.

 

81-976 Ditzy Daisy

81-983 Champs 1

80-275 The Dirty Pearl

 

my requirement were:

- dirty airframe not yet cleaned from the gun soot

- the bulldog nametage under the left windscreen

- live weapons, so during deployment

- bomb tally if possible

 

During deployment, the aircraft had bomb tally on either left or right side but no names

Just before returning to the states names were added to the airframes on the left side under the fuselage

Some sported bomb tally on their right side fuselage

Once back in the US, the aircrfat were cleaned, names deleted and most of the bomb tallies removed as well, Some were kept for demo aircraft (Like Champs1)

 

Pictures of specific armed aircraft with bomb tally, nicknames and dirty with gunpowder are quite rare.

 

Although Dirty pearl (976) appeal was obvious with my weathering plans; I wasn't able to find a lot of info about her. All I can see is that she didn't have the DM code and was almost free of any markings. So I discarded that option.

Even the serial on her nose were absent.

 

Champs 1 (983) has a lot of picture available both during and after deployment. 

During deployment or at least during the return ferry trip, she had all my requirements and even more with Linda Lee being printed on her left side and an impressive bomb tally on her right side

 

But my final choice is Ditzy Daisy (976)

There are a few pictures of her at Incirlik exactly like I wanted my model to be.

The only thing I never was able to find was her bomb tally. I recently found a picture where the right front fuselage has been cleaned where exactly bomb tally would have been. So I guess she sported tallies and I could add them - even though I don't know how much.

The above picture was probably taken at Incirlik, just before the squadron came home.

 

 

[red Dog]

The decals I designes accounted for all three options.

And one more for Champs 1 after being converted to an airshow bird

 

 but now I am committed to 976

[ulvdemon]

Awesome build, great job.

[MikeMaben]

Seriously nice 

[chuck540z3]

Looking really good!  I was thinking that you beat up the nose a bit too much, but based upon your pic of 976 above, I now think you nailed the right look.

 

One upcoming tip if you don't know already, is that most of the ordnance pylons have a rope-like gasket around them next to the wing's surface.  This is great because the pylon recess on the kit wings is quite deep already, so filling the edges with this gasket gets rid of it and looks accurate at the same time.  I used lead wire, but lots of other things like stretched sprue can work just as well.

 

Cheers,

Chuck

[red Dog]

Thanks for the reminder Chuck. that's an advice I was indeed planning to follow.

The pylons actually need a lot more work as you found out before me.

The sway brace location are wrong, bolts for attachment are wrong, the panel lines are wrong, rivets need adding, distinctive fairings are missing on 2, 4, 8 and 10

and let's not even start about some being underscaled and others overscaled.

 

Most of it is a PITA to correct but I will go over my modification soon - although I have been working on that on and off for quite a bit of time.

 

Having such a big model on my bench now made me first work on the custom display stand prototype. 

 

 

It's massive and by far the largest display stand I ever built.
The idea is to have 3 positions for the airplane 15° up, horizontal and -10°

The A-10 also need to rotate freely so I can decide to display it inverted, in a turn or level.

This is only the first prototype and a lot of work are still required

 

Edited October 21, 2023 by red Dog

[A-10LOADER]

Good idea on using MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) for the base, light-weight, stable and, takes paint very well. FYI, all those edges will need multiple coats of primer and sanding to achieve a smooth finish, that's the downside of using MDF. I've read where some have used a sanding sealer on the edges before priming but, I've never tried it before. Looking forward to seeing more.

Steve

[JayW]

This is so cool.  So you made your own decals?  How so?  All I have ever done is print them off a home ink jet or laser jet onto clear or white decal paper.  But as anyone who has done this knows - if you need white (or some light color) on the decal the printer cannot do that.  For the printer, white = clear.  And light = translucent.  So you need white paper, which means cutting the border perfectly which can be very problematic..... 

[red Dog]

17 hours ago, A-10LOADER said:

Good idea on using MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) for the base, light-weight, stable and, takes paint very well. FYI, all those edges will need multiple coats of primer and sanding to achieve a smooth finish, that's the downside of using MDF. I've read where some have used a sanding sealer on the edges before priming but, I've never tried it before. Looking forward to seeing more.

Steve

Yeah, I know those edges drinks paint quite a lot. I have built my share of cabinets and dressing with MDF, and my 1:1 F-16 cockpit too

The only trick is paint, sand, paint sand paint sand - rince & repeat. you can really get a very nice finish though. Haven't decided which color yet, but I usually end up with black.

 

[red Dog]

17 hours ago, JayW said:

This is so cool.  So you made your own decals?  How so?  All I have ever done is print them off a home ink jet or laser jet onto clear or white decal paper.  But as anyone who has done this knows - if you need white (or some light color) on the decal the printer cannot do that.  For the printer, white = clear.  And light = translucent.  So you need white paper, which means cutting the border perfectly which can be very problematic..... 

Same process, I usually use clear laser decal sheet.

Luckily this A-10C is pretty straightforward as all decals are black over light grey so printed color density is not an issue.

 

That said there is a simple way to overcome the issue you mentionned. 
A perfect example was when I converted the Revell Mirage v to a Colombian Kfir C10. Dark grey aircraft with yellow decals  Big no no with decals only.

Since you design your own decals it's easy to cut masks from the decal computer design.

For instance the colombian roundels outline were taken from the decal sheet design, reduced by a couple pixel in size (to avoid white flash) and imported in the silhouette software.

Once cut as masks they can be painted white on the model and provide a perfect background for the light ensity color decals.

I think I finally elected to do the whole roundel in masks in the Kfir example but I used that technique for the squadron finflash on the tail.

 

With that technique all custom decals project became possible. It's more work but after all that's aircraft modelling. 

 

I love doing decals sheets for unique projects because I love the research that goes with it.
I'm nowhere close to the pros on this forum and elsewhere but I do have my own custom decal project where I offer my previous decals/masks combos and do custom work on request. 

[JayW]

4 hours ago, red Dog said:

Since you design your own decals it's easy to cut masks from the decal computer design.

For instance the colombian roundels outline were taken from the decal sheet design, reduced by a couple pixel in size (to avoid white flash) and imported in the silhouette software.

Once cut as masks they can be painted white on the model and provide a perfect background for the light ensity color decals.

I think I finally elected to do the whole roundel in masks in the Kfir example but I used that technique for the squadron finflash on the tail.

 

With that technique all custom decals project became possible. It's more work but after all that's aircraft modelling. 

 

I love doing decals sheets for unique projects because I love the research that goes with it.
I'm nowhere close to the pros on this forum and elsewhere but I do have my own custom decal project where I offer my previous decals/masks combos and do custom work on request. 

 

Very gracious reply Red Dog.  I do not have a stencil maker (mask maker) but I know folks who do.  Good stuff. 

[red Dog]

pleasure mate.

Don't hesitate to ask if you need specific stuff. I'll be happy to help

[red Dog]

Productive Sunday the say the least

The MDF stand is now complete.

 

The three MDF part making the vertical stand have been sanded smooth on their front and back edges. 

The 2 outer feet are dry assembled in the base recesses and the whole is secured with 4 screws from the bottom of the base.

 

 

 

 

 

The middle piece of wood making up the vertical stand of the stand will provide the support for the 6mm carbon stick.

it has been bored in its  length so the carbon rod can be inserted longitudinally. Easier said than done... 
That part is then sandwitched between the two outer ones and will rotate thanks to a middle bolt placed just under the carbon tunnel.

 

With the internal cut, the middle section top rotates from -15° to +15°but obviously a single pivot point will not hold the weight of the model so I placed two holes for real remove before flight pins at +15° (giving the A-10 a positive attitude) and +5° (giving me a level flight) and I can let it go all the way down for a -10° dive for a bbrrrrt run

 

Here's the stand with a positive attitude. The pin hold the carbon stick in the desired angle. The other hole to the left is for the level attitude. I just move the RBF pin from one hole to another depending on which pose I want.

I attached a keyholder red flame to the pin. I have real ones but they are too long. I will source a new red keyholder suited for an A-10.

The patch is a very old one I have not sure I will use it or not. But the stand will have some A-10 stencils placards and goodies.

 

 

 

The middle part is cut so that once the moving part rests on its base, the A-10 is diving for a gun run, giving me an extra position.

I can have intermediate positions as well thanks to a triangular piece of wood I can insert in the hole as well; but I doubt it will be required.

 

Here's a final picture with the level position and the pin inserted in the left hole

Edited October 22, 2023 by red Dog

[A-10LOADER]

Pretty slick.

Steve