Trumpeter 1/32 A-4H Col Ezra Dotan

[Cheetah11]

 

My Tomcat build is going well and I decided to do another group build hopefully before the end of the cut off. It will be an almost OOB build wit only a resin seat.

I have been collecting info on the A-4H in which Ezra Dotan claimed two Mig 17 aircraft on the 12th of May 1970. The Trumpeter kit is in my stash so I will soon start this in the background while finishing the Iranian F-4. ( At the moment I lost a bit of mojo for prop aircraft) So here goes.

 

The subject

 

 

 

The Model

 

 

Cheers

Nick

 

[Loic]

Watchin’ you 

[Cheetah11]

While waiting for paint to dry on the Tomcat I started gluing the main parts together on the Skyhawk.

The kit has much the same building "problem" as the KH Mirage 200o in that all panels are designed to be build open. This is great if you want to display an aircraft being serviced but not on the ramp ready to fly. The panels needed quite some adjustment to fit in the closed position.

 

 

I was impressed by the fit until this popped up. I know there is a gap below the rudder but this is a bit extreme. Plastic strips to the rescue.

 

 

The Colt 20mm guns will have to do as Defa 30 mm guns but I removed the stagger as the Defa guns were not staggered. Once the lower panels are in place very little will be seen thru the wheel bay so this should do.

 

 

 

More trouble. Undersized and incorrect fan details.  If you can get the Barracuda replacement.

 

 

I printed a new inlet for the J52 engine with inlet guide vanes. A bit rough but after clean up and paint and it should look better than the kit parts. In the mean time I have written to Santa for a resin 3D printer but I am not too hopeful that he will get the message.

 

 

Cheers

Nick.

[DugyB]

Gotta love Trumpy kits,  almost like limited run models but on super steroids ….. 

[Gazzas]

The A4 is a cool looking bird.  IDF camo will make it even cooler.

[Stevepd]

Can you put a bit of angle on the rudder, or is it self centering at rest?.

[Cheetah11]

On 11/20/2023 at 8:26 AM, Stevepd said:

Can you put a bit of angle on the rudder, or is it self centering at rest?.

 

Hi Steve

all the photos I had a look at the rudder is centred, so I will try and fix it.  A bit of filling and sanding should fix it.

 

 

 

In the mean time I added plastic card to the slat cut outs. I will shape them when the glue has dried.

 

 

Cheers

Nick.

[mozart]

Two builds in the GB Nick….ambitious! Hope the Skyhawk goes well. 

[alain11]

Hi Nick
I see, you don't let your mojo cooling down , it's a ...cool project !! I don't know the IAF A 4 , especially the H version , but , if my memory isn't playing me a trick  , this version had a special "rump "..............and then????

happy modeling 

Alain

[Dave Williams]

47 minutes ago, alain11 said:

Hi Nick
I see, you don't let your mojo cooling down , it's a ...cool project !! I don't know the IAF A 4 , especially the H version , but , if my memory isn't playing me a trick  , this version had a special "rump "..............and then????

happy modeling 

Alain

If you’re talking about the extended tailpipe on IAF A-4s, those were fitted after the YKW.  Before, and during, the war the Skyhawks just had the standard A-4 exhaust.

[Cheetah11]

3 hours ago, alain11 said:

Hi Nick
I see, you don't let your mojo cooling down , it's a ...cool project !! I don't know the IAF A 4 , especially the H version , but , if my memory isn't playing me a trick  , this version had a special "rump "..............and then????

happy modeling 

Alain

 

Hi Alain

The A-4H was a simplified version developed for Israel with many US Navy sensitive equipment not installed. Externally it can be recognized by a squared off fin and a brake parachute as well as no avionics hump on the back. From 1970 DEFA 30mm cannon were fitted replacing the 20mm Colt weapons.  Here is a photo of one prior to delivery.

 

 

8 hours ago, mozart said:

Two builds in the GB Nick….ambitious! Hope the Skyhawk goes well. 

 

Hi Max

On these two builds I will focus on colour and markings and not on too much detail. If all goes well maybe a third 

 

Cheers

Nick

[mozart]

That’s plain greedy Nick! Actually, it’s a very good idea to sometimes focus on colour and finish rather than detail, especially with the older kits which lend themselves to this.

[Cheetah11]

 

I wanted to do this out of the box but there are a few things that are open for improvement. I fortunately have spares from two Hasegawa kits which were binned. I build one as a Kahu in 1999 but an accident involving the falling of a shelf in the display cabinet wrecked it. The second I had an over ambitious plan to do a A-4M from the two seater in 2002. I could never find or make a satisfactory canopy.

The first thing to fix was the solid nose wheel. One almost gets the idea this kit was badly  copied from the 1/48 Hasegawa kit.

 

 

After a bit of work using the Hasegawa wheel and shortening the oleo a little.

 

 

 

I also had a look at the cockpit. The side consoles and IP are flat. Here is a comparison with the Hasegawa kit. 2011 kit versus 1976 kit. Really Trumpeter.

 

 

 

The solution was to fit the side consoles of the Hasegawa kit to the Trumpeter cockpit.

 

Slots in the fuselage sides needed to be enlarged. Thanks to Proxxon a quick job.

 

 

Last thing while the paint is drying on the Tomcat is to paste Hasegawa wheels onto the Trumpeter U/C legs. The Trumpeter legs are 3mm longer but the wheel well is 3 mm deeper so not a great problem. I like the Has wheels more and the brakes are more detailed. The Trumpeter kit has a lot going for it but just a frustration on some of the details are compromised.

 

 

Cheers

Nick

Edited December 10, 2023 by Cheetah11

[mozart]

What an incredible difference in those nose wheels Nick! Your new one is light years ahead, the original is truly shockingly bad! 

[Cheetah11]

Thanks Max. The trumpeter kit has some nice features compared to the Hasegawa kit but one gets the idea the ball was dropped five yards from the try line.

Cheers

Nick