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The kit is a C &
H Aero Miniatures conversion of the Tamiya A-1J, with resin fuselage, lower
center wing section, three piece clear acrylic and blue tinted canopy, and
the cockpit by Cobra Company. Also included were resin antenna and tail light,
wing fold interior canvas panels and 20mm cannon. The cockpit set included two
instrument panels, instrument dash cover, seats for pilots and two seats for the
rear compartment as well as floor board, center console, control sticks, front
and rear canvas side panels and the bulkhead between front and rear
areas. There was also a rear wall and aft cockpit area decking. I
obtained this kit from another modeler who had lost interest in finishing the
kit after he had already assembled fuselage and lower wing. He was attempting to
build the kit with folding wings, and had made some progress but lost interest
as he became enamored with large scale jets. The fuselage had been assembled
without the cockpit area, but with extensive use of a Dremel the floor was
fitted without damage to the excellent detail painting of the instrument panels
and center console. The seats and sidewall panels were painted with Model
Masters, given a healthy wash of burnt umber and black oil tinted thinner then
dry brushed with various shades of the base paints tinted with light grey.
The floor was further dry brushed with a metalic silver oil paint to imitate
wear and tear. The resin seats were finished in the same manner, glued in place
on either side of the bulkhead. Pilots seats were fitted with RBF flags where
safety pins are located in the ejection mechanisms.
Click on
images below to see larger images
The Tamiya kit provided
prop, engine, firewall/ exhaust and cowling, main landing gear and tail
wheel, tailhook, wings, horizontal stabilizers, and all ordnance. Arming
wires and antenna are stretched sprue painted with copper paint for the
arming wire and black for antenna. The safety rod for the mini-Gatlin gun
is stretched sprue with a "T" handle fashioned from the front
arming fuse of another bomb. RBF flags were attached where applicable.
Model Master paints were used and a mix of German armor dark grey and flat
black was sprayed on the undersides. The model was washed with the
burnt umber/black oil tinted thinner and dry brushed with lightened shades
of the base paint. The dark under sides were dry brushed with an oil paint
named Payne's Grey. This paint appears black in the tube and when applied,
but as it dries it becomes a very fine light grey, which perfectly
highlites and delineates details as well as weathering surface textures. Decals
were also from the Tamiya kit, with the tail nomex selectively
cut and repositioned to vary the numerical codes. As with any resin kit
experience and proper tools are required. References used were the
Detail and Scale book, and the Warbird Tech Series on the Skyraider.
Jim
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