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Post by mumbles on Jul 3, 2006 22:35:04 GMT 12
Here we go again ;D In a fit of common sense I'm actually using a decent base kit (Fujimi A-4E/F) for this build (rather than the frankly canine Frog/Hasegawa kit), combined with a Ron's Resins A-4K conversion kit (new tail, plus the sensory bits and bobs). Still, the conversion kit won't give you a proper Kahu, so still some work to do. Very early days yet......  |
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Post by Bruce on Jul 3, 2006 22:40:14 GMT 12
I like the Fujimi A4s - Ive done an early A4K and the golden T Bird from them and I have to say they save a lot of kitbashing. Should be a goodie!
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Post by smithy on Jul 5, 2006 9:04:29 GMT 12
Hi Mumbles, I also have a 1/72 Fujimi A-4E/F (the Top Gun boxing) which I have converted to A-4K spec. I have the Hawkeye low viz decal set so will be finished in the final all over FS34079 scheme. She is currently being painted . I made the squared off tail, and changed the underside nav beacon from the port to the starboard side, made all the various antennae from sheet styrene, and added a HUD, parabrake housing, ECM fairings. I didn't bother to change the instrument panel to Kahu spec as I have modelled this with the canopy closed. I also didn't bother to remove the "step" on the wing lead edges where the slats butt against (Kiwi A-4Ks have no step on the wing) as I couldn't be bothered going through all the hassle! The dig cam's on the fritz a bit at the mo, but here's an older photo of her with a lot of the mods not included when I was at this stage. Since this I have changed my mind about the underwing stores as well, it will now have two underwing tanks, one CATM and one TGM 65. I also removed the ejector handle and replaced it with a piece of thin wire.  |
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Post by mumbles on Jul 16, 2006 14:07:45 GMT 12
The Fujimi kits are the best 1:72 A-4's around, but what were they thinking when they moulded the arrestor hook the way they did? Mine was broken before I even took it out if the box. Also the intake trunking required some sculpting of the fuselage halves before it would fit. Anyway, progress shots:  Resin tail fitted, tail sensors fitted, formation light strips from .10" plastic sheet.  Resin brake chute housing and wingtip sensors. My skills don't yet extend to manufacturing scale units for the chaff/flare units, so I wimped put and replicated the covers used when they weren't fitted from plastic sheet. I was a little disappointed with the conversion kit to be honest. The tail fin is slightly warped, and doesn't fit too well, and some of the ESM sensors are the wrong shape. Also it only includes the ESM sensors. You'll have to scratch the instrument panel and other Kahu aerials for an accurate model. I'm waiting on an Aeroclub ESCAPAC seat I've ordered for the front end before I can finish assembly. I had a go at modifying the instrument panel by adding the MFD's and a HUD, and taking the steps off the wing leading edges, but it's tricky with the slat runners moulded where they are. |
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Post by phil on Jul 16, 2006 15:10:24 GMT 12
I wouldn't be too worried about the CDS buckets, 90% of the time they only flew with the covers fitted anyway.
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Post by mumbles on Jul 16, 2006 22:14:55 GMT 12
That 10% seems to be when most of the air-air photography was done, as I found it hard to find pics of the covers and not the actual units  |
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Post by Calum on Jul 19, 2006 9:04:43 GMT 12
Couple of things.
The "formation lights" were actually reflective tape/decals
For much of the earlier years post Kahu the aircraft did fly with buckets fitted. I don't recall blanks fitted at all during the time I worked on them (up til 1994) I believe the blanks came later
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Post by phil on Jul 19, 2006 9:55:06 GMT 12
Well from at least 97 onwards the buckets were not fitted very much at all. We used them overseas for ACM, and that was probably the biggest push we did with them. Other than that they were used very infrequently while at Ohakea for ACM. The buckets were only ever carried loaded, if we weren't doing a program with CDS the blanks were fitted. I'm not sure when the blanks came into service, but they had been around for a while when I started working on 75 in 97.
The 'covers' are actually blanks weighted to simulate the weight of a loaded CDS bucket, they were fitted in place of the buckets.
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Post by mumbles on Jul 19, 2006 22:55:02 GMT 12
The "formation lights" were actually reflective tape/decals "For lack of a better term" I think. I was aware they didn't look like the strip lights on the Macchis, but couldn't quite figure out what they were either. Explains why they seem to appear and disappear from some aircraft looking at my references anyhow. Thanks for the info about the buckets guys. |
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Post by Calum on Jul 20, 2006 10:51:55 GMT 12
I noticed in the later years (1998 -2001)at Nowra the Blanks were fitted most of the time. But they certainily weren't whent I was on 2 Sqn (late 90-93) Or on 75 in 94.
Initally the Aircrew used to call out Flare Flare, Chaff Chaff etc when doing ACM as we had no budget for flares.
The RAAF got sick oif this so when we did exercises with them they gave us pretty much all the FLares/Chaff we wanted. IIRC we just gave them the buckets and they bought them back filled with what was asked for.
Hence we used them allot in 1992-1993. In 1992 we seemed to spend virtually every 4th week at Willytown. Every thursday was $3 Bottles of Passion Pop at Funbusters in Newcastles follwed by the Castle or Fannys Night Club. The bus trip back to Nowra on Friday was a killer :-)
Another story for the depths of my memory
We only had 4 CATM's at Nowra, I rememebr 1 going U/S at willytown and we looked at fitting a AIM-9M that the RAAF were going to lend us to a A-4 so it could have a missile. IIRC we couldn't determine if the software would be compatible so we
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Post by corsair67 on Jul 20, 2006 19:18:04 GMT 12
Calum, that's really sad reading that the RNZAF didn't have the budget to use flares or chaff as often as they liked; but then the Govt was probably spending the money on something more important like Hip Hop trips, or talking toilets!  Good to see the RAAF came to the party though, and the ANZAC Spirit is alive and well. P.S: you didn't finish your post about the AIM-9M. |
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Post by Calum on Jul 22, 2006 14:47:51 GMT 12
Ooops
Re the AIM-9M,, we didn't end up using it
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Post by mumbles on Oct 12, 2006 21:26:00 GMT 12
Due to a long hiatus while waiting for replacement seats to flash up the cockpits, not a lot has been going on. The delay has been such that my Kahu in progress has been joined by a slightly elongated sibling ;D.  Patience is indeed a virtue. |
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Post by phil on Oct 13, 2006 8:45:23 GMT 12
Looking at the outboard stations, do they have the correct failrings on the racks?? They look like the fronts are vertical, rahter than angled, but it could just be the photo.
Stns 1 and 5 had the angled front to the fairing, stns 2 and 4 were straight, although they were the same Aero 20/B rack inside.
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Post by mumbles on Oct 13, 2006 15:46:14 GMT 12
The outboard stations are angled, but it is quite subtle, and not as pronounced as other kits.
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Post by agalbraith on Oct 13, 2006 20:23:41 GMT 12
Nice work on the 2 Scooters, those Fujimi kits are really very nice from memory. Great job!!
Always nice to see an A-4 on the board.
Cheers
Anthony
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Post by mumbles on Nov 20, 2006 23:07:08 GMT 12
I'm not the most efficient modeller in the world at the moment, seldom getting more than a few hours a week in. As such, projects of mine tend to proceed somewhat glacially . Anyway an update:  Painting and decalling mostly done. Weathering about to commence. The blu-tack-drinking straw mod is definitely non standard Kahu, but handy for handling the model at minimum risk. Thanks for the tip for the portside cooling intake Calum, one will be fabricated along with all the other varous aerials. The decals are Flying Kiwis, and as much as I hate to bag a local product, they are somewhat disappointing. The wing walkway markings are about a centimetre too short spanwise (the wiggly bit on the port wing is an extra decal insertion to make up the difference), the rest of the markings are slightly undersize, the font on the two digit nose serial is incorrect, and the squadron markings are portrayed incorrectly as silhouettes only rather than stencils. Still on the plus side they go on well, almost no silvering, and respond well to setting solutions. The green is mostly Tamiya XF-65 'Field Grey', which isn't grey at all and a reasonably good match for FS34079 to my eyes. The darker green is Humbrol 116, which is their take on the same colour. |
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Post by phil on Nov 21, 2006 16:23:58 GMT 12
Tamiya make a colour called Nato green, can't quite remember the number off the top of my head. It is quite a close match, if a bit dark. I think mixed with field gray it would be extremely close.
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Post by Craig Sargent on Nov 22, 2006 12:03:26 GMT 12
The decals are Flying Kiwis, and as much as I hate to bag a local product, they are somewhat disappointing. The wing walkway markings are about a centimetre too short spanwise (the wiggly bit on the port wing is an extra decal insertion to make up the difference), the rest of the markings are slightly undersize, the font on the two digit nose serial is incorrect, and the squadron markings are portrayed incorrectly as silhouettes only rather than stencils. Then I won't tell you that I've almost finished artwork for 1/72, 1/48 and 1/32 F-16s (what-if) and A-4s (Kahu all green scheme) - all taken from official drawings and photos, and plan to have all these available for the IPMS Nationals in mid-May next year... |
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Post by Craig Sargent on Nov 22, 2006 12:04:13 GMT 12
Nice job so far BTW. I have '01 underway in 1/48 myself.
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