For your viewing
pleasure, here are some photos of my 1/48 scale Tamiya A-1H Skyraider. The
Skyraider was a Korean and Vietnam War era Air-to-Ground Attack and Close Air
Support (CAS) aircraft. It was an extemely versatile single engine propeller
driven aircraft, and performed in many roles over 35 years of service.
About the Kit: This
is a great kit even though it is an old kit. The parts feature plenty of detail
and nicely engraved panel lines. Cockpit detail is excellent which includes a
seated pilot. Clear parts include canopy and navigation lights. Under wing
things include rockets, bombs, drop tanks, and a centerline fuel tank.
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images below to see larger images
Construction: This
kit goes together easily because the parts fit is excellent, requiring very
little filling or sanding. It was a straight out of the box build all the way,
and a pleasure to build.
Painting: I
airbrushed the model for a factory fresh paint job, using Model Masters and
Floquil enamel paints. U.S. Navy Skyraiders sent to Vietnam were painted with a
light gray over white paint scheme. White areas were airbrushed with Floquil
Reefer White, and the glare panel was airbrushed with Floquil Weathered Black.
The upper fuselage, wings, and tail sections were airbrushed with Model Masters
Flat Gull Gray (FS36440). Bombs were airbrushed Olive Drab and the bomb stripes
were hand painted with Insignia Yellow.
Once the paint was
dry (72 hours) I airbrushed the model with a coat of Future in preparation for
decaling. I let the Future dry overnight, then applied a pin wash to enhance the
panel lines. I let the pin wash dry overnight, then hand painted a coat of
Future over the model and let it dry for 72 hours.
Decals: For the model decals I
used the kit decals. Tamiya provided decals for two aircraft. I chose to go with
decals for the VA-176 Thunderbolts, AK409, 1966. The decals were excellent,
printed well, easily placed, and snugged down nicely to the model. After
applying the decals, I ran a damp cloth over the model to remove any residue
glue, then airbrushed the model with a light coat of Future. I finished off the
model with a coat of MM Semi-Gloss Clear Lacquer Finish.
Conclusion: Even though the kit
is an old kit, it was of excellent quality, well engineered, typical of Tamiya
model kits, and just plain fun to build.
Burt Gustafson
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images below to see larger images
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