Under the MDAP (Mutual Defence
Assistance Program) the Royal Navy received , from 1951 onwards, a total of
fifty Douglas Skyraiders AD-4W. The Royal Navy changed their designation into
AEW. Mk1. (Air Early Warning mark one.) Tasking was mainly providing over the
horizon radar coverage to protect the British fleet from attack. By doing so
they became the first dedicated frontline AEW system. The AN-APS 20 radar was
placed in the dome and weighed about one ton. If working properly, it had a
range of more than 100 nautical miles. Although , they provided sterling
service, they actually saw only combat service during the Suez Crisis in 1956.
Normally a "flight" of four Skyraiders were assigned to one carrier.
Crew: Pilot, in the BackOffice
radio/radar assistant and the LT. Observer.
The Esci model is very basic. I
chose the option to build the Royal Navy version in the Suez Crisis paint
scheme. Furthermore ; I decided on folded wings and the port (left) side of the
Wright Cyclone motor clearly visible. I started with separating the wings on the
folding line with a dental instrument (probe). This task is taking a long time,
but the outcome is promising. By using a diamond saw , you will lose too much
plastic detail. With Evergreen plastics, I filled the four ends of the separated
wings. The Waldron punch and die set provided the nuts and bolts. This job done
, I focused on the cockpit. Mainly adding 3D vision with the help of Waldron
switches and clear plastic covers for the clock instruments.
The sides went together quite
well. The AN-APS dome was a real problem. There was no alignment of the two
parts, so I placed a strut broad-wise, just to make a sturdy contact with the
main frame. Glued in place and hardened out , I welded a rod from Evergreen with
micro weld into place. This made the whole connection extremely smooth and
sealed all the gaps at the same time. The same finishing touch was given to the
bulge on the upper deck. All parts were sprayed separately in silver (Revell
90). This gave me the chance to see any mishaps in alignment. Continued with
Xtra colour number 121 (Gloss Sea Blue).
With the help of Tamiya Tape
(6mm), I sprayed on the yellow and black Suez recognition stripes. Decals in the
box are good enough to be used. They took set and sol from Microscale
Click on
images below to see larger images
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The simple engine in the box was
updated with wire and Evergreen bits and pieces.. Exhaust pipes were connected
to the cylinder system. I added the "firewall and connected the engine to
the firewall. The Wright Cyclone in place I turned my attention to the
"open hood"..
The plating surrounding the
engine was divided on the centerline. The starboard side was glued in place and
the port side was opened with a thin metal hinge. Finally, I added the landing
gear, although without the wheels.
I like to seal my models with a
mixture ( 30-70 %)of Glitsa parquet satin varnish and methylated spirit. This
mixture can easily be handled by the airbrush. Due to the nature of the parquet
lacquer, it gets the hardness of glass. It can stand sunlight for years without
discolouring decals or paint.
Any questions regarding this form
of sealing, let me know. I like to share my little bit of model knowledge with
other dedicated modellers.
Information:
Just punch Skyraider on the
search page.
Photos are made with a simple
Ricoh Caplio G4 wide (digital)
Derek
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