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A-4 Skyhawk colours, photos, scale references


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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi guys !

To Steve Mc Laren ,sorry for not replying end of januar ,i forgot i posted here.

As for september i will be there,and at least one other weekend.See you!

To all participants :would it be OK if i did mine in the colors of the Belgian Red Devils or is it to far off scale ??

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I wanted to say a huge and sincere 'Thank-you' to Tokyo based PSSA member Toshiro Saruwatari, who has sent the UK A-4 builders contingent a copy of a fantastic Japanese published book all about the Skyhawk!! The book, #150 in a series entitled 'Famous Airplanes of the World' is packed full of superb historical photos, close up references and some really good line drawings covering every version of the A-4 from the prototype right through to some of the very latest export variants.

book1.jpg

book2.jpg

book3.jpg

Rocket Assisted Take Off anyone? nerd

book4.jpg

Some great drawings towards the back!

book5.jpg

Toshiro, many thanks for sending the book over to the UK - it is greatly appreciated!! I will ensure I travel to the PSSA flying events in April, May and June with the book to hand so all the UK based A-4 builders can view the books contents ahead of them completing their models.

We look forward to watching your build take shape in Japan! Best regards from the UK!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Fellow Sky Warriors, since it might have been a while since we were landing Skyhawks on pitching carrier decks, I am thinking it might help if we all dust off the ol' NATOPS !!!

NB --- grab a fresh beverage, this thing goes on forever! nerd

https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=CBCD63D6340707E6&id=CBCD63D6340707E6%21116

That page is apparently loaded with A-4 Skyhawk misc stuff  --- doubtless that all of it is CRUCIAL to our builds!  

Edited By John_Rood on 22/03/2016 16:28:45

Edited By John_Rood on 22/03/2016 16:34:34

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  • 2 weeks later...

Skyhawk Disciples, just a little vintage mid-century USA video funky to start our weekend at the Global PSSA UK A-4 Mass Build HQ.

Gotta love the weird audio and faded color tones;  yes, this is what happens when we sniff deeply that sweet cyanoacrylate!

 

Edited By John_Rood on 08/04/2016 18:15:49

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I've done a little work this week on the pilot figure required for my A-4.

He's 1/12th scale obviously but the way the cockpit floor is drawn on the plan (there is no 'bathtub' as drawn as the cockpit is so small and cramped) you actually need very little body - all the standard busts I had would need to be cut down to little more than a head and neck.

I spoke to Sean at Real Model Pilots and sent him this sketch of what we needed... any bigger than this and he wont fit under the vac form. The 6 degree angle represents the cockpit floor, ensuring the pilot is sat upright in his seat when glued in place. 35mm is the max width we could accommodate, but at 1/12th scale he should fall well under that (unless Jester has been on the burgers for the past 30 years since making the Top Gun movie!)

pilot sketch.jpg

Sean uses CAD to manufacture his product on a 3D printer - same product I used on my recent Tornado build. He very quickly scaled an existing Jet Pilot model and cut him down at the required 6 degree plane, sending me this to check it would meet the spec...

jet pilot angled cut v2a (6).jpg

Printed to size (28mm tall) and positioned on top of the cockpit floor - Looking good!

jet pilot in da office.jpg

If you'd like one for your A-4 the model is retained on file - they cost £5.99 plus P+P but will lend a nice bit of detail under the canopy and bring the model to life. Contact Sean at RMP [email protected] and specify the 1/12th scale A-4 jet pilot if you'd like one.

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  • 1 month later...

Thanks for the pilot info Phil; I was just wondering if I could squeeze a half figure in as I'm doing the two seater? I've not measured yet the distance from the revised cockpit to see if I could drop it down to the top of the battery box.

If I could I may try and do my first ever cockpit.

Cheers

Ade

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have the privilege of a rare sighting of this book at the Orme in April. Fortunately Matt Jones was able to translate from the particular Japanese dialect that it is written in, and which speaks into Southern English. Unfortunately, being a Northerner, I was unable to understand a word he was saying. Thankfully Phil was on hand and, being a Northerner, was able to translate for me.

Unfortunately I was still unable to tell an A4 Skyhawk from a Spitfire, but there you go!.

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  • 1 month later...

Fellow Skyhawk Disciples,

What with the planet Earth's sudden and bizarre re-fascination with whatever "Pokemon Go" is, question, I now just feel it is my duty to make sure you all are aware of THIS, TOO --- more greatness from our weird and wacky friends and brothers in Japan...

What is it?

A video... nearly 50 minutes of pure Skyhawk facts, divided up in chapters, a particular focus on development and the later models, some grainy early footage interspersed here and there ---- and YOUR opportunity to brush up on your best Japanese --- AND some wonderfully cheesy graphics, AND your appreciation / acumen for crappy cheesy canned soundtrack classic rock-ish dreck guitar music!!!

And, Grasshopper, because you are advancing in The Way of Tao, the Secret Samurai Way of the Skyhawk, you actually will NOT need to be fluent in Japanese to understand this sacred material.

YOU'RE WELCOME!

Click here to watch the 50 minute video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5CV0in03JM

Pokemon, GO! thumbs upthumbs up

 

Photo Credit:  Troy Prince, USS Midway http://www.midwaysailor.com/midwayphotos/index.html

Edited By John_Rood on 23/07/2016 16:30:07

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  • 4 weeks later...

Anyone building a 'Top Gun' A-4 Mongoose (I think there are a few of us?) will need a Top Gun US Navy Fighter Weapons School logo on the fin. Mark has scanned a picture of the pilots patch earlier in the thread but the one I've found below is a little better suited for printing.

nfws.jpg

I've left the jpg with a black background as the fin decal should have a 1mm black border.

blog title shot.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

A4 Walk Around

I don't think this has been posted - it shows some good stuff.

 
Walkaround of a Royal New Zealand Air Force A-4K Syhawk at Warbirds and Wheels, Wanaka.
 
You can see a Jet Provost near by in the background.
 
 
This follow on video is good as well yes
 

Edited By Mark Kettle 1 on 29/08/2016 13:22:29

Edited By Mark Kettle 1 on 29/08/2016 13:25:49

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