1/48 Monogram Fairchild
Republic A-10A Thunderbolt II |
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Gallery
Article by C.Wayne Sharp |
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At the new long awaited release of the TRUMPETER 1/32 scale A-10, there seems to be a new resurgence of the almost mothballed A-10. Every few days there is a new entry for an A-10 model project on the web somewhere. I know that some of you are saying now, ”well, here is another one” And for the most part, they are right, but I needed to strike while the iron was hot, so to speak, and despite the glut of A-10s for show right now, I wanted to get mine on if I can to keep the interest high, so that we can still see more variations for some time to come. Most models of the A-10's are very well thought out and modeled very well. Most look like an A-10 and we all know that a model is never in complete scale if that is important, no model is in scale except the real thing, but People sometimes complain about that. For this purpose, we will call them ACES. But the Air Force (mainly Reserve and/ or Guard) has determined that versions of the current crop of F-16s etc. could not do or accomplish what the A-10’s role has been as a super ground support vehicle and Tank destroyer.
HISTORY
So now with the popularity of this Aircraft, I have decided to reach in my display case and revisit and old friend of a Model I built in 1993 shortly after England AFB La. was closed during the rash of Base closures during that period. That Base had been my place of employment with the Air Force as an Engineering Technician for many years, so we were not happy to see the Base Close and the 23rd Wing moved to Pope AFB, N.C. But, they only took one Squadron of A-10s (75th) with them and changed the Tail Code to FT (Flying Tiger) ( the new commander of the wing, said that no one would put “PO” on his airplanes so, he chose “FT” instead). The 74th went in name only and acquired the F-16C. When the F-16 could not do the same job, the 74th went back to the A-10 for a while.
As everyone knows, the 23rd Wing is a Direct descendant of the famed AVG (American Volunteer Group) in China even though some of the old AVG vets disclaim them out right. But Tex Hill, (1st commander of 75th Squadron and an AVG Pilot,) came to our dedication for a new 75th operation building in 1989 at EAFB, along with the widow of Claire Chenault and they were of the mind that the then, current 23rd Wing (with the original 74th, 75th and 76th Squadrons) was indeed, descended from the AVG and the 23rd Fighter Group formed in July 1942 in China under the first Commander, Col. Robert Scott (Tex Hill was a 23rd Commander later on).
Over the years since WWII, the 23rd was deactivated / reactivated several times and flew several types of Aircraft, but non captured the imagination like the, ever so ugly, A-10A, but not in the beginning. All Air Force fighter pilots had got to the point that if it did not reach Mach I or II then it was not a fighter plane and the F-16 / F15 Pilots did not consider the A-10 nothing but a glorified crop duster. The 23rd TFW came from McConnell AFB, KS. where it had only assigned Squadrons of the F-105G of the 61st and 62nd Squadrons that flew in Viet Nam. The 23rd moved to England AFB, La. in 1972 without personnel, equipment, or Planes and were then equipped with the Vaught LTV A-7D Corsair II.. For the first time since WWII, they were assigned the original Squadrons of the 74th, 75th,and 76th.. They flew the A-7D for ten years until they were replaced with the A-10A.
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THE MODEL(S)
The Model I feature today, is the Monogram 1/48 Scale A-10A and over all, still the best model of this type in any scale including the new 1/32 scale bird. I have one of those and it is great, I have waited years for one this size for my special place in my Den even though I normally never work in that scale. I have one started now but will wait until I have all the “extras” to go with it to Correct all the wrongs and I will use my 1/48 scale as a pattern, of sorts, along with all my pictures and ex A-10 pilot friends to keep me straight
But to the every day modeler, you can do very well with the Monogram kit if you remember to take time to do all the necessary paint and construction preparations. The kit is available just about anywhere and is still priced right when you compare the prices of the new hi tech models that we all love so well. Some times bigger is better, but most of the time it is not as all us modelers know too well. And after all, 1/48 scale is God’s Scale right??
CONSTRUCTION:
I could go into great detail on this project but the thing is, I have forgotten most of the things I did to help out the “technics” out there or the Scale Police, but mainly what I did was take lots of pictures, have a active memory and worked in the total environment for an Air Force Base that featured nothing but 72 A-10s and all sorts of transit Military Aircraft, that flew everyday and since I was there everyday, and seen all of them and the return from Desert Storm including the 74th birds, (the 75th did not go, they only provided some “spare Birds.”
I did cut out the kit seat and used a Resin replacement ACES II and use the kit Panels and tub because they were the best of what I had at the time but it was ok. Now if you can get one, the Black Box Cockpit detail set would be the best way to go . I Removed the early big ugly antenna under the nose and filled with putty. Drill out the Gun vent holes and you can leave the gun until completion to insert. Drill out APU holes and insert tubing to give depth etc. scratch built the Aim 9 Missile launcher and used Krystal Kleer for some lights, instrument faces, and used small solder to make brake lines and oxygen hose etc. It will take a lot of putty, and nose weight, (I have so much in mine that it has broken the landing gear twice but, it will take it for the most part), and time, to get it right but take the time.
If you build for contest like I do then you know to take all the time needed to get it right. Everyone to his/her own thing, but, I sand off most of the raised panel lines on Kits that have them, and rely on the paint scheme etc. to determine panel lines if they are needed and/or re-scribe some lines and all control surfaces (rudders, flaps etc.) When you are standing over 50 feet away from the real Airplane, you cannot see the panel lines anyway. Panel lines are over rated worry points on building models, if they are your thing by all means worry about them, but at an IPMS contest, raised lines only deduct points from you if they are raised and your competition is recessed or sanded off. But you can still win if your competition does not get the basics done, I.E. seams filled, proper gluing, paint and Decal work and it does not matter if you paid more for the hi tech perfect “in-scale” kit or not it will not pass the test of good craftsmanship, so there you are
I have noticed that most modelers are now hung up on the “scale factor” and use “in-scale “ terms to justify their reason for building models, your mother don’t mind and after a while, your wife and/ or significant “other” will get use to it. (my wife graciously lets me keep my stuff in the garage and don’t embarrass me to much in public about “my toys”). Why not just come out of the closet and admit that you just like to build models, because you want too and quit counting panel lines. The models we have now are great, what if the scale police, Arm Chair experts, and people with AMS, had to worry about the only models we had to work with 25 or even 30 years ago, oh my God!
This A-10 was modeled and depicted as to what it looked like the day of return from Desert Storm in March of 1991. It is one of 24 or 25 planes of the 76th Squadron and they had all the kill marks on the right side of the plane and the ‘Hells Angel” figure on the ladder side to honor and represent the AVG ‘s Third Pursuit Group in WWII. I installed the High Flight closed speed brakes, ( I understand these are not available anymore, too bad) “real” A-10s never just sat with them open , the extra fuel tank and travel pod are from the spares box. The tanks were used for ferrying only and there was always two, I don’t know why the kits only provide one. Note: The Hell’s Angel figure was not on any 74th squadron planes (my decal was swiped from the Monogram P-40B kit and it is just about “right”). The Hell’s Angel figure was removed about two weeks later at the insistence of a Female Maintenance Officer. All Kill marks were removed a few weeks later. The 76th tail insignia was scratch made since no decals are available for them. The Ladder was “corrected” to the proper Round tubing type (the square tubing type was replaced back in the “80s), and brake lines, hoses, remove before flight streamers, and caps are scratch built etc.
Since I am spotlighting the A-10, I will not discuss very much the other two aircraft models shown here, they are only to show the connection for the AVG and the plane that the A-10 replaced at England AFB.
P-40B/C is Monogram 1/48 scale depicted as an AVG plane of the 1st Pursuit Group (Adam & Eve) (Boyington’s outfit) ( the pilot’s name on this plane was “R. Little”) in China early 1942. I used the Gold Medallion detail set (I don’t think they are available anymore.. too bad), to complete this model about 5 years ago. The set consisted of a resin & metal cockpit set, resin oil & coolant radiators, metal landing gears, resin wheel wells and spinner. I added brake lines, True details wheels, corrected rudder, cut out shell ejection holes, used brass seat, and Bead front sights and brass tubing for nose gun barrels and drilled out exhaust manifolds. Cutting Edge makes a cockpit for the maligned Hobby Craft kit, but it would be ok to work with and the resin parts could be used with the old Monogram if you like.
A-7D is the extra nice 1/48 scale Hasegawa kit , depicted as a 75th squadron bird in the late 1979 & 80. This kit was an easier build than the A-10, but never did as well as the A-10 at IPMS Contest and was just another A-7D-E among the many. I did add a resin seat, Seamless Sucker Intake , Eduard detail parts like, electronic bay doors and other cockpit details, corrected APU exhaust ports, and used Krystal Kleer for lights and instrument faces, added brake lines, and other details to help stay in the running. It was built about 6 years ago.
All my painting is accomplished using mainly Model Masters Enamels and Paasche Model H-1 single action and a Paasche Model VL double Action paint guns, all decals are a combination of kit, Super Scale, Aeromaster and Scratch designed by me..
