Douglas A4D-2 Skyhawk (Airfix)
![Album image #1 Album image #1](/albums/img/9/3/8/1558938-10105-41-720.jpg)
Some nice resin goodies from CMK. I hope these will tart up the kit.
![Album image #2 Album image #2](/albums/img/9/3/9/1558939-10105-86-720.jpg)
And more resin, this time from Aires. Looks like I will have two choices for the control surfaces - CMK or Aires.
![Album image #3 Album image #3](/albums/img/9/4/0/1558940-10105-90-720.jpg)
Photoetch from Eduard and some resin gun barrels from Quickboost.
![Album image #4 Album image #4](/albums/img/9/4/1/1558941-10105-79-720.jpg)
A beautiful decal sheet from Xtradecal.
![Album image #5 Album image #5](/albums/img/9/4/2/1558942-10105-42-720.jpg)
I'll be doing the scheme for VC-5 Checkertails - even though I suspect it will be fun getting the check to snuggle down over the ribs in the rudder.
![Album image #6 Album image #6](/albums/img/9/4/3/1558943-10105-91-720.jpg)
Hmm...nice and small sprue attachments.
![Album image #7 Album image #7](/albums/img/9/4/4/1558944-10105-88-720.jpg)
Wow, I'm not sure that's where I would attach to the sprue if I were designing the tooling.
![Album image #8 Album image #8](/albums/img/9/4/5/1558945-10105-75-720.jpg)
Or here. Thanks to the Airfix plastic being a bit "soft" I should be able to sand these away without any damage.
![Album image #9 Album image #9](/albums/img/9/4/6/1558946-10105-48-720.jpg)
Not much difference between the kit and the CMK resin wheel wells. Might not be worth the effort of hacking away at the kit's wings.
![Album image #10 Album image #10](/albums/img/9/4/7/1558947-10105-43-720.jpg)
The CMK resin cockpit went together easily and looks quite nice. And it fits!
![Album image #11 Album image #11](/albums/img/9/4/9/1558949-10105-27-720.jpg)
Compared with the kit parts...
![Album image #12 Album image #12](/albums/img/9/4/8/1558948-10105-11-720.jpg)
More views - the instrument panel is from the Eduard PE set, as are the side consoles and the face curtain handle.
![Album image #13 Album image #13](/albums/img/9/5/0/1558950-10105-15-720.jpg)
The PE rudder pedals will never be seen again.
![Album image #14 Album image #14](/albums/img/9/5/1/1558951-10105-74-720.jpg)
The fuselage going together - Note the filled in access panel on the nose. This was not present on the A4D-2.
![Album image #15 Album image #15](/albums/img/9/5/2/1558952-10105-24-720.jpg)
Can't have a tail setter! Although not shown, Airfix did a nice job with the intake tunnel.
![Album image #16 Album image #16](/albums/img/9/5/3/1558953-10105-44-720.jpg)
Eduard provide PE details for the areas under the wing slats - although I'm not sure this was on the early Skyhawks.
![Album image #17 Album image #17](/albums/img/9/5/4/1558954-10105-96-720.jpg)
The fit of the PE, once you get the curvature right, is very good.
![Album image #18 Album image #18](/albums/img/9/5/5/1558955-10105-32-720.jpg)
These PE bits are for dropping the wing flaps, which I intend to do.
![Album image #19 Album image #19](/albums/img/9/5/6/1558956-10105-79-720.jpg)
And the PE detail underneath the slat itself.
![Album image #20 Album image #20](/albums/img/9/5/7/1558957-10105-48-720.jpg)
Wings attached - note that I've cut out the wing flaps.
![Album image #21 Album image #21](/albums/img/9/6/2/1558962-10105-27-720.jpg)
I've reconstructed the top half of the split flaps with card stock.
![Album image #22 Album image #22](/albums/img/9/5/8/1558958-10105-60-720.jpg)
The PE detail is added to the bottom of the card stock. The dropped portion of the flap, which is all PE, will be added much later.
![Album image #23 Album image #23](/albums/img/9/6/3/1558963-10105-33-720.jpg)
And she is setting on her legs. Note the PE tie-down hooks on the landing gear. Will it survive the rest of the build?
![Album image #24 Album image #24](/albums/img/9/6/6/1558966-10105-80-720.jpg)
I chose the Aires tailplanes as I liked the airfoil cross section better than the bits from CMK.
![Album image #25 Album image #25](/albums/img/9/6/4/1558964-10105-84-720.jpg)
Now it gets messy - Mr. Surfacer, priming, and sanding to try and make the panel lines more "petite."
![Album image #26 Album image #26](/albums/img/9/6/5/1558965-10105-62-720.jpg)
The ribs on the rudder are pretty deep - I see lots of decal solvent in my future.
![Album image #27 Album image #27](/albums/img/9/6/7/1558967-10105-18-720.jpg)
Eduard provide PE details for the inside of the air brakes so the Airfix moulded-in detail must be filled in or sanded away.
![Album image #28 Album image #28](/albums/img/9/6/8/1558968-10105-38-720.jpg)
Hmm...which set is correct for this mark of Skyhawk? I chose 36 and 37 as the other set is the configuration for JATO units.
![Album image #29 Album image #29](/albums/img/9/6/9/1558969-10105-93-720.jpg)
Paint! Gunze H315 Light Gull Gray and H11 Flat White. Also some H23 Shine Red. Much fun masking and painting the Corogard on the leading edges!
![Album image #30 Album image #30](/albums/img/9/7/0/1558970-10105-14-720.jpg)
I popped on the main tyres to check the stance - looks OK.
![Album image #31 Album image #31](/albums/img/9/7/1/1558971-10105-50-720.jpg)
Airfix forgot to add the hinges for the ailerons, so I just painted them in. Lazy, I know - should have scribed them.
![Album image #32 Album image #32](/albums/img/5/7/8/1560578-10105-49-720.jpg)
Wing slats and cannons added.
![Album image #33 Album image #33](/albums/img/5/7/9/1560579-10105-96-720.jpg)
Best shot I could get of the lowered wing flaps. It's too bad you can't really see the PE very well.
![Album image #34 Album image #34](/albums/img/5/7/7/1560577-10105-69-720.jpg)
Stickers! Snuggling down over the rudder ribs wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I had to touch up a few places with paint, luckily it matched well.
![Album image #35 Album image #35](/albums/img/5/8/0/1560580-10105-11-720.jpg)
I guess I toned down the panel lines a bit, but I sure wouldn't want to add a wash - they're visible enough as it is!
![Album image #36 Album image #36](/albums/img/5/8/1/1560581-10105-25-720.jpg)
A coat of flat varnish, some post shading, and the addition of the drop tanks and gear doors.
![Album image #37 Album image #37](/albums/img/5/8/2/1560582-10105-44-720.jpg)
I verified with colour photos that the inside of the air brake well was Light Gull Gray. Only the inside of the brake petal itself was red.
![Album image #38 Album image #38](/albums/img/6/1/4/1561614-10105-56-720.jpg)
Adding the HUD.
![Album image #39 Album image #39](/albums/img/6/1/3/1561613-10105-87-720.jpg)
Finish with the canopy/windscreen, some antennae, and I think she's done.
![Album image #40 Album image #40](/albums/img/6/1/5/1561615-10105-70-720.jpg)
Enjoy the rest of the photos.
![Album image #41 Album image #41](/albums/img/6/1/6/1561616-10105-84-720.jpg)
![Album image #42 Album image #42](/albums/img/6/1/7/1561617-10105-85-720.jpg)
![Album image #43 Album image #43](/albums/img/6/1/8/1561618-10105-63-720.jpg)
![Album image #44 Album image #44](/albums/img/6/1/9/1561619-10105-75-720.jpg)
![Album image #45 Album image #45](/albums/img/6/2/0/1561620-10105-58-720.jpg)
Scooterville!
![Album image #46 Album image #46](/albums/img/6/2/1/1561621-10105-55-720.jpg)
![Album image #47 Album image #47](/albums/img/6/2/2/1561622-10105-68-720.jpg)
![Album image #48 Album image #48](/albums/img/6/2/3/1561623-10105-55-720.jpg)
![Album image #49 Album image #49](/albums/img/6/2/4/1561624-10105-75-720.jpg)
![Album image #50 Album image #50](/albums/img/6/2/5/1561625-10105-27-720.jpg)
All told, not a bad little kit. I wish the panel lines were more like the Fujimi offering though.
Komentarzy
20 26 September 2023, 22:21
![](/profiles/img/user-s.jpg)
"May I have one Airfix A4, please?"
"That´s 10€"
"Thanks, and now all the aftermarket there is?"
"Another 100€. My pleasure"
😉
cute plane, clean build.
27 September 2023, 10:48
![](/profiles/img/10105-s.jpg)
Ha! That's pretty funny Michael. And it's true for so many kits that I build. Luckily, the wife only sees the kits on the shelf - she doesn't know where I keep the boxes full of resin and photoetch. Oh, the extra decal sheets too! Can't forget about them. Cheers, Bill
27 September 2023, 13:50
![](/profiles/img/10105-s.jpg)
I've uploaded some more photos to show the progress. I'm teasing you guys - the model was finished several months ago, but I just got around to adding it now. Cheers, Bill
27 September 2023, 22:02
Album info
1:72 Airfix kit with a boat load of aftermarket stuff.