A-4E Build
![Album image #1 Album image #1](/albums/img/0/3/8/1357038-120421-70-720.jpg)
![Album image #2 Album image #2](/albums/img/0/3/9/1357039-120421-78-720.jpg)
All the parts in the box.
![Album image #3 Album image #3](/albums/img/0/4/0/1357040-120421-15-720.jpg)
![Album image #4 Album image #4](/albums/img/0/4/1/1357041-120421-72-720.jpg)
![Album image #5 Album image #5](/albums/img/0/4/2/1357042-120421-61-720.jpg)
I choose the battle damage parts, all of them.
![Album image #6 Album image #6](/albums/img/0/4/3/1357043-120421-84-720.jpg)
![Album image #7 Album image #7](/albums/img/0/4/5/1357045-120421-73-720.jpg)
I used this Krylon Primer. First I warmed the can up with hot water and it laid very well.
![Album image #8 Album image #8](/albums/img/0/4/6/1357046-120421-80-720.jpg)
![Album image #9 Album image #9](/albums/img/0/4/7/1357047-120421-55-720.jpg)
This was a first for me. I used the airbrush to add shading that would be covered with thin coats later. I was real worried about ruining the finish.
![Album image #10 Album image #10](/albums/img/0/4/8/1357048-120421-23-720.jpg)
With a couple of light coats of grey later, I'm very happy with the results!
![Album image #11 Album image #11](/albums/img/0/4/9/1357049-120421-36-720.jpg)
![Album image #12 Album image #12](/albums/img/0/5/0/1357050-120421-40-720.jpg)
After the light grey was down, I did some damage spots with the air brush.
![Album image #13 Album image #13](/albums/img/0/5/1/1357051-120421-90-720.jpg)
![Album image #14 Album image #14](/albums/img/3/2/3/1369323-120421-67-720.jpg)
I noticed chopper pilots decorated their rocket pods with beer can labels. So I designed one up.
![Album image #15 Album image #15](/albums/img/3/2/2/1369322-120421-79-720.jpg)
![Album image #16 Album image #16](/albums/img/3/2/4/1369324-120421-80-720.jpg)
![Album image #17 Album image #17](/albums/img/3/2/5/1369325-120421-38-720.jpg)
![Album image #18 Album image #18](/albums/img/3/2/6/1369326-120421-93-720.jpg)
The decals are from the late 80's, early 90's and I had to make use of them. They tore apart SOOOO easily. I really had to take my time. The star was so bad I had to take it from another kit that I had laying around, just so I could finish this one.
![Album image #19 Album image #19](/albums/img/3/2/7/1369327-120421-76-720.jpg)
Thankfully I choose the battle damage as the torn decals really fell into place here.
![Album image #20 Album image #20](/albums/img/3/2/8/1369328-120421-52-720.jpg)
This was another first, I used dots of oil paint and a brush dipped in spirits to add streak effects to the fuselage. I only have burnt umber, some greens would be a nice addition I think.
![Album image #21 Album image #21](/albums/img/3/2/9/1369329-120421-14-720.jpg)
I tinted the canopy glass with smoke paint from tamiya. The outside has a fuselage colored rail that I had to hand paint and it was just too clean compared to the rest of the model.
![Album image #22 Album image #22](/albums/img/3/3/0/1369330-120421-44-720.jpg)
Rather than airbrushing again, I used a pigment.
![Album image #23 Album image #23](/albums/img/3/3/1/1369331-120421-90-720.jpg)
![Album image #24 Album image #24](/albums/img/3/2/1/1369321-120421-44-720.jpg)
This is the finished model! Thank you for taking a look.
Comments
28 8 December 2022, 16:39
![](/profiles/img/user-s.jpg)
A lovely and uniquely damaged model. Great weathering. I especially like how you show all the steps and fixing the mistakes. I am learning a lot just from looking at this album!
28 December 2022, 22:24
![](/profiles/img/33919-895-s.jpg)
Man I used to love those "battle damaged" aircraft kits! Thanks for the flashback to memory lane! I love your build of this. Much better than my work back then.
29 December 2022, 04:02
![](/profiles/img/120421-316-s.jpg)
Thanks a lot guys, these old kits seem easier to build with less internal parts. It's nice to change gear and focus on weathering. I appreciate the comments!
29 December 2022, 12:43
![](/profiles/img/65226-827-s.jpg)
very interesting. The battle damage looks great and the result on this old kit looks very good!!!
9 January 2023, 09:51
![](/profiles/img/120421-316-s.jpg)
Thank you! I had my pick of model kits from my local club. I saw the battle damage one and grabbed it. So happy I did!
9 January 2023, 19:39
![](/profiles/img/72957-816-s.jpg)
Fun-looking model and those beer can rockets are funny. I didn't know before this that there were kits with ready battle damage.
11 February 2023, 19:42
![](/profiles/img/120421-316-s.jpg)
Neither did I! This kit is from the 60's and they had a couple of planes with battle scars. It's something that should be brought back.
11 February 2023, 19:45
Album info
My model club was given a stash of models from a builder who has passed away. Out of the many we got, is the A-4E Skyhawk by IMC. The box is ancient, no bar code! The model is very simple so I turned my focus to weathering and shading.