Douglas A-4B/P Skyhawk
Fuerza Aérea Argentina in the Malvinas war

Being this the 40th anniversary of the Malvinas conflict (Falklands for the Britsh), I got motivated to build a 1/72 scale representation of the A-4B/P Skyhawk in Fuerza Aérea Argentina (FAA) markings. This small but capable attack fighter gave a lot of trouble to the British fleet which was armed to the teeth with FRS.1 Sea Harriers armed with AIM-9L AA missiles and the most advanced naval air defenses to 1982 standards. In the hands of the courageous and skilled Argentinian pilots and despite heavy losses, the FAA Skyhawks claimed 5 British navy ships using free fall bombs and changed naval warfare forever.
The FAA acquired a reasonable number of second-hand A-4B (50) and A-4C (25) airframes from the US Navy to replace their aging Gloster Meteor and F-86 fleet in the mid 60s. Because the ongoing Vietnam war, deliveries concluded only until 1975 and one was lost during the long ferry flight from the US to Argentina. By 1982, there were only about 30 Skyhawks left in combat conditions due to the lack of spare parts and economic restrictions. All aircraft received new avionics to Argentinian standards (the P/Q standards) including slats (as in the A-4F) and Wright J65-W-20 jet engines but most lacked of accurate navigation aids while keeping air-refueling capability. Noticeably, Argentinian A-4B/Ps had no radar nor the capacity for carrying the AIM-9B Sidewinder AA missile which left the Skyhawks only with a pair of 100-round Mk. 12 cannons for self-defense. Later, the Argentinian navy also got A-4Bs for use in the "25 de Mayo" aircraft carrier replacing the ageing Corsairs in the naval attack role, but that is another story and a future modelling subject... 😉.
FAA Skyhawks were initially painted overall in a metallic grey scheme with big blue/white roundels on the sides. However, this scheme was rapidly abandoned in favor of a disruptive brown/green upper surfaces and light gray or light blue under surfaces with small roundels and a small Argentinian flag on the tail. By 1982, this scheme started to wear off and some A-4Bs received a fresh paint coat although with slightly different color shades than the originals. The A-4Cs received a disruptive Green/White upper camouflage that aged light tan.
In combat, the Skyhawk proved no match for the more advanced and radar-equipped Sea Harrier FRS.1 armed with AIM-9L Sidewinder AA missiles. Nevertheless, extremely low-flying and unescorted Skyhawks surpassed British air defenses and sunk 5 ships and damaged many others leaving the British fleet in the edge of defeat. Only the rapid land invasion by British forces and the factual impossibility to replace pilots and airframes lead to the final surrender of Argentinian forces in the islands and the cease of aerial attacks.
The Skyhawk is a very popular modelling subject and there are plenty of kit choices for a fine 1/72 replica. In this case I settle for the HOBBY 2000 A-4B version. The model is a re-boxed Fujimi kit and it sits well into current standards regarding detail and engineering. Of course, it required some minor hand-made modifications (i.e. antennas and panel lines) to produce an accurate FAA A-4P. I pitched in an Eduard PE set, SAC metal undercarriage and a bomb load from Eduard to add detail, and painted the model with Tamiya, Vallejo and MIG acrylics. The markings are from Aztec Models.