1/32 Trumpeter EA-18G VAQ-136 Ironclaw

Gallery Article by Miguel I. Becerril on June 10 2016

 

      

Greetings all. This is my latest project, an EA-18G from VAQ-136. As a Midshipman back in the late 70s, I had the opportunity to fly off the USS Independence with VAQ-136; at that time flying the EA-6B Prowler. I wanted to build an EA-18G and I chose this squadron, not knowing the exciting, and painful, journey it would be. Unfortunately for me, no one makes the decals for the CAG Bird of this squadron, so it became a paint-it-yourself project. 

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My brother, also an avid modeler, suggested I put anti-collision lights in my models and this was my first try at it. All went according to plan until I “closed the model halves” and the lights stopped working. After probing through punctures in the fuselage, I finally got them to work. Next came painting the elaborate tail scheme and the bands on the nose and fuel tanks. Everything was done with the airbrush and a lot of tape! The Iron Claw on the tail is a decal I fashioned on Power Point and printed at home. 

The Trumpeter model is really a F-18F with the jamming pods for the EA-18G. I had to fashion the GPS hump on the spine, build the receivers just below the tail fins, reposition the antennas, add the rakes on the upper wings and correct the leading edge slats to that of the G model. 

All-in-all it was a tough build, but well worth my time and effort, Hope you enjoy the pics.

Miguel I. Becerril

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Photos and text © by Miguel I. Becerril