1/48 Monogram TA-4F Skyhawk

by Vince Lucente

--------------------

 

Greetings all.  This is a kit bash of a Monogram A-4E and OA-4M with a few resin parts from a Red Roo conversion kit.  I know it probably would have been easier to just buy and build the Classic Airframes kit, but I started this project before the C.A. kit was released.  Most of the heavy slicing and dicing had already been done, so I just had to finish it.

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

  

I used the canopy fairing and forward vertical stab fairing from the Red Roo kit, a couple of Cutting Edge seats to replace the kit part molded in seats, and various parts from the above mentioned Monogram kits.  I scratchbuilt the rear canopy frame to the correct shape and filed the cutout on the canopy fairing to match.

The entire model was sprayed gloss white and decals from three different sets were used.  The squadron markings came from an old Microscale sheet that was originally produced for the old Fujimi TA-4F.  National insignias came from a Monogram Pro Modeller A-4F.  Ejection seat warning triangles came from the A-4E sheet.  After decaling, a covering of Dullcote was applied to pull everything together.  Only a light wash in the flight control panel lines was used.  You know, I hear that Hasegawa is coming out with a TA-4J in the next year.  Boy, the money I could save on sandpaper... 

Vince Lucente

Click on images below to see larger images

Photos and text © by Vince Lucente