This is
my Monogram 1/48th A-10 Warthog in the markings of the 104th
Fighter Wing / Massachusetts Air National Guard. It carries the markings
of the Boston Red Sox baseball team to celebrate their World Series
victory in October 2004. The decals are made by Kursad and Kedi Decals,
and I used Superscale for the stencils and formation light strips. The
model is destined for the unit as a gift.
I won’t
go too much into the standard building of the kit, but focus on the
different things I did to update it, and prepare it for an in-flight
configuration. |
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Preparing
for the In-Flight Display
After
the joined fuselage halves dried, I determined the spot for the ½ inch brass
tube that the clear rod would be inserted into. Seeing this model is very heavy,
I picked a spot pretty much in the center of gravity. I first drilled out the
starter hole with a ¼ inch bit, and then used my Dremel and a grinding bit to
clean up the hole. The tube was cut with a pipe cutter tool, and was secured
with 5 minute epoxy after I got the engine assembly on. It is important to plan
out an in-flight display, and do the work well before getting too far into the
model. If a mistake is made, then hours of work is not lost, and also one
minimizes the risk of damaging work already done.
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Modernizing
the Hog
The next thing
I wanted to do was update the model to the LASTE configuration (Low Altitude
Safety and Targeting Enhancement). This included a few bumps on the tail, and
the formation light strips. The bumps were added with shaped sprue, and are very
basic. The real bumps are more complex in shape, but I have not mastered that
technique. I also wanted to add a GPS dome. To create that, I used a nose gear
tire from a 48th Revell F-16 kit. I sanded down the thickness to make
it more flat. I secured that with glue. I then found some sprue in the kit that
was just about the same thickness as the hole, and cut a piece and inserted
that. I sanded it down to almost flush with the tire. To add the final bump on
the top, I cut a piece of sprue and attached that. A little bit of sanding and
adding putty was done. Though it looks OK, it stands too proud and should have
more curved and smooth edges. Tom Silkowski and Mike Stephens were big helps in
this regard.
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Other
Modifications
The canopy
comes posed in the open position, with the extended portion at an angle molded
onto the rest of the canopy. To close it, I used a razor saw and cut off the
extended arm. I inserted that portion on the plane, and after I attached the
canopy to the model, I filled in the void using strip styrene. I then sanded it
down a bit.
I wanted the
speed brakes closed as well, so I inserted the open brakes and glued them. After
they were dry, I gently and uniformly squeezed them to close them. Minimal touch
ups were necessary to make them fit, and it is a fairly simple process.
Painting
and Decalling
The
camo consists of dark ghost grey on the upper surfaces in a pattern, and
light ghost grey elsewhere along with a gunship grey false canopy. Because
there is so much green to cover, I decided to try out Tamiya’s spray
cans for both colors. I sprayed the dark ghost grey first, as there would
be less to mask, and would cover the green better. When dry, I then masked
off the dark ghost grey and painted the light ghost grey. Using the cans
was pretty quick and easy, but created a semi-disaster later on, which I
will explain more later. |
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The paint had a
semi-gloss finish and saved me having to gloss coat before the decals. The
decals are ALPS-printed, and needed a clear coat to seal and protect them.
I used Future for that. The decals are very nice and thin, and quickly
separate from the backing. I used setting solutions as usual on them. For
the stenciling and formation light strips, I used one of Superscale’s
sheets for the A-10. I had to substitute the serial number in front of the
windscreen as the number combination used is different than one would
think. I had made some of mine own before Kursad made these decals. |
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The
Display Stand
Preparing the
model for the stand is the first part of the process, and the stand itself is
the second. Here is a pic of the rod, the heat gun and the gloves I use. It is
½ inch acrylic rod, and I eyeballed the curve I wanted, and heated up the area
for about 2-3 minutes on the high setting. Once it started to droop, I quickly
placed it on the concrete floor, and bent it to the desired curve. I then held
it there until it was firm – about 45 seconds. I then moved onto the next
curve, also using my Mk I eyeball. I then cut a bit off the length that will go
in to the model. It is thick, and took me a bit to cut it 3/4 of the way with
the razor saw. I then snapped off the excess.
The base has a
hole drilled it in to accept the brass tube, which was secured with 5 minute
epoxy too. I sealed the wood with 3 coats of Future, sanded in between dried
coats. The label was made with MS Power Point, and laminated to protect the
paper. The red frame is a simple photo matte. The label is secured with white
glue. I placed a section of black felt on the bottom to cushion the base. A
laminated label with my contact information is placed under there as well.
Final
Touches.
I
added a new blade antennae on the spine (that broke off before I even started on
the kit) and 2 new ones under the forward fuselage. I sealed the model with 3
flat coats, and when dry, removed the canopy masking. That is when I noticed
some overspray had snuck up under the canopy. I struggled with how to deal with
it (if at all), but finally attempted to remove it. I gently squeezed the
canopy, and the canopy/windscreen assembly popped off as one. Phew….a Q-Tip
and soft cloth got rid of most of the residue. I reattached it with white glue,
and no paint touch-ups required.
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All in all, it
was a great and unique project. And, I have a request for another one!
Thanks
to Kursad for making the decals, Tom Silkowski and Mike Stephens for their A-10
knowledge and photos, and everyone’s feedback in the discussion forum.
Ken
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