1/32 Hasegawa A-4C Skyhawk

by Fabian Mario Vera

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This model is based in the old and very well known Douglas A-4E/F Hasegawa kit in 1/32 scale.

At last now there´s an available conversion set that allows the modeller to make the "C" variant of the famous Skyhawk.  The Condor Decals conversion set provides both resin pieces and a decal sheet to make two very different options, an US Navy aircraft in Vietnam, LTCDR T. R. Swartz plane, the only Skyhawk that achieved an aerial victory in that conflict, and in the other side three different argentine aircraft employed during the Malvinas / Falklands War.

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For the Argentine version, the characteristic antennas and lumps are included.  Also, a set of weighted wheels with the ray rim of this version.

The Hasegawa kit is not precisely state of the art, specially when compared with the 1/48 Skyhawk series
from the same manufacturer, but it is very good for what anyone can expect from a late 70s kit.  We'll have
to wait for the promised Trumpeter kit to see if it can fulfill our expectations.

Anyway, even being so old the kit did not gave me too much trouble, and as you can see in the accompanying photos, the conversion set blended in very well with the plastic pieces.

The model is basically 'Out of the Box' even being a conversion project, just a few hydraulic lines were
added to the landing gear, the landing light connection cable, the dorsal light was replaced, as the ejection seat with a resin one.

Once the basic build and interior painting was done, the project begin to take shape.  I decided for the
C-318 Argentine option, an easy but eye-catching scheme, that was freehand airbrushed with  a fine
nozzle.

The demarcation line between upper & under colors is a straight hard line, as the black areas on the nose and antiglare panel, so this was a masking job.

Basic colors: the aircraft undersides are painted in a 50/50 mix of Camouflage Grey and White, the light sand color is a mix of 45% Pale Stone and 55% White, in both cases Modelmaster references.  The dark brown areas are done in Humbrol 118.

The wheel wells are painted with Humbrol 65 and the identifications bands in Molak 189.

The decals for the Argentine version are really very few, and therefore very easy to apply, so the decalling phase is really an quick job.  Once applied, the model was weathered with ink applied with the airbrush.

The final finish is almost satin, with the exception of the nosecone which has a very noticeable glossy hue.

Bibliography:

  • “A-4P/C Skyhawk - Fuerza Aerea Argentina - Cettolo, Marino, Mosquera & Nuñez Padin”
  • “La Guerre des Malouines - Salvador Mafe Huertas - Jets” 
  • “Centro de Estudios Históricos de la Fuerza Aérea Argentina”
  • “A-4B/C Skyhawk – Fernando Benedetto – Destroyer”

Even when the kit does not offer high detail standards, and should not be considered as a contest model due to the future kit announced by Trumpeter, I think it is still a valuable project all modellers interested in 1/32 scale: the Skyhawk was a little aircraft so it's a good choice for a introduction in this scale.

Fabian

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Photos and text © by Fabian Mario Vera