Hello
my friends,
For
my first submission in the gallery articles, I present you my old Esci 1/48
Douglas A-1J Skyraider. I built this aircraft many years ago, at the end of the
'80s perhaps beginning of the '90s. On this model, I use a copy of two parts from
a Monogram A-1 Skyraider : the propeller and the carburator air intake (silicon
molds cast in resin). The wind shield is from Esci but the sliding canopy was
too short and bulbous). I use the Monogram part as master and vacu-formed a new
one for the Esci kit.
The
Esci motor cowling diameter was too small. To
fix this, I wrapped around the kit part a large strip of thin plastic card to
increase the diameter. A little amount of putty was needed to blend the kit
cowling and the plastic card together.
Click on
images below to see larger images
The gun barrels, pitot tube and
exhausts are made in different diameters syringe tube. I cut and repositioned the
rudder, elevator and tailwheel and added a pilot figure from my spares box to bring
life to the model. A few antennas were scratch built in plastic card and stretched sprue.
I used Humbrol paints, and the camouflage was air brushed free hand with my Badger 150. I use the decals from the Monogram kit but the yellow strips are painted on. The makings represent an aircraft from the 56th Special Operation Squadron - Nakhon Phamon - Thailand - 1970
A few words about the diorama. I use a plywood board covered with cardboard, tinted with dry pigment simply dry brushed with an old brush.
The lines are painted with Humbrol mat black. The dimensions of the base, 85 x 56
cm (33" x 22") give enough room for two
aircraft. The figures and ground equipment are from Esci and Hasegawa.
The fire extinguishers are scratch built. And for the sand bag wall….due to a skate board accident with a broken leg, (please don’t laugh…),
I was at home during three months and was busy modeling, bag by bag, three sand bag walls with plastiroc.
The photos were taken outside, at Mulhouse-Habsheim airfield, the little airfield where
I learned to fly real aircraft many years ago. You can see the hangars in the background. The model is not motorized but the
propeller has a metal axle and rotates really free in a brass tube and when the wind was blowing, « the engine start ! »
Greetings from France.
Patrick Nabinger
Click on
images below to see larger images
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