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Posted (edited)

Hi,

I would like to join this GB with a Revell 1/72 Fairchild A-10A Thunderbolt II kit.

a10bt.jpg

This will be my fist group build and also my first post on this forum.

I will try to build it like the box art on the front of the box. This aircraft is from the 511th TFS/354th TFW During Destert Storm. However, here it looks like it is from the 511th TFS/10th TFW? Don’t know who is right, maybe both are ^_^ .

On this last site you can find a few reference pictures of this airplane with serial number 81-0947 and listen to the name “Desert Belle”.

I haven’t found any builds of this kit yet, except the kit review on this site, but it doesn’t cover a full build. linky

It looks like a very nice kit (mind you, I didn’t build so many kits yet and I’m missing a lot of experience, but it looks like a nice kit to me). The fits look good and the details are fine but not always very accurate.

As an experiment I decided to get some Eduard PE parts for this kit. I haven’t used any PE before, thus this is something new to me.

The PE set is the Eduard BIG7213 set (Italeri/Revell). It looks all so nice, but so tiny ! :o .

This is not going to be a very easy job. Hopefully I get this done before the year is over :P .

Also my apologies for my English.

Edited by DarthCake
Posted

DarthCake,

Welcome to Britmodeller!!

Nice choice of model – and etch does make a difference. It might help to cut the parts off inside a clear plastic bag. You need to cut it on a hard, solid base otherwise it will bend.

Your English is excellent by the way!

Posted

:post1: Darth :)

If you hadn't said "apologies for my English", I'd never have guessed you weren't a native English speaker :thumbsup: (you punctuate better than some of the English people on this forum! :lol: ).

Posted

Thanks for the warm welcome! (and PE tip ^_^ )

I found the build of the Italeri version of this kit on the neighbor forum of this forum: ARC Link (i hope you don't mind).

The Revell kit seems to be a reboxed Italeri kit. But only the plastic is the same. Decals are different.

The builder in that topic used only the Eduard Interior PE color set, while I'm also going to use the exterior and weapon set.

Good to see some reference :)

Posted

Another PE tip... if you have to bend parts into complex shapes, heat them with a lighter and let them cool naturally. That's called annealing & will make the metal softer and easier to bend :)

Posted

Mish, i'm following your Tamiya build in the GB already. But it looks like i have missed your Italeri build, thanks to tell me :) !

Mike, thanks for the tip. Lucky these sets don't have many complex bends as far as i see. Also the fold/bend lines are etched in, so bending is made easier.

I'll let you know how it goes. I update as soon as possible. ;)

Posted (edited)

Update!

I actualy started on the last week op July to gather the right paints an cutting out some parts to dry fit (can't resits it).

The last two weeks I have done the ejection seat and instrument panels. The cockpit interior is almost done.

A10_1.jpg

Color PE for the cockpit. This is only one PE sprue (don't know how you would call it), I'm also going to use three other bigger PE sprue for this build. Pics will follow later on, I forgot to take pics of them. Almost as much PE as plastic parts, if not more! :o

A10_2.jpg

The main instrument panel. A macro lens reveals the flaws.

A10_3.jpg

The ejection seat, with a lot of PE added. Just unbelievable what details are shown by a macro lens, a lot of details are not even visible with bare eye.

I used this as reference for the seat: Clikc1 Click2 Click3

A10_4.jpg

A10_6.jpg

The bath tube! The Main panel came back off. Some AC glue will fix it. ;)

A10_5.jpg

Sides of the cockpit. Need some paint. :)

A10_7.jpg

Some details at a technical maintenance panel. The wood is a teeth stick for comparison. (I can't even see that little hair/dust :o )

That was it for now, I hope you liked it!

Edited by DarthCake
  • Like 1
Posted (edited)

Found some reference for the side panel (last picture above) on aircraftresourcecenter.com : click me

The instructions tell me to paint it aluminium. Hmm, doesn't look aluminium to me?

Edited by DarthCake
Posted (edited)

Second update!

I have been counting a bit. It seems that I have a lot more PE parts then plastic parts. More then 200 PE parts! (About 130 different PE parts)

A10_8.jpg

The PE sprue's.

A10_9.jpg

Left side fuselage half. Ladder compartment.

Eduard said: "To less detail! Add some PE!" (Who am I to disagree :P)

Used references from aircraftresourcecenter.com: Click1, Click2.

A10_10.jpg

A10_11.jpg

A10_12.jpg

PE parts added!

I hope you liked this update as well ^_^.

Edited by DarthCake
Posted
I will try to build it like the box art on the front of the box. This aircraft is from the 511th TFS/354th TFW During Destert Storm. However, here it looks like it is from the 511th TFS/10th TFW? Don’t know who is right, maybe both are ^_^ .

On this last site you can find a few reference pictures of this airplane with serial number 81-0947 and listen to the name “Desert Belle”.

Both are correct but it depends on when you are modelling it. The 511th TFS/10th TFW deployed to King Fahd IAP, Saudi Arabia from RAF Alconbury along with the 74th and 76th TFS/23rd TFW from England AFB, Louisiana, 353rd and 355th TFS/354th TFW from Myrtle Beach AFB, South Carolina, 706th TFS/926TFG from NAS New Orleans, Louisiana and the 23rd TASS (Tactical Air Support Squadron operating OA-10's in the Forward Air Control role)/602 TACW from Davis Monthan AFB, Arizona. All of these units combined to form the 354th TFW (Provisional) for the duration of the deployment.

Soooo... if you're modelling Desert Belle during the conflict then technically Revell are right and it is the 511th TFS/354th TFW(P)...but the aircraft was drawn from the 511th TFS/10th TFW and returned there after the conflict.

And...nice work so far, I lived just down the road from Alconbury at the time so it's good to see a 'home' bird being built :speak_cool:

Posted (edited)
Found some reference for the side panel (last picture above) on aircraftresourcecenter.com : click me

The instructions tell me to paint it aluminium. Hmm, doesn't look aluminium to me?

That bay and door looks the same as the wheel wells which are FS16473 ADC grey.

Edited by Gary C
Posted (edited)

Thanks for the positive comments! :blush:

@walrus: IPMS is going to add a new rule: "No metal or wooden parts should be used in any build!" :D

Lucky me, I'm not yet an IPMS member (might change in the future).

@Gary C: Thanks for the information. That explains a lot!

About the bay, door and wheel wells. You could be right at this. See link.

However the instructions tells me to paint the wheel wells white. I saw some pictures where the wheel wells are painted white-light grey. Picture1 Picture of the desert Belle

I guess both have been used during the war? Do you know if the bays also have been painted white-grey?

The inside of the cockpit also need this FS16473 ADC Grey

Edited by DarthCake
Posted
@Gary C: Thanks for the information. That explains a lot!

About the bay, door and wheel wells. You could be right at this. See link.

However the instructions tells me to paint the wheel wells white. I saw some pictures where the wheel wells are painted white-light grey. Picture1 Picture of the desert Belle

I guess both have been used during the war? Do you know if the bays also have been painted white-grey?

The inside of the cockpit also need this FS16473 ADC Grey

The undercarriage legs were ADC grey when first manufactured although white ones have appeared in the last 10 years. For a Desert Storm jet though ADC grey is a definate. If you look closely at this pic Picture of the desert Belle you can see that the leg is grey and the wheel rim is white. The wheel wells though have always been ADC grey and having seen pics of some recently (Kagero top shots and Jake Melampys book) they still seem to be the same, so I would say Revell have that wrong. Easy mistake to make though as most other modern USAF jets have white wells.

The cockpit interior is easier, FS36231 Dark Gull Grey overall, standard USAF interior colour, it's been used on most things since the early 60's.

Hope that helps,

Gary

Posted

Thanks to clear these things up for me! It looks like your right about the colours. Colours can look so different on photo's, when they are taken in different light conditions.

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Time for an other update.

A10_13.jpg

Dry fitting

A10_14.jpg

Wheel bay details.

A10_15.jpg

New hood, looks much better then the old one (hmm, I didn't made a picture of the old one :( )

A10_16.jpg

Details ...

A10_17.jpg

And some other Detials

A10_18.jpg

Some PE doors.

Overall good fit, except for the engines. Those are the next step :S .

I hope you liked it again ;).

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted (edited)

At least a new update!

A10_19.jpg

The engines attached.

A10_20.jpg

A10_21.jpg

The wings attached, its getting an airplain now :)

A10_22.jpg

Some extra weight added.

A10_23.jpg

Even more weight.

A10_24.jpg

An overview of the process so far.

A10_25.jpg

The air brakes (i guess).

A10_26.jpg

Gaps are filled.

We are getting closer ^_^

I hope you did like this update to.

Edited by DarthCake
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