Final Fling- VA-46 'Clansmen' SLUF **FINISHED -ish**

[Purplethistle]

Another 'inherited' kit, this time the superb Hase 1/48 A-7E.
This had already been started when I got it, but I have another started SLUF that I managed to get some virgin parts from. The 'pit had been started but I took out everything to be replaced with a P/E enhanced seat and I/P. The avionics bays had already been roughly painted in Interior Green instead of Chromate Yellow. The intake has been badly glued and will need a lot of fiddly filing to rectify, but what was supposed to be an hour or two of preparation turned into a whole weekend of Mojo-a go-go.
I opened a 20+ year old tin of Xtracolour Chromate, more in hope than expectation and it was usable! So the avionics bays got redone, the wheel bays got done, but then I went to take pics, only to find the bloody batteries were dead. I planned to get more when I was going to the library, but my plan to 'Just get the 'pit sides freshened up' became a full days session and I've put together the seat, painted the new panel and am champing at the bit to get more batteries before I do anything else.

I'm going to pick more batteries up today....on the way to pay my overdue book fine

[DavidWomby]

Looking forward to seeing it.

David

[Purplethistle]

Painting that I did a while back of a VA-46 SLUF having just launched HARM missiles at Iraqi airbase





Avionics bay and wheel bay progress.....( Seat & I.P. photos too out of focus to put up!)

[Purplethistle]

Seriously, Camera?!...out of 24 photos I just took.....these are the best?!!!!!!!
Oh well!, here they are.....

[iggie]

Nice IP PT

[splash]

on the way to pay my overdue book fine

Shock gasp horror

[DavidWomby]

I like that painting. Impressive.

David

[Purplethistle]

Kit seat, but with some P/E.




Kit avionics bay door interiors (left) and Brass & P/E ones (right)
Someone here had suggested that when given a choice, try putting options side by side to compare.
Reckon I'll go with the brass. The others can go in my 'CorSpares' box, It's just feasible that I might do more SLUFS in future

[splash]

It looks like the PE has the edge over the plastic parts, if it was my choice I would go for the PE.

[Purplethistle]

Not a lot to see after more than 5 hours work. Shading and all the decals on the inside of the U/C doors alone took over an hour!.
The dry fit of parts is excellent, so I feel confident enough to spray wings, fuselage, tail etc. separately before assembling them. But with all the panels etc. going to be open and already painted, the masking is taking forever. Absolutely beautiful kit though, well worth the effort.

[Purplethistle]

I like that painting. Impressive.

David

Cheers Skipper, I've done about a dozen VA-46 paintings alone, about half of them Desert Storm ones. Only one Tonka and one Bucc DS painting though....and unbelievably for me.....no Jag!

[MDT]

This is going nicely...the kit parts look good but that PE looks better!

[Purplethistle]

Some paint slapped on and panel lines picked out.

[Purplethistle]

[iggie]

Looking very smart indeed!