RichB63

CO, The Tomcat looks great: very clean and precise work. A few questions... Regarding the Hasegawa Trytool Finishing Films...how strong is the adhesive? And do they take well to compound curves, say like Bare Metal Foils do? Or are they better suited for flat surfaces, like the front windshield pane? And finally, have you decided on a markings scheme for your Tomcat? Rich

Superscale did one also, although it's long out of production. Unusually, the sheet contains markings for an F-105 too. https://www.scalemates.com/kits/1026483-superscale-international-48-242-f-15-eagle-and-f-105-thunderchief Rich

I received my Hypersonic Models A-3 Skywarrior Engines set last week, exactly 7 days after placing my order -- fast service in my opinion, considering the distance involved -- London to Phoenix in this case (over 5000 miles, across an ocean and most of a continent). I chose the "unregistered international air mail" option which brought the total cost, all up, to 41.00 USD. Considering the retail price of the Trumpeter kit is approximately $100.00 USD, it's a hefty investment for an aftermarket product. But I'm glad I made it. As others have pointed out, the set is exquisite. I'm convinced now that it will make a big difference, both in terms of accuracy and detail, to what is, in my estimation, the weakest link in the Trumpeter A-3 series: its engine pods and pylons. Once I get set up with a new image hosting site (good riddance photobucket), I'll post some pictures, for comparison's sake, to illustrate just how enhanced a product Jeffrey has bestowed upon us. So, for all you whale aficionados (and "watchers" too)...buy with confidence! Thanks once again to everyone for their help and advice...much appreciated. Rich ps. Darren, I did not manage to make it out to NE last week unfortunately. But I'll be browsing the SB website for your Skywarrior accessories nonetheless. It's an impressive product line to be sure!

A link to your PB album? That would be nice. But your fan base here was secretly wishing for more -- something grander, as befits your work. Me? I'm holding out for the book. You know, one of those oversized coffee table tomes featuring glossy color photographs. A simple title, something like Elmo's Intruder, would do. And, of course, we'd all pay extra for an autographed copy. Think about it, will ya? Rich

Hi Dave, I don't have any prior experience with 'em, but my current order (for the Skywarrior engines) was processed and dispatched within a matter of hours. I do recall a recent posting on the Hypersonic Facebook page describing their small batch production philosophy, which, at times, could lead to inventory shortages. Sounds like my timing was fortunate!

Nice paint work!

Picknpluck - thanks for the kind offer...pm sent. Rich

jpk... Thanks for the appraisal of the Skywarrior nose/canopy. It's clear to me too that Dimitri of DMold has a keen eye for shapes and dimensions. His corrections sets, whether intended for the Thud, Skyray, Tracker, Canberra or anything else, tend to improve the look of, even if subtlety, the kits for which they're designed. And the Skywarrior should prove no exception. Stefan... Thank you also for the canopy recommendation. I'm tempted by the Hypersonic offering. It looks great! And I just might be in luck here. I'm by no means certain, but I think that the particular BuNo I'm looking to model carried the "late bomber" canopy. 147666 began life as an A-3B before being converted, as an adolescent, into a tanker. Here's a picture of her on display at the Oakland Aerospace Museum...https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/7909809 Cheers, Rich

Thanks Darren. I plan to attend the IPMS US Nationals next week...with wallet in hand! I'll be sure to stop by your booth. Cheers

Gents, Thanks a bunch for the helpful replies...very much appreciated. And the information regarding the other correction sets will be very useful going forward. Based on your positive feedback and the fact that the completion's set is currently out of stock, I've placed an order with Hypersonic for the engines. I'm holding off on the canopy and nose parts replacements, at least for now, pending further review. My sense is that these items are "less off the mark" (compared to the engines and pylons) and might be correctable without the added aftermarket investment. D.R., my plan is to build a KA-3B from VAQ-308 (later VAK-308), a reserve unit based at NAS Alameda during the 1970s and 80s. http://combatace.com/uploads/monthly_02_2012/post-30410-0-20094200-1330105733.jpg Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, I would see these aircraft, as well as those from sister unit VAK-208, quite regularly, be it at air shows or, on some occasions, screaming overhead nearby Jack London Square in Oakland. They were extremely loud, as I can clearly recall all these years later! Thanks again fellas for your time and consideration. Rich

The Trumpeter kit is impressive, but could benefit from a little aftermarket TLC, especially as regards the engine pods and their pylons. D-Mold and Hypersonic offer resin alternatives, both of which look really nice from the pictures I've seen. It's more than likely a case of "you can't go wrong either way." Nonetheless, can anyone here offer some first hand appraisals? Rich http://dmold-modelworks.com/contents/en-us/p62.html http://www.hypersonicmodels.co.uk/product/a-3-skywarrior-engines

D-Mold offer these http://dmold-modelworks.com/contents/en-us/p54.html. And they're reputed to be very nice. While marketed for the Academy F-4B/C, I'm almost certain they would fit the F-4J version too, as these kits all share a common fuselage piece (when these intakes were released a few years ago, the J was not yet in Academy's inventory). Rich

Hi Chris, F-4Ns were equipped with the later Mk H7 seats. Regarding the Eduard offering, I concur with you about the proportions. It does appear "top heavy," for lack of a better term. Check the fit of each seat in your model, comparing it to profile views of the real aircraft. On Phantoms (and many other MB equipped fighters - Crusaders, Intruders, Tomcats, etc) the upper portion of the seats remained at a fixed height above the canopy sills. That is, when pilots adjusted the seats for height, only the lower "bucket" sections articulated. HTHs, Rich

Stablemate 412 has the Corogard treatment on the horizontal stabilizer and, as you surmised bobo, it carries around to the tips. Edit: I just saw GW8345's post referencing the same observation over on the "Props" sub-forum.

Dave, this looks terrific...I'm definitely in for one. The scans reveal lots of attention to detail, including on the secondary markings sheet. Instead of supplying a set of "one-size-fits-all" marines titles and jet intake chevrons, you've tailored them to each individual aircraft, with appropriate colors, font, and letter spacing. Well done. -Rich