The A-10M Sea Hog

[Mist]

Nice work there Josh. You gonna come to the Quad Cities airshow on the 21st? If you do, you can fondle, er i mean look lovingly at the lovely 1-1 Hawg

[Josh1971]

Nah- I'll be in South Dakota that weekend, and they never really got enough good statics to look at for my tastes.

Thanks for the kind words, guys! Hopefully I'll get back to it tomorrow again.

jb

[Josh1971]

Getting much closer now! I may actually finish it this weekend. Almost ready to start hanging stuff under the wings. I'll post photos when I:

a. Get the plane itself finally, totally done (Pre-armed)

b. Actually remember to take the camera to the hobby room

c. Get the thing armed up.

One side note- I switched out the horrible-looking AMT/ERTL Mk.46 Torpedoes for some LAU-10 rocket pods, 2 pods each, slant loaded on TERs.

jb

[TaiidanTomcat]

Just too cool JB

[Aggressor Supporter]

Nice seeing the pilots in there as like the weapons.

[Josh1971]

Thanks guys! Now if I can get my hobby room put back together after the minor flooding, I can finish it off. The rockeyes are all ready to go, and I'm just finishing up some minor, tiny details on the plane itself. I don't much care if I win any prizes in the group build, but I want to get it done on time!

Ah well, at least the water's gone from my basement.

jb

[Josh1971]

So here's the new photos, as I'm back to work on it now that hopefully the last of the basement flooding is done.

The plane itself is pretty close to done, and I'm happy for that. I've been itching to get started on some Viper kits, but I've got to get the other stuff off the hobby table first. So here are the pics from today's (brief) work:

These fellas will be hanging out near the takeoff, lining up some other sorties.

A couple more of the crew.

And the others, including the fire extinguisher and either the generator set or hydraulic test stand

A horrible pic of the port wing, with the light at the end of it.

Here are the bare beginnings of the side-opening canopy hinges, based on the lone picture I have of it.

And the replacements for the torpedoes...

Well there ya have it for now. I'm hoping to get the plane itself done tomorrow, snap some pics, and get to work on arming it up, and creating the diorama around it for the finished product by late Monday.

jb

[TaiidanTomcat]

Pilots standing around and talking?? you really did your research!!

Ben

[Josh1971]

Well, my intent was just to show them planning I didn't know pilots were prone to gab sessions. I'm trying to figure the best way to model a large, flat piece of concrete, so that I can have the tarmac there with all this going on. Good news is that I should be able to go home, get the rest of the plane itself done, as well as start to get a bit more of the armament on it.

This means I'll have it done in time to put it in the "Finished entries" thread!

The rest of the stuff is just icing on the cake. And then I can get on with building some vipers.

JB

[Aggressor Supporter]

Neat ground crew figures there. I especially like the shape of the all blue one with the thumbs up.

[Josh1971]

Neat ground crew figures there. I especially like the shape of the all blue one with the thumbs up. :P

She's from the Fujimi deck crew set. I liked that one, because the poses were SO different from the Hasegawa set, and at least in my case, the molding was a 100% improvement.

In any event, later tonight (After 3am my time) the Sea Hog will be UNVEILED! The model is all but done, so I actually got it done in time for the group build! :lol:

The diorama I'm constructing to go around it will be done before the end of the month as well, but at least the plane will be done in time to put it in the finished entries thread.

jb

Edited June 17, 2008 by Josh1971

[Josh1971]

ok- so I found a problem with this Hobby Boss A-10. The rockeyes have two holes in the top of them. As I started to prepare the bombs for mounting on the MERs, I discovered that these holes are drilled to accomodate mounting a single bomb directly onto the wing pylon. They are way too far apart for mounting the sway braces on them to put on the MER. No problem, I marked each one with a pencil, modified the sway braces and attached them to the bombs, and let them dry.

But now, there's a great big HOLE in every bomb that needs putty. It's a complete PITA, but I'll get 'em done today still.

Everything else is on it now, and it looks MEAN My side opening canopies turned out ok- I mean, the canopies are open to the side, so they work in that respect, but in my own estimation, I don't like the way they look as much as I could.

Anyhow, pics later tonight.

jb

[Josh1971]

Well, it's finally almost done! The weapons are on, all the little bits are in place, and I'm waiting for the final stuff to set, and then I'll take a bunch of pics and put it in the "finished entries" thread

Took a few shots tonight just dinking around after getting the canopies in place. Tomorrow, with the wife back to work, I should be able to take the good photos!

Here it is in its "done-ness", but the canopies need to dry.

FIREPOWER!

Having a chat about the mission

Different angle of that.

With a couple other fellas in the background- probably not anywhere near where they'll finally end up.

All righty- tomorrow's the day.

JB

[Impatient Pete]

Looking pretty sweet man!

Pete

[Josh1971]

Thanks, Pete!

[Clumber]

:D :blink:

[Josh1971]

Thank you!

jb

[Aggressor Supporter]

Oh wow! I can't wait to see more pics of this!

[Josh1971]

;) Oh wow! I can't wait to see more pics of this!

Did you check out the ones in the "finished entries" thread?

jb

[Aggressor Supporter]

Did you check out the ones in the "finished entries" thread?

jb

It escaped my mind that there was even a finished build thread here. Great seeing so many nice Warthogs builds there and the additional pics of your build Josh. I think it would have been even better seeing more pictures with your figures with it.

[Josh1971]

Here's the story of my A-10M "Sea Hog"- hope you like it!

WAR AGAINST THE DEAD

YEAR THREE:

THE LIBERATION OF HAWAII

(Ford Island, Hawaii)- Ground crews prepare the A-10M “Sea Hog” for takeoff, the first sortie of “Operation: Dirty Lei”, a rigorous campaign designed to eliminate a group of pirates and thugs known as “The Pacific Syndicate”. The air strip at Ford Island was repaired and made ready for a small force of planes and helicopters to supplement the strike aircraft flying from aircraft carriers.

The Pacific Syndicate (TPS) first emerged during year two of the War Against the Dead, firing on- and preparing to board- a US Naval Command DDG. A group of prisoners taken from that battle proudly proclaimed their identities as sailors with TPS, and so intelligence operations began to root out the group. It was found that they were a vicious bunch, executing raids and attacks on island colonies, merchant ships, and civilian air traffic.

When a group of merchants was taken hostage, after their ships had been sunk en route to meet with US Naval Command ships, TPS boldly went to the naval command ships with a video tape of the merchants pleading to be released, and unconvincingly urging military authorities to recognize the legitimacy of TPS. The Syndicate pirates bringing this tape were summarily taken prisoner, and US Naval Command ships sailed to the Hawaiian Islands to make contact with TPS.

After a brief exchange, in which TPS refused release of the hostages, but demanded the return of their sailors, US Naval Command Admiral Rex Smith relayed a message from US Central Command- “You have one week to release the merchants taken in the attack. When that week is up, consider yourselves at the gates of hell.”

Undaunted, TPS responded to this message by sending their only three fighter aircraft to engage the pair of DDG ships sent to relay the message. After a SAM downed the first of the fighters, the other two quickly broke off, both US DDG’s left the area. The plans for “Operation: Dirty Lei” went immediately into effect.

TPS had most of their forces and secured structures on the eastern side of Oahu, and more specifically in Kaneohe Bay. All of their aircraft had been stored and operated from MCAS Kaneohe. They had a dozen helicopters, nearly as many civilian aircraft, and now a pair of F/A-18 Hornets. Using a number of armored vehicles, trucks, and cars, the group had fortified many locations from the hordes of zombies that still littered the one-time most populated island of Hawaii.

Engineers and Rangers were sent immediately to Ford Island, which had an airstrip badly in need of repair, but far more defendable from zombies and humans alike than the larger Honolulu International Airport, or Hickam Air Force Base. Working night and day to get the strip ready, ships in the area had also begun to offload mobile artillery onto Ford Island, as well as the necessary equipment and supplies to operate the aircraft- which would include AH-1 Cobra and UH-1 Huey helicopters, AV-8B Harriers, and the A-10 Warthog.

The aircraft getting its first run at combat in the war was the N/AW A-10, a one-off, two seat model of the venerable tank-killing A-10. When this aircraft had been retrieved during the second year of the war, the crews already flying the A-10 did not want it, unless it could be utilized for parts. Marine Corps personnel had a different idea- and so was born, the “Sea Hog”.

Only a handful of F/A-18D crews responded to the offer to fly the plane, and at the time the A-10 was called upon to go to Hawaii, the rotation had come to the USMC Command’s only all-female crew, Captain Valerie “Valkyrie” Kerns, and Lieutenant Connie “Smoke” Wieder. The entire group of A-10s (Eight in all) flew immediately to Ford Island, in-air refueling several times before touching down on the patchwork runway on Ford Island.

As the seventh day was drawing to a close, the last bid for the release of the hostages was issued from aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln by Admiral Smith. Receiving a colorful, but hostile response, Admiral Smith was given the go ahead to commence Operation: Dirty Lei.

The A-10 Sea Hog’s first sortie was a very important one, and was to be flown in advance of the massive wave of strike planes coming from the two carriers. The Sea Hog, coming from a direction they were not expecting, was to strike the following targets:

1. Using the pair of AGM-84E missiles, the cruise ship playing HQ to the TPS was to be blown out of the water.

2. Following the strike on that ship, the plane’s pair of GBU-24 bombs were to strike a school, and a hotel being used by TPS to house some of their people and equipment.

3. The load of 12 CBUs on the plane were to be dropped upon a mass of zombies near the hotel, as removal of the creatures was the secondary mission of Operation: Dirty Lei.

4. The rockets were to be fired upon a gas station that had been secured for use by TPS. A fuel truck was usually present at the station, so it became the focus of the rocket attack.

5. The Sidewinders were to be used to defend the Sea Hog (Neither was fired)

6. The A-10’s 30mm GAU-8 Avenger cannon was to be employed only on the return trip to Ford Island. In the words of the commander stationed on Ford Island, “If it’s on wheels and it’s moving- kill it”. A single truck was destroyed by the gun on the first sortie.

It was determined that the AGM-84 missiles tore two huge holes in the cruise ship and caused it to sink- but the boat was in fairly shallow water, and so it remained partially above the surface. The estimate was that eighty people were on board it when the strike occurred, and that at least some had escaped the blast. Subsequent strikes by the planes from the carriers reduced the ship to pieces.

The GBU-24 bombs had done much more efficient work, completely collapsing the school, and setting off a fire that demolished the hotel. The cluster bombs tore through the crowd of zombies, but hardly dented the ten thousand strong horde of living dead. The rockets battered the fuel station, destroying the empty fuel truck and starting a large fire.

NOTES: This was the first of four sorties for the Sea Hog on day one of the eight month Hawaiian campaign. TPS had four military vessels, each of which was sunk on the first day of operations by two submarines which had been lurking off the island since the initial contact had been made with TPS. The four ships sunk were three patrol boats and one frigate.

The hostages had been rescued the first night of operations, with US Navy SEALs making the extraction from a beach house, after a defecting TPS member had alerted US officials to the location. One hostage had been killed a day after their capture.

Edited June 30, 2008 by Josh1971

[David TR66]

This is just way too cool! Great model, Great 'plane and a Great back story.

[Josh1971]

Thanks, David!

jb

[ChernayaAkula]

It came out absolutely great! But what really sets it apart is the background story! :)

[Josh1971]

Thanks, Moritz! That actually means a lot that a few of you have liked the back story. I always thought it would be boring if my planes were just pieces of plastic that sat on a shelf.

jb