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Earlier I announced that I was going to participate in this group build w/ my Trumpeter A-10, some CE stuff and a 2 Bob Decal sheet. Since then, I have purchased Jake's A-10 book and have spent some time learning more about what I was going to do.

Start.jpg

I did not want to disappear of the Radar, so there is a pic of what I am starting this build with. I figured that starting this thread was the best way for me to remain on target, and for me to be held accountable so I don't slack off. Any insight, or advice will always be welcome.

Regards,

Harold

Semper Fi

Edited by 53 Marine
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Thanks guys - appreciate the words. Yes, if I have any questions on the stuff I will send you a pm - thanks for the offer.

I do have one question/idea/possible solution.

The decals are for LASTE airframe. The cutting edge cockpit is PRE-LASTE from what I am led to believe. If I remove the undersill vent tubes and just add some little vent covers at the bottom of the dash - will that be acceptable to convert the CE cockpit to the LASTE standard? Or am I just being a very wishful thinker?

Harold

Semper Fi

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The decals are for LASTE airframe. The cutting edge cockpit is PRE-LASTE from what I am led to believe. If I remove the undersill vent tubes and just add some little vent covers at the bottom of the dash - will that be acceptable to convert the CE cockpit to the LASTE standard? Or am I just being a very wishful thinker?

Yes, the Cutting Edge is pre-LASTE. The Black Box cockpit, to my knowledge, is the only modern A-10A pit available. Depending on how accurate you want to be, no, you can't just cut off the vent tubing. There really is a lot more to it than that. It's all described in the book in the cockpit section. Different HUD camera, venting beneath the panel, ECM panels, add the DTC, etc. Of course, most of this stuff is pretty small (except the DTC), and even in 1/32, it'll be hard to notice.

Looking forward to watching it progress!

Jake

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  • 2 weeks later...

First off - thanks Jake for the info on the cockpit. Thanks to another thread, that Dave Roof responded to, I learned that I can get the updated cockpit from Squadron (now True Details) for the nice low price of 12 dollars. Should be getting that in a few days.

Second, Your book on the A-10 has been invaluable so far in my build - words are not enough to thank you for such an excellant resource.

Now to the nit and grit. Since I have to wait on a new pit, I decided that I would start working on the tail section of the aircraft. The first thing I worked on was assembly of the vertical tail surfaces. They went together pretty smooth, I removed the bumps and added the LASTE Radar Altimeters to each side. Just had to pay attention to the pics, and the small scribe marks that were on the resin plugs.

P4010001.jpg

Next, I assembled the horizontal tail assembly. Here I made a mistake. I accidently glued the LASTE Radar Altimeters to the top of the wing instead of the bottom :worship: So after using a bit of un-cure, I removed them and got them placed in the correct spot. A bit of sanding and the other side looks ok.

P4010003.jpg

Now to the rear fuselage. My second mistake :) :bandhead2: of the build came swiftly after my first. (I started feeling like a real rookie.) I opened the hole for the APU exhaust and ended up glueing the intake in instead of the exhaust. After looking closely at Jakes' book again, I realized the errors of my way so it was back to un-cure, and x-acto knife and lots of TLC to work that fragile intake back out (especially since I heaped the super glue all around the inside to ensure a mighty grip - oy'vie) Now that I had succesfully removed the piece, I enlarged the hole and put the APU exhaust tube into place, along with the eyelid defelector. I also put in the smaller vent above the exaust.

P4010006.jpg

The final part that I completed tonight was making a hole for the APU intake on the starboard side of the fuselage, along with glueing the tail pieces together.

P4010004.jpg

So far, I am having alot of fun. If it were not for the group build, it may have been years before I got around to building this beast. Please feel free to give me advice, or add commentary as needed.

Next up - going to the LHS tomorrow to buy some wider evergreen strips so that I can build up the area for the formation lights.

Edited by 53 Marine
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Well, decided to stay up and watch tonights Angels Twins game (Go Angels) and decided that instead of fast forwarding through the breaks, that I would do some more work on the A-10.

I assembled the majority of the wing structures.

P4020001.jpg

I also added aerodynamic fairings to the front of the under wingtip ALE-40 dispensers.

P4020003.jpg

The wings were a bit tedious to put together, the flaps don't fit as snug as I would like (though I am hopeful that they will tighten up a bit when the wing is secured to the fuselage since I left the back part of the inner wing seems unglued just to make sure I get a good fit when I join things up.) I choose not to seperate the actual ailerons from the wing as I intend on having the spoilers/airbrakes closed. I figured that I could just highlight the seam after I paint the plane with a black ink - should give the impression that there is an actual seperation there. (Of course, if I am wrong about that - let me know, may see what other options there are.)

Edited by 53 Marine
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Looking good! I really need to get back to the bench one of these days. My poor A-10C has been languishing since January.

Regarding the ailerons, the better way to deal with them is to cut them out and rebuild them. Trumpeter molds them as a panel line, but they really are separate pieces of the jet. That is what I've done with my build, and it really isn't that awful. Of course, I'm rather dim-witted and a glutton for punishment, so the best option may be to leave them alone!

Jake

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Looking good! I really need to get back to the bench one of these days. My poor A-10C has been languishing since January.

Regarding the ailerons, the better way to deal with them is to cut them out and rebuild them. Trumpeter molds them as a panel line, but they really are separate pieces of the jet. That is what I've done with my build, and it really isn't that awful. Of course, I'm rather dim-witted and a glutton for punishment, so the best option may be to leave them alone!

Jake

Thanks Jake, will see what I can do about it, if anything at this point.

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Ok, quick update - then off to the slave pen (re-landscaping backyard)

Stopped by the LHS and picked up some evergreen strip #114 (.015 x .080") and put strips down on the vertical tail for the slime lights

P4020009.jpg

And some underneath the tail for those slime lights (although I think that I may have spaced them farther apart than they should be - hopefully they will work as is)

P4020006.jpg

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Ok, decided to change the name of the thread from, just being accountable to start to the project, to a full blown in progress thread. Next up, adding the slime lights to the wing tips and the rest of the airframe. Will probably start to work on the engine pods.

BTW, I have been told that the compresser blades are too far forward in the nacelles on the Trumperter kit. Is this true? If so, any idea how far back they should be moved?

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Harold -

There's a thread (older) on ARC when I built my Trumpeter A-10 and shows where to adjust the intake fans. If I remember correctly, it's around 22 ~ 23mm back - there's a good reference marking on the clear part that gets you very close. It makes a huge difference in appearance, and is well worth the effort.

Hitch

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Harold -

There's a thread (older) on ARC when I built my Trumpeter A-10 and shows where to adjust the intake fans. If I remember correctly, it's around 22 ~ 23mm back - there's a good reference marking on the clear part that gets you very close. It makes a huge difference in appearance, and is well worth the effort.

Hitch

Thanks Hitch - I will look into that. If anyone has a link to it - please let me know.

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And some underneath the tail for those slime lights (although I think that I may have spaced them farther apart than they should be - hopefully they will work as is)

Nope. Looks good to me!

Jake

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Nope. Looks good to me!

Jake

That is a relief... it would have bugged me.

Another question though... I am working on the engine inlets (moving the fan back some) and I can't figure out if the inlet is smooth all the way back. In some of the pictures in your book it looks like there might be some ridges/indentations... Can I just glue the pieces in and paint as is, or do I need to putty it all smooth?

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Another question though... I am working on the engine inlets (moving the fan back some) and I can't figure out if the inlet is smooth all the way back. In some of the pictures in your book it looks like there might be some ridges/indentations... Can I just glue the pieces in and paint as is, or do I need to putty it all smooth?

Hmmmm, I'm not sure. Everything I know about the Hog came from a few guys that helped me with technical stuff for the book. They frequent these forums often, so hopefully one of them will be able to help out.

Jake

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Started the engines today, thanks to the input from the guys above.

Removing the inner ring on the duct that holds the fan blades, this way I can move them back to the appropriate location. Removed the resin plugs from the backsides of the CE engine exhausts. They dropped into the engine nacelle very nicely on a test fit. Challenges; smoothing down the intake throat, moving the fan blades back and removing the seam on the rear part of the nacelles from the top/bottom join seam.

P4030001.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks Mark,

Yes, that is one of my Boxers. I have two, brothers, that will be 3 years old this May.

Here is a pic of them in my living room.

Boxers016.jpg

As to the A-10 Build, just got some new goodies for it, started to work on the cockpit and am trying to gather as much info as I can on the loadout that I want. I am sorry to hear about your Boxer. I will never own another kind of dog after these guys - they have more personality, goofiness and intelligence than I would have thought - just makes other dogs seem boring.

p.s. You see those front paws on em? Fair warning - those paws are equipped with special nut seeking radar - gives a whole new meaning to "Boxer" if you are not watching yourself.

Edited by 53 Marine
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Thanks Mark,

Yes, that is one of my Boxers. I have two, brothers, that will be 3 years old this May.

Here is a pic of them in my living room.

Boxers016.jpg

As to the A-10 Build, just got some new goodies for it, started to work on the cockpit and am trying to gather as much info as I can on the loadout that I want. I am sorry to hear about your Boxer. I will never own another kind of dog after these guys - they have more personality, goofiness and intelligence than I would have thought - just makes other dogs seem boring.

p.s. You see those front paws on em? Fair warning - those paws are equipped with special nut seeking radar - gives a whole new meaning to "Boxer" if you are not watching yourself.

Good looking dogs bro, two males!!!! Man my male only gets along with female dogs, before I came over hear we had to get a new dog. All of the boxers where all males and he did not like any of them, so we got a 7 month old female German Shepherd.

Scube is 7 now; he is an old boy now. Kiddy Boo was 5. I do not have any pix of them thanks to the TSA Jack @$$ that F-ed up my camera on the flight over hear, that is why I do not have any pix of our birds. I'll get a new one this week, I have some pix of my dogs that I'll pm you.

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Good looking dogs bro, two males!!!! Man my male only gets along with female dogs, before I came over hear we had to get a new dog. All of the boxers where all males and he did not like any of them, so we got a 7 month old female German Shepherd.

Scube is 7 now; he is an old boy now. Kiddy Boo was 5. I do not have any pix of them thanks to the TSA Jack @$$ that F-ed up my camera on the flight over hear, that is why I do not have any pix of our birds. I'll get a new one this week, I have some pix of my dogs that I'll pm you.

That would be great - looking forward to it.

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  • 2 weeks later...
you guys quite flirtin' and start building!!!!

semper fi

Dan

p.s. here's my Mutt weighing in @ 102lbs

pict0163if0.jpg

LOL - OK - we will lay of on the flirtin - would not want anybody to assume we were "sailors"

Great looking dog!

As to the build, I have been preoccupied - my daughter is moving back in with me while she is going to college, so between that and landscaping the back yard I have had NO time to build. I just keep pushing it around as I need to make room for more stuff - makes me kind of sad, I was on such a roll with it. Oh well - other things come first - but I should be back to building in early May. SHould be able to get alot done before my daughter in law and grand daughter fly in from Germany.

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