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1:48 Tamiya A-10 "Eilson's Ice Hawgs"


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I figured someone with an name and avatar like mine ought to finally get around to actually building a Warthog! So I got to work on my Tamiya A-10 that I plan to paint in the Euro I Lizard scheme and adorn with TwoBobs "Eilson's Ice Hawgs" markings.

Building this one OOB with the addition of a QuickBoost bang seat and the aforementioned decals. This will be a pre-LASTE upgrade A-10A, so there are no major modifications needed to the Tamiya airframe. This one is all about the 3-color paint scheme practice for me . . . .

Here's where we stand:

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Nice to see the Hawg build!! I have the same model on the go. I wondered that there is NO front instrument panel. I did engrave the panellines on my with the olfa P cutter. Looking very nice and getting it together.

Realy looking forward to see more of this build!!!

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I figured someone with an name and avatar like mine ought to finally get around to actually building a Warthog! So I got to work on my Tamiya A-10 that I plan to paint in the Euro I Lizard scheme and adorn with TwoBobs "Eilson's Ice Hawgs" markings.

I took the photos of the real "FAIRBANKS" jet 81-0993 that Bob used to make those decals, and I knew Art Chase, the guy who painted the original markings on the real airplane. If you need any reference help let me know.

Scott Wilson

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Nice so far what you did with the Tamiya Hog...scared to open mine at tall.

Know what you mean about the name. I am getting crap all the time about a liberator on the bench. Guess I better get one of those built one day....

-Jim

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Nice to see the Hawg build!! I have the same model on the go. I wondered that there is NO front instrument panel. I did engrave the panellines on my with the olfa P cutter. Looking very nice and getting it together.

Realy looking forward to see more of this build!!!

Thanks, Eric. The cockpit detail on this kit is VERY basic (decal only) and the seat needs replaced with an ACES II to resemble anything like a modern A-10. Even then there are other accuaracy issues with this kit trying to masquerade as any production model A-10.

Having said that, this is more of a paint project for me. That Euro I camo is one I've been wanting to tackle for some future builds. So this one will be practice for me. And I really like the "Ice Hawgs" markings to dress the end result up a little better.

I've got a HobbyBoss, a couple of Italeri, and several Revell/Monogram A-10s waiting in the wings for the full treatment . . .

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I took the photos of the real "FAIRBANKS" jet 81-0993 that Bob used to make those decals, and I knew Art Chase, the guy who painted the original markings on the real airplane. If you need any reference help let me know.

Scott Wilson

Oh yeah! Scott if you have any of those pics that you can share that would really make my day! All I have at the moment are the tiny pics that come with the TB decal sheet. Any shots of the real bird in higher resolution would be a great help.

Thanks!

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Oh yeah! Scott if you have any of those pics that you can share that would really make my day! All I have at the moment are the tiny pics that come with the TB decal sheet. Any shots of the real bird in higher resolution would be a great help.

Thanks!

Here ya go, I can't wait to see the finished model.

81-0993a.jpg

81-0993McChordAFBAugust11989ScottRW.jpg

81-0993enginepodScottRWilson.jpg

81-0993taildetailScottRWilson.jpg

81-099318TFSinsignia.jpg

81-0993343TFWinsigniaScottRWilson.jpg

81-0993leftnosedetailScottRWilson.jpg

81-0993topofexttankScottRWilson.jpg

Scott Wilson

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Here's another of my photos that is a little better exposed:

81-0993.jpg

All of those photos I took from a couple of visits 81-0993 made to McChord AFB in 1989. Then in August 1990 she came back to McChord and the markings had changed a bit. Sorry I didn't take any close-ups of these markings or shoot the other side of the airplane:

81-0993McChordAFBAugust1990ScottRWi.jpg

Art Chase gave me this shot of the artwork he'd done inside the boarding ladder door, Bob decided not to put it on the decals:

81-0993doorartArtChase.jpg

Hope I've helped you out.

Scott Wilson

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Those are a BIG help! Thanks a million, Scott. That's a beautiful Hog!

Glad I could help you. I should point out that by the time I first saw 993, it had been well over a year since Art had painted the markings on it. The boarding ladder door artwork was no longer inside the door. As you can see from one of the close-ups the inside of the door was then gray, I don't know if it had a new door installed or just had the artwork painted over.

Scott Wilson

Edited by Scott R Wilson
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@warthoglvr

I'm building the side panels from sheet. Also to have weigt in the nose I used miliput to cover things an bit more. I have the monogram A-10 and use that frontpanel to get something look likes A-10 cockpit.

Mine will be in the new greys of 81st FS from spangahlem AB as I have Daco decals for this unit. anoter A-10 is in the works as well as that one was not entirely build by me but by an friend who stopped working on it. It does have more cockpit inside than the tamiya one, but is missing serial and untid markings. so if you have some spare decals of the tamiya one or others in the euro scheme PM me and we work something out.

if you want specials have an look at the book colours & markings of the A-10

I know that there was an A-10 overall Gunship, and besides that there are pics inside of the Fairbanks A-10.

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finished the seamwork, canopy was masked painted black and installed. Now she's all primed up and ready for the camo . . .

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I have two of this same kit in my stash..............yours looks great so far and I'd like mine to look as good. Can't wait to see them with camo, etc.

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Nice work so far warthoglvr. How accurate would you say this older Tamiya kit is to the Warthog back then? Also nice pics Scott.

The Tamiya kit represents a FSD aircraft. There are several things about the airframe that need attention:

  • The flare and chaff dispensers under the wingtips and behind the main landing gear.
  • The kit has flap guides that extended beyond the trailing edges of the wings. The extended flap guides were due to the FSD airframes having thirty degree flaps while production airframes only have twenty degree flaps.
  • The ejection seat was an ESCAPAC, not an ACES II.

Since this build is mainly for the purpose of airbrush practice on a 3-tone scheme for me and will only be displayed at home . . . I can take care of the flap guides, and replace the kit seat with a QB ACES II. Since I won't be looking underneath much, I can live without the chaff/flare dispensers.

If the paintwork on this one turns out well, then I have a HobbyBoss, Italeri and several Revell kits with Shawn Hull's upgrade sets and soon-to-be released Sierra Hotel Models resin inlets to shoot for the ultimate A-10 build at a later date.

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The Tamiya kit represents a FSD aircraft. There are several things about the airframe that need attention:

  • The flare and chaff dispensers under the wingtips and behind the main landing gear.
  • The kit has flap guides that extended beyond the trailing edges of the wings. The extended flap guides were due to the FSD airframes having thirty degree flaps while production airframes only have twenty degree flaps.
  • The ejection seat was an ESCAPAC, not an ACES II.

Since this build is mainly for the purpose of airbrush practice on a 3-tone scheme for me and will only be displayed at home . . . I can take care of the flap guides, and replace the kit seat with a QB ACES II. Since I won't be looking underneath much, I can live without the chaff/flare dispensers.

If the paintwork on this one turns out well, then I have a HobbyBoss, Italeri and several Revell kits with Shawn Hull's upgrade sets and soon-to-be released Sierra Hotel Models resin inlets to shoot for the ultimate A-10 build at a later date.

Thanks for the feedback. I still have the same exact Tamiya Warthog kit in the stash and have always wondered should I get the newer Hobby Boss or Italeri kits, or even the Revell ones just to have a more accurate updated Hog.

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Okay . . . paint is on! The Lizard has come to life. The camo was applied freehand - a first for me. It's not perfect by a long shot, but I am satisfied with it to continue to the gloss coat/decal phase of this build. This build was all about the learning experience of applying the camo freehand and I've learned that you can't rush it. :)

Paint colors were Tamiya acrylics: XF-5, XF-70, and XF-24. I applied them as a base coat and then lightened each color with a drop or two of white and highlighted some panesl. It's not glaringly evident, but hopefully will provide some tonal depth when the flat coat is applied. Anyway, here she is:

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