1/32 Trumpeter A-10C Hog- "Putting Lipstick on a Pig of a Kit"

[chuck540z3]

Thank you very much Gentlemen! I'm away from my modeling desk for a few days so no real updates, other than to say I *think* I'm finally on the home stretch. I've said that before, however, then hit some major roadblocks with crappy wings and landing gear. I will soon be working on wing pylons (there are lots of them) and several aftermarket ordnance items that will likely be mini-models all to themselves. There's also a vertical stabilizer on the fuselage to deal with, that should go slightly under the front of the wing- but of course the Trumpeter kit has it falling short of the wing and it fits in a fairly deep groove in the fuselage. Whether I just go with the wrong stabilizer or build a new one is still up in the air, as I re-check the extra work vs. potential reward ratio once again. I bet I wind up fixing them. I've done far too many modifications to take the easy way out now.

I've been told that I'm a very hard guy to buy Xmas presents for, because if I need something I just go out and buy it. This year, however, I got the PERFECT gift from one of my nieces!: A dedicated photo booth for modeling as shown in the link below. All my in progress pics have been taken right at my modeling desk, which has strong overhead lights that are not very photo-friendly. Clearing out all the modeling crap to take the pics is a pain as well. I've noticed that many modelers have dedicated areas within their work space for just taking pictures of their models and the excellent results show, so it's time to catch up. Jesse (JesniF-16) is a perfect example of this if you check his terrific F-15E build here. Jesse used to take OK pics and then after we exchanged a few photo tips awhile ago, his pics became much, much better. He now has such a dedicated area for taking in progress photographs and his pics now make my photos look like they were taken with my phone. Not anymore Buddy! Just wait until I use this bad boy in the near future!

All the details of this portable booth are in the link below. Although it's only 16 X 16 X 16", this will be plenty big enough for 90% of my in progress pics which are typically less than 10" across. With the fluorescent lighting, it will be easier to correct white balance as well.

Optex Photo Booth

Updates- and the first use of this new toy from Santa- will be early in the New Year. Thanks for checking in.

Edited December 30, 2013 by chuck540z3

[JesniF-16]

Man Chuck, don't tell me yer one of those "one-up me" type of guys Seriously, what a great idea yer niece had and it looks to be a high quality booth as well, what a score I'm the same way, if I need it, I buy it... I shoulda asked "Santa" for one of these.

/Jesse

Edited December 30, 2013 by JesniF-16

[chuck540z3]

Man Chuck, don't tell me yer one of those "one-up me" type of guys

/Jesse

Just joking of course, but it would be nice to at least catch up! Another modeler who uses a similar set-up is Wolf Buddee over at LSP. His pics are stunning and his models, well, lets just say we will NEVER get that good! Ever....Never....Not going to happen.....Impossible....

[Jinxter13]

......his models, well, lets just say we will NEVER get that good! Ever....Never....Not going to happen.....Impossible....

Stop it!!!......just STOP IT!!!!...Oh Pleeeeease...One of the top modelers on this whole entire rock ;) , whom got published BTW, saying a buncha Cylon Fildergarb and pure bullshoi like that...do I need to give you a Gibbs slap!!!?..or have you taken leave of your gray matter... :wacko: . You may not know this, but a lot of modelers dream of having a build half as good as any one of yours.

Edited December 30, 2013 by #1 Greywolf

[chuck540z3]

You may not know this, but a lot of modelers dream of having a build half as good as any one of yours.

Thanks Cliff for the kind words, but you know not of what you speak (I always wanted to say that!). :P

Like everything else in life, there is always a much better golfer, tennis player and modeler. OK, maybe putting any modeler up there with Tiger Woods and Rafael Nadal is pushing it a bit, but you know what I mean. I've been modelling for a bit over 6 years and although I (hopefully) get better every year with practise, I will always have my limits and never get to this level:

1/32 Tamiya Spitfire

or this....

Fokker DVII OAW link

Read the threads, enjoy them, then weep. Tears are running down my face already.

On the good side, this dude is Canadian, eh! He can't be all bad!

Edited December 31, 2013 by chuck540z3

[KRI76]

Can't wait to see more pictures of your fantastic build!

In the meantime I wish you (Chuck & everybody on ARC) a Happy New Year!

/Kristian

[Jinxter13]

Thanks Cliff for the kind words, but you know not of what you speak (I always wanted to say that!). :P

Ok you win that one, I don't know what the word is for beyond great.....but whatever it is he's got to that level or above. I still say you're running very close to him, and don't deny it with Jesse gaining ground also :) .

[chuck540z3]

With Xmas over and a few days off, I got a little modeling in again on the right wing. I was hoping it would go twice as fast as the port side wing now that I developed a plan, but work is work and it took a lot longer than I thought. I did, however add some hydraulic lines on the left from pics of the real deal in Jake's book (pg 46-47) to go with the wiring on the right of the sponson, to help hide the sponson to wing join.

With the sponson dry fitted, you can see how the hydraulic lines draw your eye away from the poor sponson to wing join. I ended the lines in a hole right by the landing gear hole, where I will have further hydraulic lines go down the gear leg to a new hole right beside it, thereby creating a junction.

As with the port side wing, the starboard sponson to wing fit is crappy, so I’ll add some more liquid sprue to the edges of the sponson to close the gap. I could glue the join then clamp it, but it would likely crack later with stress, as I have learned the hard way many times. If you need to force the join with pressure, you’re asking for trouble later, often after painting!

I also added the same hydraulic lines to the completed port side sponson, which was a lot harder to do with the sponson glued on. Better late than never!

When you fill the sponson to wing gap with liquid sprue, you leave an ugly gap on the inside. Filling, sanding and painting this gap after the sponson has been installed would be a nightmare, so I just filled the seam with more braided lead wiring previously painted white as though it belonged there. Not accurate by any means, but since almost nothing is on this kit is, what the heck! Only an A-10 expert might notice- and it hides a big seam that shouldn't be there.

I have another tip! I’ve tried and used just about every type of wire imaginable to create plumbing and wiring detail, mostly copper and lead wire that have their limitations. I found some new wire that appears to be nickel (or similar) at a local electronics store that is excellent. It bends easily, holds its shape and you can easily unbend it if required and smooth out the kink. For hydraulic lines, which are often unpainted, it’s already Silver/Aluminum colored, so you don’t have to paint it! It’s a bit expensive at about $20/roll, but I bet these 2 rolls last me a lifetime….

The starboard side wing has a very long pitot tube, which is supplied as a metal part in this kit. For the life of me, I have no idea what happened to it, because it’s missing. I’m guessing I accidentally threw it in the garbage since it looked like crap, which is a very easy thing to do with these Trumpeter parts! I was planning on replacing it anyway, since I had heard that it was poorly cast. Looking in my stash, I found something that is almost perfect: A brass Master pitot tube for a Mig-21 Fishbed J. I wound up with this brass kit at a model contest raffle, wondering what the heck I would ever do with it since I’m not fond of the Mig-21 and will never build one. Well, it about 80% accurate for the A-10 and I bet about 200% better than the kit part. This tube is very long and based upon measurements I made of pics of a real A-10, it should extend forward about as much as the aileron opening extends to the rear. With the aileron cut out, gluing the entire brass rod within the wing was easy from behind and it comes in two parts, so that I can leave off the front until the end of the build so that it's less likely to catch on something and break or bend. I took extra care to get the tube aligned properly before gluing, which is tough to do off the fuselage.

The thin end of the brass tube is about a 3rd longer than the A-10 pitot and it comes with little holes to install tiny fins on the Mig-21, but the detail of the end of the tube is excellent. The A-10 tube also has some screw holes, albeit in different positions than the fin holes, so rather than cut the tube and fill the holes, I just left them, adding some interesting detail. Only Jake and a few of you A-10 experts will ever notice! Here’s a close-up pic as the CA glue is drying around the tube in the wing.

What do you think of my new pics guys!? This new photo booth eliminates the harsh shadows and high contrast lighting I’ve been fighting for years. In can also leave my modeling area messy, because the booth is now in a dedicated area all on its own.

Next up- Wing Pylons and things that go “Boom”! Thanks for your continued interest.

Chuck

Edited January 4, 2014 by chuck540z3

[Finn]

Looking good Chuck but.... each of the sponson C/F dispensers should be 30 holes - 5 rows of 6 like here:

http://www.moody.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/120330-F-PO994-151.jpg

Jari

[chuck540z3]

Looking good Chuck but.... each of the sponson C/F dispensers should be 30 holes - 5 rows of 6 like here:

http://www.moody.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/120330-F-PO994-151.jpg

Jari

Thanks Jari- yeah, I know. The kit ones are 7 X 6 and the Cutting Edge ones that I replaced them with at 5 X 5 are, as they say, "Close Enough"!

Edited January 4, 2014 by chuck540z3

[nicholassagan]

Chuck these pics are GREAT! The parts almost look superimposed on the blue. Really nice. Too bad you won't be able to fit the whole bird in there when she's done. :P

[Finn]

Thanks Jari- yeah, I know. The kit ones are 7 X 6 and the Cutting Edge ones that I replaced them with at 5 X 5 are, as they say, "Close Enough"! :action-smiley-081:/>

Well it is your kit. Anyway what do you plan to hang on the pylons?

Jari

[chuck540z3]

Well it is your kit. Anyway what do you plan to hang on the pylons?

Jari

Just having fun with you Buddy. You former Canadian Air Force guys are SO picky!

Here are the preliminary plans, but I AM looking for advice, especially for an Indiana ANG "Blacksnakes" A-10C. I have the Neil Dunridge book (Reid Air Publications like Jake's books) which has some great pics of these beasts on pages 129-135.

Here's what I have for aftermarket items so far. All the Trumpeter stores are garbage- no surprise there.

1) 2 AGM-65 Maverick Missiles: Northstar Models. These are the NICEST Mavericks on the market and are little models all on their own with decals.

2) 2 AIM-9 L/M missiles from Zactomodels. As everybody knows, these Sidewinders mastered by Alexander ("Eastern") and Chris are fantastic!

3) Sierra Hotel Models Dual Rail Adapters for the above. Really nice, although they could use some Eduard help.

4) AMS Resin ALQ-184 ECM Pod (short).

5) Two Mikes Non Ballasted ACMI pods.

6) Eduard A-10 Armament PE kit.

In Neil's book, most of the pics of the Blacksnakes have two different Mavericks on either side, likely one electro-optical version (EO) and one imaging infra-red (IRR) according to Jake's book on page 99. They also have 1 or 2 AIM-9's on the DRA (either side), but I haven't seen one with pods yet- even the standard Pave Penny pod on the starboard front fuselage is often deleted. Most A-10's have plenty of empty pylons, so I don't need something on every station and I'm not a huge fan of dumb bombs. I could source an AN/AAQ-28 Litening AT from other kits if required, so I ask you and all the other experts:

WHAT SHOULD I LOAD ON THIS PIG AND ON WHAT STATION?

I'm thinking peacetime, in the US, but "busy" doing some sort of exercise at Red Flag, etc.

Thanks for any input you can provide!

Edited January 4, 2014 by chuck540z3

[jmel]

Chuck, the Pave Penny is in the process of being put to pasture. It is removed from nearly all A-10s as of right now, including the actual pylon. Pics will be in the Modern Hog Guide 2nd Edition, but I can send you some pics to tide you over until the book is ready if you need them.

These guys come into Wright-Patterson a lot, and I get to Ft. Wayne a fair amount, too. Neil visited the squadron when they first got their initial jets and were in the process of swapping their Vipers. When I see them around here, they're typically loaded as shown in Neil's book (which is amazing, by the way!), but with the occasional LITENING AT pod. I don't *think* they use the Sniper, but can't remember for sure. I'll check some of my pics and get back to you on that. For Red Flag, you can use the same load, but add an ACMI pod in place of one of the CATM-9Ms and maybe one or two air-ground weapons such as a pair of Mk. 82s on TERs, GBU-12s, or GBU-38s. Typically, jets aren't loaded too heavily during a Flag mission. I can't remember off-hand what type of ECM pod the guys use, but I'll wager it is an ALQ-184, either short or long.

Jake

Edited January 4, 2014 by jmel

[chuck540z3]

Chuck, the Pave Penny is in the process of being put to pasture. It is removed from nearly all A-10s as of right now, including the actual pylon. Pics will be in the Modern Hog Guide 2nd Edition, but I can send you some pics to tide you over until the book is ready if you need them.

Jake

I would LOVE those pics Jake- and I would love to see what a removed pod (with pylon) looks like on a permanent basis. I haven't attached mine yet and it would really make this look more like a modern A-10C if it wasn't there, but I want to do it the "right way" if there is a standard protocol.

[Finn]

Here are a couple of pics:

http://www.122fw.ang.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/2013/08/130812-F-BS330-021.JPG

Jari

[sharkey]

Chuck, what are you using for the black strips over the wire? It looks great!

[A-10 LOADER]

WOW Chuck, amazing progress. Things are really looking good so far. This WILL BE quite the show piece when finished.

I have not worked on a C model however, got the "50 cent tour" from the Baltimore guys when they replaced us at Al Asad, Iraq in September 2007. We had A+'s before we lost our jets in 2010 ( REALLY miss them too but, that's another story.)

This is your model and you can load it anyway you want. I can only tell you what we use to fly with for a piecetime, CONUS, Deployment. Bear in mind that the loadouts vary depending upon the mission for that particular deployment and if it's a daytime or nightime mission.

Sta. #1 = Empty or AN / ALQ-131 ( short pod ), the -184 is the long version.

Sta. #2 = Empty or LAU-131 Rocket pod.

Sta. #3 = TGM / AGM-65.

Sta. #4 = LIVE Bomb, GBU, MK-82, etc.

Sta. #5 = LIVE Bomb, GBU, MK-82, etc.

Sta. #6 = EMPTY.

Sta. #7 = LIVE Bomb, GBU, MK-82, etc.

Sta. #8 = LIVE Bomb, GBU, MK-82, etc.

Sta. #9 = TGM / AGM-65 or Targeting pod.

Sta. #10 = EMPTY.

Sta. #11 = DRA with AIM-9L/M loaded on the outboard rail just because it was easier.

I know you'll be doing a C model loadout so the only things that will be different for yours is that Station #10 will have the Targeting pod allowing Station #9 to have that second TGM /AGM-65. I hope this helps, there are just too many variables to say what loadout is the "correct" one. Stations 4, 5, 7 and, 8 were usually the workhorse stations for the bombs. Any other questions ask away, I'll be glad to help.

Steve

[JohnS]

...I have another tip! I’ve tried and used just about every type of wire imaginable to create plumbing and wiring detail, mostly copper and lead wire that have their limitations. I found some new wire that appears to be nickel (or similar) at a local electronics store that is excellent. It bends easily, holds its shape and you can easily unbend it if required and smooth out the kink. For hydraulic lines, which are often unpainted, it’s already Silver/Aluminum colored, so you don’t have to paint it! It’s a bit expensive at about $20/roll, but I bet these 2 rolls last me a lifetime….

Thanks for the tip Chuck. I've been playing around with different sizes and materials of wire for the hydraulic lines on my F-14, and settled for .06mm solder wire from The Source (Radio Shack). It's a little off scale for my 1/48, but "close enough". The solder wire is silver, & easy to use having the same properties you found with the wire you found - easy to bend, holds it's shape & easy smooth out if reshaping is required.

[chuck540z3]

Thanks Steve, I'll check into that configuration!

Chuck, what are you using for the black strips over the wire? It looks great!

Hi Sharkey,

I just use thin black insulation wire cut into little "donuts" and then thread the wire through. For the thicker wiring bundles, I cut the donut in half and then drape it over the side of the wire that is exposed, then I cement them so they won't move later using Future. Since this makes everything a bit too shiny, I then spray a thin coat of dullcoat to knock down the shine. The little donuts appear way too thick in my close-up pics, but to the naked eye, especially within the confines of the sponson, they need to be this thick just to see them.

Thanks for the tip Chuck. I've been playing around with different sizes and materials of wire for the hydraulic lines on my F-14, and settled for .06mm solder wire from The Source (Radio Shack). It's a little off scale for my 1/48, but "close enough". The solder wire is silver, & easy to use having the same properties you found with the wire you found - easy to bend, holds it's shape & easy smooth out if reshaping is required.

Thanks John. Not to "one up" you, but I have an even better idea and you don't need to settle for "close enough". Lead wire from UMM. You can get almost any width you want, including as fine as .02 mm. UMM website is here- and I highly recommend them. John Vojtech who owns this site not only is a true Master Modeler, he gives excellent customer service, even to Canada, eh!

UMM Accessories

Edited January 4, 2014 by chuck540z3

[JohnS]

Thanks John. Not to "one up" you, but I have an even better idea and you don't need to settle for "close enough". Lead wire from UMM. You can get almost any width you want, including as fine as .02 mm. UMM website is here- and I highly recommend them. John Vojtech who owns this site not only is a true Master Modeler, he gives excellent customer service, even to Canada, eh

Nice! Thanks again, Chuck. This is just what I need.

[chuck540z3]

Hey Guys. Jake Melampy has been so kind as to send me a couple of pics of what A-10's now look like without the Pave Penny pod and pylon attached to the front fuselage. It's basically just 4 large "plugs" that fill the holes where the pylon used to attach. I will document same in the future when I get back to the front fuselage, because I'm deleting this useless pod from my jet.

Thanks again Jake!

[Harold]

This is wayyyy to late. Don Logan has "hinted" that should do something for the A-10C

I started working on the IP, (the arrows shows where I made a booboo and need to add more details).

I am so impressed by your work, it is a real motivator. I wish I had found your thread when you were working on the 'pit. I would have sent you one of these.

Cheers,

Harold

[JesniF-16]

This is wayyyy to late. Don Logan has "hinted" that should do something for the A-10C

I started working on the IP, (the arrows shows where I made a booboo and need to add more details).

I am so impressed by your work, it is a real motivator. I wish I had found your thread when you were working on the 'pit. I would have sent you one of these.

Cheers,

Harold

Harold, But it's not too late for other builder's such as myself

Man Chuck, those photographs are stunning! Crystal clear, you won't be able to hide any boo boos even if you try Who cares, your work looks flawless anyways... Great improvisation on the metal pitot, you're always thinkin outside the box I love improvising as well, but many decals and resin sets have been broken into, leaving many incomplete sets lying around!

/Jesse

Edited January 4, 2014 by JesniF-16

[chuck540z3]

This is wayyyy to late. Don Logan has "hinted" that should do something for the A-10C

I started working on the IP, (the arrows shows where I made a booboo and need to add more details).

I am so impressed by your work, it is a real motivator. I wish I had found your thread when you were working on the 'pit. I would have sent you one of these.

Cheers,

Harold

No worries Harold, because my 'Pit is pure pre-LASTE, totally wrong for an A-10C, but I just love the detail of this Cutting Edge resin so much that I kept it anyway. If I tried to modify it, it would have been a mess- and still inaccurate anyway, just like almost every panel line location and much of the rivet detail. 99% of the modelers out there would never notice the difference anyway! ;)

Edited January 4, 2014 by chuck540z3