Trumpeter 1/48 A3D-2 Skywarrior kit contents

[Viasistina]

Obviously this is the moment for the 1/48 kit, but don't forget that Hasagawa released this in multiple versions in 1/72 with many of them found on line. Wolfpack resins just released a folding wing set for it so there may be new life here.

[parche]

What is the U.S. msrp 'cause I would really like to get one and need to start collecting pennies now.

Saw one...four actually at Hobbytown and it was $99.99 MSRP and they were selling it for $82.99.

Cheers,

Dave

[KursadA]

No ordnance to put in the nicely detailed weapons bay, but there are two full engines, radar, pretty impressive looking cockpit, and definitely adequate wing fold detail with lots of PE parts.

[KursadA]

Some images & first impressions:

-Fuselage halves: engraved panel lines are well defined with rivets where appropriate. Part of the refueling probe connection is given as raised detail, so it will not be possible to build a probeless early example without having to sand off the detail. Which is kind of a problem because many early (pointed nose) Skywarriors did not have the probe for several years, including the example (BuNo 138941) that Trumpeter chose to depict on the kit decal sheet.

-The kit has three sheets of PE parts (there are two copies of the sheet in the second photo)

[KursadA]

There are far too many sprues and this is not intended to be a full review, so I will leave it to someone else to photograph all the sprues. But here are a few. I like the weapons bay details, but I have no photos of the real bay to compare.

[KursadA]

There are two full engines and the engine access panels can be posed open. Separate slats, flaps; foldable wings and tail.

The main fuselage parts and the radome seem to fit well. I have done a quick comparison to plans scaled up from the Ginter book and the shapes seem to match very well. At first glance, this looks like a very good kit. I think it certainly needs better decals but I am working on fixing that.

Edited May 10, 2013 by KursadA

[F4DPhantomII]

Would love to see a B or RB-66 in 1/48 come out.

[KursadA]

As I make progress in designing the decals and looking into the kit in more detail, I keep discovering some little things that are bothering me a bit, but no major issues so far. The kit is not without its faults; some panel lines look very suspect to me and I am somewhat concerned about the location and shape of the landing gear well. I am going to enlarge some of the partial drawings from the Ginter book and do a more careful comparison tonight.

[Tailspin Turtle]

As I make progress in designing the decals and looking into the kit in more detail, I keep discovering some little things that are bothering me a bit, but no major issues so far. The kit is not without its faults; some panel lines look very suspect to me and I am somewhat concerned about the location and shape of the landing gear well. I am going to enlarge some of the partial drawings from the Ginter book and do a more careful comparison tonight.

The lower aft edge of the main landing gear well looks like it curves forward too much, for starters. The raised rectangles where the wind brake lies ahead of the bomb bay are dubious. And if that's the only wing provided, it is the cambered leading edge version with the inboard slats, which limits it to a subset of the bombers as is. See http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2010/09/mighty-skywarrior.html for more.

[Tailspin Turtle]

The lower aft edge of the main landing gear well looks like it curves forward too much, for starters.

Well, maybe not by much. See http://s473.photobucket.com/user/940735/media/A3%20Skywarrior/045_zpsf918d23b.jpg.html?sort=3&o=74

It's from Darren Tamanaha's A3D walkaround set: http://s473.photobucket.com/user/940735/library/A3%20Skywarrior?sort=3&page=1

Note,however, that he photographed a version, not a bomber, and there are many detail differences, the main wheel brakes and ATM exhaust ports for instance, between the two. Other details with respect to the main landing gear wheel well are that the back wall of the main gear well is vertical, not curved, and there is only a shear web (sheet metal panel) between the left and right wells.

[Ben Brown]

And if that's the only wing provided, it is the cambered leading edge version with the inboard slats, which limits it to a subset of the bombers as is. See http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2010/09/mighty-skywarrior.html for more.

Aaaand, of course the jet I wanted to build, the one depicted in Kursad's profile at the top of the page, didn't have the CLE wing. Reshaping the slats wouldn't be a problem, but redoing the entire leading edge would be a bear. Looking through my Ginter book, at least there are still some pointy-nosed jets that can be built with the kit, as well as some Vietnam bombers .

Ben

[Tailspin Turtle]

Aaaand, of course the jet I wanted to build, the one depicted in Kursad's profile at the top of the page, didn't have the CLE wing. Reshaping the slats wouldn't be a problem, but redoing the entire leading edge would be a bear. Looking through my Ginter book, at least there are still some pointy-nosed jets that can be built with the kit, as well as some Vietnam bombers .

Ben

There's wrong and notably wrong and fixable and hard to fix. My guess is that the slat fix is easy and the camber is not notablely wrong...

[Darren Roberts]

Here's hoping for VAH-1 markings. I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jennings]

Would love to see a B or RB-66 in 1/48 come out.

I would as well, but there's zero in common between an A-3 and a B-66 other than the Douglas name plate.

[bugs3144]

I would as well, but there's zero in common between an A-3 and a B-66 other than the Douglas name plate.

As I state above, the original RB-66 built before the B-66 was based on the A3. Air Force wanted all carrier provisions removed and ejection seats add before accepting design. So in fact it wound up being a totally different aircraft but then we can dream can't we. Kinda like cousins. If you look long and hard you might see some family resembalance.

Frank

ATL

[Viperguy]

Thisis one I've been waiting for for a long time. I'm going to start saving my pennies and look the other way at the price. Also, maybe by the time I've saved up enough the price might have dropped a little bit.

[caiotfjr]

As I state above, the original RB-66 built before the B-66 was based on the A3. Air Force wanted all carrier provisions removed and ejection seats add before accepting design. So in fact it wound up being a totally different aircraft but then we can dream can't we. Kinda like cousins. If you look long and hard you might see some family resembalance.

Frank

ATL

Kinda like brothers. If you look long and hard you might mistaken them for the same airplane in a different disguise, really, specially if you don't know the planes

[Darren Roberts]

Here's what the Trumpy kit will be replacing. This is the old CA kit with the rear gun area from the B-66 and a reshaped nose.

[bugs3144]

Here's what the Trumpy kit will be replacing. This is the old CA kit with the rear gun area from the B-66 and a reshaped nose.

Nice job.

Frank

ATL

[Tailspin Turtle]

Main Landing Gear Wheel Wells and Brakes: http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2013/05/douglas-a3d-skywarrior-main-landing.html

[Tailspin Turtle]

And my thoughts on the forward fuselage: http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2013/05/trumpeter-148-a3d-forward-fuselage.html

[Ben Brown]

Good info! Thanks, Tommy!

[Tailspin Turtle]

Good info! Thanks, Tommy!

Thanks for saying so. I've expanded the forward fuselage post with more pictures and information and added a post on the fuel vent: http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2013/05/a3d-fuel-vent.html

[Dimitri]

Here's what the Trumpy kit will be replacing. This is the old CA kit with the rear gun area from the B-66 and a reshaped nose.

Darren, maybe you are not advised but there were two versions of the Skywarrior kit released under Collect-Aire label. It seems your conversion is based on an early version of the kit dated back to ealy 90's. This kit was pretty rough, simple and very heavy since it even did have a solid (not hollow) fuselage.

Another kit was released in late 90's. This was a completely new release having no commonality with the early release and out-of-box it looks like

So, Trumpeter kit will be replacing rather the latter C-A kit.

Edited May 18, 2013 by Dimitri

[Darren Roberts]

You are correct. The second release of the RKA-3B was very nice for a resin kit. I never did get the money gathered to purchase one. The Trump kit will be a bargain compared to the price of the CA kit. My pictures are of the first release, and your description of it is spot on!