A Hog Swimming with the Sharks, 1/48 Hobby Boss A-10A

[taggor]

Hello all. Well, I thought that I better start contributing to the forum instead of just trying to find someone to sell me their TwoBobs Shark Bait decals in 1/48 scale! I have Hueyhogfan to thank for making that happen (Still looking for additional complete sheets! Mistakes will happen). I also have John Vojtech to thank who helped me so much to get this project going. Jake Melampy, of course, for the Modern Hog Guide and Robert Sanchez for putting up with my "cheese and wine!" The excellent decals help too! Haha. There are also so many great WIP's by others who have done this kit to thank all over the net. I would thank them all for the inspiration for this project. Now if I can just see it to completion! That's another story.

A little bit about me.... I have been away from the hobby for six + years so it's great to come back to this hobby and find so many AM parts and such for so many subjects. Model cars brought me back but, I just couldn't stay away from aviation for the first "real go" at completing a kit.

So.. blah, blah, blah! Haha. Seriously though, I chose to make an A-10A of the 23rd FW 74th EFS that served in OEF. I chose to make up airframe 79-0179 as she would have appeared in 2002 during Operation Anaconda. Osprey's Book : A-10 Thunderbolt II, Units of Operation Enduring Freedom was my inspiration for this.

Anyway, I know many builders have done this kit and I wanted to focus on some of my solutions to common problems that I have read about concerning this kit rather than bore everyone with a typical WIP that most builders have done excellent jobs already and that most of you have probably already seen and read. I am by no means an expert concerning the A-10 so I am sure that I will miss some detail in my build. You will have to forgive me for that but, if you see something that I could correct, please point me in the right direction.

Finally, I am not set up to paint just yet (airbrush) but, working on that too. So much of this will be slow and mainly about building as of 1/11/15. Hopefully that will be corrected in a couple of months.

So on with the first fix.

The dreaded ram intake on the starboard side of the fuselage that is in the wrong place. This leads to another problem with the circuit breaker panels too. Descriptions for photos are below the intended photo.

The scribe is the fine scribe from Flexifile. The brass template is from HQTtools. I photocopied the national insignia and placed it where I have seen it with my reference photos. I have also seen the national insignia completely across the panel but, it is usually intersecting the panel just above it. This fix will work for both placement points. I taped the template underneath the insignia and put down some painters tape to hold the template in place because I can't re-align templates very well. Even though I have had to so far on this project.

In this close up you can see that I had filled the old ram intake spot with a bit of resin spru that was on the Aires wheel bay kit for the HB A-10. I also re-enforced the point of the rework with plastic strip on the inside of the fuselage half.

Here we are with the outline and a moderate amount of relief. With the template removed now it's important to be cautious not to deform that square! (That's more for me who has a habbit of going at things too rough at first.)You can also see the original spot of the kits ram air. It's important to note that the circuit braker panels will now be too high on the panel so I have filled them with Mori Mori. The slime light was filled in too. For those that have never heard of Mori Mori it is a polyester filler from Japan that you used to be able to get here in the U.S. Not sure now, if you still can. I just happened to have some. A bit on the old side but, still seems to work.

Just a little different angle to show the relief. I made the relief with mainly a square needle file and tried to keep the corners sharp with an Xacto blade. Not done yet.

Here is the newly placed ram air intake finished and primed. I just had to go slow at it and keep and eye at my relief. The other intakes on the kit are not finished well so my work fit right in! Haha. Also, here you can see that I had penciled in the new circuit breaker panels but, that's for next time. Hope this is able to help anyone who is looking to build this kit. Until next time..... I will be drilling rivets! Sheesh.

Edited October 11, 2015 by taggor

[wardog]

Great start.......looking forward to seeing more of this build.

E.

[taggor]

Thanks wardog. I appreciate it a bunch and thanks for posting!

[jmel]

Great start! I love watching a Hog model come to life.

Jake

[taggor]

Back again but this time I have a problem to fix. Picking up from that last post, I was going to scribe in the circuit breaker panels. Well I did just that using the flexi-file fine scribe to start and then the Flexi-file medium scribe to finish. Eduards oblongs and square template #00002 was used for the shapes. Interestingly enough, I wanted to use these templates for the ram air fix but, the templates have rounded corners so they were a no go there. Just what I needed for panel corners though. None were exactly the size I was looking for so I had to pick up and re-place to get the panels scribed on. Descriptions for photos are below the intended photo.

Here you can see that the original scribed panel is not too much higher but they were a bit larger to my eye. I had also used the UMM-01 scribe tool to fashion the hinges. Here in lies one "Oops!" I over shot the vertical hinge line for the large panel door right at the right edge. So I need to fix that.

I sanded a bit and re-primed to check my work and this is where I should have left it but, of course, I couldn't leave it alone. A little note about the hinge line for the large panel; it is in fact not centered under the panel so I was happy I could at least get that right. So on with the "Ooops"

This is where things go wrong. I thought somehow I could make the latches as scribed detail and you can see I gave it a shot but. I "over shot" my mark on the left hand side latches for the big panel. I gave this a wash of black so you can REALLY see how bad I messed this up. A point of interest concerning the latches is that the panel to the right of the large circuit breaker access shows those large blocks of engraving and they are supposed to be latches as well. Guess it's time to fill them too. The re-enforcement plates to the side of the large circuit breaker access panel will be coming too.

My thoughts are that I will make a paint mask to paint the latches on. I think this will work better for scale and give me a (hopefully) "crisp" look. Since they are flush mount I think they should turn out pretty good and it's an easier fix if I mess it up!

I am happy to say that I have both fuselage halves completely "riveted." I am sure from my pics they may look a bit out of scale but, in order to maintain the rivet line through sanding an painting I think its a good fix and I like the way it looks. As a parting shot for this installment I thought I would show a pic that is not quite so zoomed in with rivet detail.

Thanks jmel and wardog again for your posts. And until the next installment (hopefully that will have some fixed circuit breaker panels) I will be .....yes... drilling rivets! :D

Edited January 16, 2015 by taggor

[chuck540z3]

My thoughts are that I will make a paint mask to paint the latches on. I think this will work better for scale and give me a (hopefully) "crisp" look. Since they are flush mount I think they should turn out pretty good and it's an easier fix if I mess it up!

I am happy to say that I have both fuselage halved completely "riveted." I am sure from my pics they may look a bit out of scale but, in order to maintain the rivet line through sanding an painting I think its a good fix and I like the way it looks. As a parting shot for this installment I thought I would show a pic that is not quite so zoomed in with rivet detail.

Welcome to Hog Heaven! Those rivets are HUGE, but then again, I like them and I think they will look very interesting when your model is finished.

I have a suggestion for your latches, that will be a lot easier than painting. Cut some dark grey or black decal film into thin strips, then cross cut portions off the width of the latches. Apply them when you decal near the end of the build, after a gloss coat. They will look super sharp and crisp and a lot better than what a paintbrush can do.

Model on!

Chuck

[taggor]

Thanks so much for the post and the tip chuck540z3! Of course I am familiar with your 1/32 Trumpeter A-10C WIP here on ARC. Stunning work! I have two of those 1/32 A-10 Trumpeter kits I bought back in about 2005 / 2006 and the 1/32 N/AW-10 too! All three of them I would classify as the "shelf of doom!" Haha. The mini trumpeter is a little easier for me to handle.... or so I thought!

Could you, or anyone else, please recommend a place to look for the grey decal sheet? I haven't started looking around yet. Not sure how many varieties of gray many be out there so something just a bit darker than the darkest gray color for the final coat. I am looking to use Gunze 307 and 308 for the final paint colors if that helps.

[chuck540z3]

Could you, or anyone else, please recommend a place to look for the grey decal sheet? I haven't started looking around yet. Not sure how many varieties of gray many be out there so something just a bit darker than the darkest gray color for the final coat. I am looking to use Gunze 307 and 308 for the final paint colors if that helps.

Hey Mark, you don't need anything special. Like most modelers, I have a stash of old and new decals that I cut up as required. The dark grey could come from just about anything, including decal walkways on a fighter jet, even lettering. Just find something that looks about the right color (and you won't necessarily need later) and cut it up into small latches. If you don't have a stash yet, then buy some cheap decals that might have the right color you are looking for.

Cheers,

Chuck

[Joel_W]

Taggor,

What an excellent start to a rather difficult build. You certainly have re-scribing down pat. My only concern is the size of the rivets. You really don't want them to dominate the visual appearance of the fuselage, rather then just being one of many elements.

Joel

[wardog]

Thanks so much for the post and the tip chuck540z3! Of course I am familiar with your 1/32 Trumpeter A-10C WIP here on ARC. Stunning work! I have two of those 1/32 A-10 Trumpeter kits I bought back in about 2005 / 2006 and the 1/32 N/AW-10 too! All three of them I would classify as the "shelf of doom!" Haha. The mini trumpeter is a little easier for me to handle.... or so I thought!

Could you, or anyone else, please recommend a place to look for the grey decal sheet? I haven't started looking around yet. Not sure how many varieties of gray many be out there so something just a bit darker than the darkest gray color for the final coat. I am looking to use Gunze 307 and 308 for the final paint colors if that helps.

Something else you could try which I have done countless times with great success is to simply spray the shade of gray you want directly onto any spare decals you already have. Ive done it on both the clear carrier portion of a decal as well as directly over the colored portion. The paint will create its own layer of thickness so to get the best results, I only use this method on aftermarket decals as the carrier film is usually much thinner than kit decals. Also,if possible, opt to paint on the clear carrier portion instead of the colored portion to avoid the extra layer of paint already there.

Elmo

[chuck540z3]

Something else you could try which I have done countless times with great success is to simply spray the shade of gray you want directly onto any spare decals you already have. Ive done it on both the clear carrier portion of a decal as well as directly over the colored portion. The paint will create its own layer of thickness so to get the best results, I only use this method on aftermarket decals as the carrier film is usually much thinner than kit decals. Also,if possible, opt to paint on the clear carrier portion instead of the colored portion to avoid the extra layer of paint already there.

Elmo

Good tip Elmo! I've never thought of that, but I sure will give it a try in the future.

Mark,

Here's a little demo of what tiny decals can do that I used on my Hog build of the Litening Pod, which I will take down once you've had a chance to look at it. There's no way I could have painted those tiny silver and black details as clearly, but with ordinary decal film, it was super easy. Those little door latches should work out about the same.

[taggor]

chuck540z3, wardog, and Joel_W thanks so much for your ideas and techniques! This is exactly the kind of WIP I was hoping for. The exchange of ideas and constructive criticisms (rivets) is very welcome. No need to worry about removing your post chuck540z3. I think it will help others to identify with what is being discussed here and every idea and technique is valuable information that others may use. At least that is how I like to think of it. You would have to have an interest in the A-10 to find this specific info. I have taken many great ideas from others' WIP's. I understand not wanting to hijack the thread and I appreciate that sentiment. I have been sick lately so not too much progress with the "re-do" and it has been raining so I haven't been able to re-prime (no spray booth yet) but, I should have something soon. Thanks again for all the great ideas and contributions to this build. Please, keep them coming and I will do my best to try and keep the build coming along. Until next time........ I will be drilling rivets ;)

Edited January 16, 2015 by taggor

[chuck540z3]

Hey Mark, as far as drilling the rivets is concerned, I hear Joel's concerns which are valid, but the effort to drill out all the recessed rivets might look really cool too. After you're done, a coat of Mr. Surfacer might knock them down just the right amount so they don't overpower your model.

Also be careful to not drill out raised ones, because many raised rivets on the Hog are a characteristic feature of this "tank in the sky". To add or replace raised ones, you might go with Archer resin decal rivets, which I used a lot on my build. They are super easy to apply and they are strong with a coat of Future after application.

Get well and model on!

[taggor]

Well, hello again! I know I haven't updated recently but, just so you all know I haven't been idle at all. For this mini installment I thought I would spare everyone the seemingly endless photos of my fist "Ooops" and show a little more progress. I am still not entirely set up for paint. Funds are a bit tight but, I expect in about the next month I should be in full paint swing (middle of Feb 2015). Meanwhile I have worked some with the Aires cockpit, and wings. I will return with the circuit breaker fix in a bit. It's a little tedious to make the stiffening plates that surround the large panel to my liking. Speaking of which, I am using the Eduard BIG ED set for the Hobby Boss A-10 and you would think that Eduard would have fashioned these items with their set. I wonder why they were left out? I know neither the HB nor the Italeri kits have them. It's been a long time since I have seen the Monogram/Revellogram kit, so I can't remember if that one has them or not. I have a couple on order mainly for the decals but, I suppose I will see then.

In the mean time a little on the Aires pit. Descriptions for the intended photo are below the photo

In 1/48 things sure are tiny! Haha. The white box is supposed to represent the Data Trasfer Unit or (DTU) and the brass is the mounting bracket cut from sheet brass. Here the DTU is not complete yet. I would later add some plastic rod to represent the cable hook ups and some .3 lead wire for the intended cable.

Something like this. My phone doesn't do macro shots too well but, I think you get the gist of it.

Looking from the right side for wire detail.

I also chose to model the Options Select Panel (OSP) which is this sad looking lump of plastic fitted atop the glare screen. :D It was fitted to LASTE upgraded jets. I chose to model the analog model that is featured in Jake Melampy's book. I have seen what appears to be a digital version of this but, of course, I saw it after making this version of it. It's made with styrene strip stock from Evergreen and single strand filament copper wire from a 16 gage pack that I picked up at Walmart. I need to clean it up a bit I think. Here is hoping for the paint to help me do that. One other tiny bit you can see in this photo is the Emergency Brake Handle just north of the throttle quadrant. This piece broke off while I was working on it and I fixed it with styrene strip (cut really, really, ..... really small!). Since I plan on building more A-10's, perhaps not right away, I have bought a few Aires cockpits and this item seems to be on the casualty list for at least one other one that I have. I also managed to break off the throttle control at one point too. Maybe Chuck is right by saying go 1/32 or go home! Haha. Nah..... I like 1/48..... most of the time.

Finally for today's post this:

Just wanted to give and image of the difference in shape from the kit sponsons and the Aires ones. To look at the kit part reminds you of something Madonna would have worn on her True Blue tour! :D More about working with the wings and such next time and more with the fuselage halves. I need that paint to button things up there.

Also, an update about the use of decals for the tiny latches discussed a post or two ago. I acquired some grey decal film that Bare Metal Foil sells on their site. It's marketed for walkway stock for aircraft but, in addition to the great ideas mentioned earlier, it's another tool to use in making them up. Until next time.

Edited January 18, 2015 by taggor

[taggor]

Hello all! Just another mini update to my A-10 build.

Descriptions for photos appear below the intended photo.

This little bit is the angle of attack indicator(AoA) (without the indicator vane). The vane will be a small bit to add close to the end since it will be easily broken. Hobby Boss would have you think it's a circle with some surrounding rivets and the vane of the AoA placed in the middle of the housing. It's actually offset as I have illustrated here. A couple more pics of it to follow. I used Eduard's template #00001 Circle and oval stencils and the Flexi-file fine scribe.

Finally for today I just wanted to illustrate the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) exhaust and the APU compartment vents.

The APU compartment vent is the vent north and to the left of the APU exhaust. Both have been detailed with aluminum tubing to create depth. I used Eduard's APU exhaust surround from their exterior kit and the "eyelid" was made using the tip of some spare ordnance from the Italeri A-10A kit. The red color that you see there is C-7 debonder residue. I had a heck of a time putting the eyelid on there and got some "spillage" with the glue. You can also see that I have worked the underside of the plane at this point too. More on that later.

That's it for this time. I am still working on the stiffener plates but, I don't have any photos that I feel comfortable showing just yet.

[chuck540z3]

Really nice work Mark! Those scratch built items will add a lot to the final product.

I smiled when I saw how you did your AOA vane plate, complete with an offset to the rear as it should be. I considered moving mine back as you did, but then I thought it might look like I screwed up and didn't center it as I should to others. Call me chicken or call me lazy, but sometimes I just go with what looks good!

Also, check out the pic below I took of the right sponson at Nellis in November. There is no center panel line at the top of the sponson, like every kit indicates, including Aires. I believe there must have been one to begin with, but it is now filled in with some sort of putty before it is painted or it was deleted in later A-10 versions. The side panel libne does exist, but it's really subtle.

Edited January 19, 2015 by chuck540z3

[taggor]

Hey Chuck! Thanks for the kind words and the picture of the sponson. It looks to me also that there is no seam on the side of the sponson either. If there is, it is very subdued. I have filed that bit of info about the deletion of the center seam as I work on the wings/sponsons. I have been taking as many reference photos from your WIP as I can! Haha Beautiful photography by the way. Both your build and the air show pics.

As far as calling you lazy........ from your work NO ONE could call you that! Only you can call yourself lazy! Haha.

As always, thanks for contributing. Also, there is another HB A-10 build started on the board! Loving it!

[Joel_W]

Mark,

excellent work with those added details. This is going to be another "kicking it up a few notches" build for sure.

One question if you don't mind. As you might recall I had some concern about the added rivet detail becoming a focal point rather then just adding to the whole overall view of the fuselage. It seems like they're drilled out, not just deepened with a punch. If that is the case, how will the you be finishing them so that they look more like rivets then a series of holes?

Joel

[chuck540z3]

It looks to me also that there is no seam on the side of the sponson either.

Mark,

The side panel line is very real, but usually subtle, depending on aircraft. On this A-10C you could hardly see it all (see below), but in other pics I've seen it look more obvious.

They way I dealt with the subtle panel lines vs. the obvious ones, was to use a dark wash in the obvious ones and leave the subtle ones totally alone, like the ones around the nose cone. I'm sure I'll get a deduction at a model contest for "inconsistent panel lines", but I care!

[Joel_W]

Chuck,

Rather then leave a panel line as is, and loose points or be eliminated for inconsistency. Why not go with a lighter shade of wash, and or leave the recessed line as is and not deepen them. Both options would serve your purpose and maintain the objective of consistency for contest judges. Back when I was a IPMS club & Noreastcon judge, the 1st few go throughs of the models on the table was to look for errors or inconsistencies. Added details got very little points, as we judged what was on the table. In many cases less was better, then more not done to perfection. It's been a lot of years since I judged, and I'm sure that much has changed. But the focus has always been on the finished results.

Joel

Edited January 19, 2015 by Joel_W

[chuck540z3]

Chuck,

Rather then leave a panel line as is, and loose points or be eliminated for inconsistency. Why not go with a lighter shade of wash, and or leave the recessed line as is and not deepen them. Both options would serve your purpose and maintain the objective of consistency for contest judges. Back when I was a IPMS club & Noreastcon judge, the 1st few go throughs of the models on the table was to look for errors or inconsistencies. Added details got very little points, as we judged what was on the table. In many cases less was better, then more not done to perfection. It's been a lot of years since I judged, and I'm sure that much has changed. But the focus has always been on the finished results.

Joel

I leave them alone because they are too big in the first place, like most panel lines on any model. I can see them and that's all I want. Even a light wash would make them "pop" a bit, which I don't want to do. The other reason, and I truly mean this, is that I don't care any more. I used to get really choked about some model contest results, but I've won my fair share of awards and I really can't complain.

[Joel_W]

I leave them alone because they are too big in the first place, like most panel lines on any model. I can see them and that's all I want. Even a light wash would make them "pop" a bit, which I don't want to do. The other reason, and I truly mean this, is that I don't care any more. I used to get really choked about some model contest results, but I've won my fair share of awards and I really can't complain.

Chuck,

I do understanding your reasoning, as it makes sense to me.

Back in the 70's I got caught up in the IPMS contest world, and it became an obsession. I built for contests, and nothing else. Winning or at least placing was how I judged the success of my builds. And eventually, it just plain wore me out. Modeling was no longer fun. No longer something that I looked forward to doing, and spent my time trying to build a better "mouse trap" just so that I could win another award. Well, time caught up with me, and I just stopped modeling for more then 30 years. Now I model for myself, for my own enjoyment. I do my level best, try to improve with every build, and I'm happy with my results. I post my builds here, and appreciate the good comments, and the constructive ones too.

Joel

[taggor]

Mark,

excellent work with those added details. This is going to be another "kicking it up a few notches" build for sure.

One question if you don't mind. As you might recall I had some concern about the added rivet detail becoming a focal point rather then just adding to the whole overall view of the fuselage. It seems like they're drilled out, not just deepened with a punch. If that is the case, how will the you be finishing them so that they look more like rivets then a series of holes?

Joel

Hey Joel_W! Thanks for your post. I know you have a very valid concern with the rivets showing up as merely holes and dominating the build. It very well may be that that may be the biggest "OOops" of my build but, in all honesty I really do like the way it looks. The A-10's actual rivets are quite large...... surely not holes though. I don't really have a plan to cover them or work them any different than as I have them shown here except to retain the illusion of depth through paint, putty, priming and sanding. Like the last post between you and Chuck, I am just building this bird for me. I have a mild interest in contests but, I don't belong to any clubs other than the forums around the net. I know Chuck had mentioned about Archer's rivet trasfers and I may try to get some to experiment with. Sprue Brothers has them out now but, when I made my last order on Saturday 1/17 they were all out of the size I needed. I am going to try to get permission from the builder who also drilled out his rivets to post a couple of his pictures here so I can show you a picture or two of what I was looking at that inspired my build the most.

So you guys can get a sense of where I have come from I present you with this:

Surely NOT on topic but, this was and still is a passion of mine. The date is correct, this was one of three kits that I had built that year. The only models I had completed in 2007. All three were posted on a board similar to this one but, dealing only in Japanese garage kits. This particular build won me a category contest on the forum for which I was really surprised considering all the great builds submitted.

So I guess what I am getting at is I don't have a long history of aviation model building so I am forever a newbie! Haha.

I have to get going to get ready for work so I apologize for not addressing each post guys but, I am very happy for all the interaction here with this build. I will try to catch up some tomorrow. Thanks.

*****NOTE to all viewers and moderators. If the above photo content is offensive or upsetting to anyone viewing this article I apologize and I will remove or a moderator may remove the offensive material and my sincerest apologies******* It is my intent only to share my work. Please contact me via PM or e-mail with concerns over the photo content.

Edited January 20, 2015 by taggor

[Air-to-Air]

It's just art, and very good art at that.

[taggor]

Thanks Air to Air for your kind remarks about my figure model. I know that some folks might find it offensive and I just want to respect their choice too. I suppose "they" can choose not to follow the WIP if that were the case but, there is no harm in respecting others' opinions as well.

So..... I have some great news. I got permission from Sid de Koning to use some of his photos from his 2012 build of the Hobby Boss A-10 kit. O/A-10A call sign "Sandy" on britmodeler.com

All the photos presented by Mr. Koning are copyright Sid de Koning 2012 and used with permission

I wanted to illustrate the drilled rivets as he did them. This is where I got my idea to do them.

I think Mr Koning's work is more subtle than mine. So now you all know! I am just a "copy cat!" Haha. Seriously though, you all can see what influence he had on my build.

For those interested in more of Sid's work on his Hobby Boss 1/48 O/A-10A build (and more ideas I robbed from him!) click the link below.

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234931114-148-oa-10a-thunderbolt-ii-callsign-sandy/

Edited January 20, 2015 by taggor