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Good day all guys,this's will be my modest contribution to this GB.

This build is one of my planned IDF bird and now I think is the right time to start it!

I want rappresent a 1982 Peace for the Galilee operation Battering Ram Sq. plane.I choose this particular Squadron 'cause I love the unit distinctive yellow rudder since I first see a squadron's plane picture,but a lack of enough reference slowed any build attempt.Fortunately, just before the last Christmas,the Isradecals guys opened a rare items section on the brand' site that included the A-4 Ahit book that I bought immediately!

So now there is no excuse to wait to build an Ahit!

Returning to the Squadron history,the Battery Ram Sq. was one of the short-lived in the IDF/AF A-4 community,lasting from 1978 to the 1986,with is operatinal apex during the 1982 Lebanese conflict,his A-4F/Hs flew in different missions, from CAS to attack to PLO bunkers,helping in the SEAD using AGM-45 Shrikes.

For this build I planned to use the Fujimi Top Gun A-4E/F box.

IxQk4d.jpg[/url][/img]

AMs include the Aires cockpit,the Eagle Design conversion set ( I probably will use only the extended jet exhaust ) and the Quickboost DEFA cannon.I'm also waiting for a Master IFR tips to replace the the kit one.

wqyEZi.jpg[/url][/img]

For the markings,I've the Sky's Decals sheet.What decals!

You can realize pratically any Ahit used by the Isarelis !

HRKHs3.jpg[/url][/img]

A content view.

0UZsgx.jpg[/url][/img]

And the markings I choose.

i13QdQ.jpg[/url][/img]

Finally,the ref book.

H63obf.jpg[/url][/img]

That's all for now.Actually I start to thin the forward fuselage in order to fit the Aires cockpit so stay tuned for news.

Thanks to watch,

Gianni.

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Nice project ! :)/>

Where you got the exhaust from ?

I bought the book exactly there and then. Was real luck to get this book.

So I will watch this topic!

Edited by MiG-Mech
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Thanks guys!

Mig,yes the purchase of the book was a fluke.

About the exhaust I bought it directly from Eagle Design,you can choose for the whole conversion set ( showed in the pics ) or for the extended jet pipe alone ( I bought also a couple of single exhausts). Maybe the best combination is the Eagle single part with the Quickbosst' DEFA,as looking more clean and crisp.

I start to work the pit,so stay tuned for progress and thanks again!

Cheers,

Gianni.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi all guys!

I've very few time to work on my build,basically half week end,so my progress're very little but I managed to finish the cockpit ( with the exception of some detail that I add in a later stage).

I admit that isn't my best pit but it is so tiny!

Here the whole parts' pletora.

KlPgSy.jpg[/url][/img]

The bathtub.I think that I need to add some weathering,who do you think?

ZWEJUr.jpg[/url][/img]

Tha seat.

GDWmzl.jpg[/url][/img]

I've also cut away the tip of the rear fuselage to accomodate the Eagle Design new exhaust.

MSwNlS.jpg[/url][/img]

That's all for now,next week I start my vacation,so for more progress I think I need some three weeks.

Thanks for watching,

Gianni

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Hei guys,

as previous said,here few progress.

First,I scratch a new exhaust duct and glued the new part to the model.

T5o7vN.jpg[/url][/img]

j2o3NU.jpg[/url][/img]ù

The fuselage with the engine fan.

xZy3Vi.jpg[/url][/img]

The pit in place.The forward fuselage was glued and the lost panels restored.

FUbjbX.jpg[/url][/img]

The upper and lower wings was glued but a dry fit show a bad fit with the fuselage so I added a thin strip of plasticard that made the trick...

weehXT.jpg[/url][/img]

I cut and added some details to the flaps that will be positioned slightly open.

RKBpD4.jpg[/url][/img]

I replaced the kit nav lights with some in clear plastic,both colored and not.

b4cfip.jpg[/url][/img]

The dorsal hump with the new air duct.Still need a pair of aerials and the nav light.

gPlOCs.jpg[/url][/img]

And finally the wings and the fuselage joined.

Xx791c.jpg[/url][/img]

That's all for now;a first dry fit of the forward fuselage with the aft one show some problem,so this will be my next fight.

As always thanks for looking.

Gianni

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Hi friends,

taking advantage of some free time I was able to made some progress with my Ahit.

I glued and filled the forward fuselage to the model.I take attention at the dry fitting in order to minimize the filling job,using when needed melted sprue.

I've also painted the inner part of the air intake and joined the splitter plate to the fuselage.

TQMaSO.jpg[/url][/img]

4Jmfus.jpg[/url][/img]

A belly shot

zZBAf9.jpg[/url][/img]

And the Israeli characteristic mods:the longer exhaust with the parabrake housing under it and the DEFA 30 mm cannon fairings;note that I removed the Quickboost resin gun barrells 'cause I'm sure to break them during the building process.At a later stage I will add the new barrels using some brass tube.

m9gwWe.jpg[/url]tp://[/img]

That's all for ,next step I will glue the air intakes and start to add details to the wheel bays.

Thanks for watching,

Gianni

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Good day friends,

as promises before I'm here with some progress.

First the wheel bays, beginning with the front one.

W4Y3u6.jpg[/url][/img]

Following with the MLG bays.

7lAIup.jpg[/url][/img]

This isn't my best job on detailing these areas as I think I worked much better in other build,but the kit starting point are good and with some minor add the result is acceptable for me.

At this point I added the fairings (one under the nose and two on each side of the exhaust) of the Elisra EL/L8230 EW suit.This system was one of the various upgrades that the IAF started after the Yom Kippur War to bring A-4H/F fleet to the -4N "TAAL-Crystal" standard.

The tail section two's are simply the slats fairings of an Hasegawa F-4 with the bigger end sanded flat and the antennas are the location pin of some pylons of my stash.

YdX2Ue.jpg[/url][/img]

iKlnul.jpg[/url][/img]

Another equipment that was part of the upgrades was the power plant,with the original J52-P-8A replaced by the higher thrust P-408.One of the feauturings of the upgrades was the bigger air inlet of the starboard fuselage;I obtained this using the Instant Mold,a sylicone-based stuff that use warm water to soften-up. At this point the IM will be pressed around the detail you need and left dry.Whit the negative mold obtained,you can press on it some epoxy putty,let it dry and ,tadaaaan! you have a copy!

The pics show the process in clockwise-style.

CFHYio.jpg[/url][/img]

After glued in place,I used CA glue to fill the joint and sanded smooth.

gBWh4Y.jpg[/url][/img]

Moving to the pit,I replaced the Aires gunsight with the TAAL HUD,using some plastic and added the EW and chaff/flare controls using plasticard and Archer rivets as buttons.

KY6Bhp.jpg[/url][/img]

Also started the detailing of the arresting hook.

cUqB7S.jpg[/url][/img]

But I spent great part of the time to obtain smooth filling at the various junction point,principally at the wing roots,the air intakes,the hump/fuselage and the DEFA cannon fairings.

And now look a this way.

F0Q9bH.jpg[/url][/img]

This all ,more will follow in the next days.

Thanks all for stop by and fell free of criticism.

Gianni

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi all guys,

I'm in with some updates.

During the painting of the ballistic glass of the windishield,I noted a very tedious issue that the paint made more obvious.

I checked all my other clear parts of my Fujimi kits and is present in all,I think for a mold question.

So I modified one cutting it from the closed canopy present on the kit,added the lost frame from plasticard and this is the result.The red arrow show the internal defect.

8jFbrg.jpg[/url][/img]

I finished the pit with the addition of the new HUD and his glass.I glued in place the windshield,scribed some panels miss in the kit and added the bump housing the rain removing system.

nQGT34.jpg[/url][/img]

After this step I started work on details like the landing gears legs,the pylons etc...

a9uHBj.jpg[/url][/img]

I scratched a Sidewinder launcher rail and is adapter as in the pics of the Lebanon war the Israeli bird often carried either a Aim-9D or a Shafrir 2 for self defence,

The 'Winder is an Hasegawa,in the final build is will be replaced by a better Brassin Aim-9D.

1Ed1ta.jpg[/url][/img]

And again,a new IFR tip and a new arresting hook...

4nKy44.jpg[/url][/img]

...and the trim actuators.

IJYWBY.jpg[/url][/img]

Finally,here ready for the Alclad grey primer ( that I've already sprayed).

50uyIb.jpg[/url][/img]

Wto3FT.jpg[/url][/img]

S2wf8q.jpg[/url][/img]

So,I can,hopefully,show you some color in the next days.

Thanks for looking,

Gianni.

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Looks so good. I am working on the very same kit nowadays and I find it to be too small and fiddly. I am impressed by the amount of details you have added. I found most of the panel lines to be shallow on my kit, did you deepen your panel lines? I know you said you rescribe the lines lost to sanding but I was wondering for the rest of the panel lines.

Also, what kind of putty did you use to fill the gaps?

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Wow ,thanks all my friends!

Jan,effectively,with in mind my previous Fujimi Skyhawk,I deepened pratically all the model panel lines.

About the putty used,I used different approach dictated by the area itself;for these that need a more extensive rescribing job like the join of the air intakes,the lower fuselage with the wings or the nose area I used the melted sprue.It is very economic and when cured yu can rescribe like any other part of the model.

In small area like the avionic hump the weapons of choice was CA glue.

For join like the fuselage with the wings and the hump,I filled the big gap withs plasticard and when dry I sanded it down flush with the surfaces involved;at that point I reverted to the old trick of putty ( Tamiya) wiped off with cotton earstick soaked in Gunze thinner.

The Fujimi A.4 family are very small as the real planes,that is true,but are also very good,so good indeed that I don't resist and bought another one in the past days to realize another IDF/AF bird,surely an first example of A-4H without hump.

I hope this can be useful and clear mate!

In this very days I started to paint the model ( I'm currently work also on my Peten and an F-100D for the Vietnam GB) so more pics very soon.

Again thanks for your words guys,

Gianni.

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Hi all mates.

I made some paint progress guys.

First the Alclad primer and some preshadow/preweathering,followed by the red for the warning markings of the air intakes and the Squadron distinctive color (yellow FS 13538).

z2sL1p.jpg[/url][/img]

PJU94g.jpg[/url][/img]

The red on the intakes.

C7eQR6.jpg[/url][/img]

The yellow on the rudder and the fuel tanks tips.

gRX3oY.jpg[/url][/img]

And finally ,after mask warning markings and the rudder, somet Gunze H-314 (FS.35622) for the belly.I mixed some black and brown fo a first weathering step.

n7f2zU.jpg[/url][/img]

Idr5LD.jpg[/url][/img]

All for now,thanks for looking and feel free to comment.

Gianni

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi guys.

In the past days from my last post I was busy paint the model's camo.

I added a general weathering at this early stage ( more will follow after the decals) and now look this way.

e7r60h.jpg[/url][/img]

pvKE0H.jpg[/url][/img]

As visible now I've to paint the white,red and black areas ( probably in this exact order ).

Unfortunately,I've only a starboard side image of Ahit 605,so for the camo pattern of the port side and the upper wings I reverted to the Israbook' Israeli vintage scheme drawings;anyway now is done and after the other color application I can start decalling the baby!

Thanks for watching,

Gianni

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Hi guys,quick update.

The colors are all on so I can start to airbrush the gloss very soon!

The pics.

lzofUw.jpg[/url][/img]

vVVuwa.jpg[/url][/img]

1PIkzU.jpg[/url][/img]

mOEm02.jpg[/url][/img]

As always thanks for looking and let me know who do you think! :cheers:

Gianni

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