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Hasegawa 1/48 A-4 Blue Angels release


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The Furball decal set has a low-viz scheme for a Super Fox from VMA-142.

 

Initially I was excited because the aircraft (155028) was also used by VMA-133, which is my strong preference, but VMA-142 used very light markings, not the more standard varieties used in VMA-133 at the time. But the set has so many numbers you can probably cobble something together.

 

 

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12 hours ago, achterkirch said:

Darren your right. It comes with the super fox intakes.  And at least than 32 bucks it’s a pretty good deal I think.  

 

What source are you getting that information from about the Super Fox intakes?

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1 hour ago, Ishthe47guy said:

 

What source are you getting that information from about the Super Fox intakes?

A-4F blue angles instructions 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10045606/70/1

 

A-4M instructions 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10155058/70/1

 

They both use sprue Q for the intakes. 

The regular Skyhawks use sprue J instead. 

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Is there a list of BuNos that we’re converted to Super Fox, besides BA aircraft.  I have a couple sheets of adversary decals and the instructions don’t indicate if the aircraft were converted or not.  It’s my understanding that the Super Fox conversions were common in the adversary squadrons. 

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5 hours ago, achterkirch said:

A-4F blue angles instructions 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10045606/70/1

 

A-4M instructions 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10155058/70/1

 

They both use sprue Q for the intakes. 

The regular Skyhawks use sprue J instead. 

 

Thanks for the info, it makes sense now. 

 

I'm wondering if there is any difference between this new offering and the Monogram Pro-Modeler BA kit I've had in the stash for at least a decade.

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3 hours ago, Ishthe47guy said:

 

Thanks for the info, it makes sense now. 

 

I'm wondering if there is any difference between this new offering and the Monogram Pro-Modeler BA kit I've had in the stash for at least a decade.

 

I believe that the Promodeler is a straight up, standard Hasegawa A-4E/F. I don't think it has any of the BA specific items.

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5 hours ago, Darren Roberts said:

 

I believe that the Promodeler is a straight up, standard Hasegawa A-4E/F. I don't think it has any of the BA specific items.

It is. I’m making one right now. It’s just a plain Jane Hasegawa A-4E/F kit. 

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6 minutes ago, Jay Chladek said:

Does the new kit include any other BA specific parts besides the Superfox intakes?

 

It looks like it is supposed to include the ladder fairing as a metal part.  Mine should be here from Sprue Brothers tomorrow. 

 

here is a link with pictures of the parts and instructions

 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10045606

 

 

Edited by Kurt H.
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17 hours ago, okthree said:

Is there a list of BuNos that we’re converted to Super Fox, besides BA aircraft.  I have a couple sheets of adversary decals and the instructions don’t indicate if the aircraft were converted or not.  It’s my understanding that the Super Fox conversions were common in the adversary squadrons. 

 

I can't find one, but it seems that 2/3rds of all A-4F's had the conversion done. It's usually hard to tell in photos what kind of intake the aircraft is sporting, so I would look at the exhaust. The up-engined A-4F's exhaust will have a little flange at the end instead of being a smooth cone. This part is also on sprue Q.

 

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21 minutes ago, Kurt H. said:

It looks like it is supposed to include the ladder fairing as a metal part.

 

What's weird is that this is part of the TA-4J sprue. I wonder why they went to the trouble of making a new metal part when they could have just included a sprue they've already designed which is made of cheap, cheap plastic.

 

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17 minutes ago, spejic said:

 

What's weird is that this is part of the TA-4J sprue. I wonder why they went to the trouble of making a new metal part when they could have just included a sprue they've already designed which is made of cheap, cheap plastic.

 

 

I got my TA -4J from the kit dungeon. I see the ladder fairing on sprue V.  I wonder if it is easier to include the sprue or commission a run of metal parts.

 

I am glad you pointed this out. I was thinking of trying to build all 7 Blue Angel A-4s and was not sure how to address the ladder fairing on the TA-4J, and sure enough it is in the kit.  Now does the TA-4J kit have the larger intakes? If not I can get them from phase hangar resin.  It looks like Sprue Brothers is out of Steel Beach Super Fox intakes. 

Edited by Kurt H.
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5 hours ago, Kurt H. said:

 

I got my TA -4J from the kit dungeon. I see the ladder fairing on sprue V.  I wonder if it is easier to include the sprue or commission a run of metal parts.

 

I am glad you pointed this out. I was thinking of trying to build all 7 Blue Angel A-4s and was not sure how to address the ladder fairing on the TA-4J, and sure enough it is in the kit.  Now does the TA-4J kit have the larger intakes? If not I can get them from phase hangar resin.  It looks like Sprue Brothers is out of Steel Beach Super Fox intakes. 

 

Did they up-engine the TA-4J? 

Edited by Darren Roberts
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I did a little more research and it sounds like the J had the less powerful engine.  I could not find much about blues TA-4J, but it seems reasonable it was stock. I was going on the assumption it might have had the bigger engine since it might have to perform.  I remember one time I saw the Blue Angels and one of the F-18s would not start, and the pilot got out, ran to #7 and flew it in the show.  

 

Any way the re-issue has the metal ladder housing, and sprue Q, with the large intakes, so if my understanding is correct, it is all set to build a superfox as well.  The decals are Hasegawa Decals, they do not say cartograf.

 

Like phantoms, one can never have enough Hasegawa A-4s

 

 

 

 

 

 

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This is a re-release from Hasegawa. They previously issued it in 2005, and it had the metal ladder fairing then as well, which was done before the TA-4J kit was released in 2009. 

 

As for the #7 jet, the parabrake housing and ladder probe were the primary external differences, and towards the end of its career it also gained the cranked refueling probe. It was also the only Blue Angels A-4 to not have the fixed slats. 

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4 hours ago, skyhawk524 said:

This is a re-release from Hasegawa. They previously issued it in 2005, and it had the metal ladder fairing then as well, which was done before the TA-4J kit was released in 2009. 

 

As for the #7 jet, the parabrake housing and ladder probe were the primary external differences, and towards the end of its career it also gained the cranked refueling probe. It was also the only Blue Angels A-4 to not have the fixed slats. 

Interesting! Do you know if slat interior vas red or (most likely) blue? I got two of these kits from HLJ - bargain price,and one of the best kits in 48 scale.

 

Thx

P

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On 4/9/2020 at 2:34 AM, spejic said:

 

I can't find one, but it seems that 2/3rds of all A-4F's had the conversion done. It's usually hard to tell in photos what kind of intake the aircraft is sporting, so I would look at the exhaust. The up-engined A-4F's exhaust will have a little flange at the end instead of being a smooth cone. This part is also on sprue Q.

 

It is hard to tell that an A-4F has received the Super Fox conversion: https://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2011/02/super-fox.html

 

However, I’m not sure that the flange is unique to the Super Fox: https://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2016/08/a4d-skyhawk-one-more-time.html

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On 4/9/2020 at 3:36 PM, Kurt H. said:

I did a little more research and it sounds like the J had the less powerful engine.  I could not find much about blues TA-4J, but it seems reasonable it was stock. I was going on the assumption it might have had the bigger engine since it might have to perform.  I remember one time I saw the Blue Angels and one of the F-18s would not start, and the pilot got out, ran to #7 and flew it in the show.  

 

The TA-4J was equipped with a less powerful engine than the F as Navy training command figured a nugget pilot was less likely to get into trouble with a "de-tuned" engine as it were. But if necessary, TA-4Js could be brought up to TA-4F spec in a time of need very easily as it would take an engine swap, installation of the Colt guns (a few TA-4Js had single Colt guns for gunnery range practice) and the addition of wiring to make the aircraft capable of being armed. I believe some of the countries who operated Skyhawks got some of the J models after they were retired from USN/USMC service and had them upgraded to TA-4F spec. Once done, the only way to tell whether a jet was an F or a J was the Baer number.

 

So it wouldn't surprise me if the Blues had their TA-4J souped up with the same powerplant as their single seater models. It would make sense from a logistical standpoint if an engine change was needed.

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On 4/10/2020 at 1:12 AM, Petarvu said:

Interesting! Do you know if slat interior vas red or (most likely) blue? I got two of these kits from HLJ - bargain price,and one of the best kits in 48 scale.

 

Thx

P

 

The slat wells on the TA-4 were blue, but the flaps interiors and backside of the speed brakes (not the speed brake well, they were blue) were red.

 

19 hours ago, Jay Chladek said:

The TA-4J was equipped with a less powerful engine than the F as Navy training command figured a nugget pilot was less likely to get into trouble with a "de-tuned" engine as it were. But if necessary, TA-4Js could be brought up to TA-4F spec in a time of need very easily as it would take an engine swap, installation of the Colt guns (a few TA-4Js had single Colt guns for gunnery range practice) and the addition of wiring to make the aircraft capable of being armed. I believe some of the countries who operated Skyhawks got some of the J models after they were retired from USN/USMC service and had them upgraded to TA-4F spec. Once done, the only way to tell whether a jet was an F or a J was the Baer number.

 

So it wouldn't surprise me if the Blues had their TA-4J souped up with the same powerplant as their single seater models. It would make sense from a logistical standpoint if an engine change was needed.

 

The primary 7 jet was BuNo 158722. It was with the team the entire time they flew the A-4, except when she was out for depot maintenance. I'm 100% positive that she never received the J52-P-408 that the single seat jets had. Check out the video I've linked. It was done in 1985 and features Christopher Reeve getting the fly with the Blues, and has extensive coverage of the TA. Fast forward to 21:29 on the video, and you'll see the diamond taking off, but the TA is in the slot, and the 3 single seat jets quickly accelerate away from it. That is the best proof I need to know that she didn't have the same 408 installed.

 

 

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