A-10 LOADER Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 Up next on the bench and, inspired by Eric Boynton's fantastic build back in 2020. My build will be in flight with the hope I can make something passable for the rotating props 🤞. I didn't have plans on starting this until the fall because of all my outside chores for the season and, waiting on proper decals. I want to build her from @ the 2013 time frame, we'll see how this goes. Steve   Quote Link to post Share on other sites
A-10 LOADER Posted April 1, 2023 Author Share Posted April 1, 2023 I spent most of the day, in the garage at the scroll saw, cutting out some props. I ordered some 5" x 7", 1mm thick clear acrylic sheets. I get 4 props out of a sheet. My finished diameter needs to be 2 1/4" so I cut them slightly larger to allow for the sanding. I made three sets so I have extras to figure out how to finish them. I put 4 together and placed them in my cordless drill so I could sand the edges and the face of each one. This was the easier part, the hard part is adding the color to them.    I wanted to keep the finishing part as quick and simple as possible so I put one back in the drill and while it was spinning, I used a black and red Sharpie and a graphite pencil to see what it would look like. Obviously this won't cut it and I'll need to figure out something else. I think I'm gonna have to use the airbrush. I just am not looking forward to doing all the different masking. Steve   Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ExchefAndy Posted April 1, 2023 Share Posted April 1, 2023 I'll definitely be watching this! Best of luck creating the spinning props too... that will be the icing on the cake Andy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
f5guy Posted April 2, 2023 Share Posted April 2, 2023 Hi Steve, Â Â Â Nice follow up to the A-7D build! I have this very kit, so I'll be checking back too. Fred. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
A-10 LOADER Posted April 5, 2023 Author Share Posted April 5, 2023 On 3/31/2023 at 10:10 PM, ExchefAndy said: I'll definitely be watching this! Best of luck creating the spinning props too... that will be the icing on the cake Andy  On 4/2/2023 at 2:45 AM, f5guy said: Hi Steve,    Nice follow up to the A-7D build! I have this very kit, so I'll be checking back too. Fred. Thanks guys for checking in and, following along. I'm still "noodling over" how to attack the props. In the meantime I've received my decal and, made the base for the EP-3. The decal is 8 inches and I added a 1/2 inch border to it. I'll be using 3/4 inch MDF for the base and a 3/8 inch diameter acrylic rod for her to sit on. The base will be primed, sanded and sprayed satin black. Steve   Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RichB63 Posted April 5, 2023 Share Posted April 5, 2023 Great project…I’ll be tuned into this one! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GreyGhost Posted April 6, 2023 Share Posted April 6, 2023 Kewl Project, great subject of an oft-overlooked aircraft ..!  -Gregg Quote Link to post Share on other sites
A-10 LOADER Posted May 3, 2023 Author Share Posted May 3, 2023 Managed to get some bench time on this project. My aircrew arrived yesterday so this morning I put them together and dry-fitted them to the seats to see how things fit before I proceed. Should look alright once everything's painted and I don't really think you'll see a whole lot anyway but, since she'll be displayed "in flight" something has to go in the cockpit. Â Â Â Filling in the sonobuoy holes. They'll still need some putty but, not as bad without the plastic rod. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Thadeus Posted May 3, 2023 Share Posted May 3, 2023 Oh, nice one. Love the props. How did You manage to make them spin so fast for the pic? 😉 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
A-10 LOADER Posted May 3, 2023 Author Share Posted May 3, 2023 28 minutes ago, Thadeus said: Oh, nice one. Love the props. How did You manage to make them spin so fast for the pic? 😉 The "spinning effect" was created by putting each prop disk back into my drill and while the drill was turning I touched the disk with the corner of my sanding pad (400grit), starting at the center and working my way out to the edge of the disk. Steve   Quote Link to post Share on other sites
A-10 LOADER Posted May 4, 2023 Author Share Posted May 4, 2023 Added the attachment point for the acrylic rod, this is only dry-fitted for now. The 7/16" tube butt's up against the top of the fuselage and will get epoxied in, for a good strong hold, when the time comes. The acrylic rod fits snug and will allow me to slid the aircraft on or off whenever I need to. Steve     Quote Link to post Share on other sites
A-10 LOADER Posted May 5, 2023 Author Share Posted May 5, 2023 (edited) A little more progress today. I got the main gear doors glued into place, everything fit really well, only some minor sanding was needed. Â Â Top dorsal fairing epoxied together and dry-fitted. A small section of where the tail meets the fuselage needs to be removed so the fairing blends in somewhat. Â Â Cockpit items primed and painted. I need to add some black on the instrument panel then, I can gloss coat that and the tub and add the decals. Edited May 6, 2023 by A-10 LOADER Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dutch Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 Steve, wonderful progress. Very clean build, thus far. I like that the 7/16" tube is also glued to the top of the fuselage. That will be a strong attachment point. K/r, Dutch Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RichB63 Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 Steve, this is shaping up to be another stunner…love the inflight pose! Rich Quote Link to post Share on other sites
A-10 LOADER Posted May 7, 2023 Author Share Posted May 7, 2023 5 hours ago, Dutch said: Steve, wonderful progress. Very clean build, thus far. I like that the 7/16" tube is also glued to the top of the fuselage. That will be a strong attachment point. K/r, Dutch  5 hours ago, RichB63 said: Steve, this is shaping up to be another stunner…love the inflight pose! Rich Thanks for checking in gentlemen, much appreciated. I got the base wrapped up today and a preliminary shot of what the display will look like. Steve   Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trojan Thunder Posted May 8, 2023 Share Posted May 8, 2023 Nice work Steve, the base looks great Quote Link to post Share on other sites
A-10 LOADER Posted May 9, 2023 Author Share Posted May 9, 2023 On 5/8/2023 at 9:18 AM, Trojan Thunder said: Nice work Steve, the base looks great Thanks very much. I'm not sure about the height of the acrylic rod however, I might make it a little shorter.  Wrapped up the cockpit this morning, should look fine ( what you'll see of it ) once everything is closed up. My hats off to those of you who detail stuff in 72nd. Steve      Quote Link to post Share on other sites
A-10 LOADER Posted May 16, 2023 Author Share Posted May 16, 2023 Still chugging along on her when I get time. I built up the engine nacelles and decided to close up the small exhausts on the underside of them. In some pics they're open, others closed. Some careful filing and some .030" plastic did the trick, they still need to be sanded.     Managed to get the cockpit installed, fuselage glued together, nose cone on, sonobuoy panel holes filled, sanded and panel installed and, the nose gear doors installed. These did not fit as well as the main gear doors did. It took quite a bit of sanding to get them to cooperate. Steve     She's starting to look like a P-3 now. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RichB63 Posted May 16, 2023 Share Posted May 16, 2023 1 hour ago, A-10 LOADER said: She's starting to look like a P-3 now. Â Indeed she is. Great work Steve! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
A-10 LOADER Posted May 17, 2023 Author Share Posted May 17, 2023 17 hours ago, RichB63 said:  Indeed she is. Great work Steve! Thank you Rich, very much appreciated. A little bit more accomplished last night. I added some pins to the two canoe fairings to help hold them in place when they get epoxied on. Since they go on a rounded surface, they just kept sliding off so I taped the top one in place then drilled my holes up from the inside into the resin. The pins were glued in place with epoxy. For the bottom fairing, since I couldn't drill from the inside out, I marked it's location, found the center line and, drilled the two holes. More epoxy was used for the pins. Now when the time comes to glue these on it won't be such a issue because they will stay in the correct positions. Steve      Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Da SWO Posted May 17, 2023 Share Posted May 17, 2023 Are the canoe's after-market? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
A-10 LOADER Posted May 17, 2023 Author Share Posted May 17, 2023 3 hours ago, Da SWO said: Are the canoe's after-market? No, they are part of the kit. Steve Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trojan Thunder Posted May 18, 2023 Share Posted May 18, 2023 Nice tips Steve, I have one of these buried in the stash. I have been put off be all those pesky small antennas that need to be fitted for some variants. Though I note current pictures show a lot of those antennas missing now. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vidar_710 Posted May 19, 2023 Share Posted May 19, 2023 Awesome start! Â I'm still chewing on getting the 1/48 P-3. Â Tracy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dutch Posted May 19, 2023 Share Posted May 19, 2023 Steve, I like your style. She's looking better and better. K/r, Dutch Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.