A-6A Intruder main landing gear door query for Trumpeter 1/72 A-6A Intruder model kit

[clumsy]

Hello,

 

I received the model a few days ago. My humble opinion is that it is not a very bad model. On the contrary it seems to be a nice one considering the options it contains ie. wings configuration. 

 

But yesterday I realised that the forward main landing gear doors were moulded closed on the model. 

 

Could someone tell and/or describe me if this had been so for A-6A or any other sub-type? Or how frequent had it been to see it in that position on the ground?

 

I have tried to find a picture of the subject but almost all them show the doors actually open. Only there is a museum piece where it shows the forward MLG doors closed.

 

Thank you very much in advance,

Arkut

[Gary F]

Did the museum one you mentioned have a full MER on the inboard wing pylon?

Sometimes for air shows they would disconnect the door linkages and either close the door manually or push it out of the way so they could load a full MER on the inboard wing pylon. 
For a normal day on the flight line, no, the door should be open. 

[clumsy]

Hello Gary,

 

Thank you very much for your reply.

Yes, the museum piece has MER fully loaded with Mk.82s.

 

But for me the most important part is the position of the MLG forward door. And in my humble opinion, by your input, it seems the model itself definitely requires some manipulation at that area which makes me a bit desperate about it. Not only the door has to be created but the well itself has to be built too. 

I might not be that capable for the well; the door might be copied from other manufacturers part etc.

 

Well, we'll see about the well:)))

 

Cheers,

Arkut

[Gary F]

Yeah that’s an odd error for them to make. Doors from another brand kit might work if you have them, or maybe do an inflight build?

Or an air show configuration with full MERs so you’d want the door closed anyway. I had the duty for an air show at Whidbey and there were 3 birds fully loaded for display …. one had black bombs, one had red bombs, and one had orange bombs. And one had a flat main tire so they couldn’t tow it to the display area.  
Good luck. 

Edited January 3 by Gary F
Info

[clumsy]

Black, red and orange? To colourful:)

 

I assume the airshow birds to be selected from the cleanest ones or? 

I prefer to build weathered planes so I do not know how at the end it will make 100% sense to have a dirty bird at an airshow.

 

Well I will find a solution. Thanks again Gary. I appreciate your input.

Cheers,

Arkut

 

 

[Paul Boyer]

Trumpeter also has you load a mix of Mk.81 (250 lb) and Mk.82 (500 lb) bombs on each MER. I don't think that was done in practice as it would present all sorts of bombing solution and salvo problems to the pilot/bombardier. No problem, though, nearly all of the ordnance in the kit is misshapen and incorrectly sized (to my eye, anyway). I'll leave off the kit ordnance and find aftermarket alternatives.

[clumsy]

Dear Paul,

 

Thank you for the comment.

Next to the closed MLG forward door the ordnance is easy-peasy in my humble opinion unless you want to build the model during a static show.

I think you are absolutely right about the size on the other hand as the ordnance are way small than 1/72 scale.

 

Kind regards,

Arkut

 

[Gary F]

ARKit,

 

The airshow birds weren’t filthy but they weren’t real clean either.  The gray topside paint was satin or flat finish so tended to not be clean even with all the rain at Whidbey.  Kind of like your car after it rains … it looks clean but drag your hand across it and you get a dirty hand.