roym Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Currently working on the Italeri 1/720 CV-59, thought it might be interesting to have an A-4 to go with it in the display cabinet. Well, with what's coming in November, what other plane would I do?!!! I've done a search and found discussions on the plane he was shot down in, but does anyone know if there are decals in 1/72 for the plane he was in during the Forrestal's fire (which I believe was the initial plane struck by the errant Zuni to begin with?) Even decals for that squadron (I can make up the Bu and modex numbers). What squadron was it and what model of Skyhawk? TIA, Roy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Viperguy Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 I believe it was VA46. You might be able to go to the USS Forrestal site to be sure. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
john53 Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 John McCain was with VA-46 , the Clansmen on Forrestal in '66 and I beleive his plane was an A-4E Skyhawk-----when he was shot down in '67 he was with the Saints, VA-163, on the Oriskany---HTH---John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 Yep, according to Google, it was VA-46 Clansmen. Here's a pic of a desktop model: http://www.flyingmule.com/products/CG-US37404 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stefan buysse Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 Hi Roy, If you really want to do a VA-46 Skyhawk justice, maybe you should consider doing one in 1/48 scale. The markings are on the Victory Productions Decals sheet. The Tartan markings of VA-46 must have been quite a challenge for decal printers in 1/48, I doubt they would be feasible in 1/700. Are there reasonable Skyhawks in 1/700? I need some too, but I guess we'll have wait until Dragon does the angled deck Essex-class carriers. Cheers, Stefan. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
roym Posted April 1, 2008 Author Share Posted April 1, 2008 Hi Roy,If you really want to do a VA-46 Skyhawk justice, maybe you should consider doing one in 1/48 scale. The markings are on the Victory Productions Decals sheet. The Tartan markings of VA-46 must have been quite a challenge for decal printers in 1/48, I doubt they would be feasible in 1/700. Are there reasonable Skyhawks in 1/700? I need some too, but I guess we'll have wait until Dragon does the angled deck Essex-class carriers. Cheers, Stefan. Hi Stefan, Sorry I should have made it clearer, the ship is 1/700 (actually 1/720, but I don't care) and I was planning to do the Skyhawk in 1/72, that's why I was asking if there were decals for it. Another question, I have the Italeri A-4E/F kit with the humpback, did VA-46's aircraft have the humpback by then? Cheers again, Roy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stefan buysse Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 Hi, No hump, I'm afraid. Cheers, Stefan. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 Isn't Italeri's A-4E/F really closer to an M? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
roym Posted April 1, 2008 Author Share Posted April 1, 2008 Isn't Italeri's A-4E/F really closer to an M? I dunno. ESCI one then? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Skull Leader Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 McCain's skyhawk WAS the first hit. An A-6 intruder parked across from him had a zuni mis-fire when the APU starting the A-6 surged (if I remember the video correctly). McCain evidently had to egress by blowing the canopy and crawling out on his refueling probe! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Reddog Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 McCain's skyhawk WAS the first hit. An A-6 intruder parked across from him had a zuni mis-fire when the APU starting the A-6 surged (if I remember the video correctly). McCain evidently had to egress by blowing the canopy and crawling out on his refueling probe! The Zuni came from an F-4 from VF-74 that was spotted by the B and A (Boat and Aircraft) Crane. Reddog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jbryan911 Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 Read "Sailors to the End" by Greg Freeman. It has first person accounts of the incident, including John McCain. It also explains what led to the accident occuring, and well as the specific aircraft information on the Phantom the rocket came from. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
roym Posted November 4, 2008 Author Share Posted November 4, 2008 Ok, there are 4 threads on Scooters flown by McCain on ARC. Referring only to the Forrestal fire A-4 from VA-46, can we confirm whether it was an A-4C or a humpless A-4E? This thread says an -E, another says a -C. The Victory Productions decals says -E, so that's what I'm going with. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PNW_Modeler Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 (edited) The Clansmen flew Echos while on the Forrestal. Without the hump. That is confirmed from Skyhawk.org July 29, 1967: While aircraft were being prepared for the second launch of the day against targets in Vietnam, a fire broke out on the flight deck of United States Ship Forrestal CVA 59. Flames engulfed the fantail and spread below decks touching off bombs and ammunition. Heroic efforts by VA-46 personnel, along with other members of CVW-17 and ship's company, brought the fires under control. Damage to the carrier and aircraft was severe and the casualties included 132 dead, two missing and presumed dead and 62 injured. LCDR Fred White, in the aircraft that was struck by a Zuni rocket, was one of those killed. A total of eleven A-4E Skyhawks were lost in the fire. Those lost by VA46 were: 149996 (AA416), 150064 (AA405), 150068 (AA407), 150084 (AA410), 150115 (AA412), 150118 (AA414) and 150129 (AA417). Other Skyhawks lost were: BuNo. 152018, BuNo. 152024, BuNo. 152036, and BuNo. 152040. Skyhawk.org Regarding his aircraft with the VA-163 Saints October 26, 1967: A-4E Skyhawk BuNo. 149959 AH 300 was shot down by a surface-to-air missile (SAM) during a combat mission over North Vietnam. The pilot Lieutenant Commander John S. McCain III, successfully ejected and was made Prisoner of War. Edited November 4, 2008 by paul.nortness Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 The Tartan markings of VA-46 must have been quite a challenge for decal printers in 1/48, I doubt they would be feasible in 1/700. Printers he11! The poor decal artist almost went blind! B) J Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andre Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 Isn't Italeri's A-4E/F really closer to an M? It has the correct nose and canopy for an E/F, so it looks like Italeri did their homework on this one. Perhaps you're thinking of Esci's 1/48th A-4M kit, which has a A-4E/F style canopy..? Cheers, Andre Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sig Saur & Son Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 (edited) Markings for the shootdown period looked like these- USN PHOTO This is the Scooter McCain was shot down in. However, I am not certain it wore these markings at the time McCain was flying his fateful sortie USN PHOTO Here is a shot of a USS Forrestal based A-4E assigned to VA-46. Sorry, I have no date for this shot. Edited November 4, 2008 by Sig Saur & Son Quote Link to post Share on other sites
roym Posted November 4, 2008 Author Share Posted November 4, 2008 Many many thanks for posting these pics, especially the last one. Just what I need! Cheers, Roy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RedHeadKevin Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 (edited) Sorry about my comment, folks. I was trying to make a joke, which apparently WASN'T funny. ( if you don't know what I'm talking about, then don't worry about it.) Edited November 4, 2008 by RedHeadKevin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fuji Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 The Clansmen Markings have always been a challenge. I wan't to do a Bicentenial A-7 from VA-46 and was looking at refs thinking "My God what have I gotten myself into?" Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 It has the correct nose and canopy for an E/F, so it looks like Italeri did their homework on this one.Perhaps you're thinking of Esci's 1/48th A-4M kit, which has a A-4E/F style canopy..? Cheers, Andre The Italeri kit *is* the ESCI kit. Italeri owns the ESCI molds now. They haven't done their own A-4. J Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andre Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 The Italeri kit *is* the ESCI kit. Italeri owns the ESCI molds now. They haven't done their own A-4. Oh yes they did. Italeri may recently have reboxed Esci's 1/48th kit, but the original poster wanted to do an 1/72nd Skyhawk. And those (A-4M, A-4E/F, OA-4M) are Italeri's own molds, having no relationship to Esci. Cheers, Andre Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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