Subject: Re: Skyraider submission #6
From: "Submissions for ARC" <[email-masked]>
To: "Vince Pedulla" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 31 May 2014 12:21:25 -0700

Hi,
I just wanted to let you know your article went on ARC today.  Thanks again for sending it in.

Steve Bamford
ARC Air - Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.arcair.com

Live like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you've never been hurt.
Work like you don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Vince Pedulla 
  To: [email-masked] 
  Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2014 5:35 AM
  Subject: Skyraider submission #6

  "AD-5W AEW "Guppy"

  Matchbox/Tamiya in 1/48th scale 

  by "Vince Pedulla" 

  -------------------- 

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  1/48th scale Matchbox AD-5 and Tamiya AD-1H kitbash, with Cutting Edge and Cobra Company resin parts

  AD-5W AEW Skyraider, USS Forrestal, VA-52, 1967

  Preface: All my Skyraider models share a few common traits. All of them (except the AD-6 & AD-5W, which were unarmed) have gun barrels & pitot tubes made from hypodermic needles. All were painted with Testor's Model Master or Tamiya acrylics and weathered with oils. I also used AK Interactive washes to replicate the always present oil and fuel stains on this dirty bird. Aerials were created with EZ Line strands. Beyond that I used a variety of aftermarket parts & decals as described in each model's individual article.

  A word about the Tamiya kit.wonderful! Goes together without any drama and is very nicely detailed straight out of the box. But like any kit.there's room for improvement! 

  This was my final 48th scale Skyraider, and the most challenging!! I wanted a wide body AD-5 in the collection, but the only game in town is the old 80's vintage Matchbox kit. Another option is an out of production resin conversion, but the few I found on Ebay were way overpriced. The Matchbox kit is.bad.awful.and the only one out there. So I plunged ahead, did some research on other modelers who have kitbashed the Matchbox kit with Tamiya parts. Literally the only parts I used from the Matchbox kit were the fuselage halves, upper half of the front empennage, and tail hook. Everything else is from Tamiya or are after-market parts.

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  So for my final 1/48th scale Sandy I decided to do the Airborne Early Warning (AEW) AD-5W using parts from the Cutting Edge AD-4W conversion, mainly the radar dome. If you are going to build the Matchbox kit (or the "new" Revell model), you MUST get the Cobra Company resin cockpit. This is a major improvement to the MB kit pit. I depicts an Air Force bird with the dual controls, but was easy to modify to the single control Navy version, with the right seat position modified as the RIO's work station. 

  I began by sanding smooth the raised panel lines on the fuselage, or filling the trench like lines with plastic rod. This was all sanded smooth. Many modelers mate the bottom half of the Tamiya fuselage with the rear and upper of the MB kit, but I went different route. I used the MB fuse, but split the front fuselage part and blended it with the better detailed Tamiya lower part. I could have used the entire Tamiya front fuse part, but I observed that the AD-5's top air scoop was different, as it angled down more sharply, which was depicted correctly in the MB kit. Filling, sanding, smoothing and rescribing followed, a labor of love I guess. The Tamiya engine cowling was mated with the fuselage. The most difficult part of this project was the rear canopy, which on this version of the aircraft was not glass, but rather a metal covering, with two raised humps to better fit the radar operator and equipment. My first attempt was done by using the thick MB canopy, adding plastic stock, sanding smooth and filling with sculpting epoxy. It was OK, but I missed the double hump and was not able to figure out a way to create the two small half oval windows. When I obtained a couple of the Squadron vacuum formed canopies, I decided to try again. This time, after adding bracing to the inside of the canopy to reduce flex, I cut .010 plastic stock to depict the window openings, then slowly added layers of plastic strip and pieces to create the framing and double hump base shape. I masked off the framing and window openings and used sculpting epoxy again to create a base surface, and sanded it smooth. After priming and smoothing a few more times, I added some small details to depict hinges and latches. This was a much better result.  BTW, Steel Navy now produces this part in resin.where were you a year ago??? The front windscreen and canopies were also from Squadron.  

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  The wings were assembled using parts from the CE AD-4W set, which depicted the round openings of the wheel wells. I added them to the Tamiya lower wings and faired them in. I filled the pylon mount holes and cannon openings on the bottom of the wings and sanded smooth the armor plating. As the large radome covers much of the area where I had sanded away armor, I did not have to re-scribe! I had planned on modifying the Tamiya wheel covers until I observed that the AD-5's landing leg covers were more tube shaped than the single seat aircraft.  The CE set has resin parts which depict the early small round covers, and these were perfect as a starting point. I split Evergreen tubing, sanded it thinner, and blended it to the resin parts. I added the fairings and inner supports with plastic stock. These ended up being a decent representation of the real things.  Some research I did suggested that the bottom speed brake was left off and a small escape hatch added to the opening. But one of the members of my model club actually worked on these planes and said that he remembers the speed brake being in place. Maybe there were two versions? I went with the speed brake.  The cockpit went together fine, although I sanded off the molded on seatbelts and added PE parts from Lion Roar. I made no effort to detail the rear compartment as this was going to be unseen. I modified the instrument panel, deleting the gun sight and adding a close approximation of the EWO's right seat station.  I pinned the radar dome with thicker round brass rods. The vacuum form canopy from Squadron replaced the thick Matchbox parts, with black decals used for the windscreen frame. The bird was painted in a similar way to the others, with Model Master acrylics, oils, and pencils.  I wanted to depict a plane from VAW-12, which marked their planes with a very cool red bat logo on the tail. I bought some Papilio ink jet decal paper and created the unique scheme in Photoshop. Other markings were cobbled together from left over decals, of which I had LOTS! The Papilio paper was thicker than I would have liked, though.

  This was the final of seven Skyraiders I built over a period of about 2 years.  The seventh (missing) one was an in flight version that did not turn out as well as I'd like and is currently "hangar queen", awaiting a repaint.  More of my models are forthcoming and can be seen at www.modelerv.com.  Thanks!

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  Photos and text © by "Vince Pedulla"