1/48 Italeri Lockheed Martin ES-3A Shadow

Gallery Article by Klaasjan Schuuring on Mar 2 2018

 

      

The ES-3A Shadow is the EW version of the famous Viking. The kit is a reboxing of the old ERTL kit. The years have left their mark and several edges were rather rough. Time for a new tool version perhaps. Anyhow, to help this kit along in the 21st century I ordered a set from Eduard. That set was three times the price of the kit itself but well worth it.

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Building the kit was very straightforward. Detail is pretty good however given the age. The Eduard extras were mainly instrument panels in the cockpit, updates of the ejector seats, wheel well sides and some tubing, the fans in the engines, the stairs and lots of little additions on the surface.

Painting was just as straightforward. After the preshade the base colour (dark gunship gray) was sprayed on. I highlighted the panels a little. I tried using a floor polish this time as a gloss coat. After a disasterous mishap during weathering of another kit I decided to try this and I'm satisfied. Decals went on nicely although some were either too small or too large. After another gloss coat I gave the kit a wash and some leakage streaks. I finished it with a matt coat and hey presto another shadow joins the ranks. The kit took only two and a half weeks to complete. (what else to do when you have the flu?)

Klaasjan Schuuring

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Photos and text © by Klaasjan Schuuring