If
you consider yourself a prop jockey...chances are very high you have either
built this model or at least have it in your stash. Not only was the
Tamiya engineering a dream to work with, but so were
all the options you had on arming the
"Spad." Loaded to bear, the A1H could make any hostile
force head for cover. That's probably one of the key reasons I was so
attracted to the
kit in the first place. Check
most forum galleries and you will no doubt see the bumble bee emblem of VA-176
assigned to the carrier Intrepid (CV-11). Scores
of build articles abound on the 409
aircraft flown by Lt.Jg.
William T. Patton.
VA-176 deployed to Vietnam as a
component of CVW-10 embarked on Intrepid (CVS 11). This was the first all
attack air wing formed and the first to deploy. Two squadrons were flying the
A-1 Skyraider and the A-4 Skyhawk. 15 May 1966: Flying from Dixie Station, the
squadron conducted its first combat sorties, flying strikes against
insurgent forces in the Republic of Vietnam. 9 Oct 1966: While flying a
rescue combat air patrol mission, four squadron aircraft engaged
four North Vietnamese Mig's. Lieutenant (jg) William T. Patton shot down
one of Mig-17s during the engagement. This was the first and only shoot
down of an enemy jet aircraft by a propeller driven plane during the
Vietnam conflict. For the action, Lieutenant (jg) Patton was awarded the
Silver Star.
Click on
images below to see larger images
I stuck with the the tried and
true VMA-176 "Thunderbolts" assigned to the USS Intrepid. I
used Polly Scale USN light aircraft grey for the topside and insignia
white/flat white for everything else. I
really didn't have any problems with the kit decals, although the bumble
bee emblem was a bit tricky. Dependable Micro Set and Sol setting
solutions quickly took care of that problem. I followed a
suggestion from modeler buddy Jeff
Brundt to airbrush Tamiya smoke and Polly Scale grimy black for the
exhaust stains. It was necessary to flatten the smoke as it has a
definite glossy appearance. (I must
admit I could stand a bit more practice in the art of staining.) The
rest of the finishing included P/S gloss for for decaling, followed by
P/S satin for the last pass. (Yes, I put more P/S flat over the exhaust
stains.) Artist oils mixed with turpenoid plus some pastel dust
were used for weathering and panel lines, etc. For armament I used 10
HVAR's, two 2,000 lb. bombs and two 2-1/2" rocket tubes. I'm told a
wide array of ordnance configurations are correct for that time period. The
adjustable lucite stand was another bargain. I found it on a bargain
table at Hobby Lobby...marked down from $21.95 to $6.00.
I
completed the model in late 2005. Hope you like it and...Happy Modeling!
Ivan
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