Air Enthusiast 1971-11 vol.01 no.06
MODEL ENTHUSIAST

A pair of deltas

Two modern delta-winged combat aircraft added to the stockists' shelves recently are 1/72nd scale kits of the Saab 37 Viggen from Airfix and the McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawk from Frog. It would be nitpicking to suggest that the Viggen kit is anything but superb. It possesses almost all the virtues — accuracy, clean pressings, excellent surface detail, easy assembly, a mass of underwing stores, and so on. Its one shortcoming is provided by its decals which are inaccurately coloured and fuzzily printed, and unworthy in every respect of the fine kit that they accompany. At a UK retail price of 34 pence Airfix's Viggen is quite astonishing value.

The other delta results from Frog's policy of re-issuing kits originally produced by Hasegawa, and is one of the most recent versions of the A-4 Skyhawk, though not the most recent. Basically the A-4F model, it can be completed as an A-4H of Israel's Heyl Ha'Avir or an A-4K of the RNZAF, markings for both being provided by the high-quality decal sheet, this kit provides a neat, well-detailed model which we believe to be easily assembled. We say believe advisedly as our review sample suffered severe distortion of its fuselage halves. Unfortunately, it is not entirely accurate in outline as its overall length of 7*05 inches (17,91 cm) scales out at 42'5 feet (12,95 m) which is the length of the /wo-seater. It should, in fact, have a length of 6*7 inches (17,02 cm) to scale out at the correct length of 40*1 feet (12,22 m). A large selection of underwing stores is included as is also the ''avionics hump" vyhich appears aft of the cockpit of the A-4K and is now appearing on A-4Hs, and the box art illustrates the camouflage applied to both Israeli and New Zealand aircraft completely, that of the Israeli Skyhawk, if accurate, being fascinating. Frog's Skyhawk retails at 47 pence in the UK, and in terms of quality is value for money.

Air Enthusiast 1971-11 vol.01 no.06

Air Enthusiast 1972-02 vol.02 no.02
MODEL ENTHUSIAST

This month's colour subject

The McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is no fledgeling among the world's combat aeroplanes. On the contrary, from the production viewpoint, it may be numbered among the most long-lived of the current generation of warplanes, and as readers of our detailed feature on the Skyhawk (December issue) will be aware, Ed Heine-mann's "bantam" bomber is included in the inventories of quite a few air arms. As is to be expected, a fair number of Skyhawk model kits have appeared over the years, probably the first to be issued having beeri the 1/48th scale kit from Lindberg. This was followed by Revell's 1/51st scale kit, which, apart from its scale oddity, makes up into an excellent model, the kit being accurate, well-detailed and easy to assemble. It has been issued in at least three sets of markings over the years, and is still available in the USA if not elsewhere.

Airfix came next with a 1/72nd scale kit of the Skyhawk which, if accurate in outline, is distinctly primitive by comparison with its manufacturer's later offerings, and, after a considerable lapse of time, what is undoubtedly the best of all Skyhawk kits emerged in Japan from Fujimi, a superb 1/50th scale A-4E later re-issued in TA-4F form. The Fujimi Skyhawk is one of the finest kits of any aircraft type ever issued, and an outstanding example of the model kit manufacturers' art. Finally, we have the 1/72nd scale kit initially issued by Hasegawa and more recently issued with new decals by Frog.

In our review of this last-mentioned kit (November issue) we commented on the fact that the fuselage is decidedly too long, having the length of the fwo-seater. This comment has resulted in several irate letters from readers of this column, accusing us of having "our wires crossed". For example, Mr Spackman, the Branch Secretary of IPMS Trent, says: "While agreeing that the TA-4F is 42-5 ft (12,95 m) long, I disagree with the quoted 40-1 ft (12,22 m) for the single-seater. One of the points about the two-seat A-4 is that the second seat is behind the normal position, and therefore does not require a longer fuselage! I think that it encroaches on the fuel tankage as there is a 10 per cent drop in range for the TA-4F. The 40-1 ft length is that which applies to the earlier J65-powered versions. I hope that this letter may save some modellers the onerous task of shortening the nose of a kit which is really quite accurate!" Sgt C F E Smedley of RAF Coningsby says: "I have delved into my own gen mine and also into the not inconsiderable library of the Lincolnshire Aviation Enthusiasts, and all sources of information give the length of the A-4F, A-4H and A-4K variants as 42 ft 10| in. I agree that the length of the TA-4F is 42 ft 6 in, which, you may note, is shorter than the single-seat A-4F! You may have become confused as a result of the overall length of the A-4M version being 40 ft 3i in due to a redesigned refuelling probe. I trust that I have managed to clear this matter up."

Well, Mr Spackman, Sgt Smedley, and other readers who have questioned our comment, we stand by our statement that the Frog/Hasegawa single-seat A-4 kit is inaccurate in having the length of the two-seater which is greater than that of the single-seater, Mr Spackman. The actual effect of the lengthening may be seen clearly if you study the comparison drawings of the Skyhawk variants published in our December issue. The 42 ft 10J in length quoted by you, Sgt Smedley, for the A-4F, A-4H and A-4K variants is presumably with the refuelling probe, for the correct length without the probe is, as we stated, 40-1 ft, while the length of 42 ft 6 in that you quote for the TA-4F is without the probe. In so far as the A-4M version is concerned, the 40 ft 3J in length (the probe does not project ahead of the fuselage) is fractionally greater than the length of the A-4E without the probe! It would seem that Hasegawa is not alone in its confusion concerning Skyhawk lengths.

We have already referred to the remarkable longevity of the Skyhawk, which has enjoyed so far one of the longest production runs of any post-WW II combat aeroplane. The award to McDonnell Douglas in November of a contract covering long-leadtime effort for a further dozen TA-4J trainers, and US governmental agreement to supply Israel with a further 18 new-production A-4Hs, will keep the production line open well into Fiscal 1972. Thus, the Skyhawk may yet claim the distinction of achieving the production longevity record for any postwar combat type.
W R MATTHEWS

Air Enthusiast 1972-02 vol.02 no.02

HASEGAWA Douglas. A-4F Skyhawk. 1/72 scale, price 200 Yen. (Japan).

The name of Hasegawa is now synonymous with very high standards of moulding, and their eagerly awaited kit of the Skyhawk is no exception, although this particular Hasegawa kit is not exactly to 1/72 scale but is somewhat larger. Happily, the error is constant throughout.

Unlike earlier Hasegawa kits of U.S. Navy aircraft, this one is moulded in medium grey of a darker shade than Light Gull Grey. The panel and surface detail is excellent and the mass of small air intakes, scoops and NACA intakes are all faithfully reproduced. The fit of the parts is beyond criticism and we were delighted to find that the upper fuselage 'bulges' are included as separate components so that one has the choice of completing the model as either an A-4E or an A-4F. External stores include bomb carriers and bombs, guided missiles and rocket weapons systems.

The decals, which are of good quality and gloss finish, provide markings for an A-4F of VA-113, an A-4E of VA-12, and a Marine Corps A-4E of VMA-211.

It is a pity that this is not a true 1/72 scale model as the Skyhawk is a small aeroplane and this model frankly does look too large when compared, say, with the Hasegawa A-6 Intruder or the Vigilante. However it is such a magnificent kit that it should not be ignored simply on account of the scale difference.

We thank Jyun Oizumi of Japan for forwarding this kit for review.

The IPMS magazine, NOVEMBER 1969 VOL.6 No. 11