Intruder Alert!

AeroplaneDriver · February 12, 2007, 01:03:44 PM

I'm in a modeling mood again this week, but after the tedium of last weeks 500+ decals, I want something quick and easy. So, since I was happy with the result of my Harrier restoration a few months ago I decided to pull another old kit out of the Box Of Forgotten Styrene. This one is a Fujimi A-4E built about 17 years ago. It has spent several moves rattling around in the BOFS, and is now missing its landing gear. Fortunately enough of the gear doors are present to make it an inflight model with the help of a bit of styrene sheet and some milliput.

So how will this Intruder end up...? Well I have a fun little backstory in mind that involves lots of beer...thats all I'm saying for now.

Damian2 · February 12, 2007, 01:24:30 PM

I for one can't wait to see what your awesome skillz brings us!

Shasper · February 12, 2007, 01:53:17 PM

QuoteThis one is a Fujimi A-4E

What happened to that Scooter? It looks like it got in a fight w/a nuke reactor!

Shas B)

AeroplaneDriver · February 12, 2007, 02:27:24 PM

Quote
QuoteThis one is a Fujimi A-4E
What happened to that Scooter? It looks like it got in a fight w/a nuke reactor!

Shas B)

DOH!!

And I was getting so good with my numbers! Must remember the difference between a 4 and a 6.

AeroplaneDriver · February 12, 2007, 02:56:57 PM

Since this is going to be a mid-1970s A-6E, I needed to get rid of the TRAM turret under hte radome. I lopped it off with a razor saw (resulting in a perfect R2-D2 dome for a future SW build), then after triming down the remains of the turret with a knife I plugged the resulting hole with a piece of sprue. The sprue wasnt quite the right diameter (a bit small) so I heated it and pushed down on it a little to plump it up. This fit perfectly with just a dab of CA.

After this pic was taken I covered the fix with a little gap filling CA, then sanded it to a glass smooth finish.

Shasper · February 12, 2007, 03:23:10 PM

Do I sense a RW gull gray/white bird, or somthing else thats in the said timeframe?

Shas B)

AeroplaneDriver · February 12, 2007, 05:20:04 PM

It will be a Whif, but in a way you're not too far off...

Shasper · February 12, 2007, 05:25:44 PM

Ah... Looking forward in much anticipation Master AD.

Shas B)

AeroplaneDriver · February 12, 2007, 07:39:34 PM

AHHHHHHH!!!!

I'm having a Whiffery crisis!!!

I've got my Intruder assembled, with the gear doors nicely closed up, the slats retracted, and a new IFR probe robbed (borrowed?) from an Italeri kit in the stash. The problem is that the light sanding of the old paint to remove the decals combined with the alcohol rubdown has given the original paint an lovely faded, oxidized appearance that has me longing to refinish this thing as a RW US Navy Desert Storm machine!

Though it's not an opinion I voice very often, I absolutely love the A-6, and looking at this one with the gear up, it almost looks sleek. I can almost see it on the stand in USN light ghost gray loaded up with either a pair of HARMs or a slew of Rockeyes on MERs.

How does a whiffer keep the faith when faced with such temptation?

I may have to sleep on this one...

Shasper · February 12, 2007, 08:21:48 PM

Dude, I dont care as long as it's got a load of pig iron!

Shas B)

Damian2 · February 13, 2007, 03:21:00 AM

I'm with Shas! As long as she's bombed up you could paint her pink!

AeroplaneDriver · February 13, 2007, 07:08:35 AM

Damn guys...my original idea would be a clean build...now I'm even more torn.

Gary F · February 13, 2007, 01:43:29 PM

What happened to the beer? I thought maybe it was making a Coors run from Whidbey and would need the clean pylons to hang kegs, since you can only fit so much in the bird cage

Gary F

Eddie M. · February 13, 2007, 02:44:09 PM

If I may use a couple of pix I took to possibly sway your decision.

Shasper · February 13, 2007, 03:02:18 PM

Sweet Fn jezzus! Thats what I call Pig Iron!

Shas B)