Tamiya 1/48 A-10A Thunderbolt II

[Avgas]

Next on the butcher's block...



Fold out instructions.





Markings for five versions, decal sheet in one of the sprue bags, no protective tissue.



Seven dark green sprues in four bags, raised panel lines. One transparency sprue, loose in one of the sprue bags. Seam lines on the canopy, frst time I've had to deal with this... . Eduard masks bought by me. First look; no flash, detail seems good for age of kit, plastic has those weird wavy lines on it that don't effect the kit in any way.

[Avgas]

Got the seat done. Not quite sure what it's supposed to be. It doesn't resemble either an Escapak which they used on the earlier versions or an Aces II. Still, it was pretty bare out of the box so I tarted it up a bit with some Tam tape belts and a bit of drilling and painting and a wash. This is going to be a closed cockpit job anyway.





Lots of painting to be done in and around the engine so I dry fitted it, figured you won't be able to see most of the painting so it won't be getting done.







Also made a start on the bangers. Don't know about anyone else but I find it a bit disheartening when you finish the main bit of the build and then have sprues full of bombage to start and make up, so I do it as I'm going along now. I'm not putting the full load out on as it isn't representative. The one I'm building will have 6x65's and 12xMk 82s plus an ALQ 119 on the outboard pylon. This was a typical sandbox load out.

[Nige201980]

Of to a great start mate

[Avgas]

Yeah it usually goes downhill from there!

[Avgas]

Got the engine pods done and internally painted. Bit of sanding required on the externals.





The canopy had three seam lines. Talking to Paul yesterday at Telford he said he just uses the Ultimate buffers to shift them, so I took the plunge today. Very pleased with the outcome.

[Avgas]

Fuselage halves together and cockpit surrounds done in matt black. HUD glass fitted.



Wings and tailplane are built up. Dry fitted the various bits to the fuselage. It's big! So far no fit issues at all and the dry fit reveals very little fettling to do.



Nose gear bay painted, dry brushed and oiled up.



The call out is for 50g of weight in the nose! That's a lot. I took the lead off of one of my 4oz feeders that I use for fishing and battered it into shape with a hammer. After a number of dry fits and about half an hour I got the optimum shape. Although it looks like a massive lump it actually fits when you dry fit the nose wheel bay into the fuselage.

[Avgas]

All the big bits glued on, when I get the canopy masked and on it will be off for a prime. It's a big bugger as the nuns at my local convent use to say.



The pit before closure.



Only filler I've needed so far is a tiny smidge on the forward wing root and there's a hole in the bottom that needs filling if you're not using the stick to stop it tail sitting. Might have to get the scriber out on that bottom bit.






This kit gets a bit of a slating on some reviews but it goes together fine, can't see what the problem is with it other than you need four ton of weight in the nose.

[Avgas]

Primed up ready for painting. Forgot to put the ladder door and cannon on before I primed it. It'll be reet.



Base colour is a 50/50 mix of XF-4 and XF-58 according to the call out. Looks more like nappy poo than a cam colour. Still, I assume Tamiya know what they are doing.

[Joesdad]

I'm enjoying this Dave

[Diverrob]

Outstanding work, Dave! Appreciate the humor also.

[Avgas]

Thanks guys!

Cammed up and glossed.

[TommyKillander]

Dang!

It looks awesome in that cammo!

Great job sofar


Tommy

[Nige201980]

Great looking Warthog you have there mate.

[Coen]

nice!!!

[gaz45]

Very nice work mate i'm doing this kit and i agree it goes together well

[Avgas]

Thanks guys. Gaz, I've been following yours as well! Just got down to the decalling. I've tried something different with this one, instead of building and painting the weapons separately I've done them as a job lot and will paint them fitted, they glue together better without paint on them. There's only a bit of black to put on the 65's and a yellow band on the bombs. Primed ready for the paint.

[Avgas]

Well she is just about done, just got to fit the undercart and bombs and she's a goer. Weathered with Ultimate light dirt as I though it would look a bit more 'deserty'. Undercart washed in burnt umber for same reason. Matt coat was Alclad Matt. (Wouldn't Matt Black make a great forum name? Might change mine.)

[Avgas]

Bombed up.

[Coen]

Looks awesome Bud.
I like Matt Black! Avgas is cool too though.

[Avgas]

Ta Coen, the best bit was waiting for the wheels to dry and finding out it wasn't a tail sitter! Kit now finished and on the reveal thread.

[gaz45]

very very nice work mate

[Avgas]

Thanks Gaz.

[rwsmith14]

she's lookin' good !

[Avgas]

Ta Smithy.

[Nige201980]

Cracking mate.

[Avgas]

Thank you Nige.