1/48 Tamiya Douglas A-1J Skyraider

Gallery Article by Travis Chalmers on Apr 12 2011

 

As with my previous post on ARC, I built this kit for a friend of mine. This friend flew the aircraft in these colours in Laos in 1965 and his stories are incredible.  I used photos from a website called ww2aircraft.net as reference material.  There was a forum there where someone had posted some pictures of a two-seater that had suffered a crash landing at an airbase in Vietnam, and then mysteriously disappeared the next day.  The CIA was using these aircraft and others as part of their illegal war in Laos.  Judging by the colours, these aircraft appear to be navy planes with all of the markings removed. 

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The kit went together very well.  I only added a few details.  I made up some seat belts out of masking tape, and their buckles out of tinfoil.  I added a bit of detail to the gear and gear wells using some wire and stretched sprue.  Finally, I included a wiring harness and front plug wires to the front row of cylinders on the engine to dress it up a little. I pre-shaded the model and used my airbrush to do the exhaust stains of an aircraft that hadn't seen a wash in a while.  I coated it in future and then did an oil wash afterward to give it the faint stained look.  Oil washes were used for the fuel and oil stains on the belly tank.  All of the colours are Tamiya acrylics, thinned with isopropyl alcohol and sprayed with an Iwata double action airbrush.  I destroyed one of the decals for the prop, and fixed it by putting very thick yellow paint into the airbrush and spraying it on the prop in an area masked off to be the same size as the writing on the other blades.  The white triangular logo was brush painted on afterwards.  The thick yellow paint came out in globs and the irregular pattern they formed looks (to me) just like tiny little yellow words.  I was impressed (and relieved) with the result.

My friend and I fly together and share many common interests despite our wide age difference.  One of our common interests is a love of old round engined aircraft.  My friend was shocked to tears when I gave it to him.  I was touched by his response.  It was a big deal for both of us.  He doesn't talk about those days much, and I was honoured that he shared his experience with me.  He is a good man, and I am very lucky to call him my friend.  I hope I live to see the day when the only aircraft built for these purposes that exist are historical pieces...

I hope you enjoyed this.  I sure did.

Travis Chalmers

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Photos and text © by Travis Chalmers