SPA Modeler

Looking sharp! How are your eyes?

Thanks guys! And my eyes are shot! And just think, there's still decals to add.

Started the aircraft. Got the tails on the Prowlers, Hawkeys and Vikings. The Hawkeyes were by far the hardest. Onto the fighters and helos.

I have the air wing halfway done. A few more things to add and then to touch up the paint. Oh yeah and there’s decals for them as well.

Looking good Mike. I’m surprised that they did not offer a wingfold option for the Hawkeyes. Those things are folded on deck immediately after landing and until just prior to hooking up to the catapult for launching due to the area they take up.

My thoughts exactly. My uncle was on the Independence working the catapults during the Vietnam conflict.
I think converting them to folded wings are simple enough to do.

Yeah I'm really disappointed that they don't have a wing fold. I don't know about doing it myself. These things are really fragile.

When I was in High School I did a forced perspective diorama of the Marianas Turkey Shoot for history class using an 1/720 Essex Class Carrier a couple of Fletcher Class Destroyers, a pair of 1/72 Hellcats overhead, and a boatload of Fujimi 1/700 aircraft for for hanger and flight decks. I remember cutting and folding the wings on a bunch of those that I put on the aft end of the flight deck and in the hanger deck.... until 10 years ago or so, it was probably the most involved project that I ever did. Too bad that I didn’t take any pictures.

I'm still thinking about it, at least with the Hawkeyes.