1967 Monogram 1/72 US Navy A-5A Vigilante.

[speedgraflex]

I been a-workin’ hard on this seat cushion sculpt. Adding gravity. It’s a tad over done buuut... I am thinkin’ this works. It feels like a scrunched seat cushion that a pilot would use... at least I think so. My objectivity is goooone.

[Stikpusher]

I was thinking about this seat earlier, and then wondering about a “penny shot” for scale reference. Seeing it in your hand is a good alternate. And I gotta say is well done on all the small scale scratch work.

[speedgraflex]

Good morning, sir. You are up early. Thank you so much. I was going to take a side by side with the kit seat to show how close these two are proportionally but how different they feel aesthetically. I basically took two pieces from the Trumpeter kit out of the six or seven they designed to build their version and reduced it down to a folding plank with that one headrest - explosive bolt? part that I need to “get a handle on,” then I added sides and the best cushion I could cobble from a plastic eraser and a sharp X-Acto. Now I have to add belts to it, paint it the kind of haze grey with cream on the outer surface and a kind of softer blue grey used for the fabric and see if that even works. A whole other tale is I am debating cutting the windscreen apart but that is just the current fantasy.

[Stikpusher]

It’s a work day... And a rough one ahead.

The headrest is exactly that, plus a few things more. It has to serve as a brace for the aircrew to withstand the g-forces of the carrier catapult launch, plus it stores the face curtain and seat activation mechanisms behind and beneath the face curtain pull ring. The face curtain helps to protect the aviators face as they eject from the aircraft. Winds at 300 to 600 knots hitting the human body can do all sorts of damage. There are usually secondary activation handles at the sides or front of the seat in case g-Forces prevent the aviator from being able to reach up for the pull ring handle.

The colors should be good with gray greens for the seat harness. The seat cushion is usually a survival kit bag in one shade of olive, while the seat back cushion is often in a different shade of olive. Say olive green and olive drab.

[pzl66]

I been a-workin’ hard on this seat cushion sculpt. Adding gravity. It’s a tad over done buuut... I am thinkin’ this works. It feels like a scrunched seat cushion that a pilot would use... at least I think so. My objectivity is goooone.

I should have known it was going to be small in size but damn the detail is amazing on that! First the 109 and now this!

[speedgraflex]

Thank you both! Apologies I am working two different jobs at the moment and am really tired. Caffeine is failing me. It is time for an energy drink.... I want to add the handle but Dragon’s version is the wrong type for the Vigilante—I think it would be correct for another aircraft type but not this one. Also the seat is close to the canopy so I have to slightly flatten the grab handle to keep it from touching the edge.

Today I painted the detail parts—headrest-head curtain in white, seat cushion in RLM 65 which looks quite good, and yellow orange on the hand grips. Once this cures I will add the black stripes with Molotow or Gundham 0.3mm black marker.

[Stuart]

I wondered what you were planning for the cockpit - that's a cracking looking seat Bruce!

[speedgraflex]

Stuart!

Thank you and keep the camera.



Mock-up for colors / haze grey, yellow-white and RLM 65 Blue on the kit version of the cushions!

Thoughts?



Tape belts and greeblies are next up.

[Stuart]

That is blooming brilliant Bruce - I've seen kit seats that weren't as good as that! I like the colours.

[Stikpusher]

Ok, I’ll chime in with what the colors are called, and you can pick what you like...






The seat cushion is in a color called sage. A greenish gray, with some blue to it. Something like Tamiya Field Gray, or Humbrol Slate Gray will work. The metal seat pan and frame are Dark Gull Gray. That has been the standard US aircraft interior color from the 50’s until the 21st Century when black came into the mainstream due to aviators needing to use night vision goggles. The seat base looks to be a khaki OD or some similar brown shade. Harness straps are also sage, but due to their fabric and weave, are a darker and more satin shade.