SPA Modeler

US Navy A-5A Vigilante pilots of VHA-7 "Peacemakers" on board the USS Enterprise in 1963

I am roughing out a bit of a preamble. Have you fellas heard or used the term “brain map?” That is usually used when someone makes a photo collage of a project (their goal). In advertising this is usually attached to a board or background. I thought I would begin with a single image as my goal—although I like the markings for “Fleurs” on board the USS Kittyhawk slightly more than “Peacemakers.”

The pilot and navigator are wearing orange flight suits, MA-1 torso harnesses, MK-4 life vests and APH-5 flight helmets. The attitude of the pilot and navigator standing near the aircraft makes me reflect upon the disciplined readiness for action that is a common factor with all pilots. Even as these men pose for the camera, their training remains engraved within them. The line of their spines prove it. These are men of action. Ready to go.

Note the 400 gallon tanks as well. Not part of the kit. I keep circling around the idea to find aftermarket to add these to the model. However the approach I am taking—the vector, if you will—is that of protective build of the kit itself. Not quite out of the box. More of an attitude similar to the pilots in the photo above... an attitude of respect.

I am keeping the raised rivets. Personally the raised rivets look better to me than the holes in the Trumpeter kit. I am going to minimize the raised engraving on the wings and add the paneling lines that are missing by scribing these. Most of my work will be on the tail, and as I made some progress last night on this task, I need to add the documentation here.

I’d go with the orange flight suit. I don’t think that the Navy ever wore a blue gray flight suit. Khaki, yes, Forest Green when Nomex suits started to appear in Vietnam, yes, Olive Green rubber “poopy suits” for ops in cold water areas, yes. But I don’t recall a USN blue gray flight suit. Orange was very common for SAR purposes in between Korea & Vietnam. Early in the Vietnam War, custom made camouflage flight suits started to appear before more tactically colored suits were issued.

Gorgeous photo BTW. I like your analysis of the photo.

Good morning! Thank you and with your permission I would like to dedicate this project to you in the spirit of your classic builds as well as with respect to your approach as a modeler. There is so much to be learned beyond gluing parts, and this kit has a very few number of parts, Carlos. The landing gear may have the most parts—9 pieces total. Seven pieces for the airframe including the pilot. That is what... 16 pieces? I know most instruction sheets from the era advise the modeler to build slowly and carefully, but this kit could be assembled in a few minutes. Actually the count is 18. So long rambling short, this one’s for you, bud.

Thank you Bruce. There is something to be said for the simplicity of these older kits. It looks like you’ll have some gaps to fill, but once it’s all cleaned up, the paint work can really make it shine. Have fun with this my friend!

Thank you, Carlos. Keep on trucking and take no prisoners.

Here is some full color Naval Aviators eye candy...

http://www.salimbeti.com/aviation/images1.htm

Wow! Thank you so much, Carlos. That link is incredibly helpful! Painting the pilot figure is going to be one of the most enjoyable experiences of the project itself for me. Tonight I am going to sand and patch these recessed molding pin (sink holes?) with Milliput.

Those are ejector pin marks.

I’m glad you like that site. Some great stuff to be seen there. Those 50s/60s pilots have a nice splash of color in their flight gear..

Stikpusher wrote:Those are ejector pin marks.

Thank you so much, Carlos!!! I have a mental block with the term. Also I changed my phone and added alerts that run through gmail’s app. I missed your reply. Apologies for being tardy, Carlos!



400 GAL FUEL TANKS ON THE A-5A VIGILANTE
by Carlos via email

Looking at those sites that have been previously been linked, it would seem that the original A-5A/A2J had no wing hard points. But the photo you sent here shows an A-5A w/hardpoints and tanks. The A-5B added wing hardpoints, and the humpback fuselage tanks,but only two were made. The RA-5C version added the recon equipment to the A-5B airframe. So apparently the A-5As were retrofitted with the wing hardpoints. An educated guess, says that the basic wing structure was unchanged, and that the hardpoint location would be the same. Yes the wing did evolve a bit over time, but not drastically like some other aircraft types.

WORK TO DATE

• Sanded engine housing and rear bomb tunnel cover;
  Cleaned wing section with plastic cleaner;
  Ordered 400 gal fuel tanks (resin) for new hard points;
  Placed kit decal sheet in sunlight.

Excellent project Bruce!, I like the approach you are taking with it. Interestingly, I am doing the same thing at the moment with the Aurora Russian Guided Missile Submarine. It will never be a great representation of a Golf III class boat, but taken in the historical context of it being what Aurora thought the latest Soviet doomsday missile carrying submarine looked like in the mid 1960's it is pretty cool. Good luck and much fun with your project!