ZM A-1H Skyraider

[Peterpools]

GETTING STARTED

While I am waiting for my DN mask set for the Bf 109 to arrive (I'm guessing a good few weeks), I was itching to start the ZM Skyraider – hopefully not a glutton for punishment. One of ZM’s older kits, I believe no longer in production and so different in execution as compare to their latest kit; the Bf 109. The instructions are a lot less confusing, easier to follow being cleaner and clearer in presentation (who says older isn't better at times). The Skyraider is nowhere as crisp nor as precise as the 109 and a good deal of time is being devoted to cleaning up mold lines and removing the oily feel of release agent that required washing in Dawn. Unlike the 109, I’m not adding any detailed interior parts or a drop of paint behind the cockpit, which would be a total waste of time, as nothing can be seen. The only internal parts that are being used, is to strengthen the fuselage and prevent any warping down the road.

The front office is done (less the gun sight) and complete with a beautiful Quinta detail set. Paints are MRP Lacquers except for the interior green floor which was shot with Mig acrylic, as I discovered my MRP paint stash was out of interior green.

As of now, no issues at all with all the work to date aimed at getting the fuselage ready to be glued up, as per the instructions. Test fitting and tweaking are the orders of the day and so far, the better fit award goes to the Skyraider over the 109 but of course, that could change. 

 

[KevinM]

Looking good Peter and I take it that's Quintas?Finding it hard not to use them.

[shark64]

that is one build i am happy to see. I have it as well. I cant wait to see this put together

[Peterpools]

Thanks Kev

Yup, just love those Quinta sets

Keep 'em coming

 

[Peterpools]

Oliver

Glad you're on board and hopefully down the road, you will do a build thread on your Skyraider.

Keep 'em comin

 

[HubertB]

Great start Peter. Knowing how unhappy I am with my Fisher Cutlass cockpit, which, viewed with maximum magnification, is not as I dreamed it would be, I am really jealous of the incredible results you get using Quinta sets.

Hubert

[Landlubber Mike]

Amazing start Peter.  I managed to get this kit with all the upgrades off eBay for a steal a couple of years ago, but don't have the Quinta set.  I might have to add it after seeing how detailed it looks.

Are you going to do the toilet version?  I think I got a toilet from Brengun for it.

[BlrwestSiR]

Great start Peter. I think the ZM Skyraider was the first kit I built from them. 

For the wing fold, there is an update on the website to the instructions. I don't recall if I followed it or not, but did end up with working folding wings that actually worked like they're supposed to.  

[JohnB]

Great start Peter. Those Quinta sets certainly are nice.

[Peterpools]

Thanks Hubert. much appreciated. I know exactly how you feel and it's a shame that an expensive resin Fisher kit's cockpit wasn't up to speed. When I built their Sea Fury, the exact opposite was true. it would be interesting to find out how the detail for thew Cutlass's office wasn't up to his normal standards.

I've been using Quinta sets on every build possible and they are amazing.

Keep 'em comin

Peter

 

[Peterpools]

Thanks Mike, very much appreciated. Not planning on doing the Toilet Bowl Bomber as I was planning on going with the MIg Killer Stinger Bee markings.

Always good to hear of a one of the guys getting a great buy on ebay, as they seem to be far and few between these days. Most of the vendors who carry Quinta have recently received large restocks, and if you are planning to build the Skyraider down the road, best pick up a set as soon as you can. I bought mine before I had the kit.

Keep 'em comin

Peter

 

 

[Peterpools]

Thanks Carl, much appreciated. Good to know the update wing fold instructions work and even if you used the old method, were able to have the wing fold mechanism working. I'm pretty sure you posted the link on John's build and I took your lead and downloaded them.

Keep 'em comin

Peter

[belugawhaleman]

Great looking cockpit Peter!

[GazzaS]

Great start, Peter.  That's gonna be a big kit when done, I reckon.  Those Quinta sets are nice. 

[Peterpools]

Thanks John - they sure do spoil us. Pretty much close now to closing up the fuselage and for me, the Skyraider is a much more enjoyable build up to this point then the 109 has been. Still, you can see the seeds of ZM's over engineering and hidden detail parts. 

Keep 'em comin

Peter

[Peterpools]

Thanks Paul, much appreciated.

Keep 'em comin

Peter

[Peterpools]

Thanks Gaz, she is HUGE! Yup, the Quinta decal sets are awesome and even include a nice set of seatbelts as well.

Keep 'em comin

Peter

 

 

[HubertB]

15 minutes ago, Peterpools said:

Thanks Hubert. much appreciated. I know exactly how you feel and it's a shame that an expensive resin Fisher kit's cockpit wasn't up to speed. When I built their Sea Fury, the exact opposite was true. it would be interesting to find out how the detail for thew Cutlass's office wasn't up to his normal standards.

I've been using Quinta sets on every build possible and they are amazing.

Keep 'em comin

Peter

 

They used 3D-printing, but the details were a bit soft, or to be more precise, with insufficient relief. And, after my first cockpit suffered some cat munching, the second one I got was clearly showing the age of the molds.

But to be fair, the issue is more that I am struggling to produce an interesting contrast, because the whole area is black on black. And I am watching it with high expectations, and a even higher magnification, where my work looks bland to my eyes. IRL, the switches are 0.2 mm in diameter, and the knobs 0.5 mm: this is really small, and Quinta just manage to make their details look crisp with just the trifle of overscale rendition that make them look good in the end. My handiwork is just not as crisp as the technology used by Quinta.

Hubert

[Peterpools]

Hubert,

I think I understand a lot better now. Sometimes we need to use our modelers license, coupled with some scale effect to overcome the limitations of color, light and shadow as we are trying to replicate how we see objects in full size and transfer that image to a scale object, so much smaller. After working with a lot of Quinta sets, yes, I agree the details are a littler large then scale and the colors tends to be more vivid, all of which uplifts the assembly to look more realistic, even though it isn't.

Keep 'em comin

Peter

[Bomber_County]

Great start Peter, the pit is sublime as ever. When I built my 51, I think the code was SWS 004, the details were also soft…….so wish I hadn’t passed on the Skyraider deal………

[Peterpools]

Thanks Phil. ZM kits have come a long way and I'm not so sure, going the route of all the hidden detail, which has to add quite a bit to the production cost, was the right way to go. I'm finding the Skyraider a much more enjoyable build then the 109.

Just keep looking, I'm sure another Skyraider deal will come along.

 

[Peterpools]

CLOSING UP THE FUSELAGE

Construction wise, the Skyraider is going together quite well without any real issues at all. All the internal parts have now been glued into place for strengthening the fuselage (she is a Big Gal). The tailwheel and arrester hook assembly has been completed, painted and installed. A good deal of the details are above the wheel well assembly, were not painted and will never be seen passed this stage. The interior of the tail wheel assembly was painted with MRP Gloss White and the details highlighted with Tamiya Dark Brown Panel Line Wash.

The arresting hook itself was cut off the assembly, painted separately so that the black stripes can be painted later on and then added at the end of the build. To add extra strength when adding the arrestor hook, I drilled out both gluing faces and added a brass rod for extra strength.

Of course, while removing the rudder from the fret, I managed to break off both the anti-static discharge lines. Two holes were drilled out in the rudder, so that the anti-static lines can be added from stretch sprue at the end of the build. Adding them any sooner and it would only be a matter of minutes before I broke them off again.

 

 

 

[Bomber_County]

You seem to motoring on this build Peter…….

[BlrwestSiR]

Like Phil said, this build is progressing nicely. 

[Peterpools]

Thanks Phil, so far, so good and no hills to climb.