RalphSarc Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 After a brief enjoyable vacation building four 1/48 Revell Helicopters I'm back to breath life into a vintage 1982 1/32 Revell A-1A Skyraider kit. On close inspection of the opened kit I realized just how old the mold was even in 1982! There are actually "slag islands" and injector pin marks everywhere! As you know I enjoy the challenges of these vintage kits so I look forward to sharing this build with you. The kit has an impressive asortment of retarctable and moveable surfaces! There was injector pin marks all over the landing gear parts! Slag Island, lol!! Retractable landing gear installation. Since this kit came without instruction after an exhausting search a kind member from another forum emailed me a set however I found that they don't quit match this kit, The instructions called for a belly fuel tank and I found I had a belly bomb! The instruction also showed the incorrect placement of the flap hinges!! The post hinges on the port side are correct however not so for the starboard side, as seen above. Sadly I didn't notice this until the Tamiya Extra Thin had dried overnight so had to freeze the flaps in the up position and trim off the exposed starboard pins! The bomb!! The stupid instructions, lol!! Where we are at this evening. So far dry fitting is good and luckily this kit doesn't actually have a nose! Nice to be back :-) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingco57 Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 What a nice subject Ralph, Never knew this kit even existed. Cees Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RalphSarc Posted August 14, 2014 Author Share Posted August 14, 2014 Yea Cees it's an oldie, lol!! It's been out of production for years however I remember building this when I was younger. A person from my FB Group is building one that his Dad bought in 1976 I believe he said. Maybe Revell Germany will develop a new 1/32 A-1A Skyraider kit in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colt6 Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 I really love that you give live to that old kits! And in german we say: on old pan's, you learn cooking! Lol Arno 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt_ Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 I had one of these a long while ago.... From what I recall it wasn't 1/32... some weird sort of scale.. As you said, lots of quite complicated moveable parts - doesn't the drop tank move back and forth to operate the u/c? Think it'll look good finished whatever the scale.. Matt 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RalphSarc Posted August 15, 2014 Author Share Posted August 15, 2014 I had one of these a long while ago.... From what I recall it wasn't 1/32... some weird sort of scale.. As you said, lots of quite complicated moveable parts - doesn't the drop tank move back and forth to operate the u/c? Think it'll look good finished whatever the scale.. Matt I've heard that Matt. I researched it a bit this evening after reading this post and evidently the kits are actually 1/40! Revell originally released the kit in its "S" series around 1959!! Even more weird there is no scale size or any other dementions listed on the box panels. The kit was advertised on eBay as 1/32 and it sure looks like a 1/32 scale! I guess I have a old gem on my hands, lol!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RalphSarc Posted August 15, 2014 Author Share Posted August 15, 2014 Final construction of the wings continued yesterday on the A-1A with the sealing of the landing gear section and addition of moveable wing tip sections. Due to the apparent age of this kit and the fagile nature of the main gear mechanism I decided to freeze the landing gear in the down and locked position however left the wing tips operable. Thought it would look cool displayed with its wing tips folded! On to the fuselage! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulster Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 I believe it was called "box scale". Kits were molded, especially ship models, to fit available box sizes. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Fascinating to actually see this never mind seeing one built, when I returned to building models I bought anything 1/32 scale that I could find, I heard about this kit and it's strange scale but I never saw one. Cheers Dennis 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RalphSarc Posted August 15, 2014 Author Share Posted August 15, 2014 Fascinating to actually see this never mind seeing one built, when I returned to building models I bought anything 1/32 scale that I could find, I heard about this kit and it's strange scale but I never saw one. Cheers Dennis Dennis from what I've read this kit is realitivily unknown or remembers but by just a few that may have built it as a child!!! I'm pleased to breath life into it but boy is it a sloppy kit. So far the fit is good but every part no matter how big or small has to be cleaned of slag and pin marks!!! It would be wonderful to see Revell retool and rerelease this diamond in the rough!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RalphSarc Posted August 16, 2014 Author Share Posted August 16, 2014 Well our Atlanta Ga weather was just to perfect today so spent the day outside enjoying the low humidity and sunny weather! I did however get a few moments to dry fit the fuselage and wing sections together this evening and I must say for a nearly 100 year old kit, lol, the fit isn't all that bad. There are a few places that will need some attention but all and all I drew a sigh of releif!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RalphSarc Posted August 21, 2014 Author Share Posted August 21, 2014 Spent the last few days rearranging "The Basement Air Force" so my bench time suffered however I did get the tail section and speed brakes built. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benjaminsummerfield Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 I've been enjoying your choppers on Facebook Ralph, this looks like a blinding kit, advanced for its day I'm sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RalphSarc Posted August 21, 2014 Author Share Posted August 21, 2014 I've been enjoying your choppers on Facebook Ralph, this looks like a blinding kit, advanced for its day I'm sure. Funny that you mentioned that Ben as I was just thinking today that an updated kit with all these movable surfaces would be very atractive in todays market! So far it's been a fun build. Just starting to upgrade the cockpit with a few leftover items from other builds. Going to make Tamiya tape seatbelts and enhance the instrument panel. I may even try detailing the pilot! The stock engine is nice but screems for some love, lol!! Glad you enjoyed the chopper builds on the FB group. They were great fun and I look forward to building the remaining three kits! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RalphSarc Posted August 22, 2014 Author Share Posted August 22, 2014 Big bench day for the A-1A Skyraider. First I removed both the cheesy plastic 50 caliber machine gun barrels and replaced them with brass tubing barrels! Second I updated the equally chessy cockpit using leftover kit parts installing a seat cushion, seatbelts and instrument panel decals. Next I drybrushed the interior with Tamiya XF-16 Flat Aluninum, weathered with Vallejo Brown Oil Wash and finally dull coated with Revell Dull Coat to seal my efforts. And then through the magic of Tamiya Extra Thin this happened and no it's not a jet as suggested on the FB group, lol!! As you can see lots of seam work ahaed of me :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lawman56 Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 I remember building a bunch of the old Revell kits. At one time, in high school, my friends would bring me their old finished kits and I would rejuvenate them. I learned a whole lot of scratchbuilding and paint masking skills on those old crates! This should be interesting to watch, especially in these days of crazy aftermarket! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RalphSarc Posted August 22, 2014 Author Share Posted August 22, 2014 I remember building a bunch of the old Revell kits. At one time, in high school, my friends would bring me their old finished kits and I would rejuvenate them. I learned a whole lot of scratchbuilding and paint masking skills on those old crates! This should be interesting to watch, especially in these days of crazy aftermarket! Yea these vintage kits are challenging to some degree but loads of fun to breath life into! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lawman56 Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 Very true Ralph. Plus, let's be honest, you can't really screw these up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulster Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 Doing great work on that old bird. I do believe those mg's we're 20mm though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RalphSarc Posted August 23, 2014 Author Share Posted August 23, 2014 Doing great work on that old bird. I do believe those mg's we're 20mm though. Possibly so Paulster. I hadn't researched it before posting and only assumed they were 50s but 20MM makes more sense! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One-Oh-Four Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 I really love that you give live to that old kits! And in german we say: on old pan's, you learn cooking! Lol Arno We have a saying "Op een ouwe fiets leer je fietsen", or : "you learn to ride on an old bike". It's usually used however in conjunction with a young guy having a relationship with an older woman........ 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulster Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 We have a saying "Op een ouwe fiets leer je fietsen", or : "you learn to ride on an old bike". It's usually used however in conjunction with a young guy having a relationship with an older woman........ Thanks for sending me down memory lane. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RalphSarc Posted August 25, 2014 Author Share Posted August 25, 2014 Continued today with cleaning up the seams and changing out the cheesy plastic 22MM gun barrels with brass barrels. Also worked a bit on the cockpit. Should be ready for primer this week! New brass 20MM gun barrels! Detailing the bare cockpit! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RalphSarc Posted August 27, 2014 Author Share Posted August 27, 2014 Finally after almost a solid week of seam work the A-1A made it down to the paint ship for a coat of primer! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RalphSarc Posted August 28, 2014 Author Share Posted August 28, 2014 Installed the rocket hard points last night before going to bed! Installed the two Napalm drop tanks this evening and finished priming. Due to the humidity in Atlanta I'll have to wait a few days before pre-shading the panel lines! Also started to build the engine assembly! That's all for today. Night all!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now