Hi. Here is another post of the Skyraider build. Aeromaster decals have been applied followed by a coat of Testors Dullcoat. Landing gear attached, front gear doors will be attached later. Exhaust stains are a little overdone in my opinion, will try to lighten 'em up a bit. The windscreen and canopy are not fixed to the aircraft yet nor the engine cowl. The grafitti on the bombs are Archer Fine Transfers. Thanks for looking, Wingman out.

Looks abso..lu..te..ly *snaps fingers* fa..bu..lo..us Wingman!!! :-)
Great Work!! Looking forward to see more from you mate.

Wingman, that is a great looking build.

How did you do the stripping on the front end of the tripple tubes? It looks absolutely fantastic.

I wish mine looked as good as yours.

Ted

Hi Michael!

That's a fantastic looking model! Everything seems perfect so far... I can't wait to see it in it's finished state!

Jean-Luc

Howdy wingman,

You know, I've got a bone to pick with you!! As I've said in your previous thread, I'm really enjoying your build-up. And also really enjoyed a Skyraider build I did a long time ago.....well, after getting all fired-up about your beautious Skyraider antics here bud, I went out and bought a bloody Monogram 1/48th scale A-1H Skyraider kit this weekend!!!.......Sheeeesh!.......you're a bad influence my man!
Of course I was fortunate enough to pick it up at a flea market, so only paid $5.00 for it, so I won't hold it against you too badly..........

Your build is looking exquisite pard'......really nice. But I wanted to address a comment you made. You said...." Exhaust stains are a little overdone in my opinion, will try to lighten 'em up a bit. "
I thought about this and thought I'd share a coupke of other pics with you in this regard......



And this second one is much more intense than what you've done....check it out.



IMHO, I think if you just toned a down a little, you'd be just fine. These birds are known for looking like this...but of course that is up to you.

Tread.

Since we're talking about the Skyraider fellas..... Observe the kitchensink.

The old adage "Everything But the Kitchen Sink" applies to this photograph of an Attack Squadron (VA) 195 Skyraider carrying a unique piece of ordnance as it sits ready for launch from the carrier Princetopn (CV 37).

:-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) !!!!...................Darn good one Jan!........excellent post, since the aircraft carried everything INCLUDING the kitchen sink!

Tread.

Thanks Jan. Should be putting the tailplanes on this week and do some more weathering on the topside of the plane thanks for looking, Wingman out.

Thanks Ted. I used spare yellow decals from my leftover decals binder. I'd like to see your Skyraider, thanks for looking, Wingman out.

Thanks Jean-Luc. This builds taking longer than usual, with photography, work and the daily routine. Should be loading the ordinance sometime in the next few weeks, thanks for looking, Wingman out.

Thanks Gordon, glad to see another Spad being built, I love the look of this plane. I think I picked this up for about 20 bucks, got real lucky. Thanks so much for the pics. The reference photos I have don't show a lot of exhaust staining like yours do. I feel better seeing those pics, I think I'll leave 'em alone. Thanks again for boosting my spirits on that part of my weathering, thanks for looking, Wingman out.

Hi again Jan. I have a photo in one of my magazines with a toilet atached to a hardpoint. Thanks for the pic, Wingman out.

This one you mean wingman?




If anyone is looking for their bog, tell them that we've found it.....
:-)
And here's the story.....
"In October 1965, CDR Clarence J. Stoddard, Executive Officer of VA-25 "Fist of the Fleet", flying an A-1H Skyraider, NE/572 "Paper Tiger II" from Carrier Air Wing Two aboard USS Midway carried a special bomb to the North Vietnamese in commemoration of the 6-millionth pound of ordnance dropped. This bomb was unique because of the type... it was a toilet!

The following is an account of this event, courtesy of Clint Johnson, Captain, USNR Ret. Captain Johnson was one of the two VA-25 A-1 Skyraider pilots credited with shooting down a MiG-17 on June 20, 1965.

----I was a pilot in VA-25 on the 1965 Vietnam cruise.

572 was flown by CDR C. W. "Bill" Stoddard. His wingman in 577 (which was my assigned airplane) was LCDR Robin Bacon, who had a wing station mounted movie camera (the only one remaining in the fleet from WWII).

The flight was a Dixie Station strike (South Vietnam) going to the Delta. When they arrived in the target area and CDR Stoddard was reading the ordnance list to the FAC, he ended with "and one code name Sani-flush". The FAC couldn't believe it and joined up to see it. It was dropped in a dive with LCDR Bacon flying tight wing
position to film the drop. When it came off, it turned hole to the wind and almost struck his airplane. It made a great ready room movie. The FAC said that it whistled all the way down.

The toilet was a damaged toilet, which was going to be thrown overboard. One of our plane captains rescued it and the ordnance crew made a rack, tailfins and nose fuse for it. Our checkers maintained a position to block the view of the air boss and the Captain while the aircraft was taxiing forward. Just as it was being shot off we got a 1MC message from the bridge, "What the hell was on 572's right wing?" There were a lot of jokes with air intelligence about germ warfare. I wish that we had saved the movie film. CDR Stoddard was later killed while flying 572 in Oct 1966. He was hit by three SAMs over Vinh."

And then they say that a USN aircraft carrier is an unsafe workingplace today...... I'd like to comment on that fellas. USS Coral Sea CV-43 in 1951.

You wonder what the Health and Safety rep would say today. :-)