OA-4M Skyhawk in RAF service

[Daryl J.]

Also at the Spruce Goose Museum today, a well-priced OA-4M from Monogram went home in our car.

Jennings profiles of the Skyhawk and the current ARC Skyhawk GB allowing what if versions has me itching to do a RAF version in the two greens of the GR.5.

Here's my questions-----yes I need advice again.   B)

What are the two greens names and who makes a proper match?
What squadrons used the GR.5 when it was painted green?
Who make 1/48 decals suitable?
Is there any specific antennae or bulges that should be added to the kit to Engli-fy it?


Thanks for the help.
Daryl J.

PS:  I'd run out of cash but the vendor had 4 more OA-4M's in factory wrap for $5US each.   what a bargain!!!  And no one bought them............

[Geoff_B]

Daryl

The Colours are Nato Green and Litchen green for the lighter colour. Xtracolour do both colours but not sure what you can get in the states.

For decals, both Model Alliance and Sky Decals do sheets for RAF Harriers which includes the green schemes. The Harrier Sqaudrons were 1, 3, 4 & 20 and provided the close air support for the Army.

As to mods the cannons would likely be changed as might some of the Aerials for the British Avionics but as its a Skyhawk its already got the refuelling probe.

TwoBobs may have both colours & decals.

Cheers

G

[nev]

IIRC TwoBobs stock the Xtracolour range.

[Shasper]

Add buldges to cannon ports to denote the Aden's replacing the ol colt 20mm's (google Israeli A-4Ns if you need pics, should work out to be the same).

Better yet, find a cheapo HCC A-4M or N and use it for spares.



Shas B)

[Radish]

Good idea.

I'd planned some A-4N(NATO) aircraft for the RAuxAF in the Gulf War  

[AeroplaneDriver]

When I built my RN Skyhawk I put a single Aden cannon under the left fuselage in roughly the same spot as the Israeli DEFA cannon installation.  I scratchbuilt the gun out of half a tiny drop tank or bomb and the part of an F-100 refueling probe that glues to the wing.  I didn't have any good reference material for the DEFA installation at the time so I just winged it based on the one picture I could find.

I just picked up a Hobbycraft kit that has the DEFA guns, and while my Aden is larger, I'm happy with the result.

I also added a LRMTS (the laser seeker in the Harrier GR.3, Jaguar, and Tornado GR.1) under the nose, just made from an odd fairing sanded to fit the contour of the nose  

Also, most UK hardware of the 70s had the Radar Warning Receiver up on the tail.  I made mine by gluing two strips of styrene  to the tail in the appropriate spot, then when dry I trimmed them to the right lenght and filled the space between them with more styrene, then finally smoothed it all over with Sqn Green putty.  I hope that description makes sense!  I think technicallt my RWR is only forward hemisphere, but with the A4 rudder it was hard to make the full 360 RWR that is on the Jaguar and UK Phantoms.  Instead the rear hemispere RWR is hidden (even from me) somewhere else around the tail.

I may have some 1/48 1 & 3 Sqn decals from Monogram and Airfix Harriers in the stash if you need them, just let me know.

Here are a couple of pics that may be useful for reference.  


you can see the cannon under the old cannon installation, the LRMTS under the nose, and the RWR 3/4 of the way up the tail.


A closeup of the cannon.

[Damian2]

Oooh me likes the sound of this development! But then again I love anything to do with A-4s!

[AeroplaneDriver]

Oh, and one other thing-I couldnt round one up for my build, but if you can find a pair of Martin-Baker seats it would be more "accurate" than the Escapacs.    

[Daryl J.]

Thanks again, you're all great!  And the Skyhawk looks fabulous.

Which MB seat would be best?   The seat out of the Hunter or a later model?


And, Two Bobs are an easy resource to use, thanks for that as well.  




Daryl J.

[AeroplaneDriver]

It really depends on your timeframe.  When I built mine it was for a 1977 backstory, so I was looking for a Mk.9 seat.  Some of the earlier seats may be a bit big for the A-4 pit.  

I cant remember for sure when the OA-4Ms were converted.  The TA-4F entered service around '66, but the A-4M wasn't operational until about 1970, so it's no earlier than that.  That would make the Mk.9 the most likely candidate.

[Shasper]

IIRC the OA-4s didnt come in until the late '70s.

Why eactly none of these birds made to an adversary unit before being withdrawn is beyond me.

Shas B)

[P1127]

I also added a LRMTS (the laser seeker in the Harrier GR.3, Jaguar, and Tornado GR.1) under the nose, just made from an odd fairing sanded to fit the contour of the nose  

Depends on Daryl's time scale - as a straight GR5 role, the RAF used the ARBS that was fitted to the AV-8B (and A-4M).

Similar for the RWR, fin tip and wing mounted bumps might be more appropriate.

[Shasper]

If memory serves me right, the fincap thats on the stock OA-4 is a RWR, so you wouldn't need to do any further additions to the tail.

Shas B)

[AeroplaneDriver]

If memory serves me right, the fincap thats on the stock OA-4 is a RWR, so you wouldn't need to do any further additions to the tail.

Shas B)

I could very easily be wrong, but the fintop antenna on the A-4M may be the IFF.

[Daryl J.]

One of the what-if components will be that the airframe was manufactured by Hawker (or whoever it was that built the GR.5/7) so I may ''Hawkerize" the tail. As far as wing tips go, there may be something added as well to augment the family look.   B)

And thanks also for the decal offer; I happen to have No. 1 and No. 3 squadron decals already from the same kits.  

After popping the shrink wrap off, aftermarket seats are an option only with major internal surgery and that's not going to happen.  :-)   So, ESCAPAC seats it is.

Regards again,
Daryl J.