A-7 Corsair, Silverwind-modded - FINISHED!

[silverwindblade]

Hi everyone - I've got another one of my frankenplanes in the works.

This time it's based on an A-7 Corsair.
Much as with my other works, this will be based on gestating ideas I have for a novel, or series of short stories based on a sci-fi near-future, with a copious handful of anime elements. The plane will belong to a pilot in the squadron who are central to the series.

Like all of their aircraft, it is a re-fitted and re-built older aircraft, updated with modern-day (i.e. 21st C.) tech and systems on an old airframe, making it competitive. Things like new engines, sensors, avionics and weapons are the norm, along with enhanced flight control surfaces and so on. Plus a little bit of SF-tech too, to keep things interesting.

I'll put some back-story up once the build is finished. In the meantime, a little info about the kit: It's Hasegawa's 1/48 A-7 Corsair II, the 'Bicentennial Edition'. I got it off of Amazon a few months ago as a birthday present (I think?!). Either there or HLJ from their sale, in joint with a friend who got some other bits and pieces.

The kit is nice, and has plenty of detail. It makes it perfect for my nefarious purposes!


I started where all builds start, with the cockpit. Nothing too exceptional, but I did a little more weathering and drybrushing. It looks good, imho!
I was impressed with how many pieces there were to the seat. This is only the 2nd Hase kit I've built, so the amount of parts and details is still surprising me!


I actually almost forgot to paint and attach the controls!   However, I remembered just in time, and got them painted.
I did my normal surgery to the dashboard, filing the detail down and attaching some plasticard to represent the 'Super Multifunction Displays', touch-screen multi-window screens to display the systems info for the plane.


I commenced a nose job for this girl too. I figured an updated radar was in order, and I wanted to change the nose to look more pointy and menacing. I'm not sure where the new nose came from, but it was the right combination of diameter and length, so on it went after securing via a few small plasticard tabs.
The new radar will (in my head-canon, anyway) allow for the integration of AMRAAM's, turning the SLUF into a dogfighter!

I did a little more after this, but currently I'm waiting for glue to dry. More photos soon.

[kerick]

I hope you have some shark mouth decals handy!
Have you seen info on the Vought YA-7F "Strikefighter"? Lengthened fuselage, F-100 engine and leading edge extensions. It might be good for some ideas.

[Old Wombat]

I hope you have some shark mouth decals handy!

Agreed! Definitely needs a decent set of sharks-mouth decals/transfers/[shudder!]"stickers"!


Or a set of decals for Jimmy Durante's face?

[Captain Canada]

Very nice ! Love the A-7 can't wait to see some more !

[DogfighterZen]

Looks like a beauty is on the way... 

[silverwindblade]

I haven't got many spare decals at all at the moment. It definitely does need a sharkmouth though.
And I was planning on taking some of the ideas from the Strikefighter, but I'm not brave enough to attempt a fuselage extension. I don't think my skills are up to it, and I'd hate to ruin the kit.

Anyway, here's what work I've done to this so far:



I blended in the nose with some milliput and sanding (lots of sanding...), and it now fits in with the profile of the fuselage a lot better. I didn't like it at first, but now it's grown on me.



I also added on the engine nozzle I had put aside from an F-16. Unfortunately, I don't think I planned ahead very well, and as such the rear of the fuselage now looks kind of lumpy and not quite right, after I cut off the original end of the Corsair fuselage.
I misplaced the original bits I removed, so I couldn't bodge something together will the parts I had left. This kind of works though. I guess we'll see how it turns out as I go along. I'm not massively happy with this end, if I'm honest.



Here's where it's at so far - the wings are due to be attached next, along with the canopy for masking purposes. I've also closed up all the non-needed open hatches and panels. I'm hoping to get more work done on it over the weekend.

[silverwindblade]

I've been working on this one alongside my F-16, and it's coming together pretty well.


I've got the canopy on, all the body panels attached, and I've added the wings, with down-turned wingtips and the beginnings of extra missile rails at the wingtips too.


Better view of those wings here from the side. I've also attached a fairing for a new tail I'm going to add. Waiting for putty to cure before I sand that down, and then I'll be pinning the tail on, and also attaching the stabilizers as well, which will have a dihedral. I'll probably also put on a small ventral fin too. Then she'll almost be ready for paint on the main body, while I work on the pylons and landing gear.

[Captain Canada]

That's really coming along now. Looks good. I like the nose. Looks like that Fairey rocket fighter thing ( excuse my lack of P.11xx knowledge ! ) Noorries about the back end. It may have looked a little bumpy at first, but now with the hump, and once the tail planes are attached and painted, nobody will notice. Except you maybe. 

[silverwindblade]

I agree that it looks very 'rocket-ey' without the tail and empennage. I thought it looked a bit like a retro space-fighter from an old top-down shooter!
I have made some more progress, and I will post the pics when I can

[Gondor]

I have been looking at several SR.177's earlier today and when I saw this pick I mistakenly thought it was another SR.177

Doable but a lot of work.

Gondor

[silverwindblade]

I had to look it up, but yes - I can see why you might have thought that from this picture..!

[Captain Canada]

Told ya....SR.177  Still very cool and getting better with each update

[ChernayaAkula]

Cool project!  What type of tail are you going to add? A V-tail could look cool on this.

[silverwindblade]

I've actually already got the tail on, and taken photos. I'm just being lazy about putting them up. It's only a single tail, sadly, but it was a chance to use one that's been sitting around in my bits box for a while, and I had it in mind for the build from the start. The V-tail would've looked good though, you're right.

[Captain Canada]

Nice. Always good to use up those pesky spares ! Sounds like you may have an A-7 tail in the spares box though