Grumman's A-6 Intruder was the mainstay medium attack bomber for the US Navy for over 20 years. It first saw combat in Vietnam and saw it's last major action during Desert Storm. Like it's light attack counterpart the A-7, it's job was taken over by the F-18 Hornet, a plane that can almost carry as much almost as far and take almost as much damage as the Intruder. It is as if the Navy was in a hurry to make it's carriers an all-Hornet show. The last Intruders built lasted less than 10 years in service before being dumped into the ocean as an artificial reef.

With the Intruder gone, the Navy lost an aircraft that was not only an effective medium attack aircraft but also lost all of it's tanking capabilities. That caused the S-3 Viking to be called into duty to perform this function, one it wasn't designed for and is really not able to do as effectively as the KA-6D that was pulled from service. This is the way it is today in 2000, the last year of the old millennium.

In its heyday, the Intruder was serving with over 20 Navy and Marine Corps squadrons. While the Navy seems to have gotten all the press, the Marines had a number of very colorful Intruders. 

There are five different aircraft on this sheet. All of them are in the gull grey and white scheme. There are common markings on the sheet sufficient for all five aircraft, though you will have to get the insignia from the kit or from another sheet. 

Since this is a Microscale sheet, there is decal placement information on the back side of the instruction sheet!

Here is what is on the sheet:

The first aircraft is a sea blue tailed A-6E frome VMA-332. Like the other A-6Es, this one does not have the TRAM pod under the nose. It has a white radome.

An A-6A from VMA-242 is the next aircraft. It also has a white radome. The rudder on this one is a sea blue color and a Polly S shade is recommended to paint it.

The off-white nosed A-6A next in line is from VMA-224. This one has a nice hurricane design on the rudder. 

Also from VMA-224 is the next aircraft, an A-6E. This one has a white nose and is named 'Heavy Metal'. This aircraft also has red letters and numerals, making it quite unusual.

Finally a VMA-121 A-6E. This one has an off white radome and an American flag motif on the tail section.

All in all five pretty colorful aircraft, just perfect to put on your Fujimi or Hasegawa Intruder!

Review copy courtesy of me and my wallet!!!

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