Superscale 72-781/782 for A-3B and KA-3B Skywarrior

After a long wait, Hasegawa finally produced several kits of my favorite aircraft, the A-3 Skywarrior.  Oddly these kits arrived and then that was about all you heard.  It has been many, many months since the A-3B kit was released and this is the first sign of any aftermarket items for it.  Since the A-3B was released, a KA-3B and EKA-3B kits have hit the stores.

Superscale's sheets for the first two released are the first aftermarket items to be found for the Skywarrior.  This rather late response does not bode well for ever seeing this kit in 1/48. However, to a diehard Whale lover such as myself, they are more than welcome.

The first sheet is for the A-3B and includes markings for three aircraft, all in gull grey and white.

The first is for VAH-13 off the Kitty Hawk. Next is a VAH-8 aircraft from the Constellation. Also from the Connie is a VAH-10 aircraft.

The next sheet is for KA-3B's and has two subjects. A VAQ-133 aircraft from the Kitty Hawk and a VAQ-135 bird from the Coral Sea. Although scanned as blue, the bands for this aircraft really are the proper turquoise color on the sheet.  This unit had the next hangar over when I was with VAQ-130 at Alameda so I had to look at those markings every day when I went to work ashore.

What I want to see is a VAQ-130 EKA-3B and hope that it comes with the next Superscale sheet.  Each sheet retails for $6.00 and is highly recommended.  Unlike Aeromaster's instruction sheet, Superscale just has a generic Whale in black and white over which the markings are superimposed.  However, like the Aeromaster sheet, Superscale gives references from which the sheet was produced, so that should help with precise placement.

Review by Scott Van Aken