Hasegawa 1/48 A-4B (AD4-2) Skyhawk

I'm sure that most if not all of you are aware of the A-4 Skyhawk, Here are a few specifics on the version kitted, the A-4B. It was a strengthened aircraft and added air-to-air refueling capabilities, improved navigation and flight control systems, provision for AGM-12 Bullpup missile; redesignated A-4B in 1962, 542 built. Many of the extant airframes were remanufactured with improved systems and sold overseas. The A-4P and A-4Q were sold to the Argentine Air Force and Navy respectively. The A-4S was sold to Singapore.

THE KIT

One thing about Hasegawa 1/48 Skyhawks is that if you have built one, you will find all the others to be quite familiar. Hasegawa provides a base airframe and only puts in the bits needed for the variant being boxed. In this case it is the intakes, nose, and a few other smaller items. The basic fuselage, wings and tail are the same in nearly all the versions.

Since it is based on the initial A-4E/F boxing, there are a lot of parts not used. In addition, you'll have to fill some panel lines that are not germane to the A-4B. For instance, you won't use the avionics hump nor the outer wing racks. The B model only had a straight refueling probe. It also did not have chaff/flare dispensers so you'll need to use the blanking plates for those.

Some of the options are an open or closed canopy, a boarding ladder (for which you'll need to open some holes), and the ability to pose the speed brakes open or closed. If you look at photos of Skyhawks at rest you'll find that these latter items are usually closed or nearly so. You can also pose the flaps lowered and this along with the slats are normally deployed on the ground.

The kit's instructions are standard fare for Hasegawa and use Gunze paint references. Two markings options in light gull grey over white are provided. Both are CAG birds with the more colorful being the box art plane from VA-72, a squadron that went away when the A-7 was retired. The other is from VA-106 a unit that disappeared after the A-4, then reappeared as the east coast training unit for the legacy Hornet and the Super Bug. The large decal sheet is well done and provides not only the usual markings, but also the nose anti-glare markings and the markings for the inside of the flaps and slats. 

CONCLUSIONS

For reasone unbeknownst to me, Hasegawa has not frequently released this kit as it has other versions. Other than the initial release (this kit) it has been released in limited editions twice, the last time in 2007. This results in it being offered for fairly ridiculous prices on the usual auction sites. Even the reboxed Hobby 2000 kit is selling for more than I think it reasonable. I'm pretty sure that there are resin conversion sets that you could use on the A-4C kit to produce a B model for a lot less than $65-95.00

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_A-4_Skyhawk#Variants

August 2024 

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