In the late 1980s, General Dynamics and McDonnell Douglas teamed up on a proposed design for the Advanced Tactical Aircraft (ATA). Designated A-12 Avenger II, it would have replaced the aging Grumman A-6 Intruder. The design was a stealthy, subsonic, twin-engine, two-seat, carrier-based aircraft. Its unusual triangular shape earned it the unofficial nickname "Flying Dorito." Unfortunately, the project had major design problems and cost overruns, and by the third year of development, the A-12 project was cancelled. The only thing to show for it was a full-scale mockup of the aircraft.
Anigrand Craftswork of Hong Kong has released a 1/72 scale resin kit of the A-12 that includes well-cast large resin parts, a good vacuum-formed canopy, and basic decals. Some of the smaller resin parts were broken inside their separate bags. The two laser-guided bombs suffered most.
The resin parts show good detail and recessed panel lines. Cleanup of flash and mold seams was easy and quick. Although the two ejection seats were good, the rest of the cockpit had only basic detail.
Anigrand's two-page instruction sheet shows an exploded view of the parts, but no assembly sequence. Also given is a brief project history and a basic three-view drawing for painting and decaling instructions. I didn't agree with the recommended "dark green" cockpit interior (I used flat black), or the overall FS 36492 gray exterior (I used light ghost gray FS 36375, which would have been more likely).
Assembly was easy. The center section of the flying wing design is molded in upper and lower halves that enclose separate intake vanes and exhaust nozzles. Weapons- and landing-gear-bays are molded into the bottom half, so there's no time wasted there. I had to sand the edges of the center-section halves.
Each outer-wing section is molded in one piece. The separation lines are along the proposed wing folds, but the basic hinge details don't line up with those in the center section. I shaved off the hinge tabs and glued the wings in the unfolded position. The fit wasn't good, and I filled with gap-filling super glue, which I used for all assemblies, too. I used putty to fill a few air bubbles scattered through the castings.
The landing gear had no axles for the wheels, so I carefully drilled holes in the struts and wheels to accept brass rods. The attachment points in the fuselage were unevenly molded and caused the model to sit with a list; I had to shorten one leg a bit to get an even "sit."
Four weapons bays molded into the bottom of the fuselage can be left open or closed. My sample's bombs were damaged, so I found substitutes from Hasegawa. Two AIM-120 "Slammers" are included, too, and although they fit in the missile bays, they appear too short for the scale. Does this mean the bays are too short also?
The kit decals went on without problems. The vacuum-formed canopy benefits from a bath in Future to increase clarity, and it has to be trimmed carefully to fit into the recessed ledge around the cockpit.
The only references on the A-12 I found were photographs on the Internet (
www.habu2.net/a12/avenger2.htm), which show the A-12 mockup at the Fort Worth Aviation Heritage Association museum. Based on the photos, it appears Anigrand captured the overall dimensions and features.
Though it isn't a difficult resin kit, I can't recommend it to beginners who are used to injection-molded plastic kits. I put 25 hours into my model, and with more time I could have added more detail to the cockpit and possibly posed the wings in the folded position. It sure looks unusual parked next to Tomcats and Hornets!
- David P. Anderson