Hasegawa 1/48 scale A-4E/F Skyhawk

Manufacturer: Hasegawa, distributed by Marco Polo Import Inc., 532 S. Coralridge Place, City of Industry, CA 91746, 626-333-2328 www.marcopoloimport.com
Kit: No. 07221
Scale: 1/48
Price: $29
Comments:Injection-molded, 186 parts, decals
Pros: Quality molding and recessed panel lines, separate slats and flaps, optional rear-ends for drop tanks
Cons: Nose wheel molded into strut, no ordnance

Douglas' A-4 Skyhawk entered service with the U.S. Navy in the 1950s, and was a mainstay of Naval and Marine aviation through the Vietnam War. Examples still serve with the USN and several foreign air forces to this day.


Hasegawa's kit shows excellent moldings and recessed panel lines. Several parts (including alternate "cranked" refueling probe, exhaust cones, and antennas) reveal that more versions of the "bantam bomber" are to come. Options include the dorsal electronics hump, positionable air brakes, finned and blunt rear ends for the drop tanks, and a boarding ladder. No ordnance is included. The decals provide markings for the "CAG birds" (specially marked to honor the Commander Air Group) of VA-192 "Golden Dragons" and VA-22 "Fighting Redcocks."


The leading-edge slat supports are molded to the lower wing half, so be careful not to break them off during assembly. I was disappointed that the nose wheel was molded with the strut. The main wheels, however, have separate outer hubs to accommodate the different hub styles of the early and late versions.


The instructions were easy to follow, and differences between the two aircraft represented on the decals are clearly shown. Color information is keyed to the Gunze Sangyo line of paints, but Federal Standard color names are supplied, too.


Building the kit is straightforward. The cockpit detail is good, but the seat is missing the "head knocker" safety lever in the headrest. The harness is molded into the seat cushions, a throttle lever is included for the left console, and an instrument box and rear-view mirrors are provided for the inside of the canopy. The canopy fits well closed; it can be posed open, but there is no actuator.


Overall fit was good, but I used a bit of filler around the nose, underside of the forward wing-fuselage joint, at the front of the avionics hump, and under the aft fuselage. Remember to open the holes for the pylons and antennas before closing the wing and fuselage halves. The horizontal stabilizers are molded with interlocking tabs that ensure proper alignment.


The fit of the flaps in the dropped position is not as precise as I would like, making it easy to either misalign the flaps with each other or to have them dropped too far, to where they can interfere with the wing tanks. The fuselage speed brakes don't fit well in the closed position as the curvature of the brakes doesnpt match the fuselage. One possible solution if you don't want the brakes completely deployed would be to leave them "cracked" open, a position commonly seen in photos of parked A-4s.


The worst fit problem was with the tail units for the external fuel tanks. The tails, both finned and blunt, were larger in diameter than the mating surface on the tanks, requiring filing, filling, and sanding to get a passable joint. Side-to-side alignment of the sway braces requires care, as there are no positive locating pins.


After painting the model with Gunze Sangyo acrylics, I applied the decals using Micro Set (blue label). Micro Sol (red label) was a bit too strong and not really needed anyway. The blue fin and rudder markings were troublesome, requiring selective slicing and numerous applications of Micro Set to snuggle them around the fluted rudder.


Hasegawa's A-4 measures within 1/16" of the dimensions listed in Bert Kinzey's A-4 Skyhawk in Detail and Scale. I spent about 20 hours on the model, which is normal for me for a kit like this. More than half of that was spent painting, decalling, and on final assembly - there are lots of antennas, lenses, and so forth to add after the finish is applied. You may need some experience handling the small parts and positioning the flaps and slats.


Hasegawa's A-4E/F is easily the best 1/48 scale Skyhawk kit available, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the "Scooter" family!