I’ve recently been going through a huge model kit collection from an estate, and that has given me a chance to view the history of model airplane kits through the last 70 years or so. Starting with rough-cut solid-balsa “kits” from the 1940s, through the dawn of plastic kits in the ’50s, to the state-of-the-art kits of today, one word comes to mind: More! The latest trend from modern kit manufacturers is more features, more options, more detail — not to mention more money to buy one of these new super-kits. Plastic airplane kits are no longer “toys.” Modelers around the world are more sophisticated (a fancy way of saying older) than ever before. We demand more features, better fidelity, and trouble-free fit.
That’s a tall order, even with today’s computer-assisted manufacturing methods, and you might not expect satisfaction from the third kit ever produced by a relatively new manufacturer. I didn’t.
But I got it. Zoukei-Mura’s “Super Wing Series” Skyraider is a masterwork of kit design and mold-making. Although the manufacturer appears to be a Japanese outfit, the kit was produced in China. It’s a bit over the top when it comes to the amount of detail, perhaps, but, unlike some super-kits from other manufacturers, this one works. The thing that most impressed me as I built the model is that everything fit!
The kit’s parts are molded in light gray, metallic gray, black, and clear plastic. A few small parts are on sprue “PE,” which in this case does not stand for photoetched but for polyethylene; they are pivot points for the speed-brake actuators and the wing folds. Also included are precut vinyl masks for the canopy and a beautiful sheet of decals for two Skyraiders with the familiar bumblebee tail art of VA-176. The 40-page instruction booklet is meticulously illustrated and carefully thought out.
Besides a lot of interior detail, the kit features foldable wings, separate control surfaces, unloaded and compressed landing gear struts, open or closed cowl flaps, movable speed brakes, posable cannon ammunition doors, separately cast wheels and tires, positionable flaps, and a pair of drop tanks. No ordnance is included; it’s sold as a separate set (kit No. SWS03-M01).
Building the fuselage interior is first. While installing many of the well-cast parts may be educational, you can save some time and effort by working on only the cockpit, tail-wheel well, and speed-brake actuators. Everything else inside will be invisible once the fuselage is closed.
The instrument panel has raised detail and can be painted or covered with a decal. Optional seats include the standard Navy seat or the rocket-assisted Yankee seat used mostly by the U.S. Air Force in late service in Vietnam. Two versions of each seat are provided, with harnesses molded in or without. (Zoukei-Mura also sells a separate photoetched-metal detail set with harnesses.)
The engine is impressive — it even has the pistons and orbital crank molded inside the cylinder-bank halves. Enjoy looking at them now, because you’ll never see them again after it’s built. Separately cast intake pipes and exhaust manifolds look daunting, but if you follow the instructions carefully that plate of spaghetti will go down smoothly.
Building the wings includes more detail that will disappear inside. But you’ll want to install the spar and rib structures, wheel wells, and cannons. Don’t forget to poke through the recessed attachment points for the weapons pylons before closing the wing. While it is not readily apparent in the instructions, the folding wings are not just posable but operable! Follow the instructions carefully, and they’ll work. According to photos of the real aircraft, there’s a curved, metal-looking structure close to the rear hinge of each wing that is not present in the kit. I’m not sure what it is; maybe Zoukei-Mura didn’t understand it either and decided to leave it out.
I left off the ailerons, elevators, and rudder until after painting. This made painting easier — no masking! They are not hinged, but if the tabs are removed they can be cemented offset. The flaps come with both deployed and retracted actuators, so you have a choice of positions. The wheels and tires can be assembled after painting, too.
That big four-bladed prop has the proper groove molded into the trailing edge of the back side of each blade. Decals are provided for the prop tip colors, but I found them to be a bit too narrow. I painted the tips instead.
The instructions refer only to Vallejo and Mr. Color paints, but I painted with Testors Model Master gloss white and gloss light gull gray. I chose to model Lt. j.g. William Patton’s MiG-17 killer, Papoose 9 (AK 409). The decals were beautifully printed and applying them was trouble-free. After they dried, I carefully cut through the fuselage insignias so I could open the speed brakes. After detailing with a sludge wash of medium gray, I overcoated the light gull gray with a clear flat coat, leaving the white glossy.
Final assembly included mounting the control surfaces, landing gear, canopy, antennas, navigation lights, and ordnance. From the separate weapons set, I mounted four rocket pods and a pair each of 500-pound and 1,000-pound bombs from the ordnance set, along with a centerline fuel tank.
I spent 72 hours on the big Spad, building it out of the box. I would have needed more if I had installed all the interior stuff or used the photoetched-metal detail set.
Make room on your model shelf, ’cause she’s a biggie — 19" wingspan, 14" long. It’s a marvelous model and sure to turn heads at a club meeting. Zoukei-Mura has announced a U.S. Air Force “Sandy” version of this kit, and with some work, a Korean War “Able Dog” is possible, too.