Hasegawa

1/72 AD-6 Skyraider ‘VA-85 Black Falcons’

Kit Number: 00843

Reviewed by  Ned Ricks, IPMS# 36013

MSRP: $27.90 The AD-6 has had considerable appeal to me since I witnessed their service in US Air Force livery in Vietnam. This muscular, hulking single engine plane that could haul more than a WW II heavy bomber was a model I wanted for my small collection of aircraft. I had purchased another manufacturer's kit, but a quick open-box inspection led me to put it back on my shelf of "models to get around to." When I opened the Hasegawa box, I could see right away that this one was for doing right now! Historical background: The Douglas AD "Skyraider" was built to replace the SB2C Helldiver, but did not participate in any WWII operations before the war ended. As the most powerful carrier-based attack plane ever built, this single-engine aircraft with its three fuselage stations and six racks on each wing could carry a varied assortment of ordnance including bombs, rockets, mines, torpedoes and napalm at weights greater than that of the four-engine B-17 Flying Fortress. More than 3100 were built and operated in the attack role over a 23 year lifespan (1945-1968). One of the early missions assigned to the AD was nuclear weapon delivery. With 2 external 300 gallon drop tanks and a nuclear weapon, the Skyraider was capable of remaining airborne for 13 hours. Its only limitation in this configuration was consumption of oil beyond its 50 gallon capacity This Hasegawa box includes six gray plastic parts sprues, one clear parts sprue and a sprue of poly caps, of which only one is used for this model to hold the prop shaft. The multi-panel illustrated instruction pamphlet has a line drawing of the parts provided and indicates the ones not used for this plane. Three fuel tanks, two wing mounted and one a center line, are provided but only the under-wing versions are employed. The gray plastic is crisply molded and is of a consistency that does not crack or crumble during clean up. Generally speaking, molding lines and ejector pin marks are in inconspicuous places. Paint colors are referenced in GSI Creos Aqueous Hobby Color and Mr. Color, as well as descriptive and FS designations. I used Testor's Model Master and Humbrol enamels for the example pictured. The first step, no surprise, is the cockpit. This is a very simple layout with decals provided for instrument panel and side panel gauges and dials. With the very clear and large canopy, it would be worthwhile adding a more detailed aftermarket cockpit, or at least some seat belt harnesses. No harness was provided, not even as a decal. The wing halves and fuselage halves went together easily and made a good join. You may want to hold off on parts A18 and A19 until you have painted the engine exhausts that those parts house. There are no options for positioning the flaps, ailerons or speed brakes. Resist the temptation to follow the instructions when it comes to mounting the wing stores, at least until after painting. I neglected this and kept knocking the fuel tanks off while handling during the finishing process. It would have been better to wait until all that was accomplished and then glue them on. Nonetheless, the aircraft has excellent fit over all, and the panels lines are nicely engraved and show the benefit of washes and other weathering. It is an easy build and could be the kit of choice if the modeler wanted to construct several to depict various aircraft. Your attention can be on the paint scheme rather than the kit itself. Decals for VA-85 off of the USS Forestal in 1959 and USN experimental camouflage paint scheme of green over white, 1966. I chose the "Black Falcons" option and was delighted at how well the decals went on over the light gray and white paint scheme and conformed to the excellently molded plastic. The large and distinctive green and white checkered rudder decal had me holding my breath, but it behaved as nicely as all the rest. This kit is "Recommended," at least by this reviewer. It was a pleasant, recreational build with no hassles (that weren't self-inflicted). The resulting model is one that is a nice addition to my collection of a sought after subject. IPMS thanks Hasegawa via Dragon USA for providing this kit for review.

About the Reviewer: Ned Ricks is a member of IPMS Lakes Region Scale Modelers.

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