1:72 A-4E

The real subject

The A-4E is one of the versions of the American Skyhawk carrier attack aircraft. The machine came about as a deliberately small and light attack aircraft for service on aircraft carriers: its delta wing was so short that folding it for the hangar did not have to be solved at all, and it stayed agile even with a bomb load. The model therefore has clean shapes, and the small items in the cockpit and on the landing gear stand out on it all the more, which is exactly what the photo-etched sheet deals with.

What the photo-etched sheet adds

Etching makes sense wherever the real part is as thin as sheet metal. Injection-molded plastic cannot get below a certain thickness, so the instrument panel, the levers, the placards, the grilles and the belt buckles look like glued-on blocks on a model. A metal sheet, by contrast, really is thin and the detail is etched into it sharply. Which parts the sheet carries and which kit it is cut for are given in the manufacturer's instructions.

Building tips

Separate the parts with a sharp blade on a hard surface; twisting bends the metal and it will not straighten out again. Make the bend along the scored line in one pass, in a bending tool or over the edge of a steel ruler. Polystyrene cement has no effect on metal, which is held by cyanoacrylate glue in a really small amount. Before painting, wash the metal, degrease it and give it a coat of base paint, otherwise the finish will not hold on the smooth surface. Cut the plastic part off the kit only once you have dry fitted the metal replacement.

Terms of supply

The kit, paints and glue are not part of the delivery, unless stated otherwise.