Hobby 2000 72018 - 1:72 Douglas OA-4M Skyhawk

Plastic model kit of the American Douglas OA-4M Skyhawk forward air control aircraft in 1:72 scale

The OA-4M is a rarely modelled two-seat version of the Skyhawk – an aircraft converted from TA-4F trainers for the Marine Corps and intended for directing air support onto ground targets. The lengthened fuselage with its second cockpit, the avionics hump and the additional communications equipment gave the crew the tools to work over the battlefield as an airborne forward air controller.

Hobby 2000 72018 is based on Fujimi sprues with a new sheet of waterslide decals printed by Cartograf and self-adhesive masks for the long two-piece canopy glazing. The decals cover two options: AW-01 from an exercise in Thailand in January 1989 and DA-04 of H&MS-32 "Bandits" from 1987.

What you will find in the box:

• Plastic sprues with airframe, two-seat cockpit and undercarriage parts
• Clear parts for the two-piece canopy glazing
• Parts for external fuel tanks and underwing stores
• Self-adhesive masks for the glazing
• Waterslide decal sheet printed by Cartograf covering two marking options
• Illustrated assembly instructions

Model specifications:

• Scale: 1:72
• Catalogue number: 72018
• Manufacturer: Hobby 2000
• Length of the finished model: approx. 180 mm
• Wingspan of the finished model: approx. 116 mm
• Skill level: beginner/intermediate

Please note: the kit does not include glue, paints or modelling tools. The model is intended for self-assembly.

Building the model:

Assembly follows much the same course as on the single-seat Skyhawks, except that the two-seat cockpit means more interior work – both ejection seats, instrument panels and consoles are best painted before the fuselage is closed, as they remain clearly visible under the long glazing. With its short nose and light tail the model benefits from a check of the balance and some nose weight if needed.

Marine Corps aircraft of the 1980s wore low-visibility grey schemes with subdued markings – a good subject for practising subtle panel shading with an airbrush. Laying the decals over gloss varnish is recommended, as it prevents decal silvering, with a satin varnish for the final finish. The self-adhesive masks noticeably shorten the work on the many canopy frames.

Tools you will need:

• Modelling nippers for removing parts from the sprues
• Modelling knife or scalpel
• Files and sanding paper for cleaning up gate marks
• Plastic cement (e.g. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement)
• Precision modelling tweezers
• Brushes in various sizes or an airbrush
• Modelling paints (acrylic or enamel)
• Gloss varnish for the decals and satin varnish for the final finish
• Decal setting solution to help the decals conform to the detail
• Modelling wash to emphasise the detail and panel lines

About the aircraft – Douglas OA-4M Skyhawk:

The two-seat Skyhawks were a natural development of the successful attack design – the TA-4F, with its lengthened fuselage and second cockpit, was used for pilot training while retaining combat capability. The Marine Corps quickly saw that such an aircraft was also well suited to another role: airborne control of air support over the battlefield.

Experience from Vietnam showed how valuable it was to have a crew over the battlefield who could see the ground situation and direct air strikes precisely onto their targets. Piston-engined aircraft and light jets had been used for this work, but the growing density of anti-aircraft defences called for something faster and better protected.

The OA-4M was produced by converting a small number of TA-4F airframes. The aircraft received expanded communications and navigation equipment, housed partly in the hump behind the cockpit, while the second cockpit allowed the workload to be shared between pilot and control officer. They served with Marine Corps squadrons until the early 1990s, when their duties passed to the F/A-18D. Because so few were built, the OA-4M remains one of the more interesting and less common members of the Skyhawk family.

Original aircraft specifications (OA-4M Skyhawk):

• Length: approx. 12.98 m
• Wingspan: 8.38 m
• Height: approx. 4.66 m
• Maximum take-off weight: approx. 11,100 kg
• Crew: 2 (pilot and forward air control officer)
• Powerplant: Pratt & Whitney J52-P-8A turbojet of approx. 41 kN thrust
• Maximum speed: approx. 1,000 km/h
• External load: target marking rockets among others, plus external fuel tanks
• Equipment: expanded communications and navigation avionics for air control duties
• Conversion: from TA-4F trainers for the United States Marine Corps

About the manufacturer – Hobby 2000:

Hobby 2000 is a Polish model company based in Katowice that builds its range around its own themed releases of plastic kits. Each box contains sprues from an established manufacturer – in this case Fujimi sprues – combined with the company's own artwork, illustrated assembly instructions and a new decal sheet. The waterslide decals for the brand's kits are printed by Cartograf of Italy, valued in the industry for their thin carrier film and accurate colour registration. Most of the aircraft releases also include self-adhesive masks for the glazing, which makes painting the canopy frames considerably easier. Hobby 2000 selects its subjects around specific campaigns, units and pilots, and Polish themes appear regularly in the catalogue. Print runs are limited, so once a release sells out it rarely returns. For the modeller this means access to proven tooling in a boxing with carefully researched markings that are often hard to find elsewhere.