Hobby 2000 72037 - 1:72 Douglas A-4C Skyhawk

Plastic model kit of the Douglas A-4C Skyhawk carrier attack aircraft in 1:72 scale

Hobby 2000 72037 represents the A-4C Skyhawk, the version that formed the backbone of US carrier attack squadrons in the early phase of the Vietnam War. The Skyhawk was an unusual design: deliberately small and light, with no wing folding mechanism, which simplified the structure and allowed more aircraft to be carried aboard a carrier.

The kit is based on Fujimi mouldings with recessed panel lines, a detailed cockpit and stores typical of the C version. Hobby 2000 adds its own box, illustrated instructions, self-adhesive masks for the glazing and new waterslide decals printed by Cartograf. The sheet covers two marking options: a squadron aircraft from USS Kitty Hawk in 1966 and a 1967 Skyhawk whose pilot shot down a MiG-17 over Vietnam using unguided Zuni rockets - one of the most unusual aerial victories of the war.

What's in the box:

• Plastic sprues with fuselage, wing and detail parts
• Parts for underwing stores and fuel tanks
• Clear parts for the canopy glazing
• Self-adhesive masks for the glazing
• Waterslide decal sheet printed by Cartograf for two marking options
• Illustrated assembly instructions

Kit specifications:

• Scale: 1:72
• Catalogue number: 72037
• Manufacturer: Hobby 2000
• Assembled length: approx. 170 mm
• Assembled wingspan: approx. 116 mm
• Skill level: beginner/intermediate

Note: The kit does not include glue, paints or modelling tools. The model requires assembly.

Assembly:

A small, compact model with a straightforward parts breakdown - a good choice for a first jet build as well. The cockpit with its ejection seat is best painted before the fuselage halves are joined. The short-span delta wing assembles easily, and it is worth planning the stores layout to match the chosen marking option and fitting them after the airframe has been painted, which makes it easier to reach awkward areas with brush and airbrush.

US carrier aircraft of the period wore the standard scheme of light grey upper surfaces over white, with colourful squadron markings. The instructions provide paint references for both options. Decals - including extensive stencilling - are best applied over a gloss coat to limit the risk of silvering, with a satin varnish as the final finish. A panel-line wash and light exhaust staining around the tailpipe convey the character of hard-worked carrier aircraft.

Tools you will need:

• Modelling nippers for removing parts from the sprues
• Hobby knife or scalpel
• Files and sanding paper for cleaning up sprue gate marks
• Plastic cement (e.g. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement)
• Fine modelling tweezers
• Brushes in various sizes
• Modelling paints (acrylic or enamel)
• Gloss varnish for decalling and satin varnish for the final finish
• Decal setting solutions and a wash to accentuate detail

About the aircraft - Douglas A-4 Skyhawk:

The Skyhawk was created in the mid-1950s by Ed Heinemann's team at Douglas in response to a US Navy requirement for a carrier-based strike aircraft able to deliver a nuclear weapon. Against the trends of the day the designers pursued extreme weight saving: the finished aircraft weighed about half of what the specification allowed. A delta wing spanning less than nine metres needed no folding mechanism, which simplified the structure and saved further weight.

The A-4C, introduced in the early 1960s, received improved avionics with radar for operations in poor weather and at night, together with strengthened stores stations. It was the most numerous of the early Skyhawk variants. Armament comprised two 20 mm cannon plus stores carried on wing and fuselage pylons - conventional bombs, unguided rockets and underwing fuel tanks for extended range.

During the Vietnam War Skyhawks flew tens of thousands of combat sorties from carrier decks, striking targets in North Vietnam and supporting ground forces in the south. Despite their attack role they occasionally scored aerial victories. The design proved successful enough to stay in production until 1979, serving with more than a dozen air arms and continuing in training and aggressor roles into the 21st century.

Original aircraft specifications (Douglas A-4C Skyhawk):

• Length: approx. 12.2 m
• Wingspan: 8.38 m
• Height: approx. 4.6 m
• Empty weight: approx. 4470 kg
• Maximum take-off weight: approx. 10,200 kg
• Crew: 1
• Powerplant: Wright J65 turbojet of approx. 34 kN thrust
• Maximum speed: approx. 1080 km/h
• Service ceiling: approx. 12,000 m
• Fixed armament: two 20 mm Colt Mk.12 cannon
• External load: bombs, unguided rockets and underwing fuel tanks on five stations
• Production: A-4C version - over 600 examples; all Skyhawk versions - close to 3000 examples (1954-1979)

About the manufacturer - Hobby 2000:

Hobby 2000 is a Polish model company based in Katowice that has built its position on themed releases. Its kits are based on mouldings from established manufacturers - in this case Fujimi - completed with original packaging, new illustrated instructions and fresh waterslide decals printed by the Italian printing house Cartograf. Most aircraft releases also include self-adhesive masks for the canopy glazing, which noticeably simplifies painting. The brand favours subjects connected with Polish aviation history as well as less obvious episodes of the Second World War and the post-war years, selecting its marking options from archival material. Production runs are limited, so individual releases are often sought after by collectors. For the modeller this means proven, well-detailed mouldings combined with subjects not available in the original boxings. The company's catalogue covers aircraft, vehicles and ships in scales from 1:72 to 1:35.