hi,
I just bought a Scooter by HobbyBoss. In the kit there are quite a fiew weapons, some of which will go directly to my spare parts case. I was wondering, though, what kind of weapons they are as in the kit they are not mentioned. I can see rockeye, mk82, paweway and sidewinders, but there are a coupe more i cannot identify.
is there someone who can point me in the right direction?
thank you
ciao
edo
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Can you post some pics of the sprues and instructions? I might be able to help with identifying them.
I’d be interested to see what the rest of the kit looks like. Have been thinking of getting this one but haven’t been able to find one yet over here.
Does it have Vietnam War era markings?
Hey, here are the sprues.
To tell the truth, I hoped for something better… expecially as far as the cockpit is concerned, but, you know, it brings back memories of when I was a boy, so, after all it is not that bad I guess… 
The decals seem all right, but what I like most is the ordinances included in the kit that compared to Italeri or Hasegawa made me choose this one…
Thank you for yor help!!
ciao
Edo
bomb sprue (2x): what is the one on top right?
Fusolage detail (???)
Instrument panel detail (???)
sprue # 2: moslty internal
Seat detail (???)
cockpit detail (???)
Front wheel detail
Undercarriage detail
Sidewinder + tank (2x)
tank #2 (2x)
decal detail Ilook at the instrument panel!!! OMG!!!)
instrument panel decal (no comment…)
decal detail (sorry for the bad pic…)
decal detail
Colour scheme #1
Colour scheme #2
ordinance instruction sheet
Clear sprue
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Thanks looks like a nice kit. Is this the 1/48?
Top right of the weapon sprue is a 2000lb GBU-8 HOBOS TV guided bomb. Exclusively a USAF weapon and I think it’s the post-Nam version. On the left is a 2000lb Paveway LGB. Neither of these were carried by the A-4 in US service. At least not from anything I’ve seen. Possibly used by the Israeli’s though? This is probably a generic weapon sprue they’ve included. Useful for the spares box.
About the most sophisticated weapons the A-4 carried were the AGM-62 Walleye (TV guided bomb) and the AGM-12 Bullpup missile (radio controlled by the pilot). Neither of these are there.
The Mk82’s and Rockeyes were about the most commonly carried weapons. Check references because I think only 4 were typically carried on the MER when they were under the wings. Usually the 2 Centreline and outboard racks of the MER. I think the inner stations could not be used because the bombs would have been in the way of the gear doors.
Hope this helps. Looking forward to seeing how it builds.
hi, thank you for the info!
it is a pity as the paveway is very “scenographc” and i would have liked to use it…
yes, the kit is 1:48
ciao
edo
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Happy to help.
Your right, the Paveways always look interesting on a model.
Too bad they didn’t include a few more options. Another common fit were LAU-10 4-shot rocket pods and AGM-45 Shrikes. Might be worth having a look at what’s available in resin or the Hasegawa weapon sets.
214 flew out of my A.O. in 68 and probably 69. They primarily used 500lb bombs as well as 500lb. snakeyes. You would see them with napalm canisters (blunt nosed ones), and once in awhile rockeyes. Now the kit is an A4m, and they were not flying them at that time. So the answer may be different. They also used the big gas tanks under the wings; I might add here.
The loaded the airframes so heavy that it took almost 10,000 feet of runway to clear the tree line to the north. By the start of summer, the A4 flew most air strikes in I-Corp. The TV guided bombs are perfect for A7’s bombing bridges north of the DMZ
gary
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thank you guys!
much appreciated!
ciao
edo
p.s.
the A7 is one of my favourite planes… but I am concerned about it’s dimensions, as I don’t have any storing room left (also for the A4 I’ll have to squeeze it somewhere…). But this is another story…
ciao
edo
Far from my wheelhouse, but I think the IDF uses their own LGB. They look different tha US ones. As far as MERs go, I remember some type could use them on the inboard hard points but could only load 4 bombs … center and outboard sides. The inboard side , if loaded fouled the gear doors. Not sure it was the A-4 though. Can use the winders. Navy ones outa Gitmo pulled air defense duty there.
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Yes I think you’re right.
I think they developed their own guidance kit. Pretty sure a Kfir I have has them.
That’s not to say they weren’t using US supplied Paveways to begin with. I seem to recall they fitted their A-4’s with a gimbal mounted designator right at the end of the nose?
Anyway, that’s a whole other topic and don’t want to hijack the thread
I think inert mk.82’s would be the most likely on those decal options and what’s in the box.
Would be fun to build a fully loaded up version and I’ll look into the Hobbyboss A-4’s a bit more. One of my long term goals is to build a range of Vietnam era aircraft carrying just about every bit of kit and ordnance possible. One can dream.
I’m building A-4M with Mk 82 Snakeye with early air brakes at centre pylon and two LAU-10 at outer pylons.
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would it be okfitting Mk82 with extended fuse?
just to add a touch of “colour”…
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Long fuses will not work well with fully loaded MER. Unless on front loaded bombs only, but I haven’t found such combination yet.
the first time I saw a snakeye go off, was about a mile and a half south of the trash dump in Chu Lai. That’s roughly one and three quarter miles to the south if that matters much. Three A4’s were bombing a cave complex right in front of our LP. We could feel the blast. Prior to that we never knew what a snakeye was. (remember I-Corp was at the bottom of the food chain!) After that they were fairly common.
Think there were three different fuse lengths used, but also could be wrong. We did not see A7’s much unless they were shot up and being diverted to Chu Lai. Just about every attack air frame carried napalm in one size or the other. 500lb. dumb bombs were the norm, and it seemed like everything hauled them. You seen more exotic stuff in Da Nang, but never was close to the F4’s and stuff. Only the F104’s.
gary
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ok seems that all my fancy ordinance is out of contest here… 
and while I thank you for the invaluable infos that are much appreciated, and historically accurate, I am thinking of thaking some artistic licence here… 
ciao
edo
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Hi there!
yesterady night I started gluing the wings and… found out that the slats cannot be displayed open!
something that i completely missed before!!! and, in my opinion, one of the iconic features of the A4 missing!! 
So afer some thougts of trash the project alltogheter, I settled for trying to open them up…
this is the first wing…
as you can see my “surgery” left some scar… but, overall, it seems ok to me…
what do you think?
ciao
Edo
p.s. no way, in my opinion, to open up the flaps on the back wing… but have to think it over again, so maybe…
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How about some Mk 77 s with napalm?