1/700 Douglas A-1E 'Fat Face' Skyraider - x3 Gear Down - First USAF Skyraiders!

Description

NO RESERVE. We're offering here a set of three beautifully detailed Douglas A-1E Skyraider gear down models that have just come out of the 3D printer. Able to carry more payload than a four-engine B-17 Flying Fortress, the Douglas A-1 Skyraider was considered one of the finest attack and close air support aircraft ever built and one of the most versatile aircraft to ever serve with the U.S. Navy. The variety of ordnance that could be carried by the Skyraider on its 15 hard points was astonishing and included weapons like 500 lb napalm bombs, 2,000 lb HE bombs, 500 lb bombs, 250 lb low-drag bombs, rocket packs with 19 2.75 inch folding fin rockets. The type's service with both the Navy and the USAF in Vietnam was particularly impressive and actually included a few victories over enemy jets! The first U.S. Air Force Skyraiders in Vietnam were the two-seat A-1Es which arrived at Bien How Air Base in May 1964. They were assigned to the 1st Air Commando Squadron (later the 1st Special Operations Squadron) which operated under the call sign 'Hobo'. Other USAF squadrons flew Skyraiders from bases in South Vietnam and Thailand under call signs 'Spad', 'Firefly' and 'Zorro'. Wherever they went, both the 'Fat Face' Skyraiders and their single-seat counterparts provided critical close support to ground forces and other operations, such as defoliant spraying or supporting the insertion and extraction of special operations teams inside enemy held territory along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Air Force Skyraiders in Southeast Asia are probably best remembered for their support of search and rescue missions. Operating under the call sign 'Sandy', the A-1s ability to fly over a downed Airman for an extended period complemented its massive firepower. Whereas jet aircraft often had to leave an area for refueling or rearming, the Sandies provided nearly continuous suppressing fire until helicopters could extract downed airmen. On one occasion, an A-1E flown by Maj. Bernie Fisher, actually landed on a temporary airstrip under enemy fire to save a fellow pilot who had crashed-landed there moments before. He was the first Airman to receive the Medal of Honor for his service in Vietnam.
We believe that this is the first 'Fat Face' A-1E Skyraider ever offered in 1/700 scale and it is the perfect complement to the A-1H/J model we've offered previously
. Plus this model has a heavy ordnance package representative of a typical Air
Force aircraft
!
We believe that the 3D printed models offered here compare very favorably with the original WEM model and, in fact, likely surpass it by a good margin but w
e've posted high resolution photos so you can judge for yourself.
While photography of these little gems is a challenge for our equipment and limited skills, check out the well proportioned models including the massive fuselage with detailed 'fat face' canopy, the carburetor air intake, centerline 300 gal
fuel tank
and the
tail assembly;
the wings with (3x) CBU-25 submunition dispensers, (2x) LAU-3 and (1x) LAU-68 rocket launchers under
each
wing, a SUU-11 Minigun under the port wing and a Napalm Tank under the starboard wing (whew!); the beautifully rendered landing gear including the distinctive castoring tailwheel forks
.
While the surfaces are not perfectly smooth (3D printing is done in layers), the plastic used can be sanded and painted much the same way you would handle resin or styrene. The models may still have some powder and oil-like agent on them that needs to be removed by washing in warm water with a drop of detergent in it.
These outstanding A-1E Skyraider models should be a welcome addition to any wargamer's or 1/700 modeler's collection, particularly those interested in US Air Force ground attack and close air support operations in Vietnam
. Please take a look at the other 1/700 scale aircraft models that we have on auction as well. We're always happy to combine shipping for multiple purchases to save whenever possible. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions whatsoever.