yakarov79

4 hours ago, GKABS said:

A-6B

more or less Mod 1 or Mod 0/1.

I am doing some silly overtime currently, but I will message you soon.

B - had 2 (?) or 3 versions with a different set of sensors, antennas, whistles and blisters, I will send you tomorrow or Thursday something. 

MCAS El Toro,1975.

55 minutes ago, madvad said:

Its VA-65, Sorry for the typo...

Only VA with A-6 in 1965 was 75 and 85. 

at that time VA-65 was transferring from COMNAVAIRLANT to Pacific Fleet. VA-65 first deployment within COMNAVAIRPAC was from May 12, 1966, to December 3, 1966, as part of CVW-15 on Constellation.

sorry, I have a serial/date/nose art fetish...

and there are just a few adjustments for positioning\renaming. I already started to convert my over Nam drumstick and I am still using older (with adjustments) decal.ini.

Esk 726, Aalborg, 1959.

On 4/8/2024 at 9:13 PM, madvad said:

A A-6A Intruder from VA-165 dodging a SAM during Operation Rolling Thunder, over Vietnam,1965

No A-6 Intruder of VA-165 in the country until 1967. In 65 they still got their propellers on board Coral Sea as part of  CVW-15.

I have found some small issues before and just forgot about it...

Animation of flaps...while flaps are moving, parts called FlapCoverL /R should move also - this is cover of actuator and it extends partially...not as movable part on top of flap...

Thirdwire models got this right (except shape) - if you could check that animation there....

no, on your model you have a shorter (late A) fairing, with a straight "back wall" just in front of the place where chaff/flare slots should be.

one more photo from 1967. Early A and longer Doppler radar fairing. clearly visible shape of the fairing.

worth noticing is also fuselage airbrakes - at that time already disabled - but in most pictures while the aircraft is parked, panels are slightly opened (low pressure in actuator? access to some internal equipment? ) next aircraft has airbrakes opened even more. 

On later production aircraft, the airbrake mechanism was already removed and panels bolted, also some received small panels to close holes in brakes, and finally, they put new full panels, removing even the hinge.  

21 hours ago, yakarov79 said:

There is one more thing about early A but I can not find a clear photo to show you

after installing AN/ALE-29  Doppler radar antenna fairing was shortened with a straight end to fit two slots for chaff/flare launchers.

here slots are blanked with metal plates but this is the place....

on early A-6A fairing for the Doppler radar antenna was longer like here..

on C but the idea is the same.

6 minutes ago, GKABS said:

will make three LOD for one with the ALR15, APR-25, and  ALQ-100  one with ALR15, APR-25 and that one with APR-25, and  ALQ-100

 cool...

no.2 in that picture.

8 minutes ago, GKABS said:

Fixed

man, that was fast...take your time, this is not a race 

that gap between the inside and fuselage...

and if could ....canopy inside the rear part...it is invisible...if you could add some lining...

I started to convert my stock "Over Vietnam series" to this new model...

Yes.

At this point (around 1968 which will fit for late A) - AN/ALR15 was already mostly removed (small antennas on wingtips - this is a warning receiver)

But  AN/APR-25  RHAW was just added a few months earlier (blobs under wing ends)   so a different story than DECM.

But I have photo with boom ecms, APR-25 blobs underwings, and leftowers on wingtips after ALR-15... 

and also photos of A with ALR-15, APR-25 but no ALQ-100 ..earlier block build received upgrades gradually (noticeable within USMC )

here is visible ALR-15...that yellow thingie on a wingtip

something different to take care of...

WingR still possesses part of wingL....

there is a gap I will show you the screen later...but it is also noticeable in the shot below...

an ugly gap between the cockpit and the fuselage...

on the right side, aft of the aircon intake under the wing root should be a small exhaust pipe from the air con unit..

left "remove before flight intake cover" is visible in the left engine exhaust pipe.

There is one more thing about early A but I can not find a clear photo to show you 

Guard Dog

By the way. Can you make that early A in two versions? One with both (wings and fuselage) airbrakes operational and one with only wing airbrakes and disabled animation of fuselage brakes. 

coming up nicely, 

the windows on the pod turret were asymmetrical, the right side (FLIR) was narrower than the left side (LLTV)

and can you make an animation that will turn the turret around after take-off...to protect equipment during take-off/landing and on the ground turret windows were facing the rear.

On the other hand (iron hand)

Since you are jumping on versions. Any chance to get back to the Iron Hand  B version for a while? at least for the Mod 0 version (Vietnam era)

I can provide LAU launchers for Standard ARM. (only B was carrying Standard ARM at that time) 

And absolutely side note... 

I was working on a skin set for Intruder over Vietnam based on the TW model (similar to my Corsairs pack) but now I see I have to move to a better A platform. Will take me a while to re-do everything on these new skins...but research was done already, and decals too. Stay tuned.

1 hour ago, GKABS said:

I have added the  ....

so far looks good. 

Should be available on both pylons. 

Although I have seen very rarely LAU-7 on inner pylon. But often Shrikes on both. 

Station 1,2,4,5 can be equipped with Aero 5A-1 launcher - for Shrike and Bulpup,  LAU-7A on ADU-299 adapter for AIM-9 Sidewinder.

LAU-78 was for A-6B and Standard ARM missile also on 1,2,4,5 stations.

LAU-117 for AGM-65 and LAU-118 for HARM but those are for A-6E already.  And also on 1,2,4,5 stations.

As for late A-6A...AN/ALQ-100 antenna - which was introduced somewhere in February 1968.

two months late they replaced ALR15 with AN/APR-25. Of course, some older airframes were retrofitted too.

wingtip speed brakes were added at BuNo 149940 and soon after delivery to operational squadrons fuselage mounted speed brakes were deactivated.

149940 was the 26th Intruder built.  Even after deactivation, it was still possible to open fuselage speed brakes - only on the ground for maintenance and other stuff that needed access through the brake well. 
The fuselage speed brake was entirely deleted from production from BuNo 154170

those are airframes that at some point had operational fuselage speed brakes (1st and 2nd contracts went mostly for modification prototypes EA-6,KA-6 etc..) most from the rest of the list were converted into KA-6D.
1st contract.
147864
147865
147866
147867

2nd contract.
148615
148616
148617
148618

3rd contract
149475
149476
149477
149478
149479
149480
149481
149482
149483
149484
149485
149486

4th contract.
149935
149936
149937
149938
149939
149940

On the inboard flap, there is a circular cutout to provide clearance above 300gal tank. So something is wrong with the model. Either flaps should extend more...or pylons are slightly too high. Or both ..or Something needs to be determined.

It would be extremely COOL if you could add to the main model various A/A37B-6/5 ejector racks. Ravenclaw has a marvelous model. I am sure that something can be arranged. Built-in MERs/TERs can give us countless mix loadout options - known for this bomb truck.   Also, specific launch rails for Shrikes, Standard ARM, winders etc. would be great. This would give a significant advantage over the stock Thirdwire model. So we do not have to screw around with fake pilot pylons, rails etc.

those blisters under the wings are AN/APR-25 - and should be a little bulkier longer and more rounded.

APR-15 was on the wingtip itself little behind the wingtip lights - -where in late models were located formation lights.

here is the visible place where ALR-15 was installed (flat squarish spot with 6 screws) ALR-15 was old shitty system that could look only left and right (more or less) and two lights in the cockpit indicating left - right side warning. 

later changed to APR-25 and later ALR-45 was added too (at this point ALR-15 was removed from use already)

1. those are speed break actuator fairing - so if you have fuselage speed brakes and no windspeed brakes  this should be not there (very early A-6)

2. APR-25

3. here is more or less ALE-18 chaff dispenser...(do not remember if it is one or two slots) I will check next week. 

Looks good.

You are missing wingtip lights, and ALR-15 antenas on wingtips (early A model),

front gear doors - those 3 lights should be evenly spaced along the side of the door (angle of attack indexer lights),

There should be a small slot on the lower fuselage (left-hand side) between the engine exhaust and speed brake for AN/ALE-18 chaff dispenser 

7 hours ago, alexis99 said:

SF2 calls it a HUD in the Cockpit.ini whether it has discretes or not.

yet, you were asking in your 1st post about the real thing in Shooting Star and Sabre. So I pointed out that no HUD in that period.