Model by Wilfried Eck
back to German page to model photos
EF-10A (ex F3D-2) Skyknight, Czech Model, 1/48
Modifications and additions:
( + ) On the plus side:
 
  • Czech Model added a very welcome kit, as there wasn't a Skyknight in 1/48 before. The kit contains plastic and resin parts (cockpit, wheel wells).
  • Large decal sheet for an all black Korea nightfighter, a sea blue aircraft of ATG 201 and an electronic warfare plane in light gray/white as well as all maintenance inscriptions. - but also see minus.
  • Thin exhast tubes. - but also see minus.
  • Good Fit of fuselage parts, wings and horizontal stabilizer - but also see minus.
 
( - ) On the minus side:
 
  • Bad fit of cockpit tub, this will result in a sizeable gap at the bottom of the fuselage.
  • Bad fit of engine bays.
  • No rest for intake and exhaust tubes (fuselage and engine bays hollow in this region).
  • Clumsy main landing gear legs; too short pins for the wheels (also front gear).
  • Middle part of canopy hood of different thickness.
  • Butt joint of wings (no tongues, no spar).
  • Seat of radar/electronics officer strange shape.
  • Decals: Red brown correct for black variant only, in all other cases it should be "insignia red" (scarlet). This makes the national insignias and warning stripes unusable.
 
Solution:
 
  • Cockpit: Do not cement side walls to cockpit tub, but glue them to fuselage side walls (use pencil to outline correct position). File front edge until both fuselage halves get a proper fit.
  • Insert tubes into fuselage halves to accept rear and front walls of inlet/exhaust tubes (photo in German page).
  • Carefully check edges of engine bays where filing/shaping is needed. Notice: In the original plane there is just the thickness of the sheet metal visible, no grooves.
  • Build main landing gear legs of a) suitably bent brass wires (pressed flat in the region of the wheel), and b) of "Evergreen"-tubes.
  • Add scratch detail (especially seat straps) in cockpit.
  • Add spar in fuselage to hold wings (fixed into precut slits).
  • Red warning stripes around intakes are best painted on, preferably before intake parts are cemented onto engine bays . This necessitates painting the intake parts white on both sides before.  Trying to add decals or paint proper stripes on the insides is nearly impossible after the intake parts are fixed.
  • Folded wings are no must as the EF-10A was land based, although seen in photos of parked Skyknights as folded wings save space (also for a model). See link below.
  • Paint: Revell/Humbrol; In contrary to the Czech Model instructions the nose of the original "5849" aircraft was not black, but light brown.  No "Weathering", pre- or aftershading" and the else in my case, as none of these artistic features are visible on the real aircraft.

Page how to make folded wings

General thoughts and tips for modeling see "Modeling ABC"