Splinter Scooter: 1/48th Hasegawa A-4M Skyhawk

The 1/48 Hasegawa A-4M Skyhawk kit is based off the original A-4E/F series. Hasegawa includes the necessary inserts or replacements to the fuselage pieces as well as the new shaped canopy and variation of the instrument panel. A separate forward nose section has the ECM antennae arrays, a revised avionics hump is provided, tail RWAH antenna, new intakes and exhaust are also included to represent the upgraded J57-P408 engine.

Notable Kit Features:

• Nicely detailed cockpit with raised instrument details

• Ejection seats have moulded-on restraints

• Includes engine intake fan and exhaust duct

• Wing root inserts with 20mm cannon (although non-canon inserts are also there)

• Separate leading edge slats

• Lower flaps may be positioned up or down

• Speed brakes are also separate and can be posed open or closed

• Five wing pylons are provided with two drop tanks

• Finely detailed landing gear and wheel bay details

• A boarding ladder is included in the kit

• The canopy can be posed open or closed (although you'll need an actuator)

• Navigation and landing lights are included in clear parts

• Decals options are nice (although I used aftermarket except for the tailhook black/white stripe decal, which did the trick nicely - with an application or two of decal softener)

Build Inspiration:

I have always been a fan of the A-4 Skyhawk and my favourite version is an Aggressor aircraft. The 1/48th Hasegawa kits had typically been pretty pricey, however in recent years the cost has dropped so I was inspired to pick this one up when it went below $40 at one of the local hobby shops. Originally I had intended to build it in the provided markings but after starting the build and looking around on the internet I realized there were a few Aggressor variations of the M as well... solution, a "What-If" paint job for the Last Skyhawk in a splinter scheme! I don't often go off-script for a build, but for a new Aggressor scheme, I will make an exception. :)

Heads-Up Report:

This kit is a bit of a mix between excellent fitting and mediocre parts fit. It is the plug-in components that typically give you fit issues. Break out the sandpaper and a bit of filler for:

• Nose fit - Don't forget to add nose weight

• Camel hump

• The lower tail section fit especially the insert

• Intakes

• Wing root gun inserts

• Fin top cap

• Wing tanks front to rear sections (probably the worst fitting parts)

• Ejector pin marks on flaps

Kit Additions / Modifications:

• Modified one wing tank for use on the centre pylon, as I had seen examples of clipped end tanks with a blunt end and no fins in this position (The Hasegawa wing tank is constructed with the end of the tank as a separate part and it is a poor fit to the forward portion, so this solution worked well to resolve that issue as well.)

• The canopy centre mold seam was carefully sanded off and polished smooth again, with a final buff using a power rotary tool.

• Plausible paint finish and decals which were from my imagination and my spare decal stash.

Finishing:

To achieve this somewhat complex 4-tone Splinter paint scheme on my 1/48th Hasegawa A-4M Skyhawk, I started with a base of FS 36320 (all exterior paints were Vallejo Air). After drying, I cut out various shapes of masking tape and applied these in a manner that would have the key decal markings visible. Next was the coat of Dark Earth which was allowed to dry and similarly masked, followed by FS 36231 and finally NATO Black. All coats were thinly applied, to minimize raised edges at paint seams, with minimal weathering effects. Next process was to get a coat of gloss on. For this I used Pledge (floor finish) airbrushed on at low pressure (15 lbs.). I applied the various decals, using some from the kit and the balance from my spares stash. I did have a bit of a problem when my old black national insignia markings broke up on me, however I managed to piece these back together well enough to pass muster. Dark washes were used to accentuate the control surfaces and bring out some details. The final coat was a Model Master matte used to seal the decals and achieve the final dull finish. From this point, it was just a matter of getting all the detail parts on, including the gear, tanks, antennas, navigation & wing tip lights (I mucked these up) plus the guns in place. This part always seems to take longer than it should, partially due to the build getting towards the end and my anxiousness to get it done, compounded by the small fiddly parts to work with (some of which inevitably get dropped and take 20 - 30 minutes to find again!)

The After-Build Report:

The 1/48th Hasegawa A-4M Skyhawk kit is still a highly recommended build in my books. The landing gear and other details are quite fine and to scale. (But be warned, some of those parts are almost too small to handle.) Hasegawa's A-4 series became highly sought after and caused a surge in the prices during their heydays (certainly here in Canada), as such they were a little out of my "snack bracket" back in the day. Additional A-4 kit competition and a lengthy production run seems to have caused a drop in these kit prices more recently, so I have managed to pick up a couple of variations. The 1/48th Magic Factory A-4M Skyhawk is now probably the pinnacle release of the A-4M to date. Amazing detail abounds in the MF kit although not without its critiques E.g. scale-appropriate riveting and the fit of open access panels. Expect to pay a premium price as well for all the extra details in this premium kit.

As a contrast, I have also built a number of Monogram A-4 Skyhawks over the years as well. Monogram's outline and details for the most part are quite good (not as fine as Hasegawa's) but if you don't care about the finer points, don't mind some extra work cleaning up and fitting parts ...and can deal with raised panel lines, it is a good, inexpensive option for a Skyhawk build.

Completed build #287 - February 2026 using the 1/48th scale Hasegawa # kit.

Feel free to comment or ask any questions - Keep on building, gain experience, challenge yourself if you like, but try not to stress yourself out over the build - it is supposed to be an enjoyable hobby after all - Cheers