Just completed this little 1/48 Scooter as Senator McCain’s A4 from VA-46 Clansmen aboard the USS Forrestal in June of 1967. I believe it got torched a month later while sitting on the flight deck during the huge Forrestal fire that killed 134 men.
This is a comission and the customer wanted just a tad of weathereing so she is fairly clean. This is the old Monogram Scooter and was a very enjoyable build. I added a pair of low dragsters on the outer mounts otherwise it’s all OOB. All comments welcomed.
I saw some of the film of the accident. His aircraft was on the port side and there was a accident on the other side that sent 3 or 5" rockets screaming across to his side. He had to climb out on the refueling probe and drop off to avoid the fire.
Carriers would have accidents like this every so often. Two people from my high school were on the Enterprise when their accident happened. One stayed with the ship and the other one transferred into subs.
While I was on land at my base, my future brother in law was on the Constellation on Yankee Station. They had to do a double tour because their releif cdarrier caught fire.
Nice job, OOB or not. It’s nice to see the slats down like they’re supposed to be, you’d be amazed at how many models of A4’s and TA4’s don’t build that way. And by the way, it should be LCDR, not LTCDR, just so you know.
I’m developing an interest in these 50’s/60’s era jets, and when I think of a Skyhawk it’s Cessna 172 that comes to my mind. I really like the looks of your A-4, thanks for piquing my interest.
Thanks for looking and posting Greg. Yea I think the early jets are really cool. I have a 1/48 Kitty Hawk Banshee, F-94 and TF-9J Cougar in the stash along with the fantastic Monogram Panther and gorgeous Revell F-89D. Too many to name in the stash.
Ive only heard of three carrier fires related to the Vietnam War: in chronological order they are USS Oriskany, USS Forrestal, and USS Enterprise, with Forrestal having the worst one. Enterprise had hers after the Forrestal Fire, during work ups off of Hawaii prior to entering the war zone, and it was also caused by a Zuni rocket misfire. Forrestal and Oriskany were already on the line in the Tonkin Gulf when their fires occurred.
