HELP!!! Second model is coming up. Academy 1/72 OV-10A. Comes with markings for USMC and USAF. Problem is I want USN (specifically VAL-4) and I figure I’ll have to hand paint the squadron logo (no biggie I think). However, finding color pictures of the paint scheme (green over gray) is a pain in the butt. I would imagine that the green used in SEA era aircraft is right, and that the gray is the camo gray. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Matt
http://www.ov-10bronco.net/usn.cfm
You might try this site ? Hope it helps.
Here’s another one you may want to try as well. It has the Broncho’s schemes listed from from 1955 to 91. Although they say they are the Marine verisions It could have the color scheme you are looking for.
http://www.jpsmodell.de/dc/luft_flug_e.htm#ov10
Hope this helps
Paul
Thanks fot the inputs guys. I found a couple of drawings from the VAL-4 Black Ponies site that may help as well.
This has always been one of my must do projects. The release of the academy kit has made it closer as the old airfix and revell kits required way to much work. I have a lot of info collected, let me know what you might need. Two stumbling blocks, in addition to the basic kit problems, were markings and ordnance. I’m at work now but this is what I recall from my research, sorry if it runs long. The primary color of the first VAL-4 ponies were overall Field Green, a USMC color, I believe 34097, w/o the marines white wing. Some later a/c were overall Coin Gray. The early a/c wore a Black pony on the nose and UM tail codes. I plan to photocopy the pony from a drawing I have onto clear decal sheet and the appropriate style UM is on an OV-10 Superscale sheet as MU. The standard Pony loadout, IIRC, was two twin Zuni’s on the wings, an SUU-11 mini-gun pod on the outboard pylon, a 14 round 2.75 pod on the other outboard pylon, and two 4 shot Zuni pods on the inboard pylons. I don’t know what stores come with the Academy kit but I found the Zuni pods in the Fujimi A-4 kit, the 14 shot pods from Hasegawa, the Minigun pod from an old Birddog kit and the 2 shot Zuni’s were going to be scrathbuilt but i here they’re in the new F-8 kit. VAL-4 now has it’s own website:
http://www.blackpony.org/
which I wish was around when I did all my work. HTH
Gary,
Yeah, the Black Ponies website helps tons… It’s how I got the black horse for the nose art that I have to hand paint… As for the stores in the academy kit, here they are:
2 x AIM-9B Sidewinders
1 x 150 US Gal Fuel Tank
4 x MK 82 500 lb GP Bombs
2 x 4 shot Zuni rocket pots
2 x 14 shot 2.75 in rocket pods
And the canopy is a four piece deal (windscreen and three piece for the rest). You have to shave off two antenna fairings on the nose for the OV-10A (the nose comes from the Academy OV-10D kit) and remove a couple of antennas (from the pictures I’ve gathered). Otherwise the kit is pretty straight forward. Enjoy 
Thanks for the info Matt, definitely on the “to do” list. Don’t forget to post pics.