A-4E Sky Hawk, 1/72 - Hobby Boss 87254

The A-4E Skyhawk Hobby Boss 87254 is a plastic model kit to be assembled at 1/72, reproducing the Douglas A-4E Skyhawk, a single-seat American carrier-based attack aircraft. This reference allows you to create a detailed representation of one of the most characteristic aircraft of late-20th-century American naval aviation.

The Douglas A-4E Skyhawk

The A-4 Skyhawk was designed for operations from U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps aircraft carriers. Compact and with an instantly recognizable silhouette, it was used as an attack aircraft. The Skyhawks were notably deployed during the Vietnam War, the Yom Kippur War, and the Falklands War.

The Hobby Boss model kit

The Hobby Boss kit ref. 87254 includes more than 160 parts spread across 6 sprues. The recessed panel lines reproduce the aircraft’s structural lines. The set includes a detailed cockpit, the air intakes, the turbine faces of the exhaust nozzle, the landing gear bays, a refueling probe, as well as separate movable control surfaces.

Several elements can be displayed depending on the chosen build, including the landing gear, the canopy, and the airbrake. The supplied armament and external loadout include Mk.82 bombs, AIM-9B missiles, an external fuel tank, and pylons. These parts make it possible to create a display in an operational configuration or on the ground.

Proposed decals

The decal sheet allows you to represent two A-4E aircraft from the U.S. Navy:

• BuNo 149993, VA-72, USS Independence aircraft carrier, 1965 ;
• BuNo 150006, VA-212, USS Bonhomme Richard aircraft carrier, 1967.

It also includes stenciling for service markings, armament markings, and elements for the pilot’s station.

Scale and dimensions

At 1/72 scale, each dimension of the real subject is reduced 72 times. Once assembled, the model measures 182.6 mm long with a 116.2 mm wingspan. This scale is suitable both for an individual display and for integration into a collection of carrier aircraft or an aircraft carrier deck diorama.

Assembly and finishing

Like any plastic model kit to be assembled, this model requires cutting tools, suitable glue, and paints. Careful removal of parts from the sprues, a dry fit of the sub-assemblies, and the application of a primer before painting help achieve a clean finish. The recessed structural lines lend themselves to subtle highlighting with washes, while a controlled weathering can emphasize the operational look of a carrier aircraft.

Technical features

• Brand : Hobby Boss
• Reference : 87254
• Type : assembled aircraft model kit
• Subject : A-4E Skyhawk
• Scale : 1/72
• Material : plastic
• Number of parts : more than 160
• Length (assembled) : 182.6 mm
• Wingspan (assembled) : 116.2 mm
• Decals : 2 U.S. Navy aircraft