AD-3 versus AD-4 Skyraider

 Sword has just released a very nice 1/72 AD-3/4 Skyraider kit. This is the illustrated Hyperscale review: 

https://www.hyperscale.com/2025/reviews/kits/sw72151reviewbg_1.htm 

Brett mentions the addition of armor as a result of combat experience (also see discussion and link below) but not that the kit fuselage does not have it. Sword was aware of the option and chose to produce the kit without the armor. For one thing, most if not all of the Skyraiders represented by the decals in the kit did not have the armor. It is a lot easier to add it than to remove it. The most obvious difference is a fixed step on the side of the fuselage (armor) versus a kick-in step. The presence of the 1/2" thick applique plating itself is subtle, not much more than a layer or two of paint in 1/72 scale. 

Of note is that the -4 was initially very similar to the -3 but there were a few external detail differences. In fact, the only external difference between the last AD-3 built and the first AD-4 appears to be the windscreen, both of which are in the kit :

However, over time, changes were made to the -4 in production, which were retrofitted to delivered AD-4s and some AD-3s. For example, the addition of "armor" (it was really only effective against shrapnel and glancing bullets). See https://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2013/07/ad-armor-all.html 

This is a work in progress on the AD-4 configurations: https://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2022/04/douglas-ad-4-skyraider-variants.html

 I advised Sword that these configurations were representative of late AD-3 and AD-4 production :

 AD-3

- no armor

- two cannon

- early rudder (no bottom notch)

- no static source boom at the top of the fin

- no nose flaps

AD-4

- armor

- four cannon

- later rudder (bottom notch)

- static source boom at the top of the fin

- exhaust glare shield

- nose flaps

 

However, there would be significant variation from that with individual aircraft, e.g.  Antennas, wing tip lights, exhaust glare shield, etc.

The AD-3 and AD-4 had the same centerline (except for the -4B), and inboard stores pylons. There were three different outboard pylons: small (rocket only); bigger (rocket and small bomb); and biggest: it's likely that the AD-3 could utilize the "bigger" one; for sure the biggest one that was standard on the AD-5/6/7 could be used on the AD-4. See https://tailhooktopics.blogspot.com/2013/12/things-under-wings-aero-pylons.html

 These are my notes on Jay Sherwood's Skyraider Modeling Guide: https:tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2011/10/ad-skyraider-modeling-notes.html

More later...

Target Towing and Drone Control Color Scheme: Engine Gray and Orange Yellow

 The same MIL specification dated 23 February 1955 that implemented the Gull Gray/White paint scheme changed the paint scheme of target towing and drone control aircraft. From Elliott, Volume 3:

The fuselage, cowling, and engine nacelles on multi-engine aircraft were Engine Gray except surfaces extending into the topside of wings. In this case, these surfaces were painted to match the wings. The horizontal stabilizer, elevators and vertical fin were Orange Yellow. The vertical fin fairing was painted to match the fuselage. The Orange Yellow terminated on a line formed by projecting the fin leading edge down to the fuselage. Wing walkways could be either Engine Gray or, in the case where the wing is utilized to enter the aircraft, they could be antiskid black material. The rudder was painted Insignia Red. Insignia Red bands three feet wide encircled the wing panels. On single-engine aircraft, the bands were located one-third the distance from fuselage to wing tip, with the center line parallel to the thrust line. On multi-engine aircraft, the bands were located midway between the national aircraft insignia and the engine nacelle with the center line of the bands parallel to the thrust line. However, in the event there was insufficient space to locate these bands as specified above they could be located adjacent to the outboard nacelles. The national aircraft insignias could overlap the wing bands, but the bands could not overlap the insignia. The national aircraft insignia could not be altered in size or location to accommodate these markings.

 

In August 1959, florescent Red-Orange replaced Insignia Red and the entire vertical fin was to be red.

 Florescent paints weren't very durable, so in May 1965, they were replaced with International Orange.

 

More later...

Ginter Books

 Steve Ginter no longer has his own website but he is still creating and publishing books. You can contact him directly for availability and pricing (nfbooks@sbcglobal.net ) or look for them here: https://daviddoylebooks.com/ginter-books-covers?rq=Ginter