A-20 Time

[Second Air Force]

I have some free time coming up during the Christmas week, so I decided it was a good time to finally start this kit. I've had two A-20s in storage for many years, one of the earmarked for this project. This will be another of my Tunisian/North African collection, being an A-20B of the 47th Bomb Group. My father often mentioned the Boston bombers that flew over his positions in North Africa. Both RAF and USAAF versions to him were simply Bostons. When we talked about the identity of the various airplanes it was always interesting that he never used the American number designation if there was a British name for the same airplane. He could run off the string of names such as Spitfire, Hurricane, Boston, Baltimore etc. but never even mentioned the U.S. letters except for the P-38. The method of naming airplanes was simply easier to the average ground-pounder, I reckon!

Here's the beginnings of this old AMT kit:

A-20 Time

A-20 Time

[No.1]

I like Havoc much when I was younger, great machine!!

[Nico Braas]

It is interesting to know the A-20 prototype was originally fitted with a twin fin.
It is even more interesting it is the only bomber/attack plane receiving a fighter designation (as P-70)

[modellius]

looking forward to see the " making of "

[draken35]

[Akinator98]

 

[Second Air Force]

Thanks, friends!

Nico, I have (somewhere) another photo of the twin-finned machine in French colors. I hadn't seen the one you posted before!

I've had a fair amount of free time to move forward on this project. The kit is really quite nice and easy to work with. The interior sections are pretty nicely detailed for a model of this vintage. To really go with open hatches, though, some scratchbuilding would be necessary. I've decided to go out-of-box with this one and only added seatbelts:

A-20 Time

A-20 Time

Here are the main sections assembled:

A-20 Time

[No.1]

I like cockpit mate, well done

[Second Air Force]

All from the box, only paint and seatbelts added!

I must say, though, that there are areas of these kits that need some attention for a top-class model. First off, there is no rib and stringer detail in any part of the fuselage. This should be scratchbuilt for accuracy. Also the bomb bay doors can be opened, but there is no interior whatsoever to show off. This would require forward and aft bulkheads and the entire ceiling of the bomb bay to be built. I've decided to simply keep the doors shut on this one. The main landing gear bays are also quite bare, even though the landing gear struts and supports are nicely done. All in all it begs for superdetailing! As it is I will be quite satisfied with the box-stock version for this first one. I have an A-20G still in the box and will probably build it with more detail at a later time.

[draken35]

EXcellent!

[Second Air Force]

One item of note on this AMT/Ertl kit is the main landing gear must be assembled before glueing the nacelles to the lower wing. If you don't do so, the gear assembly won't fit through the opening:

A-20 Time

[Second Air Force]

Primer day:

A-20 Time

And wings to fuselage, too:

A-20 Time

[draken35]

It's a very nice aircraft!

[No.1]

Beauty coming

[Second Air Force]

First a little pre-shading and then the application of neutral grey:

A-20 Time

The plexiglass is all masked and installed, too, so the top color can go on soon.