1/48 A4B (A4D-2) Skyhawk

One of the US Navy's most important aircraft during the Vietnam war, and one of the simplest and best-performing attack platforms ever, Hasegawa gives this great little plane all it deserves in yet another stunning plastic replica from their tooling masters.

This is some of the finest detail we've seen in plastic -- the control surfaces are actually molded with a razor-thin gap between them and the wing/tail panels! Wing surface detail is excellent, and the tiny instruments in the cockpit are almost done too well, considering the poor visibility once you close the canopy. Slats and flaps can be modeled in lowered positions, and air brakes can be open or closed. All the parts you need to build the A4D-2 with its strengthened fuselage and in-flight refueling probe is included. If anything is missing, its ordnance. No external weapons are provided in the kit, though you do get a pair of drop tanks.

Markings are included for the CAG bird of the VA-72 "Blue Hawks" -- see the beautiful Shigeo Koike box art, and the photo below, and the CAG bird of VA-106 "Gladiators".