FineScale Modeler – September 2019

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and add the cockpit components and nose
cap full of buckshot, 6. The updated ejec-
tion seats would be added toward the end
of the project.

Time to paint & mask
Now, it was time to add the inner wings.
They fit well, and I sprayed the undersides,
horizontal tails, folded wing bottoms, and
upper control surfaces with Testors white
enamel, 7. I use it because it does not yel-
low over time.
The, a wet basement from monsoon-
type rains delayed my build for a month,
but that gave me time to buy Ace Paper Tac

(No. 1000355) from my local Ace

Hardware. It’s designed to replace hooks to

hang small pictures on walls. This poster

putty helped me because my airbrush

wouldn’t produce the tight demarcation I

needed. So, I reverted to making small rolls

of the flexible material and attaching them

to the fuselage sides using slight pressure, 8.

I masked over them and sprayed the upper

surfaces with Testors Model Master gloss

light gull gray (16440).

Spraying directly down on them pro-

duced an in-scale camouflage separation

line, 9. The result was acceptable and, with

additional masking and spraying, helped

me paint the nose and vertical tail tip

radomes as well as the antiglare panel.

Floquil engine black covered the vertical

tail and anti-glare panel and both radomes

received a coat of Testors radome tan.

I used red decal stock for the intake

splitter plates to avoid tricky masking were

I do have sprayed those hard-to-reach

areas, 10. I picked up that detail when I

read Aerophile Extra No. 2, Grumman

EA-6B Prowler & EA-6A Intruder, by

James Wogstad and Phillip Friddell

(, ISBN 978-0-93866-401-7).

Next, a red Sharpie took care of the

wing-fold edges, and Floquil caboose red

Masking is the key to a great looking nose and

vertical tail tip radomes, and the cockpit’s

antiglare panel.

With the nose full of buckshot and the cockpit

nearly complete, it’s time to assemble the

fuselage.

Widening the “finger” slots in the wings is key

making the the folded feature easy later.

My EA-6B seats from Aires were too short (seat

at right), so I doctored the kit seats (far left)

with PE seatbelts, shoulder harnesses, and pull

rings.

The kit’s seats fit well and go together fine, but
benefit from added detail.

Here we see the cockpit coming together after

PE was added and other tweaks were made.

Sanding and filling the wheels’ dents is best
handled early on to ensure they aren’t
damaged.

Next, I used poster putty to help me create a

fine line with my airbrush when adding light

gull gray to the upper surfaces.

The inner wings fit well, and I sprayed the
underside with Testors white enamel.