Zoukei-Mura Plastic Model Kit
Douglas AD-6 (A-1H) Skyraider – Carrier-Based Attack Aircraft (1/32) SWS23
The AD-6 Skyraider (A-1H) represents the ultimate single-seat piston attack aircraft, famed for its immense payload, rugged airframe and combat record spanning Korea to Vietnam. Zoukei-Mura’s SWS23 kit captures the “SPAD” in its prime sea-blue and later gull-grey/white liveries, complete with the cavernous weapons suite that made it legendary.
- Authentic short-nose radial profile: finely rendered cross-sections from cowling to tail.
- Full Wright R-3350 engine bay with truss mounts, firewall and exhaust collector ring.
- Folding outer wings with accurate internal spars and hinge detail for carrier deck display.
- Three-piece dive-brake system (two fuselage flanks + ventral) moulded as operable panels.
- Fifteen pylons plus bonus US Navy weapons set: bombs, rockets, MER/TER racks, tanks.
- Markings: VA-104 & VA-155 (overall Sea Blue, 1950s) | VA-165 “Boomers” & VA-176 “Thunderbolts” (gull-grey/white, 1960s).
- Complete cockpit, radios, 365-gal fuselage fuel cell and structural rib detail throughout.
- Unassembled, unpainted plastic – glue, paint and finishing tools required.
Paint Reference Guide
| Colour | Tamiya | Vallejo | Mr Hobby | Mr Color |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea Blue FS15042 | XF-17 | 71.300 | H54 | C54 |
| Gull Grey FS36440 | XF-55 | 71.276 | H315 | C315 |
| Gloss White FS17875 | XF-2 | 70.842 | H1 | C1 |
| Zinc-Chromate Interior | XF-4 | 71.006 | H58 | C58 |
| Tire Black | XF-85 | 70.861 | H77 | C137 |
Paints listed for reference only; always confirm your preferred matches and weathering choices.
History
Conceived in 1943 to combine bombing and torpedo roles in one single-seat “BT” platform, the Skyraider was penned overnight by Douglas designer Ed Heinemann. First flown in March 1945, the AD series became the U.S. Navy’s heaviest-lifting single-engine aircraft, boasting fifteen external pylons and over 8,000 lb (3,600 kg) of ordnance. The AD-6 (redesignated A-1H in 1962) added armour, self-sealing tanks and improved avionics, seeing action from the Mediterranean to Yankee Station. Its legendary toughness and loiter time earned pilots’ trust, even downing a MiG-17 over Vietnam in 1965. Celebrated as the last and finest piston-engine attack aircraft, the Skyraider’s legacy lives on in close-air-support doctrine and in this meticulously engineered SWS kit.
