TF34 Engine Corrections for the 1/48 A-10 Thunderbolt II First Look

By Michael Benolkin

First Look

You've probably seen the reviews we've run on corrected intakesand engine faces for the TF34 as used by the A-10 Thunderbolt II and the S-3 Viking. For whatever reason, kit manufacturers just haven't replicated the correct depth that the compressor face is located from the leading edge of the intake. The kit parts are too shallow. For the average modeler, this minor glitch might be acceptable, but for the AMS modeler that is going to the trouble of working out the other bugs in their models, this is one that still stands out.

As I've mentioned, a few companies have produced replacement intakes, but these have evidently been mass-produced copies of a garage shop design that retail at even higher prices than the originals. Thanks to some friends, I have been able to trace these parts back to the designer, who now sells these parts reasonably priced on eBay.

If you search for seller 'phantphan90' on eBay, you'll see thathe periodically offers these corrections inexpensively and will VERY low postage costs.

This producer has two different sets for the 1/48 A-10 Thunderbolt II. The first set is for the Italeri kit, whilst the second is designed for the Revell-Monogram kit. The set for the Revell-Monogram A-10 also includes a replacement set of ailerons as for whatever reason, Revell-Monogram produced their kit with the ailerons/speed brakes full-open (the ailerons are split to double as speed brakes on the real aircraft) and no easy option to close them. With this set, you can pose your R-M Hawg in the same way that all Hawgs appear 99% of the time. These replacement ailerons are not provided for the Italeri kit as these are already molded closed.

I'm curious to see if either of these sets can also be adapted to the beautiful Hobby Boss A-10.

This manufacturer also produces a set of replacement engine faces/forward nacelles for the AMT/ERTL S-3 and ES-3 Viking kits.