Miniwing 1/144 A-7A Corsair II Kit First Look

By Michael Benolkin

First Look

The Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV) A-7 Corsair II was developed under a US Navy requirement for an improved strike aircraft to replace the A-4 Skyhawk. The engineers at LTV adapted the design of their very successful F-8 Crusader family to meet this requirement by shortening the fuselage (no afterburner required), eliminating the variable incidence wing, adding additional weapons stations, and installing new avionics. The resulting design still bore a striking resemblance to the Crusader, but the shorter fuselage length was the heart of the A-7’s unofficial nickname – SLUF (Short Little Ugly ‘Fella’).

The A-7A, was armed with two 20mm cannons, one mounted on either side of the intake. In addition, the aircraft had six underwing pylons which could carry a wide range of bombs, rockets, and external fuel. The A-7A was powered by the TF30-P-6 non-afterburning turbofan engine developing over 11,000 pounds of thrust. The A-7B and A-7C would be powered by more powerful versions of the TF30. After the USAF adopted the A-7 as their interim attack aircraft and adopted the TF41 rated at 14,500 pounds of thrust, the Navy followed suit and powered the A-7E with the same engine.

Miniwing is a kit line produced in the Czech Republic and imported into the US by Nostalgic Plastic. This line is currently all produced in 1/144 scale and cast in resin. Some of the subjects in their current line-up include the J35A Draken, SK-35C Draken, Ju 87A Stuka, Go 242A, Go 244B, Do 18G, CF-105, OV-10D Bronco, Sea Fury, Fi 103 (V-1), Super Mystere, A-7A Corsair II, and XF-10F Jaguar.

Here we have the A-7A Corsair II and like the others, it is cast in tan resin and it looks to be pressure-cast as these castings are smooth and bubble-free. The detailing is scribed, though not over-done as any panel lines in this scale would be out of scale if you can see them. Nonetheless, the details presented are nice and crisp.

The fuselage is cast as one piece with a hollow cockpit and recessed wheel wells. The wing slips into the recess atop the wing, the stabs attach to the rear fuselage and the pylons simply go under the wings. A pair of external fuel tanks is provided for the inboard pylons.

The landing gear is thick enough to be able to not only handle the weight of the model but also careful handling as well. They don't appear to be as brittle as similar 1/144 resin kits from other manufacturers.

Markings are provided for a line jet, A-7A, NG/312, VA-147, USS Ranger.

This is a nice-looking kit and should be a quick build for the experienced resin modeler. At last we have a SLUF in 1/144!

My sincere thanks to the US importer, Nostalgic Plastic for this review sample!