Wreaking Havoc! 1/48th Scale Builds

Taking @Heavens Eagle's advice on consolidating the common parts of this one man build group (OMGB), I will be reposting the common items here and post links to the individual builds which are:

1. A-20B Outhouse Mouse
2. A-20G-1-DO Amorous Amazon
3. A-20G-20-DO Jack's Hack A 20G-35-DO Barracuda
4. A-20G-35-DO Butch
5. A-20H-5 Miss Behaven

If you're interested in the recon Havocs, click the link.

First, the references used. Aside from the manuals I am still collecting and other reference books, here is a sampling:
The namesake of the group build:


Who doesn't love Don Greer's paintings?

The third Squadron A-20 Havoc in Action release doesn't have a cover painting though:

Some Czech magazines:

Wings and Airpower, newsstand favorites, with TBiU (aka Polish Profiles):

An almost definitive book:

Excellent book... Not as complete as the one above.

AJ Press with their well done (yet inaccurate) scale plans:

Some research I did many years ago of course turned out to be wrong in a few places...

Lot's of good info Saúl!

Let's Begin!

Breaking the aircraft construction into interior and exterior and then by location. Items common to all will be posted here and those which are different will be noted here and linked to the particular build(s).

Exterior
Fuselage
Nose - The AMT B/C kit includes a good representation of the nose. For my A-20B build, I decided to make it into a gunship. For the A-20G-1, I needed to scratchbuild a gunship nose as introduced with this series. It should be noted than the 20mm cannon armed ships didn't have ejection ports for the spent shells.
However, this was introduced later upon switching to .50 Cal machine guns in lieu of the 20mm cannons...

and then, with spent shell retention, all ejection ports weren't used as a plastic box collected the links and empty shells. A big hint are those side .50 Cal gun hatches which bulged about 3 inches:

Note that the side ejection ports are in place (as it lacks the three inch out bulges) but the open ejection port for the four central guns are no longer there:


Canopy - Early Havocs, until the start of the A-20C production, didn't have the horizontal brace on either side of the windscreen. Why the change? Perhaps it was reinforcement for the addition of the flip down armored glass added to the windscreen.


Body - Some panel lines changed as equipment was moved around. Will document later. It should be noted that panels were lapped in some areas
and proud rivets used in some sections.

Nacelles - Some production batches, to include the A-20B and the first 250 A-20G-1-DO Havocs built, had rear aimed .30 Cal nacelle guns fired by the upper gunner:

Wings

Surfaces -

Wingtips - wingtips changed from having navigation lights on top and bottom:

To the rear half covered in clear for the formation lights while still having the tear drop shaped navigation lights starting with the A-20C:
A-20C-DO Manual:

A-20G-1-DO Manual

Then fully clear wingtips for the navigation and formation lights starting with the A-20G-25-DO:


Be wary of museum pieces which may have parts from their demilitarized variants such as the one at the national USAF museum restored from a C-20 (cargo variant of the Havoc):



Flaps -

Ailerons -


Rudder - Rudders were removed on two of the kit parts to use two sets of Kendall Model Company's (KMC's) replacements:

However, the kit and KMC parts lack the doped canvas look. Luckily, the doped fabric look (not the texture but the underneath framework visibility) is very light so maybe making masks with my Cricut and spraying some coats of primer will be delicate enough:

Elevators - Elevators were removed on two of the kit parts to use two sets of Kendall Model Company's (KMC's) replacements:

However, the kit and KMC parts lack the doped canvas look and the bottom of the elevators the drain grommets (former is hard, latter quite easy) to add. Luckily, the doped fabric look (not the texture but the underneath framework visibility) is very light so maybe making masks with my Cricut and spraying some coats of primer will be delicate enough. As for the grommets, simple punched disks of styrene with the center poked with a needle will suffice in this scale:

Interior
Cockpit - Aside from different instrument panels and consoles, there were at least two distinct seats seem in period photographs and manuals. While some also mention others, these may be postwar additions for the C-20 (cargo variant converted from war-weary and demilitarized Havocs). There may be a case in which the two seats were designed based on the customer. The A-20A being only for the USAAC had the American seat while the A-20G-1 (and Havocs as illustrated below with the Sutton harness) had the 'export' seat.

A-20A seat:

Early export seat, note the British Hutton seat belts (the same seat is used in the A-20G-1-DO):

So, what the kit offers is neither but closer to the domestic use seat... Eduard's PE replacements are further off and the vacuum-formed 'export' seat.


Gunner's Station - Until the advent of the A-20G-1, the upper rear gunner had a set of flight controls.

This was eliminated with the A-20G series although the A-20G-1-DO to A-20G-15-DO all had the open upper gunner's compartment. While I don't have a photo, at the moment, of the gunner's forward wall, we can see that the aileron controls, affected by stick movement, do not reach the gunner's compartment so there is no stick there:

Nacelles - On all five kits, the top of the landing gear bays had their mounting holes moved forward one quarter inch. This was done by creating a simple jig (let me know if anyone wants to see it), to ensure all ten (each aircraft has a pair) were identical. The rear of the upper bay was removed and structural details added to the inside of the upper wing as it would be visible. The Eduard Undercarriage detail set, 48127, does provide for this but buying five sets for flat details didn't seem practical.

Eduard's set also offers an incomplete set of formers and stringers. Refer to this to see how short it falls:

Good stuff Saul.

My curiosity got the better of me. I ordered the "Wreaking Havoc" book just now.
Party on, Saul!!

Some new images added.

Wings - Control Surfaces
It turns out I have THREE sets of the Kendall Model Company's A-20 Control Surfaces which includes ailerons, flaps, rudder, and elevators. So, to vary the effect one set of wings had the flaps * ailerons removed for replacement, two sets had only the ailerons removed, another two sets only the flaps. So I will be able to spread the three resin replacement sets amongst the five kits.



I am starting to doubt the books captions and am relying on my eyes and period photographs and film. For example:
Fuselage - Vents
From this Technical Manual, which covers major differences amongst the late models, we see the heating system (labeled 6 &118 repesectively 23) and also that it takes air from scoops on the port side low after the gunner's compartment and low on the starboard side under the cockpit:

Now, reading the production batch changes, the heating system was changed during the A-20G-15-DO batch. This means before the Martin turret so it still has the open upper gunner's position. Looking at a training film on the flight characteristics, we see the vents on an A-20G-15-DO 42-54282. These vents are absent on all the AMT/Revell/Italeri releases in 1/48th scale. Click any of the photos to see YouTube video.



Port vent for gunner:


Starboard vent for Pilot:

A-20G-25-DO "Bub's Brother" Tail code '?' serial 43-9422. Plenty of anomalies but no sharkmouth for me...


So what? Well, we can now determine that this aircraft is either an A-20G-5-DO or an A-20G-10-DO as it lacks the cannon to be an A-20G-1-DO and lacks the vent for the pilot to be from the A-20G-15-DO batch or later:


With the exceptions of Outhouse Mous and Amorous Amazon, I need to add these vents.

Could any of these been field modifications using parts and TOs of other models?
"Hey Capt, did you see that heater on the new -25?"
"Yeah Sarg, you think it will work on our -15?"
"Hold my beer."

moon puppy said:

Could any of these been field modifications using parts and TOs of other models?
"Hey Capt, did you see that heater on the new -25?"
"Yeah Sarg, you think it will work on our -15?"
"Hold my beer."

Click to expand...

Let's see if that is possible... without a SH!T ton of work!

Old heater; arrow points to vent:


New heaters; circles point to air inlet scoops:

I'm the big picture guy Saul, let the mechanics figure out the details.

The following applies to all AMT/ERT/Revell/Italeri releases of the Havoc/Intruder series.

The first time I read about moving the landing gear legs forward would be Military Model Preview, Volume 2, Issue 3, from 1994.


Reading it wasn't enough for me but I was able to verify the claim by testing the gear on a kit and checking against photographs of the real airplane:


Another tip mentioned was to remove the rib from the cockpit side of the forward bulkhead to allow the front gear bay to sit correctly:


This one I went about it differently. I simply shortened the two longitudinal ribs with a chisel blade, just enough to clear that horizontal rib:


The end result is cleaner and a very good fit:

I just came across this 416th BG A-20G-20-DO, serial 43-9711, coded 5C*M who, like Barracuda, seems to have been inspired by PTO markings... the skull and crossbones this time! Fancy shading and missing teeth too!

Next installment is on the life raft locations. Here we see what appears to be an A20B but pay attention to the verbiage about difference in models. "Airplane models and equipment stowage vary... Adapt this procedure to fit the specific model you are flying"

I don't know the publication date but the inset on the top right does show a life raft and supplies in the walkway behind the pilot's cockpit:


A close up of text instructions for each crew member:




However, the actual A-20B manual has this figure stating that the gunner is to remove and inflate the raft, see step III:


Another ditching instructions for the early Boston/Havoc. Locations of parachutes, circled, and the dinghy (boxed). Note that the locations did vary from model to model:

Text for pilot from illustration below. Left side:
Pilot - Exits through top hatch either by turning plane on its back and dropping out, or by crawling back over port wing and dropping from trailing edge. Last to leave plane.
Right side text for Pilot:
Pilot - Wears back-type parachute and dinghy in seat position. Exits through top hatch, either by turning plane on its back and dropping out, or crawling over port wing and dropping from trailing edge. Last to leave plane.


Pay attention to the caution box on the upper left:



My point is to take care to cross-check documents prior to believing them blindly.

Moving backwards in the production timeline for USAAF aircraft. The A-20A manuals do not state anything about life rafts, simply life preservers.

Here is a USAAF A-20A serial 40-109, named Spook, and written off in an accident on November 5th, 1941. Flying from New Guinea over open water and should be equipped with a life raft, if at all. However, the walkway behind the pilot is clear, as you can see in the video after the screen grab:


No mention of rafts in the Havoc Mk. IIIa/A-20C manuals I have...


The Boston Mk.III manual mentions K type dinghies for the crew. These are one-man rafts. This is the raft, the container, Type C, will follow.

Sources of image and others:
https://www.historicflyingclothing....uipment/raf-k-type-dinghy-complete/prod_16130

https://www.airministrymilitaria.com/en-GB/escape-survival-gear/raf-k-type-dinghy/prod_10118

RAF type C dinghy pack, for the single man K type dinghy.


Source of image plus others:
https://www.airministrymilitaria.com/en-GB/escape-survival-gear/raf-k-type-dinghy-pack/prod_10388

Now, for the Boston Mk. IIIa based on the A-20C -

A screen grab from a video claiming these to be Havoc Mk. IIIa (again, I defer to Wing Leader's greater knowledge) but I do see the horizontal windscreen brace introduced with the A-20C production for the armored windscreen glass. While the USAAF had it inside the cockpit with a folding mount. The British seem to have it mounted here on the outside, like the Spitfire.


Video source for the screen grab:

Since HKM has released a 1/48th scale Boston Mk.III, I also took a look at that -

I believe this is a Boston Mk. III. The ground crew is obviously standing where you placed a life raft.

The video from which this screen grab was taken:

After the A-20C, the A-20G entered full scale production. From the A-20G-1-DO to the A-20G-15-DO, I have not found any images or videos showing a life raft positioned in the pilots walkway. Screen grab from an A-20G-15-DO, serial 42-54282:

Video source:


However, with the introduction of the Martin turret, the life raft, when so equipped, would be too cumbersome for the hatch aft of the turret so all models produced from the A-20G-20-DO on, to include the A-20H/J/K, would have the stowage standardized at this location:

wouldn't that be an interesting dio, with the wall of water, nose breaking out the crest of the wave and the crew scrambling. Wish I knew how to build models.

moon puppy said:

wouldn't that be an interesting dio, with the wall of water, nose breaking out the crest of the wave and the crew scrambling. Wish I knew how to build models.

Click to expand...

I immediately thought of Shep Paine's TBD-1 diorama insert from the Monogram 1/48th scale kit. Click to see inside:

I remember this one.

moon puppy said:

I remember this one.

Click to expand...

Would be a way to use up a scrap fuselage and wing and add some sharks circling to make up for the lack of a sharkmouth scheme with the nose being underwater...

Bomb shackles. The Havoc was modified to carry shackles by field crews. The early examples used the Interstate Shackles but, as the TM illustration shows, either that or the Universal Shackles could be used. When the Havoc standardized wing shackles, they were mounted on an extended pylon but again, could be the Interstate or Universal shackles...

From A-20G-1-DO to A-20G-15-DO:


From the A-20G-20-DO on...

Carrying torpedoes...

A-20B was tested:

It was sent to the USSR for combat:

Never knew they had external tanks that fitted over bombay doors. Oh, NVM...I'm reading that wrong. Internal tank that was droppable .