u/flounderflound

This is the Modelcollect kit in 1:48. It's a nice kit, I really enjoyed it. I was hellbent on building this one buttoned up like I normally do, but I'm giving some serious thought to going back around and doing another one with all the options - landing gear and hook down, weapons bays open, refueling probe out, wings folded - the works. They could only go so far with the detail for a plane that never made it past the mockup stage, but I think they did a decent job of it.

My livery is custom - the kit was advertising 'Strike Fighter 31 "Tomcatters"', but just had the 500 aircraft with a plain Light Ghost Grey paintjob. Being the captain's bird, the 500 aircraft should be a little more dressed up, so referring to VF-31's actual liveries, I recognized a few options, ultimately noting the black fuselage top surface and black vertical tail surfaces they had on their Tomcats and Super Hornets, often with red or yellow trim. So I decided to base my livery on that, while also recognizing there was no fuselage, and no vertical stabilizers. I fully recognize it's probably a little too flamboyant, but I don't really care; I was having fun with it. Also, realistically, I would expect that if the A-12 had actually seen production, it's far more likely it would have come in the metallic greys we see on the F-22 and F-35.

The A-12 is a little bit personal for St. Louisans. The fighter plant at McDonnell Douglas has been a huge part of our city for as long as it's been there. My grandfather worked there all his life after the war. When the A-12 program got cut, 5,000 St. Louisans lost their jobs. It was all over the news cycle here when I was young. I later had a (significantly older) friend who worked on the A-12 program and used to tell me all about the "Flying Dorito". So it's always been a fascinating subject for me.

VT-8, USS Hornet, Battle of Midway, June 1942. Had a perfect spot for it up on the wall.