CURTISS A-12 "SHRIKE", 26th Attack Squadron, 18th CG c. 1936

The main differences between the A-8 "Shrike" and the A-12 "Shrike" are 1) the A-12 has the 670 hp Wright YR-1820-21 radial engine (the A-8 had an in-line engine); 2) the wheel spats are similar but noticeably different; 3) and the pilot and gunner cockpits are closer together.  The kit includes decals for three aircraft: an olive drab A-12 of the 13th Attack Squadron, 3rd Attack Group (3rd AG) c. 1934, a light blue A-12 of the 26th Attack Squadron, 18th Composite Group (18th CG) c. 1936-37, and a camouflaged A-12 export version in Chinese colors.

This is a plastic injection kit with a large number of resin components and vacuformed canopies.  A critique of this kit written by Tom Cleaver and published on the internet in September 2004 determined that the kit's radial engine and cowling were too large and offered a fix which will be described in the construction process.

In February 1935, the Group moved to Barksdale Field, Louisiana.  In mid-1936, the Group re-equipped with the new Northrop A-17 "Nomad" single-engine, two-seater, which brought an end to the Curtiss A-12s in  front-line service with the 3rd AG lasting from late 1933 to mid 1936.  From an initial inventory of 43 A-12 aircraft in 1934, 2 were lost to accidents leaving 41.  There was one other A-12 at Wright Field. 

The Group's A-12 aircraft were dispersed to a number of other units and facilities and some began the process of conversion from the "original" configuration to the "roll-over" configuration, the installation of a sturdy roll-over pylon right behind the pilot's cockpit giving the A-12 an ungainly profile.  However, this process took several years and appears to have been performed whenever a particular A-12 came up for major over-haul. 

Distribution of the 3rd AG A-12s was: 9 to Maxwell Field, Alabama (Air Corps Tactical School, already with 5 A-12s); 1 to the Edgewood Arsenal (already with 1 A-12); and 10 to Kelly Field, Texas (Advanced Flying School).  During 1937, the Edgewood Arsenal A-12 and five from Maxwell Field were added to the Kelly Field inventory now standing at 15 aircraft.  The remaining 15 of the original 41 wee sent to Wheeler Field, Hawaii, to join the 26th Attack Squadron (26th AS), 18th Composite Group (18th CG) which had two pursuit squadrons. 

   Some of the A-12s sent to the 26th AS were of the original configuration and others were of the "roll-over" configuration.  Additionally, the color schemes were all Light Blue No. 23 fuselage with Yellow No. 4 flying surfaces and tail fin.  The changeover from fuselage Olive Drab No. 22 began in January 1934 when these stocks were nearing their reorder point and the corps was seriously thinking of eliminating either the Olive Drab scheme which was for front-line tactical aircraft or the Light Blue scheme which was for training aircraft.  The intent was to save money and simplify the maintenance of aircraft.  By May it was decided to adopt the Light Blue scheme for all aircraft which could be covered with "washable" camouflage as was often used during exercises.  It probably took several years to rotate all active combat and training aircraft in use through their normal maintenance cycles when the Light Blue scheme would be applied.  So, by the time A-12s transferred to Hawaii, they were all in the Light Blue No. 23 and Yellow No. 4 scheme. ³

One interesting note of caution appears in Air Force Colors, Vol. 1 1926-1942 by Dana Bell.  On page 23 he explains the problem of identifying colors using the shades in the photo to determine whether or not a 1930s aircraft is Olive Drab or Light Blue.  World War I historians and modelers know the story of orthochromatic film, the most widely used film type.  The film distorts the true shade of most colors and a prime example is yellow which always appears substantially darker in black and white photos.  The plywood surfaces of German aircraft such as the single-seat Albatros fighter or the LVG two-seaters appears dark which led many to believe they were painted surfaces, probably dark green.  Some have even developed shade analysis schemes by comparing present-day color charts printed in gray scale with the World War I photos and have thus been able, they say, to identify colors in black and white photos.   This is pure "hogwash".  The best one can do is simply determine whether or note one or more colors are present.  For example, it was thought for decades that the Albatros aircraft produced in mid-1916 to early-1917 were in two-color schemes.  Finally, someone noticed the subtle difference in shade on a surface which revealed the presence of three colors, presumably the three-color scheme of dark green, red-brown, and light green.  What does orthochromatic do to a Light Blue No.23 surface?  It lightens the blue.

The reverse of photo analysis when viewing an orthochromatic photo is viewing a panchromatic photo popular in the 1920s and on.  This type of film makes blue appear darker.  Thus, when viewing mid-1930s Army aircraft under these circumstances, one could draw the conclusion that the aircraft in the photo has an Olive Drab fuselage because it looks so dark.

This same reference includes on page 94 all you need to know about the current knowledge concerning U. S. Army colors and how they compare with Navy colors, Federal Standard 595a, and actual paint chips the author has studied.  And, from time to time and from supplier to supplier, paint lots of the same color varied.  ⁴

I added the kit's wing bracing to both spats (right inside wheel spat brace shown above).  Next I drilled out four holes at the upper part of each wheel spat to take brass tubing representing the Browning .30 caliber machine guns.  I used Griffon Models GCP-BHP03 brass tubing with .8mm OD and .3mm ID.

  The rudder was painted in Andrea ANXC01 Flat White as a primer for the red, white, and blue striped decal.  The kit supplied two tail wheels, one in white metal (which was used) and another in plastic (not used).   Lastly, at this stage, I applied one more coat of hand-brushed Vallejo mix No. 23 Light Blue.

After the wheel spats were glued and braced, I moved back to the cockpit areas checking to be sure all was finished.  I built up the kit-supplied rear cockpit .30 caliber machine gun with additional pieces of scrap to make the ammunition box and holder, rear sight, and replaced the kit's main mount with a brass rod.  The front sight is from Eduard's 1:48 German WW1 PE Sights (48415) sheet.

The gunner's brass looped step replaced the kit's weak resin part and the mid-fuselage foot step was made from plastic stock.  The antenna was remade from brass Strutz ground done to a taper.  A piece of .005 piano wire was glued to it and both together are detachable for shipment.

Before proceeding any further, it was time to finalize the No. 23 Blue making sure cracks were sealed and touched up.  The entire model was oversprayed with satin polyurethane so decals could be applied.  I painted the red rectangle which identifies the panel which houses the engine starter crank mechanism and applied that decal.  The kit's instruction sheet covered all of the decal locations but curiously did not provide decals for the propellers which, in photos, appear to be black squares.  Once all decals were applied, I oversprayed the entire model again with satin polyurethane.