OV-10D Bronco

I have always like the lines of the OV-10 Bronco. Until recently, though, the choice of kits to build this unique aircraft have been quite limited. In 1/48th scale, the only show in town was the Hawk/Italeri/Testors kit. This kit was really not worth investing the time to make a good model of the OV-10. The list of problems with this kit started with no cockpit and went downhill from there.

Enter Paragon Designs. Paragon Designs markets a conversion set for the OV-10D (stock #48091). This set addresses all the short comings of the Hawk/Italeri/Testors OV-10 kit as well as converting the stock kit to the OV-10D configuration. After acquiring the Paragon Designs conversion set, I dug out an old OV-10 kit I was squirreling away in the attic and started working on it.

The key to me working on this model was the Paragon Designs conversion set. This set is an extensive re-engineering project for the Hawk/Testors/Italeri OV-10 kit. The set includes pieces to replace some substancial portions of the original kit in addition to the pieces that convert the kit to an OV-10D.

• The set includes a complete full span replacement for the wing and horizontal tail. This fixes the problem with the tail booms being too close to the fuselage. This wing is also detailed with the correct vortex generators and fairings where the fuselage and tail booms attach to the it.
• The set includes new rudders for the vertial tails. This corrects the shape and detail of the trailing portions of the tail booms.
• The set includes a simply gorgious, one piece cockpit tub, complete with the ejection seats already in place. To the cockpit tub are added control sticks and fully detailed main instrument panels with raised detail. All you need to do is add paint.
• The set includes buldged and flattened tires.
• The set includes replacement engine exhausts, although they are of an erroneous shape that requires you to scratch build your own to fix them.
• The set includes a new nose with the FLIR turret.
• The set includes new propeller blades of the correct shape for the OV-10D.
• Lastly, the set includes an etching set that replaces the wheel well doors and provides some minor cockpit and airframe details.

In all, only about half of the original OV-10 kit is used to build the model. Paragon Designs provides the rest. The only thing not provided by them (that would have been nice) is the interior of the fuselage behind the cockpit. The best part is that all the new resin pieces fit with almost no issues. Only minor filling and sanding is needed (much less than would have been needed to build the kit out-of-the-box).

Besides incorporating the Paragon Designs conversion set into the kit, I also did a lot of extra detailing of my own.

• I cut and opened the cockpit entries and added all the internal latching and bracing details.
• I extended the boarding steps on the right side of the fuselage.
• I rescribed the fuselage and tail booms to eliminate the inappropriate rivet details and match the scribing of the Paragon Designs details.
• I boxed off the wheel wells and added appropriate plumbing and electrical lines.
• I added an M.V. Lens landing light into the nose.
• I added anti-sway braces to all the weapons stations.
• I added and revised various antennas throughout the airframes.
• I added a centerline fuel tank (a modified ESCI A-4 wing tank) and wing fuel tanks (modified from the Monogram A-37B kit).
• I scratch-built the "D-plus" details. Paragon Designs provides details for an early OV-10D, before all the IR suppression and jamming equipment was installed to bring the airframe up to the OV-10D+ standard. This included scratch-building the "disco light" fairing, the actual "disco light", and the correct engine exhausts.

I used all Testors Model Master enamel paints on the model. It is finished in the three tone camouflage of Marine Green (F.S.34097), Dark Ghost Gray (F.S.36320), and Flat Black (F.S.37038).

For decals, the markings are from the SuperScale decal sheet #48-364 with data markings taken from the Testors kit decals as well as some custom decals printed by me on my PC and laser printer. Some of the OV-10D markings were masked and painted to create the positive / negative appearance needed for things like the "MARINES" markings on the tail booms. The model represents an aircraft from VMO-2 based at MCAS Camp Pendleton in 1992.

Weathering is done with thinned down enamel paint washes and air brushing to highlight the panel lines and show general wear and tear on the airframe. A final pass with silver dry-brushing rounds out the weathering.

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