ARGENTINA NAVY A-4B SKYHAWK, VIENTICINCO DE MAYO, APRIL 2, 1982
This is the Fujimi A-4B kit with scrathbuilt antenna behind the cockpit, resin electronics hump on the spine, repositioned stabilizer rudder and front landing gear, AIM-9B Sidewinders from the ESCI/AMT F-5B kit and a combination of kit and Aztec Decals. The kit depicts A-4B 3-A-309 of 3 Escuadrilla de Caza y Ataque (3rd Attack-Fighter Squadron) based at Comandante Espora Naval Base near Buenos Aires in Argentina, but assigned to the aircraft carrier Vienticinco de Mayo during the Argentine amphibious landing on the Falkland Islands in April 1982. This aircraft was also involved in a bizarre accident during the war that led to the death of it's pilot. Piloted by Capitan de Corbeta Carlos Zubizaretta, 3-A-309 was involved in the unsuccessful attack on the British fleet by 3rd Escuadrilla on 23 May 1982. While attacking a British ship, the bombs carried by 3-A-309 hung up on the ejector rack and didn't drop free from the plane. Zubizaretta was forced to return to Rio Grande with his bomb load still hung up on the aircraft, a very dangerous situation. He made a hard landing and one of the tires burst. His aircraft missed the landing wire and was skidding down the wet & icy runway. Apparently believing that the aircraft may explode due to the bombs, Zubizaretta ejected. The A-4Q skidded off of the runway, but the bombs didn't explode. Unfortunately, Zubizaretta was killed when the parachute failed to deploy properly before he hit the ground. The aircraft was only lightly damaged and was repaired rapidly and painted with a new disruptive brown and black scheme.