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HASEGAWA 1:72 CESSNA A-37 DRAGONFLY
Reviewer: Mark B (SMAKR Webmaster) (smakr@bigpond.com)
Kit Review submitted approx October 1998
Aircraft:
The Cessna A-37 Dragonfly is basically a modified version of the T-37
Tweet aircraft, originally designed only as a primary jet trainer. In its modified
form the A-37 Dragonfly (aptly named considering its shape) makes for an excellent light
attack or counter-insurgency airplane. The Vietnam war led the USAF to consider
using an armed version of the T-37, and the A-37A was developed from the T-37B in 1966.
The type proved very effective in a number of close support roles and were
transferred to the South Vietnamese airforce. The A-37B version is essentially a
variant with a 'beefed up' airframe was designed specifically for USAF requirements.
A number of Latin American countries operated the Dragonfly, including Chile,
Colombia, Venezuela, Honduras, Uruguay, Peru, Ecuador, El Salvador and Guatemala.
Early boxart for this particular kit
(picture supplied by Walter Fischer)
The Kit:
This is not a very big kit and three sprues of 40 very nice quality
injected molded parts with engraved panel lines are packaged in cellophane wrapping.
Alternative boxart supplied by Marcelo Rabello
Instructions:
The instructions are on a fold-out strip with clear assembly steps, sprue diagram
and a further "stores" diagram for common weapons loads. The first thing
one notices is that only USAF examples can be produced, even though the kit caters for
both A-37A & A-37B types. The 'optional' parts are highlighted depending on the
version you choose to build.
Construction:
There's not much to crow about as far as the cockpit is concerned.
There's no seats as such, you put the two pilot figures on a cockpit base, who sit side by
side, and then place 'back-rests' behind them to more or less act on behalf of
seats. There's not sticks or other side panel detail. An instrument panel is
attached to the dashboard, and a decal is provided to use for dials 'n knobs.
Exterior panel line detail is not too bad and is typical of Hasegawa, much the same for
wheel wells.
This kit was pretty straight forward to build, even though it is not very large. The only problems encountered was getting the wing to sit right (two upper halves fit to a one-piece lower section which spans across and under the fuselage), some small fiddly bits (like antennae) and getting the underwing stores to sit properly - mainly because the pylons were a bit too close together for comfort. It's a pretty easy kit because there are not a lot of parts or steps to complete and the aircraft is rather small in finished form.
Versions & Decals:
Two examples are produced by the kit - A-37A of 604th SOS, 3rd TFW USAF in
Vietnam-like Green, Dark Green and brown upper surface camouflage and light grey
undersides. The second example is an (O)A-37B of the 19th TASS, 51st TFW USAF in
overall dark grey low-vis drab. A fair bit of stencilling is provided for both
versions and the decals went on very nicely. I chose the A Model and dressed it up
as suggested by the kit.
Overall:
A nice, straight forward kit, that builds into an accurate portrayal of
the A-37. I am more inclined to think that the A model is the best representation
by
the kit because I believe the B model had a few more subtle differences (and that beefed
up airframe) than is suggested by the kit. But in any case I would highly recommend
the kit to all skill levels.
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Photo Credit: Alex Mitchell
This is a picture of an ex-South Vietnamese air force A-37B (bought by a private person from the Vietnamese and these days flying again in New Zealand). The VNAF A-37Bs lacked the aerial refuelling probe and are easily miss-identified as A-37As (Leon Wohl)
