A number of the U.S. Navy carrier-based aircraft types lacked self-boarding capability and required external access ladders for the crews to get to their cockpits. The types that needed boarding ladders for crew access included the F7U Cutlass, F3H Demon, F4D Skyray, A-4 Skyhawk and A-5A / RA-5C Vigilante. At this time I present 1:72 scale photo-etched boarding ladder sets for the Cutlass, Skyhawk and Vigilante.
F7U Cutlass Boarding Ladder
This set (# 7015) includes one boarding ladder. Compared to the original item released in 2012, the one available now is revised for better accuracy.
Recommended F7U-3 Cutlass kits: Fujimi.
A-4 Skyhawk Boarding Ladder
This set (# 7014) includes one boarding ladder. Compared to the original item released in 2012, the one available now is revised for better accuracy.
Notes:
- This type of ladder was also used by a number of other nations that operated the Skyhawk, including Argentina, Australia, Kuwait, New Zealand and Singapore.
- The Blue Angels team, when flying the Skyhawk, has employed a totally different ladder (see link).
Recommended A-4 Skyhawk kits: Fujimi; new Airfix.
This new set (# 7031) includes two identical boarding ladders.
Recommended RA-5C Vigilante kits: Trumpeter.
