This is the new Kinetic 1/48 kit of the IA-58A/D Pucara. 40 years after some in the rest of the world learned what a Pucara is (the name is a Quechua word meaning "mountain fortress"), a year after the FAA took the last IA-58 off first line operations (some 20 are being modified to a reconnaissance role) a mainstream 1/48 injection-molded kit has now been released.

It was worth the wait. This is Kinetic's best kit to date. Everything fits. Surface detail is beautiful. Details are right. Sadly it doesn't have any underwing ordnance, though it has the TERs. The Hasegawa Weapons Set A and B will solve that problem.

I have a page on this project in the Work In Progress Group. I've gotten lots of information from Argentine friends. I've passed much on there and will do more here.

For starters, here are the work in progress shots so far.

13 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Looks good, Tom. I need to get one of these.

Here is the model painted in the "anodized" look they were first delivered in. This is my interpretation of that, since each of the photos I have, taken at different angles and different lighting, shows the various panels in slightly different shades. I did this since I am crazy enough to do one of the airplanes that didn't get camo paint till it got to the islands.

I am also attaching pix of three pages from the Pucara book that have information for modelers about the paint used, and a list of aircraft that were there by serial number, with their schemes. the ones with "anodized" for a lower color are the ones that got field painted after they got to the islands.

Sane modelers will do one of the airplanes painted on the mainland. 🙂

8 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Hey Tom- awesome! After learning about the Falklands conflict in more detail as a young teen, I wanted a Pucara. The Falklands further energized my interest in military aviation as I got to see Victors and Nimrods stop off in Bermuda on the way to the conflict. I got the Kinetic Sea Harrier two years ago, and might finally build it this year along with a Hasegawa Argentine A-4. very interested in getting the new Pucara from Kinetic. Thanks for sharing the build process!

Yes, @fiveten, and they also won't have driven "around the bend." 🙂

Please disregard the camo vs metal question, Tom. I realized you said you would paint over it by reviewing what you wrote on the WIP thread.

Mmmm, landing gear looks busy and detailed, really nice, @tcinla!

The model in its initial paint and standing on its feet. Now for the camo. I am going to use Tamiya XF-78 "Wooden Deck Tan", a good substitute for the "ochre brown/tan" on the real one, and Tamiya XF-21 "Sky" lightened with some white, a good match for the "duck egg green" used.

I could allllllmost leave this in the "anodized." But no - I want it from the war.

4 attached images. Click to enlarge.