Book 1 Project: Fan Experience

This will offer airplane models ranging from 1/200 scale to 1/500 scale with full detail in the painting and texture. This will fit the size of any collectors’ addition. The planes will also include the AMG’s and the 500 pound bombs used in the book (Vietnam War).  They had MiG’s, F-14 Tomcats and A-6 fuel tankers. These planes will also be included in the collection. To top off this collection, you can purchase a 1/200 scale to 1/500 scale model of the Shiloh, the Navy aircraft carrier. Come buy these models online at aurtherhailey.com. 

This aircraft carrier is big.  Shiloh can hold more than 10 planes of the deck.  People who are enthusiastic about the collection will really like this.  You cannot access the inside of the aircraft carrier (obviously), just the flight deck.  You can put your planes on here because the ship will be to scale.  Here, the main character and his bombardier got on the A-6 to go on their missions.  This is also where the first death of the book was noted.  Morgan McPherson was killed by a single bullet from the ground.  The sailors and pilots mourn the death of a fellow member.  Airplanes are shot off of this carrier on a catapult like thing.  The blast pad will be included so the people aren’t blown away from the deck and the model!  “All were carefully arranged so that every square foot of space was used.  Here in the hangar were performed the routine maintenance and the emergency repairs that could not be done in the wind and the rain of the flight deck.”  I think this is where the most impactful part of the story is done, not the important part.  The difference to me is that the impactful scenes are heard throughout the story while the important parts are the mini-climax parts of the story.  “Truth or consequences, Gafton.”  Commander Camparelli’s eyes bored into Jake.  “What do you have to say for yourself?”  This scene is when Jake Gafton is interrogated.  He MUST answer question truthfully, not a single lie or else he will go to a military court martial.  He could have faced something really serious that would damage his aviation career and maybe even his work life forever.  This is an impactful scene that is seen through the rest of the book.  President Nixon issued to fly new missions that were banned before Gafton’s illegal mission.  Because of this, the commander had to break the news to the people who wanted him out.  People started to realize that you aren’t going to win a war sitting around like a duck in the pond.  The commander started to take action with his men. 

The next mission for Gafton, after being readmitted was to bomb an airport where the Vietnamese supposedly hid some artillery there.  In fact, this was a trap.  The flight planner walked right into this.  He had an option of going at a high altitude, a longer, more fuel consuming, but safer route to the site.  Instead, the flight plan was to go through the valleys of the mountains to cut time and fuel.  The A-6 that Jake was flying was going to fly in a 3 plane formation.  One of the planes was shot down by a SAM with all of their bombs on board.  The plane, an A-6 Intruder, went down in flames with 2 people, the pilot and his bombardier.  Jake and his bombardier saw it going down and heard a huge explosion.  He knows they were killed in action (KIA).  The two other planes kept going on the mission.  The next plane to be shot down is Jake’s.  "Fireballs tore around them.  Something smashed into a wing and the stick wiggled hard in Jake's fist.  He shot a glance at the left wing.  All okay.  But on the right wing fuel was erupting through two holes and being blasted back into the slipstream."I am not going to ruin the ending for you but it is filled with action.  That is why I think the A-6 model airplane is the best airplane that can tell the story.  The A-6 went through what the characters went through in the missions.  The same plane wasn’t flown the whole time because it was damaged but if the plane had human characteristics, I am sure it would feel the same way. 

This will help broaden the audience because some may want to physically visualize what it looked like without going on the Internet.  Some people may see the scenes clearly but not the planes or the carrier clearly.  This will get the book some attention because the collectors will share their collection with others and will get them to purchase these models.  This will get people to think about the book and they may get one at the library or purchase one.  They can always keep in touch with the author/ book because the people will see the models and maybe re-read the book and look up what the author had been doing recently.

Enterprise aircraft carrier
I couldn't find the Shiloh aircraft carrier

A-6 Intruder similar to the one the book.  My idea is different because the plane will be the exact model(s) used in the book.  It will be exact to the painting.