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+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
Some Background:
The Lockheed F-94 Starfire was a first-generation jet aircraft of the United States Air Force. It was developed from the twin-seat Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star in the late 1940s as an all-weather, day/night interceptor, replacing the propeller-driven North American F-82 Twin Mustang in this role. The system was designed to overtake the F-80 in terms of performance, but more so to intercept the new high-level Soviet bombers capable of nuclear attacks on America and her Allies - in particular, the new Tupelov Tu-4. The F-94 was furthermore the first operational USAF fighter equipped with an afterburner and was the first jet-powered all-weather fighter to enter combat during the Korean War in January 1953.
The initial production model, the F-94A, entered operational service in May 1950. Its armament consisted of four 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M3 Browning machine guns mounted in the fuselage with the muzzles exiting under the radome for the APG-33 radar, a derivative from the AN/APG-3, which directed the Convair B-36's tail guns and had a range of up to 20 miles (32 km). Two 165 US Gallon (1,204 litre) drop tanks, as carried by the F-80 and T-33, were carried on the wingtips. Alternatively, these could be replaced by a pair of 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs under the wings, giving the aircraft a secondary fighter bomber capability. 109 were produced.
The subsequent F-94B, which entered service in January 1951, was outwardly virtually identical to the F-94A. Its Allison J33 turbojet had a number of modifications made, though, which made it a very reliable engine. The pilot was provided with a roomier cockpit and the canopy received a bow frame in the center between the two crew members. A new Instrument Landing System (ILS) was fitted, too, which made operations at night and/or in bad weather much safer. However, this new variant’s punch with just four machine guns remained weak, and, to improve the load of fire, wing-mounted pods with two additional pairs of 0.5” machine guns were introduced – but these hardly improved the interceptor’s effectiveness. 356 of the F-94B were nevertheless built.
The following F-94C was extensively modified and initially designated F-97, but it was ultimately decided just to treat it as a new version of the F-94. USAF interest was lukewarm since aircraft technology had already developed at a fast pace – supersonic performance had already become standard. Lockheed funded development themselves, converting two F-94B airframes to YF-94C prototypes for evaluation with a completely new, much thinner wing, a swept tail surface and a more powerful Pratt & Whitney J48. This was a license-built version of the afterburning Rolls-Royce Tay, which produced a dry thrust of 6,350 pounds-force (28.2 kN) and approximately 8,750 pounds-force (38.9 kN) with afterburning. Instead of machine guns, the proposed new variant was exclusively armed with unguided air-to-air missiles.
Tests were positive and eventually the F-94C was adopted for USAF service, since it was the best interim solution for an all-weather fighter at that time. It still had to rely on Ground Control Interception Radar (GCI) sites to vector the interceptor to intruding aircraft, though.
The F-94C's introduction and the availability of the more effective Northrop F-89C/D Scorpion and the North American F-86D Sabre interceptors led to a quick relegation of the earlier F-94 variants from mid-1954 onwards to second line units and to Air National Guards. By 1955 most of them had already been phased out of USAF service, and some of these relatively young surplus machines were subsequently exported or handed over to friendly nations, too. When sent to the ANG, the F-94As were modified by Lockheed to F-94B standards and then returned to the ANG as B models. They primarily replaced outdated F-80C Shooting Stars and F-51D/H Mustangs.
At that time the USAF was looking for a tactical reconnaissance aircraft, a more effective successor for the RF-80A which had shown its worth and weaknesses during the Korea War. For instance, the plane could not fly at low altitude long enough to perform suitable visual reconnaissance, and its camera equipment was still based on WWII standards. Lockheed saw the opportunity to fill this operational gap with conversions of existing F-94A/B airframes, which had, in most cases, only had clocked few flying hours, primarily at high altitudes where Soviet bombers were expected to lurk, and still a lot of airframe life to offer. This led to another private venture, the RF-94B, auspiciously christened “Stargazer”.
The RF-94B was based on the F-94B interceptor with its J33 engine and the original unswept tail. The F-94B’s wings were retained but received a different leading-edge profile to better cope with operations at low altitude. The interceptor’s nose with the radome and the machine guns underneath was replaced by a new all-metal nose cone, which was more than 3 feet longer than the former radar nose, with windows for several sets of cameras; the wedge-shaped nose cone quickly earned the aircraft the unofficial nickname “Crocodile”.
One camera was looking ahead into flight direction and could be mounted at different angled downward (but not moved during flight), followed by two oblique cameras, looking to the left and the right, and a vertical camera as well as a long-range camera focussed on the horizon, which was behind a round window at port side. An additional, spacious compartment in front of the landing gear well held an innovative Tri-Metrogen horizon-to-horizon view system that consisted of three synchronized cameras. Coupled with a computerized control system based on light, speed, and altitude, it adjusted camera settings to produce pictures with greater delineation.
All cameras could be triggered individually by pilot or a dedicated observer/camera systems operator in the 2nd seat. Talking into a wire recorder, the crew could describe ground movements that might not have appeared in still pictures. A vertical view finder with a periscopic presentation on the cockpit panel was added for the pilot to enhance visual reconnaissance and target identification directly under the aircraft. Using magnesium flares carried under its wings in flash-ejector cartridges, the RF-94B was furthermore able to fly night missions.
The RF-94B was supposed to operate unarmed, but it could still carry a pair of 1.000 lb bombs under its wings or, thanks to added plumbings, an extra pair of drop tanks for ferry flights. The F-94A/B’s machine gun pods as well as the F-94C’s unguided missile launchers could be mounted to the wings, too, making it a viable attack aircraft in a secondary role.
The USAF was highly interested in this update proposal for the outdated interceptors (almost 500 F-94A/Bs had been built) and ordered 100 RF-94B conversions with an option for 100 more – just when a severe (and superior) competitor entered the stage after a lot of development troubles: Republic’s RF-84F Thunderflash reconnaissance version. The first YRF-84F had already been completed in February 1952 and it had an overall slightly better performance than the RF-94B. However, it offered more internal space for reconnaissance systems and was able to carry up to fifteen cameras with the support of many automatized systems, so that it was a single seater. Being largely identical to the F-84F and sharing its technical and logistical infrastructures, the USAF decided on short notice to change its procurement decision and rather adopt the more modern and promising Thunderflash as its standard tactical reconnaissance aircraft. The RF-94B conversion order was reduced to the initial 100 aircraft, and to avoid operational complexity these aircraft were exclusively delivered to Air National Guardss that had experience with the F-94A/B to replace their obsolete RF-80As.
Gradual replacement lasted until 1958, and while the RF-94B’s performance was overall better than the RF-80A’s, it was still disappointing and not the expected tactical intelligence gathering leap forward. The airframe did not cope well with constant low-level operations, and the aircraft’s marginal speed and handling did not ensure its survivability. However, unlike the RF-84F, which suffered from frequent engine problems, the Stargazers’ J33 made them highly reliable platforms – even though the complex Tri-Metrogen device turned out to be capricious, so that it was soon replaced with up to three standard cameras.
For better handling and less drag esp. at low altitude, the F-94B’s large Fletcher type wingtip tanks were frequently replaced with smaller ones with about half capacity. It also became common practice to operate the RF-94Bs with only a crew of one, and from 1960 on the RF-94B was, thanks to its second seat, more and more used as a trainer before pilots mounted more potent reconnaissance aircraft like the RF-101 Voodoo, which eventually replaced the RF-94B in ANG service. The last RF-94B was phased out in 1968, and, unlike the RF-84F, it was not operated by any foreign air force.
General characteristics:
Crew: 2 (but frequently operated by a single pilot)
Length: 43 ft 4 3/4 in (13.25 m)
Wingspan (with tip tanks): 40 ft 9 1/2 in (12.45 m)
Height: 12 ft. 2 (3.73 m)
Wing area: 234' 8" sq ft (29.11 m²)
Empty weight: 10,064 lb (4,570 kg)
Loaded weight: 15,330 lb (6,960 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 24,184 lb (10,970 kg)
Powerplant:
1× Allison J33-A-33 turbojet, rated at 4,600 lbf (20.4 kN) continuous thrust,
5,400 lbf (24 kN) with water injection and 6,000 lbf (26.6 kN) thrust with afterburner
Performance:
Maximum speed: 630 mph (1,014 km/h) at height and in level flight
Range: 930 mi (813 nmi, 1,500 km) in combat configuration with two drop tanks
Ferry range: 1,457 mi (1,275 nmi, 2,345 km)
Service ceiling: 42,750 ft (14,000 m)
Rate of climb: 6,858 ft/min (34.9 m/s)
Wing loading: 57.4 lb/ft² (384 kg/m²)
Thrust/weight: 0.48
Armament:
No internal guns; 2x 165 US Gallon (1,204 liter) drop tanks on the wing tips and…
2x underwing hardpoints for two additional 165 US Gallon (1,204 liter) ferry tanks
or bombs of up to 1.000 lb (454 kg) caliber each, plus…
2x optional (rarely fitted) pods on the wings’ leading edges with either a pair of 0.5" (12.7 mm)
machine guns or twelve 2.75” (70 mm) Mk 4/Mk 40 Folding-Fin Aerial Rockets each
The kit and its assembly:
This project was originally earmarked as a submission for the 2021 “Reconnaissance & Surveillance” group build at whatifmodellers.com, in the form of a Heller F-94B with a new nose section. The inspiration behind this build was the real-world EF-94C (s/n 50-963): a solitary conversion with a bulbous camera nose. However, the EF-94C was not a reconnaissance aircraft but rather a chase plane/camera ship for the Air Research and Development Command, hence its unusual designation with the suffix “E”, standing for “Exempt” instead of the more appropriate “R” for a dedicated recce aircraft. There also was another EF-94C, but this was a totally different kind of aircraft: an ejection seat testbed.
I had a surplus Heller F-94B kit in The Stash™ and it was built almost completely OOB and did – except for some sinkholes and standard PSR work – not pose any problem. In fact, the old Heller Starfire model is IMHO a pretty good representation of the aircraft. O.K., its age might show, but almost anything you could ask for at 1:72 scale is there, including a decent, detailed cockpit.
The biggest change was the new camera nose, and it was scratched from an unlikely donor part: it consists of a Matchbox B-17G tail gunner station, slimmed down by the gunner station glazing's width at the seam in the middle, and this "sandwich" was furthermore turned upside down. Getting the transitional sections right took lots of PSR, though, and I added some styrene profiles to integrate the new nose into the rest of the hull. It was unintentional, but the new nose profile reminds a lot of a RF-101 recce Voodoo, and there's, with the straight wings, a very F-89ish look to the aircraft now? There's also something F2H-2ish about the outlines?
The large original wing tip tanks were cut off and replaced with smaller alternatives from a Hasegawa A-37. Because it was easy to realize on this kit I lowered the flaps, together with open ventral air brakes. The cockpit was taken OOB, I just modified the work station on the rear seat and replaced the rubber sight protector for the WSO with two screens for a camera operator. Finally, the one-piece cockpit glazing was cut into two parts to present the model with an open canopy.
Painting and markings:
This was a tough decision: either an NMF finish (the natural first choice), an overall light grey anti-corrosive coat of paint, both with relatively colorful unit markings, or camouflage. The USAF’s earlier RF-80As carried a unique scheme in olive drab/neutral grey with a medium waterline, but that would look rather vintage on the F-94. I decided that some tactical camouflage would make most sense on this kind of aircraft and eventually settled for the USAF’s SEA scheme with reduced tactical markings, which – after some field tests and improvisations in Vietnam – became standardized and was officially introduced to USAF aircraft around 1965 as well as to ANG units.
Even though I had already built a camouflaged F-94 some time ago (a Hellenic aircraft in worn SEA colors), I settled for this route. The basic colors (FS 30219, 34227, 34279 and 36622) all came from Humbrol (118, 117, 116 and 28, respectively), and for the pattern I adapted the paint scheme of the USAF’s probably only T-33 in SEA colors: a trainer based on Iceland during the Seventies and available as a markings option in one of the Special Hobby 1:32 T-33 kits. The low waterline received a wavy shape, inspired by an early ANG RF-101 in SEA camouflage I came across in a book. The new SEA scheme was apparently applied with a lot of enthusiasm and properness when it was brand new, but this quickly vaned. As an extra, the wing tip tanks received black anti-glare sections on their inner faces and a black anti-glare panel was added in front of the windscreen - a decal from a T-33 aftermarket sheet. Beyond a black ink wash the model received some subtle panel post-shading, but rather to emphasize surface details than for serious weathering.
The cockpit became very dark grey (Revell 06) while the landing gear wells were kept in zinc chromate green primer (Humbrol 80, Grass Green), with bright red (Humbrol 60, Matt Red) cover interiors and struts and wheels in aluminum (Humbrol 56). The interior of the flaps and the ventral air brakes became red, too.
The decals/markings came from a Special Hobby 1:72 F-86H; there’s a dedicated ANG boxing of the kit that comes with an optional camouflaged aircraft of the NY ANG, the least unit to operate the “Sabre Hog” during the Seventies. Since this 138th TFS formerly operated the F-94A/B, it was a perfect option for the RF-94B! I just used a different Bu. No. code on the fin, taken from a PrintScale A/T-37 set, and most stencils were perocured from the scrap box.
After a final light treatment with graphite around the afterburner for a more metallic shine of the iron metallic (Revell 97) underneath, the kit was sealed with a coat of matt acrylic varnish (Italeri).
A camouflaged F-94 is an unusual sight, but it works very well. The new/longer nose considerably changes the aircraft's profile, and even though the change is massive, the "Crocodile" looks surprisingly plausible, if not believable! And, despite the long nose, the aircraft looks pretty sleek, especially in the air.
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The Grumman Mohawk began as a joint Army-Marine program through the then-Navy Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer), for an observation/attack plane that would outperform the light and vulnerable Cessna L-19 Bird Dog. In June 1956, the Army issued Type Specification TS145, which called for the development and procurement of a two-seat, twin turboprop aircraft designed to operate from small, unimproved fields under all weather conditions. It would be faster, with greater firepower, and heavier armor than the Bird Dog, which had proved very vulnerable during the Korean War.
The Mohawk's mission would include observation, artillery spotting, air control, emergency resupply, naval target spotting, liaison, and radiological monitoring. The Navy specified that the aircraft had to be capable of operating from small "jeep" escort class carriers (CVEs). The DoD selected Grumman Aircraft Corporation's G-134 design as the winner of the competition in 1957. Marine requirements contributed an unusual feature to the design: since the Marines were authorized to operate fixed-wing aircraft in the close air support (CAS) role, the mockup featured underwing pylons for rockets, bombs, and other stores, and this caused a lot of discord. The Air Force did not like the armament capability of the Mohawk and tried to get it removed. On the other side, the Marines did not want the sophisticated sensors the Army wanted, so when their Navy sponsors opted to buy a fleet oil tanker, they eventually dropped from the program altogether. The Army continued with armed Mohawks (and the resulting competence controversy with the Air Force) and also developed cargo pods that could be dropped from underwing hard points to resupply troops in emergencies.
In mid-1961, the first Mohawks to serve with U.S. forces overseas were delivered to the 7th Army at Sandhofen Airfield near Mannheim, Germany. Before its formal acceptance, the camera-carrying AO-1AF was flown on a tour of 29 European airfields to display it to the U.S. Army field commanders and potential European customers. In addition to their Vietnam and European service, SLAR-equipped Mohawks began operational missions in 1963 patrolling the Korean Demilitarized Zone.
Germany and France showed early interest in the Mohawk, and two OV-1s were field-tested by both nations over the course of several months. No direct orders resulted, though, but the German Bundesheer (Army) was impressed by the type’s performance and its capability as an observation and reconnaissance platform. Grumman even signed a license production agreement with the French manufacturer Breguet Aviation in exchange for American rights to the Atlantic maritime patrol aircraft, but no production orders followed.
This could have been the end of the OV-1 in Europe, but in 1977 the German government, primarily the interior ministry and its intelligence agency, the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), showed interest in a light and agile SIGINT/ELINT platform that could fly surveillance missions along the inner-German border to the GDR and also to Czechoslovakia. Beyond visual reconnaissance with cameras and IR sensors, the aircraft was to be specifically able to identify and locate secret radio stations that were frequently operated by Eastern Block agents (esp. by the GDR) all across Western Germany, but primarily close to the inner-German border due to the clandestine stations’ low power. The Bundeswehr already operated a small ELINT/ECM fleet, consisting of converted HFB 320 ‘Hansa’ business jets, but these were not suited for stealthy and inconspicuous low flight level missions that were envisioned, and they also lacked the ability to fly slowly enough to locate potential “radio nests”.
The pan and the objective were clear, but the ELINT project caused a long and severe political debate concerning the operator of such an aerial platform. Initially, the Bundesheer, who had already tested the OV-1, claimed responsibility, but the interior ministry in the form of the German customs department as well as the German police’s Federal Border Guard, the Bundesgrenzschutz and the Luftwaffe (the proper operator for fixed-wing aircraft within the German armed forces), wrestled for this competence. Internally, the debate and the project ran under the handle “Schimmelreiter” (literally “The Rider on the White Horse”), after a northern German legendary figure, which eventually became the ELINT system’s semi-official name after it had been revealed to the public. After much tossing, in 1979 the decision was made to procure five refurbished U.S. Army OV-1As, tailored to the German needs and – after long internal debates – operate them by the Luftwaffe.
The former American aircraft were hybrids: they still had the OV-1A’s original short wings, but already the OV-1D’s stronger engines and its internal pallet system for interchangeable electronics. The machines received the designation OV-1G (for Germany) and were delivered in early 1980 via ship without any sensors or cameras. These were of Western German origin, developed and fitted locally, tailored to the special border surveillance needs.
The installation and testing of the “Schimmelreiter” ELINT suite lasted until 1982. It was based on a Raytheon TI Systems emitter locator system, but it was locally adapted by AEG-Telefunken to the airframe and the Bundeswehr’s special tasks and needs. The system’s hardware was stowed in the fuselage, its sensor arrays were mounted into a pair of underwing nacelles, which occupied the OV-1’s standard hardpoints, allowing a full 360° coverage. In order to cool the electronics suite and regulate the climate in the internal equipment bays, the OV-1G received a powerful heat exchanger, mounted under a wedge-shaped fairing on the spine in front of the tail – the most obvious difference of this type from its American brethren. The exact specifications of the “Schimmelreiter” ELINT suite remained classified, but special emphasis was placed upon COMINT (Communications Intelligence), a sub-category of signals intelligence that engages in dealing with messages or voice information derived from the interception of foreign communications. Even though the “Schimmelreiter” suite was the OV-1Gs’ primary reconnaissance tool, the whole system could be quickly de-installed for other sensor packs and reconnaissance tasks (even though this never happened), or augmented by single modules, what made upgrades and mission specialization easy. Beyond the ELINT suite, the OV-1G could be outfitted with cameras and other sensors on exchangeable pallets in the fuselage, too. This typically included a panoramic camera in a wedge-shaped ventral fairing, which would visually document the emitter sensors’ recordings.
A special feature of the German OV-1s was the integration of a brand new, NATO-compatible “Link-16” data link system via a MIDS-LVT (Multifunctional Information Distribution System). Even though this later became a standard for military systems, the OV-1G broke the ground for this innovative technology. The MIDS was an advanced command, control, communications, computing and intelligence (C4I) system incorporating high-capacity, jam-resistant, digital communication links for exchange of near real-time tactical information, including both data and voice, among air, ground, and sea elements. Outwardly, the MIDS was only recognizable through a shallow antenna blister behind the cockpit.
Even though the OV-1Gs initially retained their former American uniform olive drab livery upon delivery and outfitting in German service, they soon received a new wraparound camouflage for their dedicated low-level role in green and black (Luftwaffe Norm 83 standard), which was better suited for the European theatre of operations. In Luftwaffe service, the OV-1Gs received the tactical codes 18+01-05 and the small fleet was allocated to the Aufklärungsgeschwader (AG) 51 “Immelmann”, where the machines formed, beyond two squadrons with RF-4E Phantom IIs, an independent 3rd squadron. This small unit was from the start based as a detachment at Lechfeld, located in Bavaria/Southern Germany, instead of AG 51’s home airbase Bremgarten in South-Western Germany, because Lechfeld was closer to the type’s typical theatre of operations along Western Germany’s Eastern borders. Another factor in favor of this different airbase was the fact that Lechfeld was, beyond Tornado IDS fighter bombers, also the home of the Luftwaffe’s seven HFB 320M ECM aircraft, operated by the JaBoG32’s 3rd squadron, so that the local maintenance crews were familiar with complex electronics and aircraft systems, and the base’s security level was appropriate, too.
With the end of the Cold War in 1990, the OV-1Gs role and field of operation gradually shifted further eastwards. With the inner-German Iron Curtain gone, the machines were now frequently operated along the Polish and Czech Republic border, as well as in international airspace over the Baltic Sea, monitoring the radar activities along the coastlines and esp. the activities of Russian Navy ships that operated from Kaliningrad and Saint Petersburg. For these missions, the machines were frequently deployed to the “new” air bases Laage and Holzdorf in Eastern Germany.
In American service, the OV-1s were retired from Europe in 1992 and from operational U.S. Army service in 1996. In Germany, the OV-1 was kept in service for a considerably longer time – with little problems, since the OV-1 airframes had relatively few flying hours on their clocks. The Luftwaffe’s service level for the aircraft was high and spare parts remained easy to obtain from the USA, and there were still OV-1 parts in USAF storage in Western German bases.
The German HFB 320M fleet was retired between 1993 and 1994 and, in part, replaced by the Tornado ECR. At the same time AG 51 was dissolved and the OV-1Gs were nominally re-allocated to JaboG 32/3. With this unit the OV-1Gs remained operational until 2010, undergoing constant updates and equipment changes. For instance, the machines received in 1995 a powerful FLIR sensor in a small turret in the aircraft’s nose, which improved the aircraft’s all-weather reconnaissance capabilities and was intended to spot hidden radio posts even under all-weather/night conditions, once their signal was recognized and located. The aircrafts’ radio emitter locator system was updated several times, too, and, as a passive defensive measure against heat-guided air-to-air missiles/MANPADS, an IR jammer was added, extending the fuselage beyond the tail. These machines received the suffix “Phase II”, even though all five aircraft were updated the same way.
Reports that the OV-1Gs were furthermore retrofitted with the avionics to mount and launch AIM-9 Sidewinder AAMs under the wing tips for self-defense remained unconfirmed, even more so because no aircraft was ever seen carrying arms – neither the AIM-9 nor anything else. Plans to make the OV-1Gs capable of carrying the Luftwaffe’s AGM-65 Maverick never went beyond the drawing board, either. However, BOZ chaff/flare dispenser pods and Cerberus ECM pods were occasionally seen on the ventral pylons from 1998 onwards.
No OV-1G was lost during the type’s career in Luftwaffe service, and after the end of the airframes’ service life, all five German OV-1Gs were scrapped in 2011. There was, due to worsening budget restraints, no direct successor, even though the maritime surveillance duties were taken over by Dornier Do 228/NGs operated by the German Marineflieger (naval air arm).
General characteristics:
Crew: Two: pilot, observer/systems operator
Length: 44 ft 4 in (13.53 m) overall with FLIR sensor and IR jammer
Wingspan: 42 ft 0 in (12.8 m)
Height: 12 ft 8 in (3.86 m)
Wing area: 330 sq. ft (30.65 m²)
Empty weight: 12,054 lb (5,467 kg)
Loaded weight: 15,544 lb (7,051 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 18,109 lb (8,214 kg)
Powerplant:
2× Lycoming T53-L-701 turboprops, 1,400 shp (1,044 kW) each
Performance:
Never exceed speed: 450 mph (390 knots, 724 km/h)
Maximum speed: 305 mph (265 knots, 491 km/h) at 10,000 ft (3,050 m)
Cruise speed: 207 mph (180 knots, 334 km/h) (econ cruise)
Stall speed: 84 mph (73 knots, 135 km/h)
Range: 944 mi (820 nmi, 1,520 km) (SLAR mission)
Service ceiling: 25,000 ft (7,620 m)
Rate of climb: 3,450 ft/min (17.5 m/s)
Armament:
A total of eight external hardpoints (two ventral, three under each outer wing)
for external loads; the wing hardpoints were typically occupied with ELINT sensor pods, while the
ventral hardpoints frequently carried 300 l drop tanks to extend loiter time and range;
Typically, no offensive armament was carried, even though bombs or gun/missile pods were possible.
The kit and its assembly:
This build became a submission to the “Reconnaissance” Group Build at whatifmodellers.com in July 2021, and it spins further real-world events. Germany actually tested two OV-1s in the Sixties (by the German Army/Bundesheer, not by the air force), but the type was not procured or operated. The test aircraft carried a glossy, olive drab livery (US standard, I think) with German national markings.
However, having a vintage Hasegawa OV-1A in the stash, I wondered what an operational German OV-1 might have looked like, especially if it had been operated into the Eighties and beyond, in the contemporary Norm 83 paint scheme? This led to this purely fictional OV-1G.
The kit was mostly built OOB, and the building experience was rather so-so – after all, it’s a pretty old mold/boxing (in my case the Hasegawa/Hales kit is from 1978, the mold is from 1968!). Just a few things were modified/added in order to tweak the standard, short-winged OV-1A into something more modern and sophisticated.
When searching for a solution to mount some ELINT sensor arrays, I did not want to copy the OV-1B’s characteristic offset, ventral SLAR fairing. I rather settled for the late RV-1D’s solution with sensor pods under the outer wings. Unfortunately, the OV-1A kit came with the type’s original short wings, so that the pods had to occupy the inner underwing pair of hardpoints. The pods were scratched from square styrene profiles and putty, so that they received a unique look. The Mohawk’s pair of ventral hardpoints were mounted, but – after considering some drop tanks or an ECM pod there - left empty, so that the field of view for the ventral panoramic camera would not be obscured.
Other small additions are some radar warning sensor bumps on the nose, some extra antennae, a shallow bulge for the MIDS antenna on the spine, the FLIR turret on the nose (with parts from an Italeri AH-1 and a Kangnam Yak-38!), and I added a tail stinger for a retrofitted (scratched) IR decoy device, inspired by the American AN/ALG-147. This once was a Matchbox SNEB unguided missile pod.
Painting and markings:
For the intended era, the German Norm 83 paint scheme, which is still in use today on several Luftwaffe types like the Transall, PAH-2 or CH-53, appeared like a natural choice. It’s a tri-color wraparound scheme, consisting of RAL 6003 (Olivgrün), FS 34097 (Forest Green) and RAL 7021 (Teerschwarz). The paints I used are Humbrol 86 (which is supposed to be a WWI version of RAL 6003, it lacks IMHO yellow but has good contrast to the other tones), Humbrol 116 and Revell 9. The pattern itself was adapted from the German Luftwaffe’s Dornier Do 28D “Skyservants” with Norm 83 camouflage, because of the type’s similar outlines.
A black ink washing was applied for light weathering, plus some post-shading of panels with lighter shades of the basic camouflage tones for a more plastic look. The cockpit interior was painted in light grey (Humbrol 167), while the landing gear and the interior of the air brakes became white. The scratched SLAR pods became light grey, with flat di-electric panels in medium grey (created with decal material).
The cockpit interior was painted in a rather light grey (Humbrol 167), the pilots received typical olive drab Luftwaffe overalls, one with a white “bone dome” and the other with a more modern light grey helmet.
The decals were improvised. National markings and tactical codes came from TL Modellbau sheets, the AG 51 emblems were taken from a Hasegawa RF-4E sheet. The black walkways were taken from the Mohak’s OOB sheet, the black de-icer leading edges on wings and tail were created with generic black decal material. Finally, the model was sealed with a coat of matt acrylic varnish (Italeri).
An interesting result, and the hybrid paint scheme with the additional desert camouflage really makes the aircraft an unusual sight, adding to its credibility.
For several weeks during Melbourne-Adelaide standard gauging works in 1995, interstate rail traffic was diverted via New South Wales. Solo 8167 on a Perth to Melbourne service parallels Burley Griffin Way as it climbs away from Stockinbingal, Tuesday 4th April 1995.
Jet image found on the web and converted from 2D to 3D using StereoPhoto Maker. Red/Cyan glasses required for viewing.
This intersection had doghouse PPLT's. The intersection upgrade included a new NEMA TS2-1 cabinet, Alpha BBS, Ethernet radios, PTZ camera, upgraded Opticoms (764 phase selector and 768 AIP) a Naztec 2070 running Apogee V.76 local along with new signs Wavetronix Advance radar detection and LED overhead illumination.
Within a week of the upgrade, we had a significant power outage that lasted through the PM Peak hour, and the BBS kept the signal running happily along for the 4 hours the power was out. This one is right next to a regional shopping center and regional fire station. My wife was shopping at the Target in the shopping center when the power went out. She called me up at work and told me that the power was out but the signals were still running.
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The Messerschmitt Bf 94 was a fighter aircraft built in Germany shortly before World War II. It was designed to meet a 1935 requirement by the Czechoslovakian Air Force for a replacement for their B-534 fighter biplanes. It was developed by the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (at which the engineer Messerschmitt led the development of the plane), primarily intended for export customers since the German Luftwaffe already planned more advanced types. It was actually built on a level inferior to the tactical requirements for a single-seat fighter that the RLM had issued in the document L.A. 1432/33 in late March 1933.
The Bf 94 was a sleek, low-wing monoplane with a fixed, spatted landing gear. As with the earlier Bf 108, the aircraft was based on Messerschmitt's "lightweight construction" principle, which aimed to minimise the number of separate parts in the aircraft. Examples of this could be found in the use of two large, complex brackets which were fitted to the firewall. These brackets incorporated the lower engine mounts and landing gear pivot point into one unit. A large forging attached to the firewall housed the main spar pick-up points, and carried most of the wing loads. Contemporary design practice was usually to have these main load-bearing structures mounted on different parts of the airframe, with the loads being distributed through the structure via a series of strong-points. By concentrating the loads in the firewall, the structure of the Bf 94 could be made relatively light and uncomplicated, and this principle was later also found in the famous Bf 109 fighter.
The Bf 94's fuselage was constructed from welded steel tube, covered in metal. Only the rudders were covered with fabric. The cockpit was not completely closed - the windscreen was fixed and two side panels could be lowered for access or taxiing, but a roof was missing. Power was to be provided by the new Junkers Jumo 210 engine of about 522 kW (700 hp), driving a wooden 2 blade propeller with fixed pitch.
Despite the rather outdated overall layout, the first prototype, the Bf 94 A-0, displayed excellent flying characteristics and high speed. Testing continued with a total of three prototypes until 22 November 1937. Until then, several orders had been placed, e. g. from Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, Estonia and Lithuania. The Czechoslovakian Air Force had lost interest, though, preferring the indigenous Avia B.35 instead.
Total production numbers remained low, since more modern aircraft with retractable landing gear and and more powerful engines and armament were steadily introduced - only about eighty aircraft were produced and entered service with smaller European air forces during the advent of WWII.
The Lithuanian Air Force operated a single squadron with Bf 94 A-1 (a total of 16 aircraft), which were to replace the Gloster Gladiators. The German machines received locally a modified armament consisting of a pair of 0.303” Browning machine guns, so that the standard ammunition could be used. In 1940, the Lithuanian Air Force consisted of eight Air Squadrons, including reconnaissance, fighter, bomber and training units. Air Force bases had been established in the cities and towns of Kaunas /Žagariškės, Šiauliai /Zokniai (Zokniai airfield), Panevėžys /Pajuostis. In the summer time, airports in the cities of Palanga and Rukla were also used. A total of 117 aircraft and 230 pilots and observers were listed in the books at that time.
General characteristics:
Crew: One
Length: 8.70 m (28 ft 6 in)
Wingspan: 9,9 m (32 ft 5 in)
Height: 2,45 m (8 ft 1 in)
Wing area: 16,35 m² (175.41 ft²)
Empty weight: 1,510 kg (3,325 lb)
Loaded weight: 1,940 kg (4,273 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 2,150 kg (4,735 lb)
Powerplant:
1× Jumo 210 D inverted V12 engine, rated at 700 hp (522 kW),
driving a wooden two-blade, fixed pitch propeller
Performance:
Maximum speed: 495 km/h (308 mph)
Range: 500 km (311 miles)
Rate of climb: 13.0 m/s (2,560 ft/min)
Armament:
2× 7,92 mm MG17 on top of the engine, synchronized to fire through the propeller arc
(In Lithuanian machines replaced with a pair of 0.303" (7,7mm) Browning machine guns)
The kit and its assembly:
This whif kit was inspired by a similar build at whatifmodelers.com: an early Bf 109 with spats! This looked so nice and convincing that I had to “try this at home”. As donation parts for the landing gear I also had a pair of Avia B.35 spats from a vintage KP at hand – easy and straightforward.
Basis is the Bf 109 B/C Heller kit, which is rare but available at affordable prices if you are patient. It was mostly built OOB, the only major mod were the closed landing gear wells, using the original covers and some putty, the addition of the B.35 spat, and for an even more retrograded look I also exchanged the canopy. The original, closed cockpit was replaced by an open alternative, taken from a Macchi C.200. This screen is consideraly shorter and not as deep as the Bf 109 parts, so the cockpit walls had to be raised, too, and the spine elongated forward. But it works and adds to the retro look. A HUMA pilot was added in the cockpit, too.
Et voilà, a simple German export aircraft!
As a side note: the “94” is one of the RLM type numbers that had not been used in Germany. It had been allocated to Heinkel though, but I wanted to use the highest possible number before the “109” for this whif, so the manufacturer switch is IMHO acceptable.
Painting and markings:
Finding a potential user was a bit more tricky. I finally settled for Lithuania – exotic, but with a colorful air force before WWII. The whiffy Bf 94 could have been the country's first monoplane fighter!
For the paint scheme I kept things simple, partly inspired by contemporary Bf 109 during the Spanish Civil War and Lithuanian Gloster Gladiators of the pre WWII era. I combined a light grey (RLM 63) upper fuselage, fin and spats with light blue undersides (RLM 65), together with dark Green (FS 34079) upper wing surfaces. This green was also used for the contrast background under the national insignia under the wings, while the rudder became white. It's actually not bright and colorful, but different from typical cammo paint schemes or bare metal, and Lithuanian aircraft appear to have carried such dry schemes.
The decals were puzzled together. The Lithuanian insignia come from a Blue Rider sheet, the tactical code actually belongs to a Hobby Boss F-86 in Luftwaffe markings, and the horse emblem is from an Italian Fiat C.32. The white stripes on the wings are a personal addition, I wanted to add some more contrast to the national insignia, since the overall livery is rather simple and subdued.
The interior was painted in dark grey (Humbrol 111), but the canopy is so tight that you cannot see anything inside except for the pilot's head. For some contrast, all trim tabs were painted in a reddish brown (Humbrol 100), and the two-blade propeller reveiced an aluminum front and a black back side.
A simple whif, but again it's one less on the long idea an project list. Realized in just three days from box to dry varnish, plus some additional time for the pics.
... this was a gift from a dear friend on Christmas Eve and I'm just now getting around to expressing my thanks. I believe I have had a religious experience here. Since I was in Wynn Seale Junior High School, I have loved cherry pie and when my mother would serve cherry and apple, while everyone else was selecting a piece of each, I would simply select two pieces of cherry. That's all changed now.
... This is a picture of the pie about an hour after it was delivered and before Sherry had even come into the kitchen. I sat with my camera, glorying in the magnificense in front of me and feeling the comsumed portion coursing through my blood vessels, bring a calming effect to my whole psyche.
...I thought about the years of skill it took for my friend to be able to get the ingredients to this stage of perfection, of the energy expened in shopping and selecting those ingredients, probably passing up the cheaper generic items for the best brands of flour, soda, apples and possibly artificial sweetening. This magnificent creation is SUGAR FREE.
... for some unknown reason at this particular moment the pie seemed to be in perfect tune with my whole being and brought about a feeling of pure beauty and perfection, so I overate, wallowing in the good vibrations of this phenomenal experience. From this moment forward, I will not even consider cherry pie. I am a yellow dog advocate of SUGAR FREE APPLE PIE and I don't have enough years left for another conversion, so this is a lifetime commitment.
... and so to the giver of this magic, I finally say, "thank you, thank you, THANK YOU." Your creation was much appreciated and Sherry eventually got her share too.
... now I feel like a nap.
If the V-J Day (the kiss) is in 3D
a 2D-to-3D conversion image (med-res)
the (2D) coloured image from:
pl.pinterest.com/pin/36380709459390588/
www.buzzfeed.com/mrbabyman/times-square-kiss-in-color-b7t
futher info about 'the kiss'
A Fantasy image from the web converted 2D-3D with StereoPhoto Maker. Red/Cyan 3D glasses required for viewing.
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The Sondergerät SG104 "Münchhausen" was a German airborne recoillless 355.6 mm (14-inch) caliber gun, intended to engage even the roughest enemy battleships, primarily those of the Royal Navy. The design of this unusual and massive weapon began in 1939. The rationale behind it was that a battleship’s most vulnerable part was the deck – a flat surface, with relatively thin armor (as typical hits were expected on the flanks) and ideally with vital targets underneath, so that a single, good hit would cripple of even destroy a ship. The purpose of such a high angle of attack was likely to allow the projectile to penetrate the target ship's deck, where the ship's armor, if there was any, would have been much thinner than the armor on its sidesHowever, hitting the deck properly with another ship’s main gun was not easy, since it could only be affected through indirect hits and the typical angle of the attack from aballistic shot would not necessarily be ideal for deep penetration, esp. at long range.
The solution to this problem: ensure that the heavy projectile would hit its target directly from above, ideally at a very steep angle. To achieve this, the gun with battleship caliber was “relocated” from a carrier ship or a coastal battery onto an aircraft – specifically to a type that was capable of dive-bombing, a feature that almost any German bomber model of the time offered.
Firing such a heavy weapon caused a lot fo problems, which were severe even if the gun was mounted on a ship or on land. To compensate for such a large-caliber gun’s recoil and to make firing a 14 in shell (which alone weighed around almost 700 kg/1.550 lb, plus the charge) from a relatively light airframe feasible, the respective gun had to be as light as possible and avoid any recoil, which would easily tear an aircraft – even a bomber – apart upon firing. Therefore, the Gerät 104 was designed as a recoilless cannon. Its firing system involved venting the same amount of the weapon's propellant gas for its round to the rear of the launch tube (which was open at both ends), in the same fashion as a rocket launcher. This created a forward directed momentum which was nearly equal to the rearward momentum (recoil) imparted to the system by accelerating the projectile itself. The balance thus created did not leave much net momentum to be imparted to the weapon's mounting or the carrying airframe in the form of felt recoil. A further share of the recoil induced by the moving round itself could be compensated by a muzzle brake which re-directed a part of the firing gases backwards. Since recoil had been mostly negated, a heavy and complex recoil damping mechanism was not necessary – even though the weapon itself was huge and heavy.
Work on the "Münchhausen" device (a secret project handle after a fictional German nobleman created by the German writer Rudolf Erich Raspe in the late 18th century who reputedly had ridden on a cannonball between enemy frontlines), was done by Rheinmetall-Borsig and lasted until 1941. The first test of a prototype weapon was conducted on 9th of September 1940 in Unterlüss with a satisfactory result, even though the weapon was only mounted onto an open rack and not integrated into an airframe yet. At that time, potential carriers were the Ju 88, the Dornier Do 217 and the new Junkers Ju 288. Even though the system’s efficacy was doubted, the prospect of delivering a single, fatal blow to an important , armored arget superseded any doubts at the RLM, and the project was greenlit in early 1942 for the next stage: the integration of the Sondergerät 104 into an existing airframe. The Ju 88 and its successor, the Ju 188, turned out to be too light and lacked carrying capacity for the complete, loaded weapon, and the favored Ju 288 was never produced, so that only the Dornier Do 217 or the bigger He 177 remained as a suitable carriers. The Do 217 was eventually chosen because it had the biggest payload and the airframe was proven and readily available.
After calculations had verified that the designed 14 in rifle would have effectively no recoil, preliminary tests with dumm airframes were carried out. After ground trials with a Do 217 E day bomber to check recoil and blast effects on the airframe, the development and production of a limited Nullserie (pre-production series) of the dedicated Do 217 F variant for field tests and eventual operational use against British sea and land targets was ordered in April 1942.
The resulting Do 217 F-0 was based on the late “E” bomber variant and powered by a pair of BMW 801 radial engines. It was, however, heavily modified for its unique weapon and the highly specialized mission profile: upon arriving at the zone of operation at high altitude, the aircraft would initiate a dive with an angle of attack between 50° and 80° from the horizontal, firing the SG 104 at an altitude between 6,000 and 2,000 meters. The flight time of the projectile could range from 16.0 seconds for a shot from an altitude of 6,000 meters at a 50° angle to just 4.4 seconds for a shot from 2.000 meters at an almost vertical 80° angle. Muzzle velocity of the SG 104 was only 300 m/s, but, prior to impact, the effective velocity of the projectile was projected to range between 449 and 468 m/s (1,616 to 1,674 km/h). Together with the round's weight of roughly 700 kg (1.550 lb) and a hardened tip, this would still ensure a high penetration potential.
The operational Sondergerät 104 had an empty mass of 2.780 kg (6,123 lb) and its complete 14 inch double cartridge weighed around 1.600 kg (3,525 lb). The loaded mass of the weapon was 4,237 kg, stretching the limits of the Do 217’s load capacity to the maximum, so that some armor and less vital pieces of equipment were deleted. Crew and defensive armament were reduced to a minimum.
Even though there had been plans to integrate the wepaon into the airframe (on the Ju 288), the Gerät 104 was on the Do 217 F-0 mounted externally and occupied the whole space under the aircraft, precluding any use of the bomb bay. The latter was occupied by the Gerät 104’s complex mount, which extended to the outside under a streamlined fairing and held the weapon at a distance from the airframe. Between the mount’s struts inside of the fuselage, an additional fuel tank for balance reasons was added, too.
The gun’s center, where the heavy round was carried, was positioned under the aircraft’s center of gravity, so that the gun barrel markedly protruded from under the aircraft’s nose. To make enough space, the Do 217 Es bomb aimer’s ventral gondola and his rearward-facing defensive position under the cockpit were omitted and faired over. The nose section was also totally different: the original extensive glazing (the so-called “Kampfkopf”) was replaced by a smaller, conventional canopy, similar to the later Do 217 J and N night fighter versions, together with a solid nose - the original glass panels would have easily shattered upon firing the gun, esp. in a steep high-speed dive. A "Lotfernrohr" bomb aiming device was still installed in a streamlined and protected fairing, though, so that the navigator could guide the pilot during the approach to the target and during the attack run.
To stabilize the heavy aircraft during its attack and to time- and safely pull out of the dive, a massive mechanical dive brake was mounted at the extended tail tip, which unfolded with four "petals". A charecteristic stabilizing dorsal strake was added between the twin fins, too.
The ventral area behind the gun’s rear-facing muzzle received additional metal plating and blast guiding vanes, after trials in late 1940 had revealed that firing the SG 104 could easily damage the Do 217’s tail structure, esp. all of the tail surfaces’ rudders and the fins’ lower ends in particular. Due to all this extra weight, the Do 217 F-0’s defensive armament consisted only of a single 13 mm MG 131 machine gun in a manually operated dorsal position behind the cockpit cabin, which offered space for a crew of three. A fixed 15 mm MG 151 autocannon was mounted in the nose, too, a weapon with a long barrel for extended range and accuracy. It was not an offensive weapon, though, rather intended as an aiming aid for the SG 104 because it was loaded with tracer bullets: during the final phase of the attack dive, the pilot kept firing the MG 151, and the bullet trail showed if he was on target to fire the SG 104 when the right altitude/range had been reached.
The first Do 217 F-0 was flown and tested in late 1943, and after some detail changes the type was cleared for a limited production run of ten aircraft in January 1944. The first operational machine was delivered to a dedicated testing commando, the Erprobungskommando 104 “Münchhausen”, also known as “Sonderkommando Münchhausen” or simply “E-Staffel 104”. The unit was based at Bordeaux/Merignac and directly attached to the KG 40's as a staff flight. At that time, KG 40 operated Do 217 and He 177 bombers and frequently flew reconnaissance and anti-shipping missions over the Atlantic west of France, up to the British west and southern coast, equipped with experimental Henschel Hs 293 glide bombs.
Initial flights confirmed that the Do 217 airframe was burdened with the SG 104 to its limits, the already rather sluggish aircraft (the Do 217 had generally a high wing loading and was not easy to fly) lost anything that was left of what could be called agility. It needed an experienced pilot to handle it safely, esp. during start and landing. It is no wonder that two Do 217 F-0s suffered ground accidents during the first two weeks of operations, but the machines could be repaired, resume the test program and carry out attack missions.
However, during one of the first test shots with the weapon, one Do 217 F-0 lost its complete tail section though the gun blast, and the aircraft crashed into the Bay of Biscay, killing the complete crew.
On 4th or April 1944 the first "hot" attack against an enemy ship was executed in the Celtic Sea off of Brest, against a convoy of 20 ships homeward bound from Gibraltar. The attack was not successful, though, the shot missing its target, and the German bomber was attacked and heavily damaged by British Bristol Beaufighters that had been deployed to protect the ships. The Do 217F-0 eventually crashed and sank into the Atlantic before it could reach land again.
A couple of days later, on 10th of April, the first attempt to attack and destroy a land target was undertaken: two Do 217 F-0s took off to attack Bouldnor Battery, an armored British artillery position located on the Isle of Wight. One machine had to abort the attack due to oil leakages, the second Do 217 F-0 eventually reached its target and made a shallow attack run, but heavy fog obscured the location and the otherwise successful shot missed the fortification. Upon return to its home base the aircraft was intercepted by RAF fighters over the Channel and heavily damaged, even though German fighters deployed from France came to the rescue, fought the British attackers off and escorted the limping Do 217 F-0 back to its home base.
These events revealed that the overall SG 104 concept was generally feasible, but also showed that the Do 217 F-0 was very vulnerable without air superiority or a suitable escort, so that new tactics had to be developed. One consequence was that further Do 217 F-0 deployments were now supported by V/KG 40, the Luftwaffe's only long range maritime fighter unit. These escorts consisted of Junkers Ju 88C-6s, which were capable of keeping up with the Do 217 F-0 and fend of intercepting RAF Coastal Command’s Beaufighters and later also Mosquitos.
In the meantime, tests with the SG 104 progressed and several modifications were tested on different EKdo 104's Do 217 F-0s. One major upgrade was a further strengthening of the tail section, which added another 200 kg (440 lb) to the aircraft's dry weight. Furthermore, at least three aircraft were outfitted with additional dive brakes under the outer wings, so that the dive could be better controlled and intercepted. these aircraft, however, lost their plumbed underwing hardpoints, but these were only ever used for drop tanks during transfer flights - a loaded SG 104 precluded any other ordnance. On two other aircraft the SG 104 was modified to test different muzzle brakes and deflectors for the rear-facing opening, so that the gun blast was more effectively guided away from the airframe to prevent instability and structural damage. For instance, one machine was equipped with a bifurcated blast deflector that directed the rearward gasses partly sideways, away from the fuselage.
These tests did not last long, though. During the Allied Normandy landings in June 1944 E-Staffel 104 was hastily thrown into action and made several poorly-prepared attack runs against Allied support ships. The biggest success was a full hit and the resulting sinking of the Norwegian destroyer HNoMS Svenner (G03) by "1A+BA" at dawn on 6th of June, off Sword, one of the Allied landing zones. Other targets were engaged, too, but only with little effect. This involvement, however, led to the loss of three Do 217 F-0s within just two days and four more heavily damaged aircraft – leaving only two of EKdo 104's Do 217 F-0s operational.
With the Allied invasion of France and a worsening war condition, the SG 104 program was stopped in August 1944 and the idea of an airborne anti-ship gun axed in favor of more flexible guided weapons like the Hs 293 missile and the Fritz-X glide bomb. Plans for a further developed weapon with a three-round drum magazine were immediately stopped, also because there was no carrier aircraft in sight that could carry and deploy this complex 6.5 tons weapon. However, work on the SG 104 and the experience gained from EKdo 104's field tests were not in vain. The knowledge gathered from the Münchhausen program was directly used for the design of a wide range of other, smaller recoilless aircraft weapons, including the magnetically-triggered SG 113 "Förstersonde" anti-tank weapon or the lightweight SG 118 "Rohrblock" unguided air-to-air missile battery for the Heinkel He 162 "Volksjäger".
General characteristics:
Crew: 3 (pilot, navigator, radio operator/gunner)
Length: 20,73 m (67 ft 11 in) overall
18,93 m (62 ft 3/4 in) hull only
Wingspan: 19 m (62 ft 4 in)
Height: 4.97 m (16 ft 4 in)
Wing area: 57 m² (610 sq ft)
Empty weight: 9,065 kg (19,985 lb)
Empty equipped weight:10,950 kg (24,140 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 16,700 kg (36,817 lb)
Fuel capacity: 2,960 l (780 US gal; 650 imp gal) in fuselage tank and four wing tanks
Powerplant:
2× BMW 801D-2 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, delivering
1,300 kW (1,700 hp) each for take-off and 1,070 kW (1,440 hp) at 5,700 m (18,700 ft),
driving 3-bladed VDM constant-speed propellers
Performance:
Maximum speed: 475 km/h (295 mph, 256 kn) at sea level
560 km/h (350 mph; 300 kn) at 5,700 m (18,700 ft)
Cruise speed: 400 km/h (250 mph, 220 kn) with loaded Gerät 104 at optimum altitude
Range: 2,180 km (1,350 mi, 1,180 nmi) with maximum internal fuel
Ferry range: 2,500 km (1,600 mi, 1,300 nmi); unarmed, with auxiliary fuel tanks
Service ceiling: 7,370 m (24,180 ft) with loaded Gerät 104,
9,500 m (31,200 ft) after firing
Rate of climb: 3.5 m/s (690 ft/min)
Time to altitude: 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in 4 minutes 10 seconds
2,000 m (6,600 ft) in 8 minutes 20 seconds
6,100 m (20,000 ft) in 24 minutes 40 seconds
Armament:
1x 355.6 mm (14-inch) Sondergerät 104 recoilless gun with a single round in ventral position
1x 15 mm (0.787 in) MG 151 machine cannon with 200 rounds, fixed in the nose
1x 13 mm (0.512 in) MG 131 machine gun with 500 rounds, movable in dorsal position
Two underwing hardpoints for a 900 l drop tank each, but only used during unarmed ferry flights
The kit and its assembly:
This was another submission to the "Gunships" group build at whatifmodellers.com in late 2021, and inspiration struck when I realized that I had two Italeri Do 217 in The Stash - a bomber and a night fighter - that could be combined into a suitable (fictional) carrier for a Sondergerät 104. This mighty weapon actually existed and even reached the hardware/test stage - but it was never integrated into an airframe and tested in flight. But that's what this model is supposed to depict.
On the Do 217, the Sg 104 would have been carried externally under the fuselage, even though there had been plans to integrate this recoilless rifle into airframes, esp. into the Ju 288. Since the latter never made it into production, the Do 217 would have been the most logical alternative, also because it had the highest payload of all German bombers during WWII and probably the only aircraft capable of carrying and deploying the Münchhausen device, as the SG 104 was also known.
The fictional Do 217 F-0 is a kitbashing, using a Do 217 N fuselage, combined with the wings from a Do 217 K bomber, plus some modifications. What initially sounded like a simple plan soon turned into a improvisation mess: it took some time to realize that I had already donated the Do 217 K's BMW 801 engines to another project, an upgraded He 115... I did not want to use the nightfighter's more powerful DB 603s, and I was lucky to have an Italeri Ju 188 kit at hand which comes with optional BMW 801s and Jumo 211s. Transplanting these engines onto the Do 217's wings took some tailoring of the adapter plates, but was feasible. However, the BMW 801s from the Ju 188 kit have a flaw: they lack the engine's characteristic cooling fans... Another lucky find: I found two such parts in the scrap box, even though from different kits - one left over from another Italeri Do 217 K, the other one from what I assume is/was an Italeri 1:72 Fw 190 A/F. To make matters worse, one propeller from the Ju 188 kit was missing, so that I had to find a(nother) replacement. :-/
I eventually used something that looked like an 1:72 F6F Hellcat propeller, but I an not certain about this because I have never built this model...? With some trimming on the blades' trailing edges and other mods, the donor's overall look could be adapted to the Ju 188 benchmark. Both propellers were mounted on metal axis' so that they could also carry the cooling fans. Lots of work, but the result looks quite good.
The Do 217 N's hull lost the lower rear gunner position and its ventral gondola, which was faired over with a piece of styrene sheet. The pilot was taken OOB, the gunner in the rear position was replaced by a more blob-like crew member from the scrap box. The plan to add a navigator in the seat to the lower right of the pilot did not work out due to space shortage, but this figure would probably have been invisble, anyway.
All gun openings in the nose were filled and PSRed away, and a fairing for a bomb aiming device and a single gun (the barrel is a hollow steel needle) were added.
The SG 104 was scratched. Starting point was a white metal replacement barrel for an 1:35 ISU-152 SPG with a brass muzzle brake. However, after dry-fitting the barrel under the hull the barrel turned out to be much too wide, so that only the muzzal brake survived and the rest of the weapon was created from a buddy refueling pod (from an Italeri 1:72 Luftwaffe Tornado, because of its two conical ends) and protective plastic caps from medical canulas. To attach this creation to the hull I abused a conformal belly tank from a Matchbox Gloster Meteor night fighter and tailored it into a streamlined fairing. While this quite a Frankenstein creation, the overall dimensions match the real SG 104 prototype and its look well.
Other cosmetic modifications include a pair of underwing dive brakes, translanted from an Italeri 1:72 Ju 88 A-4 kit, an extended (scratched) tail "stinger" which resembles the real dive brake arrangement that was installed on some Do 217 E bombers, and I added blast deflector vanes and a dorsal stabilizer fin.
In order to provide the aircraft with enough ground clearance, the tail wheel was slightly extended. Thanks to the long tail stinger, this is not blatantly obvious.
Painting and markings:
This was not an easy choice, but as a kind of prototype I decided that the paint scheme should be rather conservative. However, German aircraft operating over the Atlantic tended to carry rather pale schemes, so that the standard pattern of RLM 70/71/65 (Dunkelgrün, Schwarzgrün and Hellblau) with a low waterline - typical for experimental types - would hardly be appropriate.
I eventually found a compromise on a He 177 bomber (coded 6N+BN) from 1944 that was operated by KG 100: this particular aircraft had a lightened upper camouflage - still a standard splinter scheme but consisting of RLM 71 and 02 (Dunkelgrün and Grau; I used Modelmaster 2081 and Humbrol 240), a combination that had been used on German fighters during the Battle of Britain when the standard colors turned out to be too dark for operations over the Channel. The aircraft also carried standard RLM 65 (or maybe the new RLM76) underneath (Humbrol 65) and on the fin, but with a very high and slightly wavy waterline. As a rather unusual feature, no typical camouflage mottles were carried on the flanks or the fin, giving the aircraft a very bleak and simple look.
Despite my fears that this might look rather boring I adapted this scheme for the Do 217 F-0, and once basic painting was completed I was rather pleased by the aircraft's look! As an aircraft operated at the Western front, no additional markings like fuselage bands were carried.
To set the SG 104 apart from the airframe, I painted the weapon's visible parts in RLM 66 (Schwarzgrau, Humbrol 67), because this tone was frequently used for machinery (including the interior surfaces of aircraft towards 1945).
RLM 02 was also used for the interior surfaces and the landing gear, even though I used a slightly different, lighter shade in form of Revell 45 (Helloliv).
A light black ink washing was applied and post-shading to emphasize panel lines. Most markings/decals came from a Begemot 1:72 He 11 sheet, including the unusual green tactical code - it belongs to a staff unit, a suitable marking for such an experimental aircraft. The green (Humbrol 2) was carried over to the tips of the propeller spinners. The unit's code "1A" is fictional, AFAIK this combination had never been used by the Luftwaffe.
The small unit badge was alucky find: it actually depicts the fictional Baron von Münchhausen riding on a cannonball, and it comes from an Academy 1:72 Me 163 kit and its respective sheet. The mission markings underneath, depicting two anti-ship missions plus a successful sinking, came from a TL Modellbau 1:72 scale sheet with generic German WWII victory markings.
After some soot stains around the engine exhaust and weapon muzzles had been added with graphite, the model was sealed with matt acrylic varnish and final details like position lights and wire antennae (from heated black plastic sprue material) were added.
Well, what started as a combination of two kits of the same kind with a simple huge pipe underneath turned out to be more demanding than expected. The (incomplete) replacement engines were quite a challenge, and body work on the hull (tail stinger, fairing for the SG 104 as well as the weapon itself) turned out to be more complex and extensive than initially thought of. The result looks quite convincing, also supported by the rather simple paint scheme which IMHO just "looks right" and very convincing. And the whole thing is probably the most direct representation of the inspiring "Gunship" theme!
This rune priest was a conversion of a space marine chaplain with a jump pack. I made him look a bit more wolfy by head swapping and sculpting a beard with straggly head hair (and a receeding hair line ; poor bloke!), using storm bolter arm from the bloodclaws pack, and a hammer from thunderwolf cavalry set (which will count as his runic weapon. also, the wolf skull, for me, really seals the deal that this guy is a wolfy maniac ! :D comments and suggestions welcome !
So I got a server from work that I was going to convert into a terminal server. The problem was that it was a 1U system. The reason that's a problem is that a 1U system has small fans, and the smaller the fan, the bigger the noise. Bigger fans can rotate at slower speeds. When I turned on the 1U server, I could hear it from two floors away. I was going to have to convert this into a tower system and use bigger fans.
I was able to cut some material out of this case to house the motherboard, but this motherboard required A LOT of fans to be running in order to power on. I just didn't have that many large fans. I also had to use mount the 1U power supply into the case because it's 25PIN +8 and I didn't have any of those. Because I was restricted to this power supply, I didn't have power for the SATA drive (because of the back plane board for the drives). My only option for the drive was to lay the back plane on top and mount the drives. Then because the distance was so far from the controller, I could only mount two drives instead of four.
Anyway, unless I was willing to put some money into this, the conversion is a failure. I'm going to just suck it up and see if I can add parts of this server into my workstation that I'm using as a server anyway. Just combine the two int one really mean terminal server. I don't think I'm going to get as much RAM out of it as I would like though.
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
Armored wheeled vehicles were developed early in Germany, since they were not subject to the restrictions of the Versailles Treaty. The Sd.Kfz. 234 (Sonder-Kraftfahrzeug, or Special Purpose Vehicle) belonged to the so-called ARK series vehicles (the type designation of the chassis) and was the successor to the earlier, eight-wheeled Sd.Kfz. 231/232/233 heavy scout car family. The Sd.Kfz. 234 was a considerable step forward and incorporated several innovative features, including a monocoque chassis with eight wheels and an air-cooled Tatra 103 diesel engine that was originally chosen for use in North Africa. The latter gave the vehicle an extraordinary range of more than 600 miles (1.000 km) and a very good performance. The vehicle had eight-wheel steering and drive and was able to quickly change direction thanks to a second, rear-facing driver's seat, what made quick retreats and unexpected position changes easier.
Chassis were built by Büssing-NAG in Leipzig-Wahren, while armoured bodies were provided by Deutsche Edelstahlwerke of Krefeld and turrets by Daimler Benz in Berlin-Marienfelde and Schichau of Elbing, with engines from Ringhoffer-Tatra-Werke AG of Nesseldorf. The first and possibly best known version to reach frontline service was the Sd.Kfz. 234/2 ‘Puma’. It had a horseshoe-shaped turret armed with a 5cm L/60 gun, which had originally been developed for the VK 16.02 Leopard light tank which never made into production. Even though it was a dedicated reconnaissance vehicle, the armament made it possible to defend the vehicle effectively and even take on light armored vehicles. The Sd.Kfz. 234/2 was produced from late 1943 to mid-1944 and replaced in production by the second version, the Sd.Kfz. 234/1, which was less complex and easier to build. It had a simpler open turret and was armed only with a light 2 cm KwK 38 gun (in the so-called Hängelafette 38). It was manufactured from mid-1944 to early 1945 and became the standard reconnaissance vehicle in this period.
Other versions were derived from the Sd.Kfz. 234, too. The Sd.Kfz. 234/3, produced simultaneously with the 234/1, served as a support for the lightly armed reconnaissance vehicles with more firepower. It had an open-topped superstructure, too, but carried a short-barreled 7.5cm K51 L/24 gun. This gun was intended primarily for use against soft targets, but when using a hollow charge shell, the penetration power exceeded that of the 5cm L/60 gun. This variant was produced until late 1944, before switching production to the 234/4. This version replaced the L/24 gun with the 7.5cm L/46 PaK 40 and was primarily another attempt to increase the mobility of this anti-tank gun and not a reconnaissance vehicle. It was not very successful, though: the heavy weapon stretched the light 234 chassis to its limits and only a very limited ammunition load of just twelve rounds could be carried on board due to lack of storage space. This variant was manufactured from the end of 1944 on only in limited numbers.
In mid-1945 another reconnaissance variant appeared, the Sd.Kfz. 234/5. It was a kind of hybrid between the earlier 234/1 and 234/2 variants, combining the light armament with a fully closed turret that offered the crew better protection from enemy fire and climatic conditions. The origins of the Sd.Kfz. 234/5 remain a little unclear – in fact, this variant started as a field conversion of a handful of Sd.Kfz. 234/2s in Hungary in mid-1944, which were retrofitted in field workshops with turrets from damaged Panzer-Spähwagen (neue Art) II ‘Luchs’ (also known as ‘Panzer II Ausf. L’, ‘Sd.Kfz. 123 mit 2-cm-KwK 38’ and VK 13.03 during the vehicle’s development phase). This simple combination of existing components turned out to be so effective and popular among the crews that it was quickly ordered into production.
Both chassis and turret remained unchanged, with a maximum armor of 30 mm (1.18 in), but the small turret with its light weapon (which had been adapted from a 20 mm anti-aircraft gun with a higher rate of fire than earlier guns of this type) reduced the overall weight to a little under 11 tons. This, and a slightly more powerful variant of the Tatra 103 V12 diesel engine, raised the vehicle’s top speed by 10 km/h (6 mph). In service the Sd.Kfz. 234/5 was generally known as ‘Puma II’ and the frontline units frequently modified their vehicles.
Among these field updates were commander cupolas, transplanted from damaged Panzer III and IV and sometimes outfitted with a mount for a light Fla-MG (anti-aircraft machine gun), as well as more effective exhaust mufflers for a reduced noise signature. Additional thin, spaced armor plates were sometimes bolted to the hull and/or to the turret front to better protect the vehicle from armor-piercing weapons, esp. against rounds from Russian 14.5 mm tank rifles. Makeshift wire mesh shields against hollow charges, similar to heavier Thoma shields on battle tanks, were occasionally added, too, as well as smoke dischargers, mounted to the turret sides or to the vehicle’s front. Night vision devices (Infrarot-Nachtsichtgerät F.G. 1250 or F.G. 1252) were fitted when available, and some late-production Sd.Kfz. 234/5s had a 140 cm (55 in) Telemeter KDO 44 stereoscopic rangefinder/telescope integrated into the turret, protruding from it on both sides. Vehicles that were almost exclusively operated on roads frequently had the wheels of the 2nd axle removed in order to reduce overall weight, rolling resistance and save precious rubber/tires.
Since production could not meet the operational units’ demand the Sd.Kfz. 234/5s were issued very selectively to Panzerspähwagen companies of the Panzer Aufklärung battalions. They were operated alongside other Sd.Kfz. 234 versions and Panzer II, III and 38(t) Spähpanzer versions to provide artillery, AA and AT support. The Puma IIs were mostly given to veteran crews and equipped primarily Panzerdivision units operating in Russia, even though a few were sent to the Western front, too.
Exact production numbers remain uncertain because the original production of 81 new vehicles by Büssing-NAG was complemented by an uncertain number of field conversions that allowed older/damaged Sd.Kfz. 234/1 and 2s to be repaired and/or updated with the light ‘Luchs’ turret. The total number of operational Sd.Kfz. 234/5s remained less than 100, though.
Specifications:
Crew: Four (commander, gunner, driver, radio operator/2nd driver)
Weight: 10,600 kg (25,330 lb)
Length: 6.02 m (19 ft 9 in)
Width: 2.36 m (7 ft 9 in)
Height: 2.32 meters (7 ft 7¼ in)
2.53 meters (8 ft 3½ in) when outfitted with a commander cupola
Suspension: Wheeled (Tires: 270–20, bulletproof), with leaf springs
Track width: 1.95 m (6 ft 4 1/2 in)
Wading depth: 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in)
Trench crossing capability: 2m (6 ft 6 1/2 in)
Ground clearance: 350 mm (13 3/4 in)
Climbing capability: 30°
Fuel capacity: 360 l
Fuel consumption: 40 l/100 km on roads, 60 l/100 km off-road
Armor:
9 — 30 mm (0.35-1.18 in), sometimes augmented with
additional 5 — 10 mm (0.2-0.4 in) armor plates on the front of hull and/or turret
Performance:
Maximum road speed: 90 km/h (56 mph)
Operational range: 1,000 km (625 mi) on-road
600 km (373 mi) off-road
Power/weight: 20,75 PS/t
Engine:
Air-cooled 14,825 cc (905³ in) Tatra 103 V12 diesel engine,
with 157 kW (220 hp) output at 2.200 RPM
Transmission:
Büssing-NAG "GS" with 3 forward and reverse gears, eight-wheel drive
Armament:
1× 20mm KwK 38 L/55 machine cannon with 330 rounds
1× co-axial 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 42 with 2.550 rounds
The kit and its assembly:
A straightforward conversion, and at its core this is not a what-if model because the Sd.Kfz. 234 was actually outfitted with the light ‘Luchs’ turret – even though this was probably only a field-modified, single vehicle that was eventually captured by Allied troops in Czechoslovakia in 1945. It was not an official variant (yet). However, as exotic as this combo seems, there is a complete 1:72 kit of this exotic vehicle from Attack Kits, but it’s pricey, and ModelTrans/Silesian Models from Germany does a resin conversion kit with the ‘Luchs’ turret. The latter set was used for this model and mated it with a Hasegawa Sd.Kfz. 234/2 hull, IMHO the best model of this vehicle, and even as a combo cheaper than the Attack kit.
Building the fictional Sd.Kfz. 234/5 from these ingredients was a very simple affair, everything was basically taken over OOB. For a more sophisticated in-service vehicle, I took over the smoke dischargers from the Hasegawa kit, added a leftover Panzer IV cupola as well as scratched fairings for a stereoscopic rangefinder, and replaced the original twin exhaust mufflers on the rear fenders with a different/bigger piece from an early Panzer IV, placed above the spare tire. This made enough room to add stowage boxes and no less than six jerry cans (all from the Hasegawa kit).
The antennae were made from heated sprue material and the gun barrels are brass pieces, left over from a First To Fight Sd.Kfz. 232, which looked better than the (already fine and good, though) parts from the ModelTrans conversion set. The commander figure came from the Hasegawa kit.
Painting and markings:
A conservative approach, and I stuck to German late-war practice to apply a uniform Dunkelgelb (RAL 7028) livery over a red primer base upon delivery. Individual camouflage in medium green and dark brown was later applied in the field on top of that – a classic ‘Hinterhalt’ scheme.
Initially, the hull’s underside was sprayed with Oxidrot (RAL 3009) from the rattle can, while the upper surfaces received a primer coat with a sandy brown. On top of the sand brown came a thin layer of RAL 7028 (thinned Tamiya XF-60, which is a rather desert-yellowish and pale interpretation of the tone, it should AFAIK have a slight greenish hue) to all directly visible surfaces, wheel hubs and the turret, for a cloudy and uneven basic camouflage. The individual, disruptive ‘tiger stripe’ camouflage was inspired by a late-war Panther battle tank from literature.
The stripes were applied to the Dunkelgelb basis with a small brush and thinned Tamiya XF-58 (Olive Green) and XF-64 (Red Brown), for a makeshift camouflage with scarce paint that still meets official regulations. Following these, the wheel hubs remained in just a single color (making them less obvious when on the move), and the light Dunkelgelb was chosen to lighten the lower vehicle areas up, esp. with the rel. dark interior of the wheelhouses. The interior of the turret and the hatch were painted in a yellowish ivory tone (Revell 314), the tires were painted with Revell 09 (Anthracite) and later dry-brushed with light grey and beige.
A thin black-brown ink wash and some dry-brushing along the many edges with grey and beige were used to weather the model and emphasize details. After decals had been applied (taken from the Hasegawa kit), the kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish and grey-brown mineral pigments were very lightly dusted onto the model with a soft brush around the wheels and the lower hull to simulate some dust.
Well, this can be considered a semi-whif since such a vehicle actually existed – but there never was a serial production, and I tried to enhance the fictional aspect with some added details like the commander cupola or the rangefinder. It’s a subtle conversion, though. I was initially skeptical about the “tiger stripe” livery, but when it was applied, I was surprised how effective it is! It really blurs the vehicle’s outlines and details – making the turret conversion even less apparent.
Back view with 4x5 frame. I just need to work out how to attach darkslides and 6x12 roll film back. I know how I can do it but trying to work out a good way.
Strictly speaking the 6700 for 1959 under Cadillac's new platform naming policy, all long-wheelbase senior Cadillacs were still know as Series 75s. The cars were also known as 'Fleetwoods' a name that carried though into the 1990s.
Standard body styles were a 9-seat sedan and Imperial Limousines. However, standard practice over the previous generations of the long-wheelbase Cadillac program was to provide chassis to commercial body builders for conversion into working cars, such as ambulances and hearses. One such company was Miller-Meteor, a conglomeration of two independent commercial body builders by the time the 1959 Series 75 was in production. Miller-Meteor is perhaps most famously known now for the ambulance conversion of the 1959 Cadillac 'Ecto1' in the film 'Ghostbusters', but they also made hearses in various form, as illustrated here by this 1959 model. There were also dual-purpose ambulance/hearses built in this way also.
This particular model has been inspired by a Hellcat Powered Modified 1959 Cadillac in real life - as also posted to a Lego Facebook group.
www.facebook.com/sickcarsandtrucks/photos/a.2260394575468...
The three conversions I have built this month.
L-R
Auto 100 camera modified to use a 105mm lens. Full frame and rangefinder works. Could be tidier.
The polaroid kodak vigilant. Polaroid back from super colour swinger mounted to a kodak vigilant. 3/4 frame. Manual lens.
The front of the super colour swinger mounted to a broken 103 and converted to pinhole. 99% full frame. Has a small leak I need to find.
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
Following Hungary's membership of NATO in 1999, there were several proposals to achieve a NATO-compatible fighter force. Considerable attention went into studying second-hand aircraft options as well as modifying the nation's existing MiG-29 fleet. In 2001, Hungary received several offers of new and used aircraft from various nations, including Sweden, Belgium, Israel, Turkey, and the US. Although the Hungarian government initially intended to procure the F-16, in November 2001 it was in the process of negotiating a 10-year lease contract for 12 Gripen aircraft from Sweden, with an option to purchase the aircraft at the end of the lease period.
As part of the procurement arrangements, Saab had offered an offset deal valued at 110 per cent of the cost of the 14 fighters. Initially, Hungary had planned to lease several Batch II Saab 39s; however, the inability to conduct aerial refueling and weapons compatibility limitations had generated Hungarian misgivings. The contract was then renegotiated and eventually signed on 2 February 2003 for a total of 14 Gripens, which had originally been A/B standard and had undergone an extensive upgrade process to the NATO-compatible C/D 'Export Gripen' standard. At the same time, the need for an advanced jet trainer as a replacement for the Hungarian Air Force’s last eight MiG-21UM aircraft became more and more imminent. The Gripen two-seaters alone could not cope with this task and were operationally too expensive to be used as trainers, so that Hungary requested an additional offer for a small number of Sk 90 trainers from Swedish surplus stock.
Developed under the designation FSK900, the Saab Sk 90 was a replacement for the Saab 105 (also known as Saab Sk 60) transitional trainer, light attack and reconnaissance aircraft. The FSK900 was a conservative design, with a configurational resemblance to the Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jet, even though the FSK900 was overall bigger and heavier, and the two machines could be easily told apart at a glance.
The Swedish Air Force accepted Saab’s design, leading to a contract for two nonflying static-test airframes and four flying prototypes. Detail design was complete by the end of 1993 and prototype construction began in the spring of 1994, leading to the initial prototype’s first flight on 29 July 1994. The first production Sk 90 A, how the basic trainer type was officially dubbed, was delivered to the Swedish Air Force in 1996.
A total of 108 production Sk 90s were built until 1999 for Sweden in several versions. The initial Sk 90 A trainer was the most common variant and the basis for the Sk 90 B version, which carried a weather radar as well as more sophisticated avionics that enabled the deployment of a wider range of weapons and other ordnance. However, this version was not adopted by the Swedish air force but exported to Austria as the Sk 90 Ö. Another variant was the S 90 C (for “Spaning” = reconnaissance); a small number was produced with a set of cameras in the nose for the Swedish Air Force, where it replaced the ground attack/reconnaissance Sk 60 Cs.
In service, the Sk 90 was regarded as strong, agile, and pleasant to fly, while being cheap to operate. But despite its qualities and potential, the Sk 90 did not attain much foreign interest, primarily suffering from bad timing and from the focus on domestic demands. The aircraft came effectively 10 years too late to become a serious export success, and in the end the Sk 90 was very similar to the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet (even though it was cheaper to operate), at a time when the German Luftwaffe started to prematurely phase out its attack-capable variant and flooded the global market with cheap secondhand aircraft in excellent condition. Furthermore, the Saab Sk 90 had on the global market with the BAe Hawk another proven competitor with a long and positive operational track record all over the world.
Beyond Hungary, potential Sk 90 buyers were Malaysia as well as Singapore, Myanmar, Finland, and Poland. Austria eventually procured 36 Sk 90 Ö in 2002, replacing its Saab 105 fleet and keeping up its close connection with Saab since the Seventies. A late operator became the independent Republic of Scotland in 2017, with a dozen leased secondhand Saab Sk 90 A trainers which were later purchased.
The Swedish Sk 90 offer for Hungary was a 10-year lease contract similar to the Gripen package, and comprised five refurbished Sk 90 A trainers from the first production batch, which had been stored in Sweden for spares. The Hungarian Sk 90 deal also included an option to purchase the aircraft at the end of their lease period. In parallel, to save maintenance costs for the relatively small fleet of a completely new/different aircraft type, an agreement with neighboring neutral Austria could be arranged to outsource major overhauls to the Austrian Air Force and its newly established Sk 90 Ö service base at Linz – a deal from which both sides benefited. However, to improve flight safety over Austria’s mountainous terrain during these transfer flights, the Hungarian Sk 90 As had a simple navigational radar retrofitted with a small radome in their noses. Otherwise, the machines were basically identical with the original Swedish aircraft.
The aircraft were flown under civil registration from Sweden to Hungary between April and September 2005. To keep the distance to their Austrian service station short, the machines were not allocated to the 59th Air Regiment at Kecskemét Air Base, where the Hungarian Gripen fleet was based, but rather to the 47th Air Regiment at Pápa Air Base in Northwestern Hungary, where the last Hungarian MiG-21UM trainers had been operated. These were fully retired in 2008.
Beyond their primary role as advanced/jet conversion trainers, the Hungarian Sk 90 As were also intended to be used for tactical reconnaissance duties with Orpheus pods with daylight cameras and an infrared line scanner, inherited from the Italian Air Force, as light attack aircraft and ─ armed with gun pods and air-to-air missiles ─ as (anti-tank) helicopter hunters. Reflecting these low-level tasks, the machines received a tactical camouflage in green and tan, similar to the former MiG-21s, instead of the Gripens’ all-grey air superiority scheme.
While the Hungarian Air Force operated its total of 14 Gripen and 5 Sk 90 aircraft under lease, in 2011, the country reportedly intended to purchase these aircraft outright. However, in January 2012, the Hungarian and Swedish governments agreed to extend the lease period for a further ten years. According to Hungarian Defence Minister Csaba Hende, this agreement represented considerable cost savings, so that the running business model was retained. The service agreement with Austria could be extended, too.
One Sk 90 A was lost in a landing accident in May 2016, and two Gripens had to be written off through accidents in the meantime, too. To fill these gaps, Hungary signed a replacement contract in 2018 to come back to its full fleet of 14 Gripen, and the Sk 90 A fleet was expanded to seven aircraft. These new machines were delivered in 2019.
General characteristics:
Crew: two pilots in tandem
Length incl. pitot: 13.0 m (42 ft 8 in)
Wingspan: 9.94 m (32 ft 7 in)
Height: 4.6 m (15 ft 1 in)
Empty weight: 3,790 kg (8,360 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 7,500 kg (16,530 lb)
Powerplant:
2× Williams International FJ44-4M turbofans without reheat, rated at 16.89 kN (3,790 lbst) each
Performance:
Maximum speed: 1,038 km/h (645 mph)
Stall speed: 167 km/h (104 mph, 90 kn)
Range: 1,670 km (900 nm; 1,036 m) with two 450 L (99 imp gal; 120 US gal) drop tanks
Service ceiling: 15,240 m (50,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 51 m/s (10,000 ft/min)
Armament:
No internal gun; five hardpoints for 2,500 kg (5,500 lb) of payload and a variety of ordnance,
including AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles and a conformal, ventral gun pod (not used by the Hungarian
Air Force, instead, UPK-23-250 pods with a fixed twin-barrel GSh-23L cannon and 200-250 rounds
were carried under the fuselage and/or the inner wing hardpoints)
The kit and its assembly:
This additional member of my fictional Sk 90 family came spontaneously when I studied information concerning the MiG-21. I came across the Hungarian trainers and wondered with what they could have been replaced after 2000 – and “my” fictional Sk 90 came to my mind. I also had a suitable decal set in store, so I dug out a(nother) Hasegawa T-4 and created this whiffy Hungarian variant.
The kit is the old/first T-4 mold; Hasegawa did the T-4 twice, and both kits differ considerably from each other in their construction. The first one has a fuselage consisting of two simple halves with separate wings attached to it; the later mold features a separate cockpit section and a single dorsal wing section, so that the wings’ anhedral is ensured upon assembly.
The air intakes are also different: the old mold features ducts which are open at their ends, while the new mold comes with additional inserts for the intakes which end in a concave wall, making them hard to paint. The fin of the old kit consists of two full halves, while the new one has the rudder molded into just one half of the fin for a thinner trailing edge. The same goes for the wings’ upper halves: on the new mold, they comprise the full flaps and ailerons, while the old kit has them split up, resulting in a marginally thicker training edge. However, you can hardly recognize this and it’s IMHO not a flaw.
Personally, I prefer the old kit, because it is much more straightforward and pleasant to build – even though some details like the main landing gear struts are better on the new mold.
The (old) kit itself is relatively simple and fit is quite good, even though some PSR was necessary on almost every seam. The only mods I made are additional emergency handles on the seats (made from thin wire), and I added an Orpheus recce pod under the fuselage with an integral pylon, left over from an Italeri F-104G kit. The OOB underwing pylons were used, together with the original drop tanks.
Painting and markings:
The prime reason for a Hungarian Sk 90 was the paint scheme, and the fact that I have a sweet spot for Hungary in genarl. The livery was adapted from the late Hungarian MiG-21bis, a more or less symmetrical pattern consisting of a yellowish light tan and a bluish dark green, with light blue undersides. It’s actually a very simple paint scheme, and my adaptation is a free interpretation, since the T-4’s layout with shoulder-mounted wings is quite different from the sleek Fishbed with mid-mounted delta wings.
Finding good color matches was not easy, because pictures of reference Hungarian MiG-21s show a wide variety of green and brown shades, even though I assume that this is just weathering. I found some good pictures of a late MiG-21UM trainer with an apparently fresh paint job, and these suggested a hard contrast between the upper tones. With this benchmark I settled for Humbrol 63 (Sand), and Modelmaster 2091 (RLM 82, Dunkelgrün). The undersides were painted with Humbrol 47 (Sea Blue Gloss), since they appeared rather bright and pale in reference pictures.
The cockpit interior was painted in medium grey (Revell 47), the landing gear and the air intakes in white (Revell 301), very conservative. The Orpheus pod was painted in light grey (FS 36375, Humbrol 127) to set it apart from the light blue undersurfaces. The drop tanks were painted in green and blue.
National markings, the large orange “47” decoration and the small emblems on nose and fin came from a Mistercraft MiG-21UM decal sheet. The tactical code in red, etched with white, was created with single digits from a Hungarian Aero Decals (HAD) sheet for Mi-24s, reflecting the aircraft’s (fictional) serial numbers’ final three digits.
Finally, after some light weathering and post-shading (for a slightly sun-bleached look, esp. on the upper surfaces), the kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish (Italeri).
Number four in my growing Sk 90 family, and certainly not the last one. A quick and simple project since the model itself was built almost OOB, and the “old” Hasegawa T-4 is really a simple build. However, I am amazed (once more) how much potential a T-4 travesty bears: even in Hungarian colors and markings this whif looks disturbingly convincing. The green/brown/blue paint scheme suits the aircraft well, too, even though it looks a lot like an Alpha Jet now, and there’s even a Su-25ish look to it?!
I read a lot in web forums about beauty dishes and most of the issues about using speedlights in beauty disches were about the different charakter of the light between speedlights and studio flashes. So I thought it could be a way to change the speedlight character a little bit into studio light direction by adding a cone in the inside of the deflector. The prototype is just made of cardboard and silver foil, but to me it looks like that it works. I think the beautydish looks brighter. The two pictures (with cone / without cone) were made with exactly the same settings. I think, that the shape of the cone will have an effect of the character of the light. Maybe this little experiment is usefull for you.
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
Airbus Helicopters Tiger, formerly known as the Eurocopter Tiger, is a four-bladed, twin-engined attack helicopter which first entered service in 2003. It is manufactured by Eurocopter (now Airbus Helicopters), the successor company to Aérospatiale's and DASA's respective helicopter divisions, which designate it as the EC665. In Germany and Australia it is known as the 'Tiger'; in France and Spain it is called the 'Tigre'. Finland, the youngest export customer, calls the EC665 'Tiikeri'.
Development of the Tiger started during the Cold War and it was initially intended as an anti-tank helicopter platform to be used against a Soviet ground invasion of Western Europe. During its prolonged development period the Soviet Union collapsed, but France and Germany chose to proceed with the Tiger, developing it instead as a multirole attack helicopter.
It achieved operational readiness in 2008 and since the type's introduction to service, Tigers have been used in combat in Afghanistan, Libya, and Mali.
The Tiger has the distinction of being the first all-composite helicopter developed in Europe. Even the earliest models also incorporate other advanced features such as a glass cockpit, stealth technology and high agility to increase its survivability. The Tiger has a tandem-seat cockpit and is operated by a two-man crew; the pilot is placed in the forward position, with the gunner seated behind.
Either of the crew members can manage the weapon systems or the primary flight controls, switching roles if necessitated.
In addition to flying the aircraft, the Tiger's pilot would typically be in control of the self-defense systems and communications, as well as some secondary weapon functions.
Amongst the Tiger's notable qualities, it possesses very high levels of agility, much of which is attributed to the design of its 13-meter four-bladed hinge-less main rotor; the Tiger can perform full loops and negative g manoeuvres. Power is provided by a pair of FADEC-controlled MTU Turbomeca Rolls-Royce MTR390 turboshaft engines.
Finland is only a small operator of the helicopter. The type’s procurement for the country’s army came as a surprise, even though it is part of the thorough modernization program of the Finnish Army and its equipment.
This modernization program started in October 2001 when Finland signed a contract for 20 NH90 TTHs for the Finnish Army to replace their ageing fleet of Mil Mi-8 helicopters from 2004 onwards.
NH 90 deliveries became delayed, though, and in the meantime the tactical potential of an additional, dedicated combat helicopter was assessed and positively evaluated. One of the major factors that led to the Tiger’s purchase was the fact that Finland participated in nearly all sub-areas of NATO’s Partnership for Peace program and had for example provided peacekeeping forces to both the Afghanistan and Kosovo missions. The possibility of Finland's membership in NATO was one of the most important political issues and continues to be a prominent issue in Finnish politics.
Within the Finnish Army the EC665 is regarded as an armed complement to the new NH90 transport helicopters. An initial order for eight EC-665s was placed in 2004, including an option for eight more, at estimated costs of €27m/unit.
The Finnish variant was optimized for the anti-tank and fire support role, but also capable of armed reconnaissance and artillery spotting. Its avionics and sensor suite was not as sophisticated as other nations’ variants, but still built around existing state-of-the-art equipment and tailored to the Finnish needs.
Amongst the key avionics features of the helicopter are the EUROGRID battlefield management and map display systems, integrated communications (HF/VHM/FM radio and satellite) and data transfer links, a high-authority digital automatic flight control system, and redundant MIL 1553 data buses. Two redundant mission computers control the weapons, sensors, and targeting functions. The Tiger's navigational suite includes GPS, dual-redundant inertial referencing, Doppler radar, separated air data units, radio altimeter and distributed air speed sensors.
The most significant single avionics system fitted upon the Finnish Tiger is the mast-mounted OSIRIS sight/sensor. This incorporates optical TV and thermal cameras, a laser range finder/tracker/designator, and multiple gyroscopes for stabilization. OSIRIS performs as the main sensor for target observation and acquisition, providing firing and targeting data via the weapons computer. Furthermore, OSIRIS also enables entirely passive target acquisition to be undertaken, greatly reducing the risk of enemy detection.
Each crew member has a pair of multifunction liquid-crystal data displays at their control station, typically used to display internal systems information and sensory data, and to interact with the aircraft's higher systems. An additional display system is available to both crew in the form of the helmet-mounted display (HMD). The HMD is used by the flying pilot to display basic flight data with digitally enhanced optics, such as night vision or infrared imagery from the sensors, superimposed against; the gunner can use the HMD to interact with and control on-board weapon systems and view targeting data.
The 'Tiikeri' can operate during day or night in all-weather conditions, and has been designed to include operations in the aftermath of nuclear, biological, or chemical warfare. It can even be used in the maritime environment, able to operate from the decks of ships including frigates and during extreme weather conditions.
The Tiger is capable of equipping various armaments including rockets, cannon, and a range of air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, controlled via a dedicated weapons control computer. The Finnish variant’s main armament is the AGM-114 ‘Hellfire’ missile, up to sixteen of these weapons can be carried. Other munitions for anti-ground warfare include an assortment of external gun pods and up to four launchers for 70mm and 68mm rockets, all to be mounted under the Tiger's stub-wings. A nose-mounted Nexter turret with a GIAT 30 mm gun is also available.
In March 2008, EC665 deliveries began, together with the delayed NH90s. To minimize further delay, aircraft were first delivered to an Initial Operational Configuration (IOC-) and Nearly Operational Configuration (IOC+), to be later modified by Patria into a Final Operational Configuration (FOC). In parallel, initial pilot training and conversion had been conducted at the Franco-German pilot training school at Le Luc in Provence. Operational status of the first batch was achieved in early 2009, and delivery of the second batch started in 2010.
In June 2011, six Finnish EC665 participated in the Finnish Defense Forces' main field exercise, escorting NH90 troop transports; their performance was described as having exceeded expectations.
General characteristics
Crew: Two (pilot and weapon systems officer)
Length: 14.08 m fuselage (46 ft 2 in)
Rotor diameter: 13.00 m (42 ft 8 in)
Height: 3.83 m (12 ft 7 in)
Disc area: 133 m² (1,430 ft²)
Internal fuel capacity: 1,080 kg (2,380 lb)
Empty weight: 3,060 kg (6,750 lb)
Loaded weight: 5,090 kg (11,311 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 6,000 kg (13,000 lb)
Powerplant:
2× MTU Turbomeca Rolls-Royce MTR390 turboshafts, 958 kW (1.303 shp) each
Performance:
Maximum speed: 290 km/h (157 knots, 181 mph)
Range: 800 km (430 nm, 500 mi) in combat configuration
1,300km with external tanks in the inboard stations
Service ceiling: 4,000 m (13,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 10.7 m/s (2,105 ft/min)
Power/mass: 0.23 hp/lb (0.38 kW/kg)
Armament:
1× 30 mm (1.18 in) GIAT 30 cannon in chin turret, with up to 450 rounds.
Four stub wing hardpoints for e.g. 20 mm (0.787 in) autocannon pods, 68 mm (2.68 in) SNEB or
70 mm (2.75 in) Hydra 70 unguided rockets pods or starters with 4x AGM-114 Hellfire missiles
The kit and its assembly:
This whiffy Tiger helicopter was (again) inspired by a CG side profile by fellow users nighthunter & Darth Panda at whatifmodelers.com. The model is more or less a hardware recreation of this profile on the basis of the Italeri kit.
The Italeri kit itself ain’t bad, but it has raised details and fit, esp. around the engines and the rotor mast, is rather dubious. Anyway, it was built more or less OOB, the only changes are the added pilot figures (Hobby Master pygmies), other antennae and the different armament. The Hellfires and their racks come from an Italeri AH-64, the small six-shot rocket pods belong to a Revell G.91 and actually contain unguided air-to-air rockets. Another modification is the use of the OOB French chin turret implanted under the German nose with a scratched mount, a scratched IR jammer and a pair of chaff/flare dispensers on the stub wings’ upper sides (AH-1 style, scratched, too). Internally, a vertical styrene tube in the kit’s CG offers an attachment point for an iron wire holder (for the beauty pics).
The model is not a 100% match with the CG benchmark, but the most important and obvious elements are there.
Painting and markings:
CG profiles are, like print colors, always hard to interpret, and this case was no different. nighthunter’s profile shows the Tiger in a tricolor paint scheme with two greens and black. These could be the German colors (which are actually used on the Finnish NH90 transporters, RAL 6003, FS 34079 and RAL 7021), but then the typical German Tiger camouflage pattern would not match, the CG profile rather shows the French pattern. Alternatively, the colors could be those from contemporary Finnish Army ground vehicles carry, but these carry a splinter scheme.
I decided to combine both options, using the original, organic wraparound pattern in French style and use the Finnish Army colors. I could not find official descriptions of the latter, so I improvised, using several vehicle pics as reference.
Choice of colors was not easy: my basic tones are Revell 45 (RAL 7003 ‘Moosgrau’, a kind of dark variant of RLM 02), FS 34096 (very close to the typical Finnish WWII olive green) and the German RAL 7021, a very dark grey. The greens appear rather light and pale, but I wanted the more greyish look and a strong contrast to the dark grey.
The interior as well as the rotor blades were painted in Neutral Grey (FS 36173), the latter with orange tips.
After the basic painting process a black ink wash was applied, and panels were shaded with lighter tones, including RLM 02 and FS 37066 from ModelMaster as well as Humbrol 105. As usual, everything was done with brushes.
Decals came next. The national markings are 1:144 aftermarket roundels and the tactical code was created from single letters and numbers from TL Modellbau. The few warning stencils etc. were taken from the OOB sheet and from the scrap box.
After that, the kit was carefully and only slightly rubbed with grinded graphite on a soft cotton cloth, in order to emphasize the fine, raised surface details. Finally, the kit was sealed under a coat of matt acrylic varnish.
The paint scheme ended up lighter than expected, but the result looks IMHO good and has that special “Finnish Touch”. It’s also relatively close to the CG profile that inspired it, a quick and rather smooth build.
Original drawing done in the late 60's...Conversion to 3D done with SPM 013009. Red/Cyan 3D glasses required for viewing.
Conversion by Grandeur Motor Car Co. Asphalt Angels' Spring Car Show, Glory Days Grill, Bowie, MD, April 14, 2012.
From an image I found on the WEB. - Converted using the clone tool in StereoPhoto Maker. Red/Cyan glasses required for viewing.
CATVOS RZR 50" to 60" Conversion. Complete set of A-arms, Heavy Duty steering, Heavy Duty axles, shock relocation mounts and brake lines.
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
Canadair’s impressive CF-151 ‘Kodiak’ interceptor had a long development story, and the fact that Canada developed an indigenous high-end fighter after the demise of Avro Canada’s CF-105 ‘Arrow’ in the late 50ies was an amazing achievement.
The Kodiak’s stillborn predecessor, the Avro Canada CF-105 ‘Arrow’, was a heavy interceptor aircraft, designed and built by Avro Canada as the culmination of a design study that began in 1953. Considered to be both an advanced technical and aerodynamic achievement for the Canadian aviation industry, the delta wing CF-105 held the promise of near Mach 3 speeds at altitudes likely exceeding 60,000 ft. (18,000 m), and was intended to serve as the Royal Canadian Air Force's (RCAF) primary interceptor in the 1960s and beyond.
It was a very promising aircraft, but not long after the 1958 start of its flight test program, the development of the Arrow (including its Orenda Iroquois jet engines) was abruptly and controversially halted before the project review in 1959 had taken place, sparking a long and bitter political debate. UK also had interest in the Arrow, but this, too, was halted when the Government decided that the age of manned fighters had come to an end – the EE Lightning was just lucky enough to survive this decision.
Anyway, this sudden end to the national interceptor project left Canada with a touchy defense gap in the vast Northern Territories. In 1961, the RCAF obtained 66 CF-101 Voodoo aircraft, one of the American designs the RCAF originally rejected, to serve in the role originally intended for the Avro Arrow. But this was only seen as a stopgap solution – what was needed was a missile-equipped long range interceptor with excellent range, loiter time and the ability to make prolonged dashes at high speed. A true dogfight capability was not required, since it was expected that the targets would be heavy bombers, coming in at high altitudes and subsonic speed.
With the technical advances in the late 60ies, variable geometry aircraft became a promising solution to combine these requirements in a single airframe. Canadair (at that time heavily linked with General Dynamics in the USA) started in 1962 a design study for a heavy swing wing interceptor for the RCAF, which would replace the Voodoos in the 70ies. This was surely driven by the multi-purpose F-111 development for both USAF and USN at that era, but the Canadian aircraft would be a completely new design, tailored to the local needs and with an indigenous weapon system.
The project received the internal code of CL-151 and was an impressive, if not elegant aircraft: with its low-set wings and the tandem cockpit for pilot and system operator it differed greatly from the F-111.
Most fuel was carried in the fuselage, between the air intake ducts and the fixed wing roots. Only the outer wing parts were moveable – a much simpler construction than the F-111. The main weapons, exclusively missiles, were carried semi-recessed under the fuselage, even though pylons under the fixed wing parts, just outside of the landing gear wells, could carry drop tanks. Additional smaller hardpoints on the inner wings' leading egdes could carry up to two Sidewinder AAMs each for short range combat and self-defense. An internal gun was not mounted, even though external SUU-23 gun pods were an option.
Unique features of the CL-151 were its ability to take-off and land on semi-prepared airstrips (specifically, on packed snow and soggy ground), so it received a massive landing gear with low presure twin wheels on all legs, as well as an arrestor hook for forced landings. In order to fit the main landing gear into the wing roots without sacrificing too much depth in the fuselage it received tandem bogies, similar to the Swedish Saab A37 Viggen. Another novel feature was an APU, which was installed together with a heat exchanger in the fin root, so that the CL-151 could be operated with as little maintenance infrastructure as possible.
Core of the CL-151 weapon system was the indigenous CMG-151 radar. This was a state-of-the-art all-weather, multi-mode X-Band pulse doppler radar system with a huge 38” dish antenna in the aircraft’s nose - light years ahead of the vintage Hughes MG-13 fire control radar of the F-102, which was also installed in the CF-101, a design of the early 50ies.
Functionally the CMG-151 was very similar to the American AN/AWG-9, even though less capable. It was designed to detect bomber-sized targets at ranges exceeding 60 miles (100 km) and it featured look-down/shoot-down capabilities, making the fighter suitable to various interception tasks, e .g. against low flying tactical bombers.
The CMG-151 offered a variety of air-to-air modes including long-range continuous wave velocity search, range-while-search at shorter ranges, and the first use of an airborne track-while-scan mode with the ability to track up to 16 airborne targets, display 8 of them on the cockpit displays, and launch against 4 of them at the same time. This function was originally designed to allow the CL-151 to shoot down formations of bombers at long range. The CMG was also coupled with an infrared sighting and tracking (IRST) under the aircraft's nose, which offered with a fire control system enhancement against hostile ECM. This feature was incororated in parallel to "Project Bold Journey", which was an CAF F-101B upgrade programm, running from 1963-66.
There was also a projected, corresponding long-range missile, the AIM-151 ‘Swan’. This was a derivate of the US-American Bendix AAM-N-10 ‘Eagle’, which had been developed for the US Navy’s fruitless ‘Missileer’ program. During its development, the capabilities of the new missile grew tremendously. Growing ever larger, the missile's range was extended to 100 miles (160 km), using an Aerojet-General XM59 solid-fuel motor. Since this would be beyond the range of effective semi-active homing, a new active-radar terminal seeker was added to the missile. But things got more and more complicated, and in the end the AIM-151 was cancelled in 1966. Nevertheless, the CL-151 needed a guided weapon to fulfil its task - and the aircraft' armament were also an important political decision, since the CF-101’s unguided, nuclear AIR-2A ‘Genie’ missiles had been a constant issue of debate and controversy.
In the end, and as a cost-effective compromise, an updated version of the AIM-7E 'Sparrow' was bought, the AIM-7EC. This version was optimized for a longer range (50ml/80km) and equipped with better avionics, making it comparable to the British Sky Flash AAM. Four of these weapons could be carried under the fuselage, and up to four more could be mounted on the wing hardpoints.
Overall, the CL-151 system was a very ambitious and prestigious project – just like the failed CH-105 before. It was not before 3rd of April 1968 until the first prototype made its maiden flight in Montreal. The aircraft’s all light-grey livery and sheer, massive size earned it the nicknames ‘Moby Dick’ and "Grey Goose'. Officially, with its service introduction in November 1969 as CF-151A, the aircraft was christened ‘Kodiak’.
The Kodiak proved to be THE interceptor Canada had long been searching for – but it was costly, could have achieved more and fell victim to ever new political controversy, so that effectively only 43 airframes (two prototypes, one static test airframe, five pre-series aircraft and finally 35 serial aircraft) were eventually built at slow pace until 1973. There had been hopes to find foreign customers for the CF-151, but potential users of sucha specialized, complex and simply large aircraft limited the circle of potential users.
Great Britain was already settled on the Tornado ADV and Sweden, as a neutral country, preferred a national solution which would lead to the JA37 Jaktviggen and later to the JAS 39 Gripen. So, the CAF would be the only user of the Kodiak, and all machines, except for the three initial development airframes, were allocated to various interceptor squadrons and served alongside the ageing CF-101 Voodoos, primarily in long-range patrol duties in Canada's far north.
Time did not stand still, though, and technology developed in a fast pace: through the 1970s, the increasing obsolescence of the CAF’s CF-101 and the CF-104 led the CAF to plans for their joint replacement by a single type. This respective ‘New Fighter Aircraft’ program was launched in 1977 with the intention of finding a replacement for the CF-5, CF-104 Starfighter and CF-101 Voodoo. An updated Kodiak as well as Grumman F-14 Tomcat, F-15 Eagle, F-16 Falcon, McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet, Panavia Tornado and the Dassault Mirage F1 (later replaced by the Mirage 2000) were all considered and evaluated as potential replacements.
Cost considerations eventually reduced the choice to the F-16 and F-18, and the F-18 ultimately prevailed, likely because of the additional safety of twin engines when flying in remote areas. The decision for the (C)F-18 was announced on 10 April 1980.
This was the end of the CF-151A, just after one decade of successful service. Ironically, the CF-101s, which the CF-151 had been supposed to replace, soldiered on until retirement in the 1980s. When these had been replaced with McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet fighters, the death knell for the big and complex Kodiak rang, too.
The CF-151 was quickly becoming outdated and an aircraft of very limited use, despite its formidable capabilities as a heavy interceptor. But potential war scenarios had changed, and economical as well as political developments could not justify the expensive (and small) Kodiak fleet anymore. Consequently, the last CAF CF-151 flight took place on August 18th 2000, when the last indigenous Canadian fighter type was replaced by CF-18s, too.
Canadair CF-151A general characteristics
Crew: 2
Length: 21.2 m (69 ft 10 in)
Wingspan: spread (20° sweep): 17.14 m (66 ft 3 in); swept (65° sweep): 11,65 m (38 ft 3 in)
Height: 5.55 m (18 ft 2 in)
Empty weight: 47,200 lb (21,400 kg)
Loaded weight: 82,800 lb (37,600 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 100,000 lb (45,300 kg)
Powerplant:
2× GE TF30-P-3 turbofan jet engines, rated at 12,000 lbf (53 kN) dry and 18,500 lbf (82 kN) at full afterburner
Performance:
Maximum speed: Mach 2.5 (1,650 mph, 2,655 km/h) at altitude and in clean configuration
Combat radius: 1,330 mi (1,160 nmi, 2,140 km)
Ferry range: 4,200 mi (3,700 nmi, 6,760 km)
Service ceiling: 66,000 ft (20,100 m)
Rate of climb: 25,890 ft/min (131.5 m/s)
Armament:
4× AIM-7E3 'Sparrow' medium-/long-range AAMs, semi-recessed under the fuselage
4× AIM-9M 'Sidewinder' short range AAMs on wing hardpoints
2× drop tanks under the outer fixed wings
Theoretical external ordnance of up to 15.200lb (6.900kg)
The kit and its assembly
A bold and weird project. It all started when I was pondering the idea of a whiffy, large VG fighter in the class of a F-4 or MiG-25. While reading book about OKB Tupolev, when I realized that the Tu-22M had pretty fighter-like lines, even for a bomber. Some math revealed that reducing the aircraft by 50% in any dimension would yield a proper airframe, and so I started out searching for a 1:144 kit which would be turned into a fine 1:72 interceptor!
Strangely, respective kits are rare and expensive. The Dragon kit is 1st choice, but I found a re-boxed Dragon kit from 1985 under the obscure “New Craft” label (supposed to come from Japan) in North Carolina, only for US$12.
Its fuselage and wings would be taken 1:1. Three areas needed modification/donations, though. One issue is the tail fin. The Tu-22M’s fin, with its broad root section and the tail barbette, would not look good on a 1:72 kit, so it was completely replaced with a fin from a Panavia Tornado (Italeri). On the other end of the kit, I decided to implant a new front with a tandem cockpit. At first I just wanted to cut open the fuselage’s upper side, implant some seats and cover it with a TF-104 canopy, but I discarded it as impractical. Additionally, too much of the Tu-22M’s silhouette would be left.
As a surprising solution I found that the forward fuselage from a Su-15 (I had fuselage parts from a PM single-seated version still in the scrap box from my Ha-410 project) could be easily transplanted onto the Tu-22M fuselage, just in front of the air intakes! Dimensions and shape fit VERY well, and since the PM kit is cheap and widely available I ordered a NiB Su-15UM (a two-seater) from PM as a donation kit, for just US$8, instead of fighting with the single-seater.
The rest were rather minor modifications: the cockpit interior was built from scratch, with dashboards from a Tornado IDS, two IAI Kfir ejection seats and side consoles made from styrene strips. Nothing fancy, but the PM kit is totally bleak... Externally, the fairing for the 1:144 AS-6 ‘Kingfisher’ missile was closed (with a piece of styrene, cut to size), jet nozzles from a Tornado IDS added (drilled open and simply glued onto the Tu-22M nozzles), and a spine implanted between the canopy and the fin.
The landing gear is also completely new: the front wheel comes from a F-18 (reversed, though), the tandem bogies for the main landing gear are leftover pieces from a VEB Plasticart Tu-20/95 bomber kit, placed on struts from a F-117 kit and fitted with wheels which actually belong to the dolly in a Amodel X-20M missile kit.
The missiles are leftover pieces from a wrecked Italeri Tornado F.3. The drop tanks belong to a Revell F-16 - I originally wanted to use even bigger ones, from a vintage "box-scale" F-100 from Revell, but these proved to be to bulbous: they'd contact the landing gear.
Painting and markings
While a lot of Soviet design went into this aircraft, the idea of a Canadian alternative/successor to the F-101 and CF-105 prevailed. Additionally, I also organized a complete marking set for CAF CF-101s (from Wintervalley in Canada), so that authentic markings could be applied. While it sounds a bit boring, the simple, all-grey livery of CAF interceptors suits the Kodiak’s elegant lines well. Hence, the whole aircraft was painted in glossy FS16515 (Testors 2039), with a black radome and a blue fin rudder with three black stripes (a 409 Squadron marking) – very simple.
In order to emphasize details and pint out panel lines the model received a wash with thin black ink, as well as some dry-painting with lighter shades of grey on the upper surfaces. Canadian aircraft look rather tidy, so a thorough weathering or true worn look was not intended.
Cockpit interior was painted in medium grey (Humbrol 140), the landing gear as well as the air intakes in white (Humbrol 130). The landing gear interior was painted white, too, everything was kept rather simple. Additionally, some weathering and stains were added with dry-brushed shades of grey.
As mentioned before, all markings come from an aftermarket decal sheet from Wintervalley Model Products from Canada (now Canuck Models). Great stuff - if you search for authentic and high quality markings for ‘something Canadian’, look there!
Finally, everything was sealed under a coat of Tamiya Semi Gloss acryllic varnish, just the glare shield in front of the cockpit became totally matt.
What should I say? An idea that lingered for months finally became hardware, and it is a big and impressive bird. Surely, with the real CF-105 background, this model has a melancholic touch... Who knows what might have been if the CF-105 had not been axed in the late 50ies...? Maybe the Kodiak! ^^
2D-3D conversion using SPM.
Found the web image at www.wallpaperjunkie.com
Red/Cyan 3D glasses required for viewing.
Class 37/5 No.37669 leaves Ipswich Yard for Cambridge (Barnwell) after working in on 6Y22 with two fuel tanks. 4th March 2000.New as D6829 to Cardiff Canton 88A 20th March 1963 and under TOPS became 37129 in March 1974 before conversion to 37669 20th August 1987.The 37 is currently owned by West Coast Railways.
Deb created this wardrobe out of an old air force footlocker that came from the (now defunct) Saint Marie Montana air force base.
When she started, it was wood colored. First she painted it black (you can see it after the first coat of paint on the left, there, along with some hints of the wood color still peeping through), then added some hardware for the handles found on EBay, then made the padded sections, routed the trim and painted it gold.
The final result is on the right. This thing is six feet tall and holds lots of my clothes on hangers. It is very useful to me, as the building we're turning into a home was essentially a box with literally zero closet space.
The whole project probably cost less than $50. One more step in creating a home that doesn't cost an arm and a leg... but feels like it did, at least to us.
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background
In response to the disappointing Kawasaki Ki-45 "Toryu" (US code name 'Nick') in late 1939 and 1940, the Japanese army ordered the development of another twin-engine fighter. As an alternative, a lighter and more agile design was demanded, better suited for high altitude interception tasks than the twin-engine escort fighters of the era. One proposal was the Manshu Ki-53 "Insei" ('Meteor', code name 'Stacy'), a relatively small and sleek, single-seated design which was built around two water-cooled Kawasaki Ho-40 (licence-built Daimler Benz DB 601, also used for the Kawasaki Ki-61 fighter) engines. The design was heavily influenced by German planes like the Messerschmitt Bf 110 or Focke Wulf Fw 187, in search of a better performance compared to both current single-or double-engine fighters in service.
After a hasty development the Ki-53 was only built in small numbers and exclusively assigned to homeland defense tasks. The plane was just in time operational to be used against the Doolittle raid on 18 April 1942, though it did not see action. The 84th Independent Flight Wing (Dokuritsu Hikō Chutai) introduced the Ki-53 as the first squadron, alongside its Ki-45. It became clear that the Ki-53 could better hold its own against single-engine fighters in aerial combat than the larger, two-seated Ki-45. It was more agile and offered a much better acceleration, but it suffered from several flaws that would never truly mended.
The Ki-53's cannon armament proved to be effective against the B-17 and B-29 Superfortress raids, which started in June 1944. But the plane was complicated and not popular, production numbers remained small. Stability became poor at high altitudes, the water-cooled engines were exotic among Imperial Japanese Army Air Service aircraft and the radiator system was prone to leaking. The lack of a pressurized cabin made high altitude interceptions hazardous - most of the time, only an initial direct attack was possible. Since the basic design offered little room for future developments, a thorough redesign was rejected and only a mere 153 were built, so that the machine did not cause much impact.
Some machines received field modifications, like an additional, semi-recessed 30mm cannon under the fuselage (omitting the hard point), these machines were designated Ki-53-I. Some Ki-53 had one of their fuselage tanks behind the cockpit removed and two additional 20mm cannons, angled 30° upwards with 150 rgp each installed - under the designation KI-53 KAI. Probably 30 machines were converted this way and used as night fighters
Later, the interceptor concept was taken back to single-engine projects like the Ki-87 or Ki-94, but both failed to proceed to hardware stage.
General characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length: 29 ft 8 in (9.05 m)
Wingspan: 44 ft (13.4 m)
Height: XXX m
Wing area: 213 ft² (19.7 m²)
Weight: 6.886 kg
Maximum speed: 390 mph (625 km/h)
Range: 800 miles (1,200 km)
Service ceiling: 39.400 ft (12.000 m)
Rate of climb: 2,857 ft/min (14.1 m/s)
Engine: 2 Kawasaki Ho-40 with 1.475 hp
Armament: 2× 20 mm Ho-5 cannon (in the lower nose, 175 rpg each, one hard point under the fuselage fore a 500 kg bomb or an auxiliary tank.
The kit and its assembly
This is total whif, a true Frankenstein creation from various kits without a real life paradigm. Actually, a pair of DH.88 wings were the start of it all. They are so elegant and slender, I wanted to build something for high altitudes with them, like a Luft '46 BV 155 or Bf 109H. That idea turned into a twin engine propeller fighter, like a small-scale Westland Welkin. But since such a plane would not fit into German demands, I 're-located' it conceptually to Japan. Historically it would fit, esp. its DB 601 engines, which were also used on the Ki-64 'Hien', the only other serial production plane of the army with a water-cooled engine. The sleek lines and its small size would also fit Japanese design.
Consequently, I gave it the Ki-53 designation. I am not certain if this number had been allocated or used, I could not find a good reference?
Anyway, now that the basic idea was clear, here's a list of what went into this fantasy creation (all 1:72 scale):
- Fuselage, tail and cockpit from a Hobby Boss He 162
- Engines from an Italieri He 111
- Propellers from an Airfix OV-10D
- Main wings and rear engine nacelle parts from an Airfix DH.88
- Wing radiator units from a Matchbox Me 410
- Landing gear from a Dragon Ho 229
- Main wheels from a PM Ta 183
- Tail wheel from a Revell Eurocopter 'Tiger'
- Matchbox pilot figure
The He 162 fuselage lost its jet engine on the back (closed with 2c putty), resulting in a very clean fuselage, IMHO a great complement to the sleek DH.88 wings. Since I wanted to keep the original cockpit from the He 162 (even though the Hobby Boss kit is gruesome in this point!) but not use a tricycle undercarriage, the wing roots were moved forward and lowered. To hide the poor cockpit, I added half of a pilot figure, added two narrow side consoles and a steering stick, but left the rest OOB. The undercarriage doors of the He 162 were all closed and hidden under NC putty, as well as the original guns under the cockpit.
But coming back to the wings: the DH.88's engine nacelles were (much!) too narrow. Height would fit the bill, but their width hat to be increased by 4-5mm in order to 'accept' the Ho-40/DB 601 engines! These engines are not big at all, but in comparison with the tiny DH.88 wings, they look like huge metal bulks!
Consequently, I kept the DH.88 nacelles' inner sides, cut the original motors away, attached the new engines and finally added the outer nacelle halves. Bits of plastic sheet and lots of putty filled the remaining gaps, but the result ain't bad at all. After the nacelles were done, I also added thin radiators from a Matchbox Me 410 to the wings' undersides. The propellers become problematic, too. I wanted to keep the original He 111 propellers, but they were too big for the slender machine and the narrow space between the engines! It took a lot of searching in the pile yard, but I finally came up with two propellers (complete with spinners) which were small enough for the Ki-53! Nevertheless, the engines look brutally big, esp. with the tiny OV-10 propellers. As a positive side effect, something of the original air intakes at the nacelles' front can be seen - they'd be hidden behind the original He 111 spinners.
The new landing gear well covers were cut and 'welded' from flat polystyrene sheet, inside a mounting basis from polystyrene was added in order to hold the landing gear. The tail wheel well was cut from the massive(!) fuselage of the Hobby Boss He 162, the wheel comes from an Eurocopter 'Tiger' from Revell.
A lot of work, esp. at the wings, but the result looks plausible. The Ki-53 reminds a bit of a De Havilland Hornet, Westland Whirlwind (esp. its early P.9 design with two tail fins) or a Gloster G.39?
Painting
The Ki-53's livery was inspired by a Nakajima Ki-43-IIb 'Hayabusa' from 3rd chutai, 25th sentai, operated in January 1944 in China. The rather strange paint scheme with ever more green on the fuselage from the front to the back looked interesting - not sure if it had been a field improvisation?
The Ki-53 received an overall light grey base coat with dark green mottles and an almost 'fully green' tail. The horizontal stabilizers were painted fully green, too, but the wings' upper sides received typical 'blotches'.
Even though authentic tones are available (e .g. from Tamiya or Testors), I went for a free choice of colors and settled for Humbrol 167 ('Barley Grey') and Humbrol 105 ('Marine Green'). All interior surfaces including the landing gear were painted in Humbrol 226 ('Interior Green' and dry-painted with a mix of olive drab and zinc chromate green).
For markings I used Japanese Ki-45 profiles as a design benchmark. Hinomaru, stencellings and the white home defense fuselage band stem from an Aerormaster aftermarket decal sheet. The fake squadron markings for the hypothetical 1st chutai, 4th sentai actually belong to a JASDF F-86 in 1:48 scale! Everything is made up from scratch and fantasy.