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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 Fiat G.91 was an Italian jet fighter aircraft designed and built by Fiat Aviazione, which later merged into Aeritalia. The G.91 had its origins in the NATO-organized NBMR-1 competition in 1953, which sought a light fighter-bomber "Light Weight Strike Fighter" to be adopted as standard equipment across the air forces of the various NATO nations. The competition was intended to produce an aircraft that was light, small, expendable, equipped with basic weapons and avionics and capable of operating with minimal ground support. These specifications were developed for two reasons: the first was the nuclear threat to large air bases, many cheaper aircraft could be better dispersed, and the other was to counter the trend towards larger and more expensive aircraft. After reviewing multiple submissions, the G.91 was picked as the winning design of the NBMR-1 competition.
The G.91 entered into operational service with the Italian Air Force in 1961, and with the West German Luftwaffe in the following year. Various other nations adopted it, such as the Portuguese Air Force, who made extensive use of the type during the Portuguese Colonial War in Africa. The G.91 remained in production for 19 years, during which a total of 756 aircraft were completed, including the prototypes and pre-production models. The assembly lines were finally closed in 1977, and the original G.91 enjoyed a long service life that extended over 35 years.
The G.91 was also used as a basis for a two-seat trainer variant with a stretched fuselage and further developments, based on this bigger airframe: the twin-engine development G.91Y, which was originally ordered by the Italian Air Force and Switzerland (as G.91YS) and later also operated by Poland, as well as the simpler, single-engine G-91X, a dedicated export alternative.
Like the G.91Y, the G.91X was an increased-performance version of the nimble baseline Fiat G.91, but unlike the G.91Y it was not funded by the Italian government but rather a private venture of Fiat. Like the G.91Y, it was based on the G.91T two-seat trainer variant. Structural modifications to reduce airframe weight increased performance and an additional fuel tank occupying the space of the G.91T's rear seat provided extra range. Combat manoeuvrability was improved with the addition of automatic leading-edge slats. While the G.91Y and X had a very similar appearance, their internal structure behind the cockpit section differed considerably and their tail section was visibly different, while the aerodynamic surfaces as well as the nose section (including the radar-less nose housing three cameras) were identical.
Instead of being powered by the G.91Y’s pair of small afterburning General Electric J85 turbojets, the G.91X only carried a single Pratt & Whitney J52 axial-flow dual-spool turbojet engine without reheat, a proven engine that was used in a number of successful aircraft, most of all the late Douglas A-4 Skyhawk versions. The bigger engine increased thrust by 60% over the original, earlier Orpheus-powered single-engine variants, and made the light G.91 a very agile aircraft. However, the J52 was considerably heavier than the small J85s, and despite less complex auxiliary installations, the G.91X weighed roughly 1.000 lb more than the G.91Y.
Performance-wise, the G.91X was, despite its conservative and heavier J52 powerplant, on par with the G.91Y, even though range, acceleration and rate of climb were not as good, the G.91Y’s afterburners gave the “Yankee Gina” a significant extra punch. On the other side, the G.91X was more robust, technically simpler and therefore easier to maintain and even better suited to operations from unprepared frontline airfields with minimal infrastructure.
Basically, the G.91X was designed to carry the same sophisticated avionics equipment as the G.91Y, which had been considerably upgraded with many of the American, British and Canadian systems being license-manufactured in Italy, but for the intended export customers in small countries with a limited budget, only a rather basic avionics package was offered, making the G.91X a simple daylight attack aircraft without any smart weapon or guided AAM capability (which the G.91Y lacked, too, only the YS for Switzerland could deploy weapons like the AIM-9 or the AGM-65).
Flight testing of two prototypes aircraft ran in July 1968 in parallel to the G.91Y program and was successful, with one aircraft reaching a maximum speed of Mach 0.95 in level flight, slightly less than its two-engine sibling. Airframe buffeting was noted and was rectified in production aircraft by raising the position of the tailplane slightly, and canted fins - similar to the G.91Y, but smaller - were added under the lower rear fuselage to improve directional stability. Unlike the G.91Y, which had been designed to NATO specifications, the G.91X did not feature an arrester hook, just a tail bumper.
The initial order of 55 G.91Y aircraft for the Italian Air Force was completed by Fiat in March 1971, by which time the company had changed its name to Aeritalia (from 1969, when Fiat Aviazione joined the Aerfer). The order was increased to 75 aircraft with 67 eventually being delivered.
In contrast to this success, the G.91X did not find immediate takers, though, because the potential market of Western-oriented countries was in the Seventies largely dominated by US American military support programs, which aggressively marketed the supersonic Northrop F-5 as a counterpart to MiG-17 and MiG-21 fighters, which had been provided to many countries by the USSR.
One large potential customer had been Israel, but the G.91X was declined in favor of the bigger and more sophisticated A-4N Skyhawk. Turkey and Greece also showed interest, but both eventually procured F-5 variants, heavily promoted by the USA. In the end, only a small number of the G.91X were built and sold to rather small and obscure air forces.
One of these few G.91X operators became Honduras. After the so-called Football War with El Salvador in 1969, the Honduran Air Force (HAF) entered the jet era in 1971 and started a re-organization and modernization program. This included the procurement of 10 old, ex-Yugoslav Canadair CL-13 Mk.4 Sabre. Later, in 1974 and as a result of an institutional growth of the Honduran Air Force, the "Coronel Hernán Acosta Mejía" Air Base, the "Coronel Armando Escalón Espinal" Base as well as the General Command of the Air Force and General Air Force General Staff were created.
Between 1976 and 1978 sixteen other Israeli aircraft were acquired, of the IAI \ Dassault Super-Mystere B.2 \ J-52 S'aar type, six new Cessna A-37 Dragonfly COIN aircraft and fifty UH-1 Iroquois helicopters. By then, the Sabres were in such a poor condition and deteriorated quickly under the harsh local climate, that a replacement was soon needed. The choice fell on the G.91X, not only because of the aircraft’s simplicity and ruggedness, but also because of its (though limited) reconnaissance capability as well as the engine and ammunition commonality with the ex-Israeli Sa’ars. A total of twelve G.91X were procured in 1977 and delivered until late 1979, and they were immediately put into action during the 1980s confrontation with the Sandinista government of Nicaragua, with heavy involvements in bombing raids and COIN missions. The Honduran G.91Xs flew frequent attack and reconnaissance missions, and even though they were no fighters the Ginas downed several Sandinista helicopters, including a Mil Mi-24 Hind (rather accidently shot down, though, through a salvo of unguided 5” FFARs which crossed the helicopter's flight path).
After the hostilities with Nicaragua had ended in 1990, the Honduran G.91Xs became actively involved in fighting drug trafficking and flew frequent reconnaissance and attack missions over home soil. By that time, the Honduran aircraft fleet was augmented or replaced (three G.91Xs had been lost through accidents or enemy fire by 1991) with 11 ex-USAF OA/A-37B Dragonflies, 12 ex-USAF Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II interceptors, 12 new Embraer T-27 Tucano armed trainers and four new CASA 101BB-02 attack airplanes.
By 1996, all eight remaining Honduran G.91Xs were, together with the Super Mystères, retired. The surviving aircraft were put up for sale as surplus, and one, already grounded G.91X airframe has been preserved at the Honduras Air Museum.
General characteristics:
Crew: one
Length: 11.67 m (38 ft 3.5 in)
Wingspan: 9.01 m (29 ft 6.5 in)
Height: 4.43 m (14 ft 6.3 in)
Wing area: 18.13 m² (195.149 ft²)
Empty weight: 4,400 kg (9,692 lb)
Loaded weight: 8,100 kg (17,842 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 9,000 kg (19,823 lb)
Powerplant:
1× Pratt & Whitney J52-P6A turbojet with 8,500 lbf (38,000 N) of thrust
Performance:
Maximum speed: 1,110 km/h (600 kn, 690 mph, Mach 0.95) at 10,000 m (33,000 ft)
Range: 1,100 km (594 nmi, 683 mi)
Max. ferry range with drop tanks: 3,200 km (1,988 mls)
Service ceiling: 12,500 m (41,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 58 m/s (11.400 ft/min)
Wing loading: max. 480 kg/m² (98.3 lb/ft²)
Thrust/weight: 0.47 at maximum loading
Armament:
2× 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA cannons with 120 RPG
4× under-wing pylon stations with a capacity of 1,814 kg (4,000 lb)
The kit and its assembly:
This build is my submission the 2020 "One week” group build at whatifmodellers.com. I had originally earmarked my Thai Navy A-4 for this event, but already built it for the “In the navy” GB that ran a couple of weeks earlier, since it was a perfect thematic match.
While searching for an alternative I found a Matchbox G.91Y in the stash and wondered about a single engine alternative, a simpler aircraft in the spirit of the original G.91R variants. Since I had some surplus fuselages from G.91R Revell kits in the donor bank, the G.91X was born.
The basis is the Matchbox G.91Y kit, a basic affair with mediocre fit and only few details. It was mostly built OOB, except for lowered flaps (easy to realize on this kit) and a completely new lower rear fuselage from a smaller G.91R section with only a single exhaust. This feat was a little more challenging than it seems, since the G.91R is considerably smaller and shorter than the G.91Y – a lot of improvisation and PSR went into this cosmetic stunt. For instance, the seams between the parts had to be reinforced from the inside, bridging the different fuselage shapes, and a 2-3mm gap between the fuselage halves had to be filled. In order to emphasize the new engine arrangement, the G.91Y’s dorsal air scoops were sanded away and a new jet exhaust had to be found for the new, rather oval tail orifice. I eventually settled upon a protective cap from y syringe needle.
Furthermore, the cast-on guns were replaced with hollow steel needles, and some blade antennae (styrene sheet) as well as gun nozzle protectors (thin wire) were added. The cockpit was also slightly pimped with styrene profiles and some wire (on the ejection seat and for some side consoles), the pilot figure – even though the Matchbox figures are among the best I know – was replaced by a pilot from an Airfix A-4 Skyhawk (left over from the recent Thai Navy A-4LT build). However, the canopy remained closed, since opening it would require more fuselage cutting.
The ordnance was kept simple, reflecting the attack/COIN role of this aircraft: a pair of LAU-19 unguided missile pods and two Mk. 82 bombs; these came from an Italeri NATO weapon set and an Airfix A-4 kit, respectively.
Painting and markings:
Another inspiration for this build were pictures from a PC-7 trainer of the Guatemala Air Force, which carried a livery in three murky shades of green. I found this paint scheme pretty interesting, esp. as an alternative to the ubiquitous SEA scheme (that Honduran A-37s carried). For the G.91X I adapted the scheme with slightly more contrasty tones of two shades of green and a more brownish hue: Faded Olive Drab (Modelmaster #2051), Olive Drab (Humbrol 155) and Dark Green (Humbrol 30). The undersides were painted in a light grey (Humbrol 166). I initially considered a wrap-around scheme, but eventually found it to look too boring – also with a look at the potential markings, because aircraft of the Honduran Air Force typically only carried and carry minimal markings. Instead of the Guatemalan PC-7’s apparently symmetrical scheme I rather went for a more disruptive pattern, though.
The model was seriously weathered with a black ink washing and post panel shading, simulating constant use and the influence of tropical climate conditions. The decals were puzzled together from various sources and improvised. Most stencils come from the OOB sheet, the roundels on the fuselage and the flags on the fin were printed at home on clear sheet, with a white decal base added underneath. Quite complicated, but the alternative white decal paper as printing base would not yield sufficiently opaque markings. In order to add some eye-catchers I gave the Gina roundels on the fuselage and on the wings, too – these are rather modern markings, but just with the flags on the fin I found the model to look quite murky and boring. Artistic freedom… The “FAH” abbreviations were created with single USAF 45° letters.
Finally, after some soot stains around the guns and the exhaust with grinded graphite, the aircraft was sealed with matt Italeri acrylic varnish.
A relatively simple project – chosen with the perspective of just a week (well, eight days, to be honest) to tackle and finish it, despite the major fuselage surgery and the photo shooting and editing on top.
+++ 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 Vickers Type 287 was a British 1930s light bomber built by Vickers-Armstrongs at Brooklands near Weybridge, Surrey, for the Royal Air Force. The Type 287 was originally built as a private venture and designed as a single-engine monoplane with a very high aspect ratio wing, and a manually operated, retractable undercarriage. It used the same geodetic design principles for both the fuselage and wings that had been derived from that used by Barnes Wallis in the airship R100. As it was not known how the geodetic structure could cope with being disrupted by a bomb bay, the Wellesley's bomb load was carried in two streamlined panniers under the wings.
The RAF ultimately ordered a total of 176 of the two-seater aircraft, with a 14-month production run starting in March 1937, and it was introduced into service the same year.
While it was obsolete by the start of the Second World War, and unsuited to the European air war. By the outbreak of the Second World War, the Wellesley had been phased out from home based squadrons, with only four examples remaining in Britain, but remained in service with three squadrons based in the Middle East. The Wellesley Mk. I bomber was successfully used in the desert theatres of East Africa, Egypt and the Middle East, where it was used until 1942.
While the Wellesley was not a significant combat aircraft, the design principles that were tested in its construction were put to good use with the Wellington medium bomber that became one of the main types of RAF Bomber Command in the early years of the European war.
The GR Mk. IV (Type 301) was a late special development for the RAF Coastal Command. It was actually a stopgap solution - during the first three years of the Second World War, Coastal Command and the Admiralty fought a continuous battle with the RAF and Air Ministry over the primacy of trade defense in relation to the bomber effort against mainland Germany, a strategic tussle which conceivably could have cost the Western Alliance the Battle of the Atlantic. The Air Staff and Bomber Command enjoyed the backing of Churchill and the maritime air effort struggled to receive the recognition it needed. On the outbreak of war, the Coastal Command’s order of battle listed just 298 aircraft, of which only 171 were operational.
Owing to the starvation of resources, even as late as March 1943 the Atlantic supply lines were being threatened. This situation arose as a direct result of the lack of very long-range aircraft. The Wellesley, even though basically outdated, offered a quick and proven basis for a radar-equipped maritime reconnaissance aircraft, especially for the Mediterranean, Middle East and African theatres, as these were regarded as less risky than the battle of the Atlantic or over the North Sea.
The Wellesley GR Mk. IV was a heavily modified version of the Mark I, built from existing airframes that were returned to Great Britain for conversion at Weybridge and Chester. A total of 28 aircraft were modified in early 1942.
The GR Mk. IV featured an ASV Mark III radar with a radome under the fuselage and additional mast antennae on fuselage and wings. The crew rose to three, as an operator for the ASV radar joined pilot and navigator/gunner, was placed behind the pilot.
In order to improve survivability the aircraft's defensive armament was considerably improved: instead of a single .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers K machine gun in the Mk. I's rear cockpit, a powered dorsal turret, equipped with four 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns, was installed. The Brownings were electrically fired and insulated cut-off points in the turret ring prevented the guns firing when they were pointing at the propeller disc or tailplane.
The wing-mounted .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun was retained, as well as the capability to carry up to 2,000 lb (907 kg) of bomb ordnance in underwing panniers. These were modified to carry up to four 450 lb (200 kg) Mark VII depth charges and an array of flash bombs for night missions, as the GR Mk. IV could not carry a Leigh Light.
In order to keep overall performance up despite the additional equipment on board and the extra drag created through radome and gun turret, the original Bristol Pegasus XX 9 cylinder radial piston engine with 925 hp (690 kW) was replaced by a 14 cylinder 1.525 hp (1.121 kW) Hercules VI powerplant.
The complete front of the engine had to be modified in order to take the heavier and much more powerful engine, similar to the Type 289 and 292 long range conversions of the basic Wellesley. As a further means of keeping the performance up, parts of the original steel fuselage structure were replaced by light alloy elements.
All GR Mk. IV's were sent to the Mediterranean theatre in summer 1942, primarily for defensive tasks, e. g. defending supply lines. The aircraft also took part in Operation Torch (initially called Operation Gymnast), the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, which started on 8 November 1942.
By 1943 Coastal Command finally received the recognition it needed and its operations proved decisive in the victory over the U-Boats, and when more powerful Vickers Wellington aircraft became available, the Wellesleys of Coastal Command were withdrawn or deployed to Greece, and performed various support duties during the RAF interference in the Greek Civil War. By 1944, the last aircraft had been retired.
General characteristics:
Crew: 3
Length: 39 ft 3 in (11.96 m)
Wingspan: 74 ft 7 in (22.73 m)
Height: 15 ft 3½ in (4.67 m)
Wing area: 630 ft² [11] (58.5 m²)
Empty weight: 6,760 lb (3,066 kg)
Loaded weight: 11,048 lb (5,011 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 12,500 lb (5,670 kg)
Powerplant:
1× Bristol Hercules VI, rated at 1,675 hp (1,250 kW)
Performance:
Maximum speed: 228 mph (198 kn, 369 km/h) at 19,700 ft (6,000 m)
Cruise speed: 180 mph (157 kn, 290 km/h) at 15,000 ft (4,600 m) (57% power)
Range: 1,220 mi (1,963 km)
Service ceiling: 25,500 ft (7,772 m)
Wing loading: 18 lb/ft² (86 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.08 hp/lb (0.14 kW/kg)
Climb to 15,000 ft (4,600 m): 17.8 min
Armament:
5× .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine guns, one fixed forward in the right wing, four in a dorsal powered turret
Up to 2.000 lb (907 kg) of bombs in underwing panniers
The kit and its assembly:
Honestly, this kit conversion was inspired by an idea from fellow users (NARSES2 and pyro-manic) at whatifmodelers.com, who suggested a Wellesley in Coastal Command service. I have always liked these aircraft's elegant livery with a dark top side, white undersides and a very high waterline - and using THIS on a Wellesley, which traditionally carried Dark Green/Dark Earth uppers and Night (Black) undersides, would certainly look cool.
But it would certainly not remain a standard Mk. I bomber for sure, and as I cooked up a story I found the idea of a re-engined, radar-equipped reconnaissance aircraft pretty convincing - the Wellesley's long range and payload (the thing could carry more than it weighed itself!) made it an excellent choice.
The basis is the vintage Matchbox kit, which actually has some nice features. The geodetic surface is fine and not over-emphasized, just the landing gear is rather poor - I decided to drill open the landing gear wells and add some interior, as the kit offers OOB offer neither a well nor any detail. Inside, I glued parts from a plastic cookie box - not intended to be realistic, I just wanted to have some depth and structure.
As further means to enhance the overall look I also lowered the flaps, which was easy to realize.
Engine conversion to a Hercules (from a Matchbox Wellington bomber) was straightforward, as the Wellesley kit not only offers the original Jupiter engine of the Mk. I. bomber, but also an alternative, streamlined engine cowling for the Type 292 Long Range Development Aircraft. This offers a nice adapter for the Hercules – and with the bigger propeller and a spinner, this changes the look of the Wellesley a lot.
In order to beef up rearward defense I decided to implant a powered gun turret - a quadruple .303 turret from a Boulton Paul Defiant. The turret was taken from a Pavla kit and consists of styrene and resin parts, plus a vacu canopy. The gunner is a personal addition, I think it comes from a Matchbox Privateer, from one of the optional dorsal turrets.
Mounting the Defiant turret in the fuselage was tricky, as the turret is relatively wide, almost the same diameter as the Wellesley’s. I placed it where the original navigator cockpit with the rearwards-facing Vicker K is located. I carefully opened up the fuselage around that opening until the turret would fit, and then added covers made from styrene strips so that the whole thing would look a bit organic and streamlined. Inside, the turret sits on a styrene axis, so that it can be inserted/taken out at will. Very handy during painting, and the construction makes the turret 360° turnable.
Otherwise, the interior was taken OOB, as there’s hardly anything to identify once the canopy is fitted. The latter would remain closed, anyway.
The radome under the fuselage was a late addition: originally I had planned to add antenna masts for an ASV Mk. II radar, but then found the ASV Mk. III radome from the aforementioned Matchbox Wellington kit. As the Wellesley did not have a bomb bay, that space between the landing gear was just perfect. And while it would not be necessary I still added some antenna masts (scratched from heated sprues) under the wings and on the fuselage flanks - it just looks cool... ;)
Painting and markings:
The interior (cockpit, turret, landing gear) was painted in classic Interior Green (Humbrol 78).
On the outside, rather simple, classic Coastal Command colors were used: Dark Sea Grey and Dark Slate Grey on the upper side, with the pattern taken from the RAF Wellesley, and white undersides with a very high waterline and white leading edges on the wings.
Painting started with the lower sides – I used spray paint from the rattle can, since the large areas are hard to paint, esp. with white. Consequently I rather used a very light grey (RAL 7047, Telegrau 4), since pure white would be too bright/ by tendency. The color pictures I consulted for reference suggest that these machines would easily tend to become dirty, much room for weathering! After basic spray painting, the “white” areas received a counter-shading and dry-brushing with Humbrol 196 (RAL 7035, Lichtgrau), which is slightly more yellow-ish and lighter than RAL 7047.
After that had dried up, waterlines and leading edges were masked with Tamiya Tape, for the upper colors. Humbrol 27 and 224 were used as basic enamel colors, as they are the darkest tones for the job. Later, these were treated with Modelmasters’ 2056 and 2059, in order to weather the upper surfaces and work out the geodetic structure – similar procedure as for the lower surfaces.
The kit received a wash with black ink and serious dry-brushing in order to work out the wonderful surface structure - basically with some Humbrol 64 (Light Sea Grey) all around - no pure white has been used on the kit at all. Dirt, soot and stains were added with grinded graphite and thinned Humbrol 224.
Decals were puzzled together from the scrap box, from various RAF aircraft. Even though I took 179th Squadron Wellingtons as benchmark, I decided to add a full three-digit code with dull red letters – it adds an eye-catcher to the aircraft’s flanks, and the letters come from a MIcroscale aftermarket sheet.
The respective Wellingtons only had scarce markings and just single-letter codes (the full squadron code, "OZ", had obviously been omitted?).
In the end, not a major conversion, but the different paint scheme and the more massive nose change the overall look of the Wellesley considerably. I am quite happy with the result.
+++ 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 Bulgarian Air Force (BAF, 'Bulgarski Voyenno Vozdushshni Sili') is one of the oldest air forces in Europe and the world. In the past decade Bulgaria has been trying actively to restructure its army as a whole and a lot of attention has been placed on keeping the aging Russian aircraft operational In recent times BAF aircraft have been actively taking part in numerous NATO missions and exercises in Europe. In 2010, the Bulgarian Air Force's inventory numbered around 137 aircraft, including 55-56 combat jets. But only the MiG-29s and about a dozen Su-25s and a few MiG-21bis were flight worthy, the L-39ZA only used for training.
Since 2000 the BAF planned to retire most of its Soviet-era aircraft, keeping only the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 'Fulcrum' fleet (which was modernized only recently) as well as its Mi-24 gunships and the Su-25s. The MiG-21s in service were scheduled to be replaced with possible American or European aircraft – and in 2006, a proposal from Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) won a deal: the delivery of IAI’s Kfir C.60.
The Kfir C.60 was an upgraded version of the C.10, a variant developed especially for export and sold to Ecuador and Colombia. The most important feature of this version is the adaptation of the Elta EL/M-2032 radar, an advanced pulse Doppler, multimode Fire Control Radar intended for multi-role fighter aircraft originated from the Lavi project. It is suitable for air-to-air and air-to-surface mode, including high-resolution mapping (SAR), and offers a high mission performance in all weather conditions. Other new features include two 127×177mm MFD's, HOTAS configured cockpit, a Helmet Mounted Display System (HMD) and in-flight refuelling capability.
A total order of 18 Kfir C.60 was placed, deliveries were completed in April 2008. The planes were actually converted from mothballed IAF C.7 fighter bombers, keeping costs and development time low. The Kfir C.60 is supposed to replace BAF’s vintage MiG-21bis completely, parts of the Su-25 fleet and fill the gap of the fighter bomber role the Su-22 (which had already been retired in early 2004) left.
The Bulgarian C.60 would primarily be used in the ground attack/CAS role, but also augment the small MiG-29 fleet in air defence tasks. Consequently, the Kfir C.60 can not only carry a wide range of air-to-ground ordnance, the planes were also equipped with IR-homing AAMs like the R-60 (AA-8 'Aphid') and R-73 (AA-11 'Archer') missiles of Russian origin, still making up most of the BAF's weapon inventory.
All Kfir C.60 were allotted to the 3rd Fighter Squadron at Graf Ignatievo Air base, where they replaced the leftover ten MiG-21bis at 1/3 Fighter Squadron and grounded Su-25 from 22nd Ground Attack Squadron, formerly based at Bezmer Air Base.
It is uncertain if more Kfirs will be acquired, but chances are good. In January 2011 the Bulgarian MoD issued a Request for Information (RFI) regarding the acquisition of 8 multi-role fighters. The main competitors are expected to be the Eurofighter GmbH Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale, Saab JAS 39 Gripen, Mikoyan MiG-29 or MiG-35, or the Lockheed Martin F-16 and Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet. On March 9, 2011 the Swedish Government submitted its response to the RFI containing 8 new Gripen C/D fighters. The Bulgarian MoD has extended the time limit for submittal of responses by two months due to the lack of responses from the other competitors.
In October 2011, IAI stepped in and offered the Kfir as a new combat aircraft for the Bulgarian Air force (see: www.timawa.net/forum/index.php?topic=29248.0) It coincided with the two days visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Bulgaria, which may bring another competitor for a new fighter for Bulgarian Air force – a modernized version of the Kfir C.60 already in service. Two weeks earlier the Bulgaria defence minister Anu Angelov was ‘tempted’ by such an offer when visited the IAI booth at the Paris Air show. The supposed price in times smaller compared to the ones offered by the companies requested by the RFI, sent in February to Eurofighter, SAAB, Boeing and Martin Lockheed.
Bulgaria and Israel held a joint session of their governments and signed a defence cooperation agreement on July 7 2011 in Sofia. "This is the first joint session that Israel holds with another country in the (Balkan) region," ministry spokeswoman Vesela Cherneva said. Cherneva added that the two countries will sign a bilateral agreement for defence cooperation, with Israeli companies encouraged to participate in the modernisation of Bulgaria's defence equipment.
However, as stated by the Ministry of Defense the contract for new multirole fighter should be signed by midterm of 2012 and the first machines should start arriving in 2015. Tactical UAV should be procured in support of the land forces operations, too. No decision has been settled upon yet.
General characteristics:
Crew: One
Length: 16.27 m (53 ft 4½ in)
Wingspan: 8.22 m (26 ft 11½ in)
Height: 4.55 m (14 ft 11¼ in)
Wing area: 34.8 m² (374.6 sq ft)
Empty weight: 7,285 kg (16,060 lb)
Loaded weight: 11,603 kg (25,580 lb) two 500 L drop tanks, two AAMs
Max. take off weight: 16,200 kg (35,715 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × IAl Bedek-built General Electric J-79-J1E turbojet, rated at 52.9 kN (11,890 lbs) dry thrust and 79.62 kN (17,900 lbs) with full afterburner
Maximum speed: 2,440 km/h (1,317 knots, 1,516 mph) above 11,000 m (36,000 ft)
Combat radius: 768 km (415 nmi, 477 mi) (ground attack, hi-lo-hi profile, seven 500 lb bombs, two AAMs, two 1,300 L drop tanks)
Service ceiling: 17,680 m (58,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 233 m/s (45,950 ft/min)
Armament: 2× Rafael-built 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA 553 cannons, 140 rounds/gun; 5,775 kg (12,730 lb) of payload on seven external hardpoints, including guided and unguided missiles and bombs, air-to-air missiles, reconnaissance pods or drop tanks.
The kit and its assembly
While the kit and its livery are a whif, the IAI Kfir C.60 was/is a real proposal to the BAF – and this kit is a guess of what the plane might have looked like in real life, if it had been actually introduced about 5 years earlier. A kind of semi-whif, I think.
The basis is the 1:72 Kfir C.7 kit from Italeri (#163) which has been around for years. I have already built about a dozen of them, and foremost it is a kit if you are on a budget - the Hasegawa kit, for instance, is IMHO much better, concerning fit and production quality.
The Italeri Kfir is good at detail, easy to build, but production quality has definitive flaws. You get sinkholes in the upper and lower wing parts, ejector markings from the mould almost everywhere, and the fit of the parts is rather so-so. The cockpit element just does not fit into the fuselage, and the area at the air intake/wing roots intersection needs major attention (read: putty work). This is not to bash the kit, but if you want a "pretty" Kfir, look elsewhere. Because I know the kit by heart and wanted to convert it, anyway, I went with the Italeri option, though.
Since there’s no C.10 kit available, not even a conversion kit, I built the new nose sectionj for the bigger radar according to pictures from C.10 and C.12 Kfirs from scratch. Basically, the new nose is the front half of a Tornado F3 drop tank, but with some sculpting for a more slender look. Other additions I gleaned from C.10 pictures are the refuelling probe (from an A-4 Skyhawk), some new antennae and pitots, a new seat and a Matchbox pilot figure. Detail changes include the slightly dropped flaps, the open cockpit hatch and opened auxillary blow-in doors.
Additional weapon stations were fitted under the wing roots and just outside of the main landing gear wells, plus the respective ordnance. The R-60 missiles come from the scrap box (ESCI, maybe?), the KAB-500kr guided bombs come from an ICM weapon set, the drop tank comes from the original kit.
Painting
The whif comes with the looks, and the Kfir C.60 makes no exception. Since the plane was supposed to replace MiG-21MF and Su-25, I did not apply a MiG-29-like air superiority scheme. I rather went for a juicy ground attack livery and settled for a typical and contemporary BAF three-tone camouflage with blue-grey lower sides. Benchmarks were online pictures and Yefim Gordon’s fascinating MiG-21 book. Another very good reference are the French books from the “Planes & Pilots” series – here, the profile books for the MiG-21 and the Mirage III and derivates were handy sources for details.
The scheme was puzzled together through pictures and profiles of BAF’s MiG-21R "55 White". It appears as if there’s no valid pattern (or even colour!) paradigm, so the overall impression counts.I guesstimated the BAF colours with:
● Humbrol 120 (Light Green, FS 34227), toned up and later even dry-brushed with Testors 2071 (RLM 02 Grey) and even Humbrol 90 (Sky Type S)
● Testors 2091 (RLM 82 Dark Green), shaded with Testors 2081 (RLM 71 Dark Green)
● Testors 1701 (Military Brown, FS 30117), toned and dry-brushed with Humbrol 118 (FS 30219 Tan) and even Humbrol 63 (Sand)
● Testors 2123 (Russian Underside Blue) for the undersides, shaded with Humbrol 128 (FS 36320, Compass Grey)
All active BAF planes I found look worn and a bit ratty, so I decided to weather the C.60 accordingly, despite the machines’ young age in fictional real life. Hence, sun-bleached areas were painted on the top sides through dry-brusing with paler hues. On the other side, some panels and panel lines were emphasized with Tamiya's X19 'Smoke', an experiment which turned out satisfactory but not perfect. Additionally, a light wash with black ink was applied to enhance engravings and depth effects, plus some good soot stains around cannon muzzles and the exhaust area with grinded soft pencil mine. The result is a nice workhorse.
Bulgarian national roundels are surprisingly hard to find as decals, but I finally found a matching set on a Su-25 decal sheet from Balkan Models (hunted down in Canada!), from which I also took the registration number, just switching digits. It turned out to be a bit large, but: why not? Other stencils and warning signs were taken from the original Italeri decal sheet and from the scrap box - the Kfir wears more warning signs than one would expect!
Overall, the impression of the kit is very good - and time will tell if this one even turns out more realistic than I'd expected in the first place, when I took the idea of a Bulgarian Kfir to the (mdel kit) hardware stage.
Claimed to be England's highest unbroken waterfall with a drop of 100 feet. You have to walk through the bar of the Green Dragon Inn in Hardraw to reach the falls - a hardship that is made more bearable by the excellent Timothy Taylor beer available on draft. Although it was a fine sunny day, there was still ice at the foot of the falls.
Hardraw Force was used as a location for the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, in the scene where Maid Marian catches Robin bathing under a waterfall.
Members of the Irish Defence Force’s 95th Cadet Class completed their Military Operations in Urban Terrain Training in Fort Davis, Cork.
This demanding exercise marks an important milestone in Cadet Training, as we move towards Christmas, the New Year, and their completion of training. November 2019
Included in the 95th Cadet Class are members of the Armed Forces of Malta
Photo: Óglaigh na hÉireann / Irish Defence Forces
Members of the Irish Defence Force serving with the 118th Battalion, serving in the Lebanon with UNIFIL
Photos: Airman Gibney
Peter Diamandis: When did you first become an environmentalist?
Harrison Ford: “When I was in college, I was a philosophy major, and the philosopher theologian Paul Tillich wrote that if you take what is most central, most valuable to you, that is God. Nature is my God — the intricacies, the design, the ineffable life force that sustains us.”
Peter: It’s the Force.
Harrison: “You are mentioning that in a reckless way. I only recently came to believe in the Force — and then they killed me. I say: ‘Force yourself.’”
Harrison: “Young people are heirs to a broken planet. They are a moral army. We need to give them support or get out of the way.”
I... I want to join. I want to join the Ginyu Force.
The Ginyu Force is Frieza's special team of elite mercenaries. A lthough they are some of the strongest warriors in the galaxy, they are also... silly. You know how a lot of super hero teams (ESPECIALLY Japanese ones, like the Power Rangers) go into flashy poses before or after a fight? Well, the Ginyu Force dial that up to eleven. You haven't lived until Captain Ginyu has wiggled his butt at you as "Battle Pose Number One."
I know these guys are villains, but they're...just... so awesome. They pick their fighting order with rock-paper-scissors, they use candy whenever they make a bet (which they do in every single fight), they prance around like ballerinas, and... they can kill whole planets.
Captain Ginyu: The purple guy with the horns. The strongest of the team, and their leader. He hlso has the ability to switch bodies with anyone, which has helped him defeat just about any foe (this probably isn't his original body). his name is a pun on the Japanese word for "milk."
Jeice: The orange guy with white hair. Although he's pretty fast, Jeice is mostly the well-rounded member of the team. The Mario or Ryu, if you will. His specialty is his really creative mastery of ki, and a huge repetoire of explosive fireball projectiles. His name is a pun on "cheese," even though it's not pronounced that way.
Burter: The big blue reptilian one. Burter is one of the fastest beings in the Galaxy (I'd love to see him race the FLash), and is best buds with Jeice. A lot of their tactics involve combination attacks, in fact. His name is a pun on "butter."
Recoome: The gigantic humanoid member of the team. Big, slow, and STROOOONG, his specialty aside from strength is his immense durability. The dude can really take a punch. His name is a pun on "cream."
Guldo: The little green frog guy with four eyes. Guldo is the weakest of the team, but his place is on it because of his specialties. He can use his psychic powers to lift almost any object or bind his enemeis in place, and he can actually stop time by holding his breath! Though only for as long as he can hold his breath. poor guy. his name is a pun on "Yogurt."
So there you have them: THE GINYU FORCE! DO YOU DOUBT THAT I CAN JOIN THE GINYU FORCE? THAT I HAVE THE STENGTH, THE SPEED, THE STANIMA, AND THE STYLE TO FIGHT AND POSE WITH THE BEST OF THE BEST OF THE BEST?
GO SPACE BRONCOS!
Featured on Nerditis's Figure Photo of the Day: nerditis.com/2013/02/16/figure-photo-of-the-day-the-ginyu...
The Estonian Ministry of Defence has purchased new service rifles from LMT Defense, formerly known as the Lewis Machine & Tool Company, and will supply the Country's Defence Force with two new service weapons.
The LMT MARS platform of AR-15 and AR-10 pattern rifles, as well as a 40 mm grenade launcher compatible with these Rifles.
Both Rifles will be replacing the current issue Rifles, the Israeli-built Galil-AR and the Swedish-made Ak4 (a licensed copy of the H&K G3A3).
The grenade launchers included in the contract are LMT’s M203 rail-mounted 40 mm GLs.
Photos @kaitsevagi.edf
Vader was really getting upset with the Stormtrooper who would not get down from the ceiling. Or was he???
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the model, the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
After the division of Czechoslovakia by Germany in 1939, Slovakia was left with a small air force composed primarily of Czechoslovak combat aircraft. This force defended Slovakia against Hungary in March 1939, in the Slovak–Hungarian War in March 1939 in which Hungary reoccupied Carpathian Ruthenia and parts of southern Slovakia. In this the SVZ suffered some losses against Royal Hungarian Air Force. Later, the SVZ also took part in the German Invasion of Poland. The SVZ took part in Axis offensives in the Ukraine and Russian Central front sectors of the Eastern Front under the lead of Luftwaffe in the Stalingrad and Caucasus operations. This engagement resulted in great losses of aircraft and personnel, though.
During the World War II, the Slovak Air force was charged with the defense of Slovak airspace, and, after the invasion of Russia, provided air cover for Slovak forces fighting against the Soviet Union on the Eastern Front. For the rest of the war the SVZ fought US Army Air Forces and Royal Air Force raids against Slovakia.
Among the many more or less outdated German aircraft types inherited from the Luftwaffe during the early stages of WWII was a small number of Hs 123 A-1 dive bombers. The Henschel Hs 123 was a small single-seat biplane dive bomber and close-support attack aircraft. The aircraft was designed to meet the 1933 dive bomber requirements for the reborn Luftwaffe. Both Henschel and rival Fieseler (with the Fi 98) competed for the production contract requirement, which specified a single-seat biplane dive bomber. The first prototype, the Hs 123 V1, was cleared for its maiden flight on 1 April 1935; General Ernst Udet, a World War I ace, flew it on its first public demonstration flight on 8 May 1935. The first three Henschel prototypes, with the first and third powered by 485 kW (650 hp) BMW 132A-3 engines and the second by a 574 kW (770 hp) Wright Cyclone, were tested at Rechlin in August 1936. Only the first prototype had "smooth" cowlings; from that point on, all aircraft had a tightly fitting, characteristic cowling that included 18 fairings covering the engine valves. The Henschel prototypes did away with bracing wires and although they looked slightly outdated with their single faired interplane struts and cantilever main landing gear legs attached to smaller (stub) lower wings, the Hs 123 featured an all-metal construction, clean lines and superior maneuverability. Its biplane wings were of a "sesquiplane" configuration, whereby the lower wings were significantly smaller than the top wings.
The overall performance of the Hs 123 V1 prototype prematurely eliminated any chance for the more conventional Fi 98, which was cancelled after a sole prototype had been constructed. During testing, the Hs 123 proved capable of pulling out of "near-vertical" dives; however, two prototypes subsequently crashed due to structural failures in the wings that occurred when the aircraft were tested in high-speed dives. The fourth prototype incorporated improvements to cure these problems; principally, stronger center-section struts were fitted. After it had been successfully tested, the Hs 123 was ordered into production with a 656 kW (880 hp) BMW 132Dc engine.
The Hs 123 was intended to replace the Heinkel He 50 biplane reconnaissance and dive bomber as well as acting as a "stop-gap" measure until the more modern and capable Junkers Ju 87 became available. As such, production was limited and no upgrades were considered, although an improved version, the Hs 123B, was developed by Henschel in 1938. A proposal to fit the aircraft with a more powerful 716 kW (960 hp) "K"-variant of its BMW 132 engine did not proceed beyond the prototype stage, the Hs 123 V5. The V6 prototype fitted with a similar powerplant and featuring a sliding cockpit hood was intended to serve as the Hs 123C prototype.
About 265 aircraft were produced and production of the Hs 123A ended in Autumn 1938. It was flown by the German Luftwaffe during the Spanish Civil War and the early to midpoint of World War II. At the outbreak of hostilities, Hs 123s were committed to action in the Polish Campaign. Screaming over the heads of enemy troops, the Hs 123s delivered their bombs with devastating accuracy. A frightening aspect of an Hs 123 attack was the staccato noise of its engine that a pilot could manipulate by changing rpm to create "gunfire-like" bursts. The Hs 123 proved rugged and able to take a lot of damage and still keep on flying. Operating from primitive bases close to the front lines, the type was considered by ground crews to be easy to maintain, quick to re-equip and reliable even under dire field conditions.
The Polish campaign was a success for an aircraft considered obsolete by the Luftwaffe high command. Within a year, the Hs 123 was again in action in the Blitzkrieg attacks through the Netherlands, Belgium and France. Often positioned as the Luftwaffe's most-forward based combat unit, the Hs 123s flew more missions per day than other units, and again proved their worth in the close-support role. With Ju 87s still being used as tactical bombers rather than true ground support aircraft and with no other aircraft capable of this mission in the Luftwaffe arsenal the Hs 123 was destined to continue in service for some time, although numbers were constantly being reduced by attrition.
The Hs 123 was not employed in the subsequent Battle of Britain as the English Channel proved an insuperable obstacle for the short-ranged aircraft, and the sole leftover operator, II.(Schl)/LG 2, went back to Germany to re-equip with the Messerschmitt Bf 109E fighter bomber (Jabo) variant. The Bf 109E fighter bomber was not capable of carrying any more bombs than the Hs 123. It did, however, have a greater range and was far more capable of defending itself. On the downside were the notoriously tricky taxiing, ground handling, and takeoff/landing characteristics of the Bf 109, which were exacerbated with a bomb load.
At the beginning of the Balkans Campaign, the 32 examples of the Hs 123 that had been retired after the fall of France were taken back into service and handed over to the Slovak Air Force to replace the heavy losses on the Eastern Front after combat fatigue and desertion had reduced the pilots' effectiveness. Most of Slovakia's obsolete biplanes were replaced with modern German combat aircraft, including the Messerschmitt Bf 109, so that the Hs 123s were initially regarded with distrust – but the machines proved their worth in the ensuing battles. The Slovak Hs 123s took part in the Battle of Kursk and supported ground troops, some were outfitted with locally designed ski landing gears which proved to be a very effective alternative to the Hs 123’s spatted standard landing gear which was prone to collect snow and mud and even block. After this deployment at the Russian front, the Slovak Air Force was sent back to defend Slovak home air space, primarily executed with Messerschmitt Bf 109 E and G types, Avia B-534, and some other interceptor types, also helped by Luftwaffe units active in the area.
Being confined to national borders, the Slovak Hs 123s were put in reserve and relegated to training purposes, even though they were occasionally activated to support German ground troops. From late August 1944 the remaining Hs 123s also actively took part in the suppression of the Slovak National Uprising against Germany.
Since Hs 123 production had already stopped in 1940 and all tools had been destroyed, the permanent attritions could not be replaced - due to a lack of serviceable airframes and spare parts the type’s numbers dwindled. When Romania and the Soviet Union entered Slovakia, they organized with some captured aircraft and defectors a local Insurgent Air Force to continue the fight against Axis forces in country, including the last operational Slovak Hs 123s. No aircraft survived the war.
General characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length: 8.33 m (27 ft 4 in)
Wingspan: 10.5 m (34 ft 5 in)
Height: 3.2 m (10 ft 6 in)
Wing area: 24.85 m² (267.5 sq ft)
Empty weight: 1,500 kg (3,307 lb)
Gross weight: 2,215 kg (4,883 lb)
Powerplant:
1× BMW 132Dc 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine with 660 kW (880 hp),
driving a 2-bladed metal variable-pitch propeller
Performance:
Maximum speed: 341 km/h (212 mph, 184 kn) at 1,200 m (3,937 ft)
Range: 860 km (530 mi, 460 nmi) with a 100 l drop tank
Combat range: 480 km (300 mi, 260 nmi) with 200 kg (440.9 lb) of bombs
Service ceiling: 9,000 m (30,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 15 m/s (3,000 ft/min)
Armament:
2× 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns, 400 rpg
Up to 450 kg (992.1 lb) of bombs under fuselage and wings
The kit and its assembly:
A relatively simple what-if project, and it took a while to figure out something to do with a surplus Airfix Hs 123 A kit in The Stash™ without a proper plan yet. The Hs 123 is an overlooked aircraft, and the fact that all airframes were used during WWII until none was left makes a story in Continental Europe a bit difficult. I also did not want to create a German aircraft – Finland was an early favorite, because I wanted to add a ski landing gear (see below), but since I won’t build anything with a swastika on it this option was a dead end. Then I considered an operator from the Balkans, e. g. Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia or Slovakia – and eventually settled for the latter because of the national markings.
The kit was built almost OOB, and the Airfix Hs 123 is a nice offering. Yes, it’s a simple kit, but its is IMHO a very good representation, despite the many rivets on the hull, a rather bleak interior and some sinkholes (e. g. on the massive outer wings struts). It goes together well, just a little PSR here and there. I just added a dashboard (scratched from styrene sheet) and modified the OOB 50 kg bombs with extended impact fuzes with a flat, round plate at the tip, so that the bomb itself explodes above soft ground or snow for a bigger blast radius.
The only major modification is a transplanted ski landing gear from a PM Model (Finnish) Fokker D.XXI, which had to be reduced in length to fit under the compact Hs 123. A small tail ski/skid was scratched from styrene sheet material.
Thankfully, the Hs 123 only calls for little rigging – just between the central upper wing supports and there is a characteristic “triangle” wiring in the cowling. All these, together with the wire antenna, were created with heated sprue material.
Painting and markings:
Finland had been a favorite because I would have been able to apply a more interesting paint scheme than the standard Luftwaffe RLM 70/71/65 splinter scheme with a low waterline that was typical for the Hs 123 during WWII. However, as a former Luftwaffe aircraft I retained this livery but decided to add a winter camouflage as a suitable thematic supplement to the skis.
The basic colors became Humbrol 65 underneath and 30 and 75 from above – the latter for a stronger contrast to the Dunkelgrün than Humbrol 91 (Schwarzgrün). Thanks to the additional whitewash mottles, which were inspired by a similar livery seen on a contemporary Bulgarian Avia B.534, I did not have to be too exact with the splinter camouflage.
The cockpit and cowling interior were painted with RLM 02 (Humbrol 240), the propeller blades became Schwarzgrün (Humbrol 91, further darkened with some black) and the bombs were painted in a dark grey (Revell 77) while the small 100 l drop tank became bare aluminum (Revell 99).
However, before the white mottles could be added, the kit received its decals so that they could be painted around the markings, just as in real life. The Slovak national markings had to be scratched, and I used standard white simplified German Balkenkreuze over a cross made from blue decal stripes. Later a separate red decal circle was placed on top of that. The only other markings are the red “7” codes, edged in white for better contrast (from a Heller Bf 109 K) and the fuel information triangles on the fuselage from the Hs 123’s OOB sheet. As an ID marking for an Eastern Front Axis aircraft, I retained the wide yellow fuselage stripe from the OOB, sheet, too, and added yellow tips on the upper wings’ undersides.
The whitewash camouflage was then created with white acrylic paint (Revell 05), applied with a soft brush with a rounded tip. Once this had dried, I treated the surfaces with fine wet sandpaper for a weathered/worn look.
Finally, after some soot stains behind the exhausts and around the machine gun nozzles, the kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish and the rigging (see above) was done.
The Hs 123 might not be the sexiest aircraft of WWII, but I like this rugged pug which could not be replaced by its successor, the Ju 87, and served in its close support role until literally no aircraft was left. Putting one on skis worked quite well, and the exotic Slovak markings add a special touch – even though the national markings almost disappear among the disruptive whitewash camouflage! The result looks quite plausible, though, and the old Airfix kit is IMHO really underestimated.
When we travel in a circle, we behave as if we are experiencing an outward force pushing us away from the centre of rotation. This force is known as the centrifugal force.
It depends on the mass of the object, the speed of rotation, and the distance from the center. The more massive the object, the greater the force; the greater the speed of the object, the greater the force; and the less distance from the center, the greater the force.
In reality, Centrifugal Force does not really exists. It only appears real to us when we rotate in a circle, and we exert a force to try to keep in the path of rotation orbit.
In life, many forces effects on us are not real, some are psychological just like the Centrifugal force. So, keep your mind and body light, travel at a slower pace, and don't be too stubborn and stick to your core goals too much. That way, you probably enjoy the ride better.
-- Ya Ya in philosophical mood late at night.
P.S: I changed the hues of the colours of the orginal pic in Microsoft Photo Editor bundled in XP. I sort of liked the end result. :)
Air Force One over Mount Rushmore Principal differences between the VC-25A and the standard Boeing 747, other than the number of passengers carried, are the electronic and communications equipment aboard Air Force One, its interior configuration and furnishings, self-contained baggage loader, front and aft air-stairs, and the capability for in-flight refueling. These aircraft are flown by the presidential aircrew, maintained by the presidential maintenance branch, and are assigned to Air Mobility Command's 89th Airlift Wing, Andrews Air Force Base, Md.
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
In July 1967, the first Swedish Air Force student pilots started training on the Saab 105, a Swedish high-wing, twin-engine trainer aircraft developed in the early sixties as a private venture by Saab AB. The Swedish Air Force procured the type for various roles and issued the aircraft with the designation Sk 60.
The Sk 60 entered service in 1967, replacing the aging De Havilland Vampire fleet, and had a long-lasting career. But in the late Eighties, by which point the existing engines of the Swedish Air Force's Sk 60 fleet were considered to be towards the end of their technical and economic lifespan and the airframes started to show their age and wear of constant use, the Swedish Air Force started to think about a successor and/or a modernization program.
Saab suggested to replace the Saab 105’s Turbomeca Aubisque engines with newly-built Williams International FJ44 engines, which were lighter and less costly to operate, but this was only regarded as a stop-gap solution. In parallel, Saab also started work for a dedicated new jet trainer that would prepare pilots for the Saab 39 Gripen – also on the drawing boards at the time – and as a less sophisticated alternative to the promising but stillborn Saab 38.
The Saab 38 (also known as B3LA or A 38/Sk 38) was a single-engine jet trainer and attack aircraft planned by Saab during the 1970s and actually a collaboration between Saab and the Italian aircraft manufacturer Aermacchi (the aircraft resembled the AMX a lot). It was to replace the older Saab 105 jet trainer in the Swedish Air Force, too, but the aircraft never got past the drawing board and was canceled in 1979 in favor of the more advanced Saab JAS 39 Gripen multi-role fighter.
Anyway, this decision left Sweden without a replacement for the Sk 60 as transitional trainer and as a light attack and reconnaissance aircraft.
In 1991, Saab presented its new trainer design, internally called "FSK900", to the Swedish Air Force. The aircraft was a conservative design, with such a configurational resemblance to the Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jet that it is hard to believe Saab engineers didn't see the Alpha Jet as a model for what they wanted to do. However, even if that was the case, the FSK900 was by no means a copy of the Alpha Jet, and the two machines can be told apart at a glance. FSK900 had a muscular, rather massive appearance, while the Alpha Jet was more wasp-like and very sleek. The FSK900 was also bigger in length and span and had an empty weight about 10% greater.
The FSK900 was mostly made of aircraft aluminum alloys, with some control surfaces made of carbon-fiber / epoxy composite, plus very selective use of titanium. It had high-mounted swept wings, with a supercritical airfoil section and a leading-edge dogtooth; a conventional swept tail assembly; tricycle landing gear; twin engines, one mounted in a pod along each side of the fuselage; and a tandem-seat cockpit with dual controls.
The wings had a sweep of 27.5°, an anhedral droop of 7°, and featured ailerons for roll control as well as double slotted flaps. The tailplanes were all-moving, and also featured an anhedral of 7°. An airbrake was mounted on each side of the rear fuselage. Flight controls were hydraulic, and hydraulic systems were dual redundant.
The instructor and cadet sat in tandem, both on zero-zero ejection seats, with the instructor's seat in the rear raised 27 centimeters (10.6 inches) to give a good forward view. The cockpit was pressurized and featured a one-piece canopy, hinged open to the right, that provided excellent visibility.
The landing gear assemblies all featured single wheels, with the nose gear retracting forward and the main gear retracting forward and into the fuselage, featuring an antiskid braking system. The twin engines were two Williams International FJ44-4M turbofans without reheat, each rated at 16.89 kN (3,790 lbst). These were the same engines, that Saab had also proposed for Saab’s Sk 60 modernization program, even though a less powerful variant for the lighter aircraft.
The FSK900 could be fitted with two pylons under each wing and under the fuselage centerline, for a total of five hardpoint. The inner wing pylons were wet and could be used to carry 450 liter (119 US gallon) external tanks, a total external payload of 2,500 kg (5,500 lb) could be carried.
External stores included a centerline target winch for the target tug role, an air-sampling pod for detection of fallout or other atmospheric pollutants, jammer or chaff pods for electronic warfare training, a camera/sensor pod and a baggage pod for use in the liaison role. The aircraft also featured a baggage compartment in the center fuselage, which also offered space for other special equipment or future updates.
Potential armament comprised a conformal underfuselage pod with a single 27 mm Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon with 120 rounds (the same weapon that eventually went into the Saab Gripen).
Other weapons included various iron and cluster bombs of up to 454 kg (1.000 lb) caliber, unguided missiles of various calibers and the Rb.74 (AIM-9L Sidewinder) AAM. A radar was not mounted, but the FSK900’s nose section offered enough space for a radome.
The Swedish Air Force accepted the Saab 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 first flight of the initial prototype 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.
In parallel, a contract was signed for the re-engining of 115 Saab Sk 60 aircraft in 1993; the number of aircraft to be upgraded was subsequently reduced as a result of cuts to the defense budget and the advent of the FSK900, of which 60 were ordered initially.
The Sk 90 was regarded as strong, agile, and pleasant to fly, while being cheap to operate. Sk 90 As flying in the training role typically painted in the unique “Fields & Meadows” splinter camouflage, although decorative paint jobs showed up on occasion and many aircraft received additional dayglow markings.
Some of the few aircraft given to operational squadrons, which used them for keeping up flight hours and as hacks, had apparently been painted in all-grey camouflage to match the combat aircraft they shared the flight line with.
With the Sk 90 S a new variant was soon introduced, replacing the Sk 60 C, two-seat ground attack/reconnaissance version for the Swedish Air Force with an extended camera nose. It featured a similar camera arrangement to the Sk 60 C with a panoramic camera, plus an avionics palet in the baggage compartment for a modular DICAST (Digital Camera And Sensor Tray) pod under the fuselage. Unlike the Sk 60 C, which was converted from existing Sk 60 A trainers, the Sk 90 S was an original design. 20 were delivered until 1997, together with the standard trainers, which were kept on the production lines at slow pace until 1999.
A total of 108 production Sk 90s were built, and the Swedish Air Force has no further requirement for new Sk 90s at present. Upgrades are in planning, including fit of at least some Sk 90s with a modern "glass cockpit" to provide advanced training for the Saab Gripen (which had entered service in June 1992), and a full authority digital engine control (FADEC) for the FJ44-4M turbofans. Integration of the Rb.75 (the AGM-65A/B Maverick in Swedish service) together with a pod-mounted FLIR camera system was also suggested, improving the Sk 90’s attack capability dramatically. These updates were started in 2000. The modified aircraft received the designation Sk 90 B and Sk 90 SB, respectively, and until 2006 the whole fleet was updated.
Tests were also made with reinforced underwing pylons that would allow the carriage of the RBS-15 anti-ship missile. Even though the Sk 90 did not carry a radar, the missile-armed trainers were considered as a linked multiplicators for Saab 39s with the appropriate avionics, so that salvoes of multiple missiles could be launched in order to overload ship defences and improve hit probability. While the latter assumption was proved as correct during field trials with two modified Sk 90s, the missiles’ extra drag and the consequent loss in agility, speed and range made the concept unpractical, since the armed Sk 90 could not keep up with the Saab 39, limit reaction time and would offer an easy target.
Another plan was the Sk 90 C, a two-seater with enhanced attack capabilities. Its most distict feature was a simplified PS-05/A pulse-Doppler X band multi-mode radar, developed by Ericsson and GEC-Marconi for the JAS 39 Gripen.
The system was based on the Blue Vixen radar for the Sea Harrier that also served as the basis for the Eurofighter's CAPTOR radar, and it would allow a highly improved air-to-air and air-to-ground capability, also in better concunction with the Saab Gripen as lead aircraft. Two technology demonstrators were converted from Sk 90 A trainers, but the project was shelved - due to budget restrictions and simply through the fact that the JAS 39 Gripen offered anything the Swedish Air Force had called for in just one, single weapon system, so that the Sk 90 remained in its advanced trainer and tactical recce role. The technology package was offered to foreign customers, though.
Despite its qualities and development potential, the Sk 90 did not attain much foreign interest. It suffered from bad timing and from the focus on domestic demands. It came effectively 10 years too late to be serious export success, and 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 phaze out its attack variant and flooded the market with cheap second hand aircraft in excellent condition. Besides, the Saab Sk 90 had, with the BAe Hawk, another proven competitor with a long operational track record all over the world.
Modest foreign sales could be secured, though: Austria procured 36 Sk 90 Ö in 2002 (basically comparable with the updated Sk 90 B), replacing its Saab 105 fleet and keeping up its close connection with Saab since the Seventies. Malaysia showed interest, too, as well as Singapore, Myanmar, Finland, Poland and Hungary.
The latest interest came from the Republic of Scotland in late 2017 – after the country’s separation from the United Kingdom and building an independent air force with a supplier from a neutral country.
The Republic of Scotland’s Air Corps (RoScAC) started negotiations with Saab and the Swedish government over either eight newly built or refurbished, older Sk 90 As that were updated to C standard with the PS-05/A radar.
Scotland additionally showed interest in a small fleet of 1st generation Saab 39 interceptors that would replace the RAF fighters based on Scottish ground.
General characteristics:
Crew: two pilots in tandem
Length incl. pitot: 13.0 m (42 ft 8 in) for the A trainer, 13.68 m (44 ft 10 in) for the S variant
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)
Range: 1,670 km (900 nm)
Armament:
No internal gun; five hardpoints for 2,500 kg (5,500 lb) of payload and a variety of ordnance
The kit and its assembly:
A simple kit travesty! This is basically the 1:72 Kawasaki T-4 from Hasegawa, with little modifications.
Originally, I wondered what an overdue Saab 105 replacement could or would look like? The interesting Saab 38 never saw the light, as mentioned above, there was also an A-10-style light attack aircraft (maybe to be built as a kitbashing some day...) and I assume that neutral Sweden would rather develop its own aircraft than procure a foreign product.
Consideration of the BAe Hawk, Alpha Jet and the L-39 Albatros as inspirations for this project, I eventually came across the modern but rather overlooked Japanese Kawasaki T-4 trainer – and found that it had a certain Swedish look about it? Hmm... And coupled with a very characteristic paint scheme, like “Fields & Meadows”, maybe…?
I wanted to keep things simple, though, so the T-4 was mostly built OOB. A pleasant experience. The kit is relatively simple and fit is very good, with only minimal PSR necessary.
The only changes are the underwings hardpoints, which come from a Heller SEPECAT Jaguar, the pair of drop tanks (from an Academy F-5E, IIRC), a scratched recce pod for the ventral hardpoint and a modified bow section. This camera nose is a transplant from a Marivox Saab 105, assuming that the new trainer would be employed in similar roles as the Sk 60. The respective Swedish kit comes with a lot of optional parts, including the extended Sk 60 C’s camera nose - and it fits very well onto the T-4's rounded nose.
Painting and markings:
Well, when building a kit is not a true challenge, maybe the paint job is? The T-4 in a "Fields & Meadows" livery was the initial inspiration for this build, so I tried to stick with the concept as far as possible, even though I'd assume that Swedish aircraft in the kit's time frame would rather be grey with subdued markings. But there's hardly anything as Swedish and spectacular as "Fields & Meadows", and this scheme would also be perfect for the tactical recce role of this build.
The pattern was loosely inspired by the Saab Viggens’ scheme (I found pictures of Sk 60 in Fields & Meadows, but could not puzzle together a complete view) as benchmark.
Painting was done with a fine brush (size 2), free-handedly. Even the waterline was created without masking tape - a clean, bigger brush (size 6) was enough to create the sharp edge. This sounds bizarre and maybe suggest a masochistic touch, but it actually worked better than expected - and I was in the lucky situation that I did not have to slavishly copy and recreate the splinter pattern on a real-world model. ;-)
Finding proper tones for the famous and very characteristic Swedish paint scheme was not easy, though. Pictures of real aircraft vary largely, light conditions and weathering make a proper identification difficult, to say the least. Since I wanted a simple solution (a lot of corrections during the painting process was expected), I settled upon the following enamel tones:
• Modelmaster 2060, RAF Dark Green
• Humbrol 150, Forest Green FS 34127
• Humbrol 72, Khaki Drill, for the earth tone
• A 1:1 mix of Humbrol 33 (Flat Black) + Modelmaster 2094 (RAL 7021) for a very dark grey
• Humbrol 247 (RLM 76) for the undersides
Painting was done from black (starting here because it was the only mixed tone), then the earth tone, light green and finally the dark green - a slow (2 full days) but rather uncomplicated process. But I think that the effort paid out, and helps selling the fictional Sk 90 idea.
The cockpit was painted in neutral grey, while the landing gear and the air intakes became white. A very Swedish touch are the bright green headrests - seen on Saab 37.
The markings were kept simple, puzzled together from various sources. Tactical codes come from a Heller Saab 37 Viggen sheet, while the roundels come from an RBD Models sheet (great stuff!) from Sweden - they actually belong to a Saab 32, but since the roundel sizes are normed the transplant onto the smaller aircraft here was easy and even plausible.
Some stencils were taken from the T-4 OOB sheet or gathered together from the scrap box, e .g. the "FARA" warnings.
The silver trim at the flaps and the fin rudder were made with generic 0.5mm decal stripes in silver. Similar strips in black were used to create the de-icers on the wings' leading edges.
Finally, the kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish (Italeri).
Not tough to build, but still a challenge to paint. But the result is spectacular, and the T-4 under foreign flag looks disturbingly plausible. How could Sweden hide this aircraft from the public for so long...?
And it's certainly not the last T-4 I will build. A Scottish aircraft, as mentioned in the background, is a hot candidate - but the aircraft has a lot of OOB whiffing potential...
Members of the Irish Defence Force serving with the 118th Battalion, serving in the Lebanon with UNIFIL
Photos: Airman Gibney
Air Force One on approach to John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) in Columbus OH on Nov. 1, 2016. This is uncropped image SOOC with slight color/exposure adjustments in Lightroom. B747-200 Aircraft Tail # 82-8000
Estonian Sailors practice VBSS and Vessel protection duties on-board Estonian Naval Vessels 25th May 2016
RAF Fairford 26.7.99
More action in 2 parts here......
Part 1
www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnH9fyhMgus
Part 2
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zIo3_wYVw4
copyright © 1999 Chris Chennell
Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive
From an illustrated aircombat history of the Chinese AirforceRepository: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive
From the Air Combat Illustrated History of the Chinese Air Force, printed in 1947.
Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive
Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive
From an illustrated aircombat history of the Chinese AirforceRepository: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive
From the Air Combat Illustrated History of the Chinese Air Force, printed in 1947.
Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive
Ok, it's been a while since I've done a toy shot, and I must insist this is purely to keep my kids happy (honest).
Technical: Shot figures against black background with single light source (would be better if darth was front lit too, but I only have one light source at the moment). Cropped and exported to Ps - where added the lightsaber effects (thanks www.siliconbeachtraining.co.uk/blog/photoshop-lightsaber-...) - next cut the figures out and merged onto the starfield background.
National Museum of the US Air Force
The Boeing VC-137C on display was the first jet aircraft built specifically for use by the President of the United States. During its 36 year flying career, it carried eight sitting presidents and countless heads of state, diplomats, dignitaries and officials on many historic journeys known as Special Air Missions (SAM).
On Oct. 10, 1962, the Boeing Co. delivered to the Air Force a highly modified civilian 707-320B airliner, serial number 62-6000. Bearing the unique call sign “SAM Two-Six-Thousand,” this aircraft illustrated the Air Force’s commitment to providing safe, reliable and comfortable air transportation for the president and other key personnel to locations anywhere around the globe. Whenever the president was onboard the aircraft, the call sign changed to “Air Force One,” a special designation established in 1953 to avoid confusion with other aircraft in flight.
At the request of President Kennedy, a new paint scheme was developed by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and famous industrial designer, Raymond Loewy. In addition to the vibrant blue and white colors, the words “United States of America” were emblazoned in tall letters along the fuselage and an American flag was placed on the tail. These distinctive markings reflect the stature of the Office of the President and serve as a highly visible symbol of American prestige.
One of the world’s most historic aircraft, SAM 26000 carried eight American presidents: Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Clinton. SAM 26000 played an important role in American presidential, political and diplomatic history, and it remains an important national symbol from the Cold War. In June 1963, SAM 26000 flew President Kennedy to West Berlin, Germany, where he declared to the world that “Ich bin ein Berliner” (“I am a Berliner”), boldly assuring continued American support in the face of communist threats and the construction of the Berlin Wall.
SAM 26000 bears an intimate connection to one of the nation’s greatest tragedies, a moment that forever altered the course of American history. On Nov. 22, 1963, President Kennedy was assassinated while traveling in a motorcade through downtown Dallas, Texas. Hours later, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as the new president aboard SAM 26000. The aircraft then carried Kennedy’s body and President Johnson back to Washington, D.C., and a grieving nation.
During the Southeast Asia War, SAM 26000 transported President Johnson to visit U.S. troops in South Vietnam. In 1970 President Nixon’s national security advisor, Dr. Henry Kissinger, traveled aboard the aircraft on 13 separate trips to secret peace talks with the North Vietnamese in Paris, France. In February 1972 SAM 26000 flew President Nixon to the People’s Republic of China on his famous “Journey for Peace,” the first visit by an American president to China. Three months later, it carried President Nixon on an unprecedented visit to the Soviet Union, where he signed two historic nuclear arms control agreements.
In December 1972 SAM 26000 became the president’s backup aircraft when the Air Force acquired another Boeing VC-137C (serial number 72-7000). However, SAM 26000 continued flying presidents, vice-presidents and other high-ranking government officials on important missions. In October 1981, it carried former Presidents Nixon, Ford and Carter to the funeral of the slain Egyptian president Anwar Sadat. In March 1983 Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom flew on SAM 26000 during her visit to the United States. When SAM 26000 left the presidential fleet in 1990, it continued to fly prominent government officials. Secretary of State James Baker flew aboard the aircraft prior to the 1991 Gulf War for talks with Iraqi leaders regarding their invasion of Kuwait.
In a nationally-televised event, the USAF retired SAM 26000 to the museum in May 1998. After 36 years of providing service and accumulating more than 13,000 flying hours, SAM 26000 began a new career, educating thousands of visitors each year about USAF presidential airlift.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Crew: Seven or eight (plus 40 passengers)
Engines: Four Pratt & Whitney TF33 (JT3D-3B) turbofans of 18,000 lbs. thrust each
Maximum speed: 600 mph
Range: 6,000 miles
Ceiling: 41,000 feet
Weight: 336,000 lbs. (loaded)
I came across this Storm Trooper in Japantown during the annual Jpop Festival in San Francisco. The street was filled with Anime Cosplay characters and Lolita girls. #3997
+++ 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 Czech Air Force (České Letectvo), officially the Army of the Czech Republic Air Force (Vzdušné síly Armády České republiky), is the air force branch of the Army of the Czech Republic. The Czech Air Force succeeded the Czechoslovak Air Force together with the Slovak Air Force in 1993.
The CzAF is responsible for securing the integrity of the Czech Republic's airspace through the NATO Integrated Air Defence System (NATINADS), close air support to the Land Forces and for transportation tasks including government and state priority flights. In peacetime the Air Force is contributing to tasks originating in the Czech laws and inter-ministerial agreements, for example to the air ambulance service or the SAR role.
Czech JAS-39C/D Gripen multirole fighters fulfill primarily the tasks related to the air defense of the Czech Republic and the NATO within the system of NATINADS. In the so-called national reinforcement system the subsonic L-159 ALCA jets could be deployed to fulfil this task too, similar to the BAe Hawk trainers for the RAF.
Until 2002 the CzAF relied upon roundabout thirty Su-22 fighter bombers in the interdiction, close air support and reconnaissance role (using external sensor and camera pods), but when the type was retired the Czech Air Force was left without a dedicated strike and low-level recce aircraft.
In order to fill this gap and relieve the Gripen fleet (14 were operated, leased from Sweden for initially 10 years) from the strike/recce role, the CzAF leased several surplus Tornados from Germany.
Germany operated a huge fleet of Tornado IDS and several special versions (for dedicated recce and radar suppression duties), but reduced this fleet considerably in the course of a thorough reconstruction and reduction of the Bundeswehr and its services.
The oldest Tornado airframes dated back to the late Seventies and most were to be scrapped, since they had reached the end of their lifetimes. But newer aircraft and those with few flying hours were to be mothballed or used for spares.
From this batch, a total of eight Tornado IDS were diverted for the CzAF. The selected machines had formerly served with JBG 34 "Allgäu" in Memmingen which had been operating the Tornado IDS since 1987 and which was disbanded in 2002.
These machines were completely overhauled and additional systems integrated on behalf of the CzAF. These included a laser spot tracker on a port side pylon under the front fuselage and a combined FLIR/laser designator eyeball (similar to the AN/AVQ-26 Pave Tack) in a semi-recessed fairing under the starboard side.
Furthermore, the Tornados were modified to remain interoperable with some CzAF equipment, most notably the proven KKR-1 reconnaissance pod which was formerly carried by the CzAF's Su-22M4.
The KKR-1 was equipped with an A-39 camera (positioned vertically or at an angle up to 55° before the flight), a PA-1 panoramic camera, a UA-47 camera for night photography, four KDF-38 cassettes containing FP-100 illumination flares and a SRS-13 Tangazh ELINT system. The SRS-13 suite was intended for the radar localization, their classification and identification of their operating frequencies, so that the Czech Tornados could also be used as guides in AA radar suppression/SEAD duties, even though in a fashion not as sophisticated as the German Tornado ECR.
Another system that the CzAF Tornados were to carry was the SPS-141 ECM pod instead of the German Cerberus ECM pod. But the BOZ-101 chaff/flare dispenser, as well as the AIM-9 Sidewinder for self-protection (being already procured with the Saab Gripen), were taken over, though.
The Czech Tornados were ready for service when the independence of the Czech Air Force was terminated on 1 December 2003. The force became a part of newly established Joint Forces of the Czech Army with the command post located at Olomouc. Within the new structure, the Air Force Commander in Chief was in a position of one of Joint Forces Chief Commander Deputy, and the Tornado fleet closely related to the Czech Army, and they were allocated to the re-established 20th fighter-bomber regiment at Náměšť nad Oslavou.
The leasing agreement was initially settled for 10 years, running until 2013, but the high service standard and rather timid use of the machines (~130 flying hours p.a.) resulted in a prolongation of the contract until at least 2023 - also made possible through the participation of the Czech machines in constant modernization programs of the German Luftwaffe which keeps it remaining Tornado force (85 machines are still active in 2016) up to date and probably in service until 2035.
General characteristics:
Crew: 2
Length: 16.72 m (54 ft 10 in)
Wingspan: 13.91 m at 25° wing sweep, 8.60 m at 67° wing sweep (45.6 ft / 28.2 ft)
Height: 5.95 m (19.5 ft)
Wing area: 26.6 m2 (286 ft2)
Empty weight: 13,890 kg (30,620 lb)
Loaded weight: 20,240 kg (44,620 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 28,000 kg (61,700 lb)
Powerplant:
2 × Turbo-Union RB199-34R Mk 103 afterburning turbofans
with 43.8 kN (9,850 lbf) dry thrust each and 76.8 kN (17,270 lbf) with afterburner
Performance:
Maximum speed: Mach 2.2 (2,400 km/h, 1,490 mph) at 9,000 m (30,000 ft) altitude;
800 knots, 1,482 km/h, 921 mph indicated airspeed near sea level
Range: 1,390 km (870 mi) for typical combat mission
Ferry range: 3,890 km (2,417 mi) with four external drop tanks
Service ceiling: 15,240 m (50,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 76.7 m/s (15,100 ft/min)
Thrust/weight: 0.77
Armament:
2× 27 mm (1.06 in) Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon, 180 RPG
4× light duty + 3× heavy duty hardpoints under-fuselage and 4× swiveling under-wing
pylon stations with a capacity of 9,000 kg (19,800 lb) of payload;
the two inner wing pylons have shoulder launch rails for 2× Short-Range AAM (SRAAM)
The kit and its assembly:
This whif is actually a CG tribute, the build of a profile posted at whatifmodelers.com by fellow Czech member Wenzel a.k.a. PantherG in May 2015: a Czech Air Force Tornado. I found the idea and the look of the different paint scheme on the fighter-bomber interesting, and earmarked it for a build. But it took a year to dig out a surplus Italeri Tornado kit from the pile (bought in a lot without box and definitive building plan) and turn the virtual idea into model kit hardware.
The respective profile shows an RAF Tornado GR.1 in CzAF colors, but I considered a former Luftwaffe aircraft to be more appropriate. Historically, this slightly different story fits well, since the Czech Air Force phased out its Su-22 fighter bombers until 2002 and the German Luftwaffe also reduced its Tornado fleet considerably at that time (e. g. all of the Marineflieger Tornados were retired or re-distributed to Luftwaffe units until 2005, squadrons disbanded or unified, and the total German Tornado fleet declined from more than 300 to only 85 aircraft).
As already mentioned, the kit is the Italeri offering, a mediocre rendition of the Tornado IDS. I have built several of these in the past and was wary about the kit's flaws - including the poor fit of the fuselage halves, lack of exhaust or air intake interior and the funny construction of the swiveling pylons.
I basically built the kit OOB but made detail changes/improvements, like deeper air intakes with simulated ducts, some added ramps inside of the intakes. The jet nozzles and the fuselage end were drilled open, so that these would gain some more depth. Some styrene blade antennae and thin wire pitots were added all around the hull.
Personal additions are the pylon-mounted laser receiver (inspired by the Pave Penny pod on A-10s) and the eyeball (inspired by the A-6E TRAM) under the front fuselage, both scratched. Other details that set this Tornado apart are the KKR-1 and SPS-141 pods, both from a Mastercraft Su-22. The OOB AIM-9E Sidewinders were replaced by more modern AIM-9M from the scrap box, which the contemporary Czech Saab Gripen carry, too.
Painting and markings:
I tried to stay as close as possible to the original profile drawing, but added some personal twists and made corrections I felt suitable, e. g. an additional field of dark green in front of the cockpit nose or different colors for the tactical code.
The colors refer to the profile and I used the respective tones from Humbrol's and Modelmaster's enamel range for basic painting (upper sides: FS 34079 = H 116, FS 30018 = MM 1702, FS 36152 = H 27 and FS 34227 = H 120, with FS 35526 undersides, but I used a deeper blue on the undersides, RLM 80 from Modelmaster, instead of an RLM 65 equivalent).
After a black ink wash, panels and details were shaded and lightened because the original colors are pretty murky in real life and with little contrast.
With its five-color scheme, the CzAF Tornado already looked different and flashy - but I added even some more variation through various color details. Since the fictional ex Luftwaffe machines would bring typical equipment with them, I painted several 'optional parts' in different schemes: The swiveling pylons kept a light grey basis (RAL 7035) with a leading edge in Basaltgrau (RAL 7012). The BOZ-101 dispenser carries its former Luftwaffe livery in all-over RAL 6003 (Olivgrün). The drop tanks were painted in late Luftwaffe blue-grey (RAL 7001). This appears odd, but you frequently see Luftwaffe Tornados carrying external ordnance in very different, even vintage styles, which were simply not updated to newer camouflage schemes.
Furthermore, the SPS-141 carries light brown upper (Humbrol 62) and a light blue (Humbrol 65) lower surface (with bright green dielectric covers, of course, seen on a late CzAF Su-22), while the large KKR-1 pod became all-blue, even though in a slightly different shade from the Tornado. Overall, it's an intentional wild mix of styles and colors.
This went further with the hi-viz national roundels and yellow tactical codes. The original profile drawing featured black digits with white outlines, but this style was AFAIK dropped when the Czechoslovak Air Force became the Czech Air Force in 1993, and the codes on the Su-22 fighter-bombers became yellow. Later, additional NATO codes were added on the fin for war game identification. Therefore I incorporated this more recent style into my build.
Other markings and stencils come from various sources, including the OOB sheets or leftover material from 1:72 Su-22s made by Bilek and Mastercraft.
A kind of tribute build, and it’s exciting to see someone else’ virtual design taking literal shape as a three-dimensional model kit. And the idea of a Czech Tornado is IMHO not as fantastic as it might sound in the first place – the diversified paint scheme looks interesting on the Cold War warrior that swapped sides after the Iron Curtain went down.
Rangers from A Company, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, conducts live fire training during 2nd Battalion’s Task Force Training at Yakima Training Center, Washington, 27 March 2013. (U.S. Army photo by SGT Mikki Sprenkle)
Israeli soldiers rest before an exercise in built up area on July 3, 2018 in Tzeelim, South Israel. The soldiers practiced fighting in the Gaza Strip against Hamas militants.
Source: Getty Images Europe
Gargoyle is a mouth for ejected words of sweeping Lucifer this took other angels that had the seed of desire planted within them, for it is selfish desires that fuel the ego. He was expelled from the higher regions because he no longer had the Christic virtues but had the ego crystallized instead. Since we assert that selfish desires and interests strengthen the egos hold on us, it is also true that altruistic, compassionate service vivify the Christic force within us that stirs us to self-sacrifice for humanity (The hanged man). Can 'Lucifer' be the Hanged Man #12 card ? Here are a few depictions of the card for reference first: The Hanged Man...also known as Perspective....now also known as "Lucifer"....here's why I think this is an awesome pictorial for the meaning. What is the central meaning for the Hanged Man?
Letting go...as in accepting God's Will (give me a chance to explain...just a little more)
Giving up control
Accepting what is
Putting others first
NOW WAIT A MINUTE, ERIC !! You said this would all make sense....Lucifer isn't this way!
...TRUE.....and that's my point. He is the card's "shadow side" (or Reversed). The shadow side of every card is the not-so-well known or publicized meanings that are just as much true as the upright meanings...just from a different 'perspective' (like how i tied that all in...LOL)
Lucifer...Satan....the Devil....whoever you may call him....he IS the Hanged Man's other half to complete the whole story.
Let's look at the original card again...upside down or Shadow side: This way what does the card suggest? The man is now grounded again, able to walk on his OWN TWO FEET, under his OWN power. What about his head? It's still a-glow with enlightenment ! But wait....I thought the man got his enlightenment while hanging upside and submitting? He did....but he also CAN on his own...
...just like Lucifer did !
Remember the first card above said "New Vision"? The figure was 'standing tall' with wings spread, leaving the corpse on the ground that was a slave to the 'old ways'. Keeping these images in mind lets see the meanings of the Hanged Man again...as it's 'True' other "Shadow"
Reversing...turning the world around...overturning old priorities
Seeing things from a new angle or perspective
Up-Ending the old order...doing an about-face
Living in the moment...for the NOW !
Defiance
Self-assertion
Sound more like the Lucifer you know? Let's look again: What we are witnessing is the moment Lucifer made his choice to rebel...and just BE HIMSELF ! On the left...heaven...his appointment there, where he was told what to do and had limited choice. On the right, FREEDOM as not a PLACE, but an IDEA....where he stretches his hand out in acceptance (notice the other is more closed with a "shackle of light" restricting it's movement).
Notice, also, the color of his wings: white on left from that of God's control, dark on right to show expansive freedom like that of space. In-between there is a struggle for control, for power, and for self-enlightenment. Both God and now Lucifer know this....the time for a new perspective has come...and Lucifer chose FREE WILL.
Whether I believe in Lucifer or not is unimportant...only the symbolism here to help see the relationship of the meanings of both Light and Shadow...neither one more important than the other....both necessary to the True meaning of the Hanged Man card.
Which side are you? Do you submit to what others tell you is right...or do you find you listen to what your heart tells you? You may have more in common with this card than you previously thought ! Cheers !
Eric "MoonLightTrucker"
“Esoterically, the Hanged Man is the human spirit which is suspended from heaven by a single thread. Wisdom, not death, is reward for this voluntary sacrifice during which the human soul, suspended above the world of illusion, and meditating upon its unreality, is rewarded by the achievement of self-realization.” – Manly P. Hall, The Secret Teachings of All Ages.
In the Tarot with the twelfth (12th) card called ‘The Hanged Man”or in French, “Le Pendu.” The Hanged Man (XII) is the twelfth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks.
This card portrays a young man hanging upside down by his left leg from a horizontal beam, the latter supported by two tree trunks from each of which six branches have been removed. The right leg of the youth is crossed in back of the left and his arms are folded behind his back in such a way as to form a cross surmounting a downward pointing triangle. According to Elphias Levi, the Hanged Man thus forms an inverted symbol of sulphur. Elphias Levi had stated in his book, Transcendental Magic; ” It is also implied fantastically that the Roman alphabet is related to Tarot cards, but whereas the Hebrew Mem answers to the card of Death the Roman M is referred to the Hanged Man, Resh to the Judgement card but R to the Blazing Star.” Levi likens the hanged man to the legend of Prometheus, the titan who gave fire to mankind and in turn suffered the wrath of Zeus by becoming the eternal sufferer, not just by being bound to a rock, but to also have his liver fed upon by an eagle each day. the Egyptian Tarot the hanged man is hung upside down between two palm trees, which is said to signify the Sun God who dies perennially for his world. In some Tarot decks, the figure in the 12th card carries under each arm a money bag from which coins are escaping. Some people have said that this latter card is that of Judas Iscariot who is said to have gone forth and hanged himself, the money bags representing the payment he received for his crime. The Hanged Man is a form of Pittura infamante;
(Italian for “defaming portrait”; plural pitture infamanti) is a genre of defamatory painting and relief, common in Renaissance Italy. It came to be regarded as a form of art rather than effigy; the power of the genre derived from a feudal-based code of honor, where shame was one of the most significant social punishments. Common themes of pittura infamante—which were meant to be humiliating—include depicting the subject as wearing a mitre or hanging upside down, being in the presence of unclean animals such as pigs or donkeys or those deemed evil like snakes; pittura infamante would also contain captions listing the offenses of the subject.Pittura infamante could originate as more favorable depictions, only to be transformed after the subject had fallen out of favor.
Tchad : exercice de guidage par les TACP d‘Epervier
Le 28 décembre 2012, une équipe tactical air control party (TACP) du CPA 20, a réalisé un exercice de close air support (CAS) au profit de Mirage 2000D et des Mirage F1 CR de la force Epervier. La mission s’est déroulée sur la zone de Djermaya, à une soixantaine de kilomètres au nord de N’Djamena.
A partir d’un scenario fictif simulant une réunions d’insurgés dans un village proche de la capitale, les équipages et les commandos parachutistes de l’air (CPA) ont pu réaliser, avec succès, une série d’exercices CAS : désignation fictive de cibles par laser, description de cibles par radio, poursuite de cibles au sol, passe canon et simulation de tir, démonstration de force (show of force) avec lancement de leurres, etc.
Le guidage sur cible a constitué quant à lui une des parties les plus importantes de l’entraînement. La description orale de l’objectif se devait d’être précise car les militaires ne disposaient pas d’une cartographie très détaillée de la zone et qu’il y avait peu de repères au sol.
Le CPA 20, basé à Dijon en France est spécialisé dans l'appui aérien. Ses équipes sont régulièrement engagées au Tchad. L’équipe TACP est composée d’une dizaine de commandos spécialisés dans le guidage des avions de combat, des drones et des hélicoptères français et étrangers. Elle assure également la mission de désignation d'objectif. L'équipe comprend un contrôleur aérien avancé, des opérateurs chargés de l'assister et de le protéger, sous la conduite d'un chef de groupe.
En zone hostile, l'équipe TACP est responsable de la gestion de la troisième dimension, de la coordination entre les aéronefs engagés et les troupes au contact.
Dans le cadre de ses missions, l’équipe TACP doit également maîtriser la mise en place et la récupération les équipage par hélicoptère de manœuvre (HM). Ils peuvent ainsi s’y exercer avec les équipages PUMA de l’ALAT (aviation légère de l’armée de Terre), de jour comme de nuit, par aérocordage, en corde lisse, rappel et grappe. Ces entraînements visent à former et à maintenir en condition opérationnelle les équipes TACP.
950 soldats français arment la Force Epervier parmi lesquels les équipages d’aéronefs du groupement air. Les exercices avec les équipes TACP sont fréquents, et ce type de mission est indispensable à la qualification, à la coordination ainsi qu’au perfectionnement du travail conjoint des équipes interarmées de la Force Epervier.