+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on authentic facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

The forerunners of the Philippine Air Force was the Philippine Militia, otherwise known as Philippine National Guard (PNG). On March 17, 1917 Senate President Manuel L. Quezon enacted a bill (Militia Act 2715) for the creation of the Philippine Militia, in anticipation that there would be an outbreak of hostilities between United States and Germany.

Beyond these standard duties, the PAF’s new type also took part in several other deployments: On 26 January 2017, two Philippine Air Force Kfir C.10s demonstrated their strike capabilities for the first time and conducted a nighttime attack on terrorist hideouts in Butig, Lanao del Sur province in Mindanao, the first “hot” combat sortie flown by these aircraft. In June 2017, Kfirs and FA-50s were sent out to conduct airstrikes against Maute terrorists entrenched in the city of Marawi, starting in May 2017.

General characteristics:

Crew: One

Length: 15.65 m (51 ft 4¼ 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. takeoff weight: 16,200 kg (35,715 lb)

Powerplant:

1× IAl Bedek-built General Electric J-79-J1E turbojet with a dry thrust of 52.9 kN (11,890 lb st)

and 79.62 kN (17,900 lb st) thrust with afterburner

Performance:

Maximum speed: 2,440 km/h (2 Mach, 1,317 knots, 1,516 mph) above 11,000 m (36,000 ft)

Combat radius: 768 km (415 nmi, 477 mi) in ground attack role, with, hi-lo-hi profile, seven 500 lb

bombs, two AAMs, two 1,300 L drop tanks

Maximum range: 3,232 km (2,008 miles, 1744 nm), high profile, with two 1,300 L drop tank

Service ceiling: 22,860 m (75,000 ft)

Rate of climb: 233 m/s (45,950 ft/min)

Armament:

2× Rafael-built 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA 553 cannons, 140 RPG

9× hardpoints for a total payload of 5,775 kg (12,730 lb), including an assortment of unguided

air-to-ground rockets, guided missiles (AIM-9 Sidewinders, Shafrir or Python-series AAMs; Shrike

ARMs and AGM-65 Maverick ASMs) or bombs such as the Mark 80 series, Paveway and Griffin

LGBs, SMKBs,TAL-1 OR TAL-2 CBUs, BLU-107 Matra Durandal, reconnaissance pods or Drop tanks

The kit and its assembly:

Like many of my what-if models, this one is rooted in real life. AFAIK, the PAF actually considered the procurement of refurbished, ex-Israeli Kfirs after the purchase of 2nd hand F-16s had turned out to be too costly – but even the Kfir deal did not materialize due to budgetary restrictions. However, whifworld can change this… And eventually, the PAF procured the South Korean FA-50 Golden Eagle multi-role advanced trainer.

The kit is the Italeri Kfir C.2/7, a sound and priceworthy offering, but it comes with some inherent flaws - the alternative Hasegawa kit is IMHO much easier to build, even though it is not much more detailed. Problem zones of the Italeri kit include the complex intersection between the air intakes, wings and the fuselage (nothing fits well, gaps galore!), ejector pin markings on the landing gear and on the wheels, sinkholes on the wings’ upper side towards the leading edges and the cockpit tub as a whole, which seems to stem from a different kit - including the dashboard, which is too wide, too.

In order to keep things simple and plausible, the kit was mostly built OOB, which is in itself enough work, with only a few cosmetic changes:

- a new nose section with a bigger radome from the scrap box and transplanted chines and pitot

- replacement of the early OOB Shafrir AAMs with Python AAMs, left over from a Trumpeter J-8

- additional/modified antennae and air sensors, including a RHAWS sensor at the top of the fin

- a refueling probe above the right air intake, from a Harrier GR.3, modified

- a Martin Baker ejection seat and some cockpit interior details

Painting and markings:

Since the fictional PAF Kfirs were to be primarily operated in the interceptor role, I gave the aircraft an air superiority scheme. Inspiration was taken from the type’s predecessor, the PAF’s F-8 Crusaders and their late Eighties livery, a wraparound scheme in two grey tones, coupled with low-viz (black) markings.

I actually used the F-8 camouflage pattern as benchmark and tried to adapt it to the delta-wing Kfir, but this eventually ended in almost complete improvisation. The colors are – based on visual impressions of some PAF Crusaders rather than on hard facts (since these turned out to be quite contradictive and/or implausible) – FS 36440 and 36270, Humbrol 129 and 126, respectively. The result appears a bit pale and reminds a lot of the French air superiority scheme (which is more bluish, though), but it does not look bad at all.

The radome and other dielectric fairings were slightly set apart from the camouflage tones (with Revell 47). The landing gear as well as the air intake interior were painted in gloss white (Humbrol 22), while the cockpit was painted in Sea Grey (Humbrol 27).

The model only received a light weathering treatment through a black ink washing and some post-shading with slightly lighter tones, since the aircraft would be relatively new in service – even though I have the impression that any PAF aircraft’s exterior quickly suffered under the local climate?

The national markings belong to a Philippine F-5 (a late camouflaged aircraft, hence the insignias’ small size), taken from an Aztec Decal sheet. The modex was created from code markings for a Bréguet Alizé and the cobra emblems on the fin belong to a Malaysian MiG-29 (Begemot sheet). The contemporary USAF-style BuNo for PAF aircraft was created with single decal letters – a fiddly affair.

Only a few stencils were actually taken from the OOB sheet and many of the original red markings were replaced. Most stencils became black and the walkway markings on the wings were replaced by segmented lines from a Mirage 2000.

After some final, very light weathering with graphite the kit was finally sealed with a coat of matt acrylic varnish (Italeri) and completed.

Nothing spectacular, but rather an exotic and still plausible what-if build, rooted in real life. While the paint scheme as such is not outstanding, I must say that the two-tone grey scheme suits the Kfir well, esp. together with the subdued markings.

+++ 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.

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.

+++ 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.

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.

+++ 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.

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.

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on authentic facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

The forerunners of the Philippine Air Force was the Philippine Militia, otherwise known as Philippine National Guard (PNG). On March 17, 1917 Senate President Manuel L. Quezon enacted a bill (Militia Act 2715) for the creation of the Philippine Militia, in anticipation that there would be an outbreak of hostilities between United States and Germany.

Beyond these standard duties, the PAF’s new type also took part in several other deployments: On 26 January 2017, two Philippine Air Force Kfir C.10s demonstrated their strike capabilities for the first time and conducted a nighttime attack on terrorist hideouts in Butig, Lanao del Sur province in Mindanao, the first “hot” combat sortie flown by these aircraft. In June 2017, Kfirs and FA-50s were sent out to conduct airstrikes against Maute terrorists entrenched in the city of Marawi, starting in May 2017.

General characteristics:

Crew: One

Length: 15.65 m (51 ft 4¼ 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. takeoff weight: 16,200 kg (35,715 lb)

Powerplant:

1× IAl Bedek-built General Electric J-79-J1E turbojet with a dry thrust of 52.9 kN (11,890 lb st)

and 79.62 kN (17,900 lb st) thrust with afterburner

Performance:

Maximum speed: 2,440 km/h (2 Mach, 1,317 knots, 1,516 mph) above 11,000 m (36,000 ft)

Combat radius: 768 km (415 nmi, 477 mi) in ground attack role, with, hi-lo-hi profile, seven 500 lb

bombs, two AAMs, two 1,300 L drop tanks

Maximum range: 3,232 km (2,008 miles, 1744 nm), high profile, with two 1,300 L drop tank

Service ceiling: 22,860 m (75,000 ft)

Rate of climb: 233 m/s (45,950 ft/min)

Armament:

2× Rafael-built 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA 553 cannons, 140 RPG

9× hardpoints for a total payload of 5,775 kg (12,730 lb), including an assortment of unguided

air-to-ground rockets, guided missiles (AIM-9 Sidewinders, Shafrir or Python-series AAMs; Shrike

ARMs and AGM-65 Maverick ASMs) or bombs such as the Mark 80 series, Paveway and Griffin

LGBs, SMKBs,TAL-1 OR TAL-2 CBUs, BLU-107 Matra Durandal, reconnaissance pods or Drop tanks

The kit and its assembly:

Like many of my what-if models, this one is rooted in real life. AFAIK, the PAF actually considered the procurement of refurbished, ex-Israeli Kfirs after the purchase of 2nd hand F-16s had turned out to be too costly – but even the Kfir deal did not materialize due to budgetary restrictions. However, whifworld can change this… And eventually, the PAF procured the South Korean FA-50 Golden Eagle multi-role advanced trainer.

The kit is the Italeri Kfir C.2/7, a sound and priceworthy offering, but it comes with some inherent flaws - the alternative Hasegawa kit is IMHO much easier to build, even though it is not much more detailed. Problem zones of the Italeri kit include the complex intersection between the air intakes, wings and the fuselage (nothing fits well, gaps galore!), ejector pin markings on the landing gear and on the wheels, sinkholes on the wings’ upper side towards the leading edges and the cockpit tub as a whole, which seems to stem from a different kit - including the dashboard, which is too wide, too.

In order to keep things simple and plausible, the kit was mostly built OOB, which is in itself enough work, with only a few cosmetic changes:

- a new nose section with a bigger radome from the scrap box and transplanted chines and pitot

- replacement of the early OOB Shafrir AAMs with Python AAMs, left over from a Trumpeter J-8

- additional/modified antennae and air sensors, including a RHAWS sensor at the top of the fin

- a refueling probe above the right air intake, from a Harrier GR.3, modified

- a Martin Baker ejection seat and some cockpit interior details

Painting and markings:

Since the fictional PAF Kfirs were to be primarily operated in the interceptor role, I gave the aircraft an air superiority scheme. Inspiration was taken from the type’s predecessor, the PAF’s F-8 Crusaders and their late Eighties livery, a wraparound scheme in two grey tones, coupled with low-viz (black) markings.

I actually used the F-8 camouflage pattern as benchmark and tried to adapt it to the delta-wing Kfir, but this eventually ended in almost complete improvisation. The colors are – based on visual impressions of some PAF Crusaders rather than on hard facts (since these turned out to be quite contradictive and/or implausible) – FS 36440 and 36270, Humbrol 129 and 126, respectively. The result appears a bit pale and reminds a lot of the French air superiority scheme (which is more bluish, though), but it does not look bad at all.

The radome and other dielectric fairings were slightly set apart from the camouflage tones (with Revell 47). The landing gear as well as the air intake interior were painted in gloss white (Humbrol 22), while the cockpit was painted in Sea Grey (Humbrol 27).

The model only received a light weathering treatment through a black ink washing and some post-shading with slightly lighter tones, since the aircraft would be relatively new in service – even though I have the impression that any PAF aircraft’s exterior quickly suffered under the local climate?

The national markings belong to a Philippine F-5 (a late camouflaged aircraft, hence the insignias’ small size), taken from an Aztec Decal sheet. The modex was created from code markings for a Bréguet Alizé and the cobra emblems on the fin belong to a Malaysian MiG-29 (Begemot sheet). The contemporary USAF-style BuNo for PAF aircraft was created with single decal letters – a fiddly affair.

Only a few stencils were actually taken from the OOB sheet and many of the original red markings were replaced. Most stencils became black and the walkway markings on the wings were replaced by segmented lines from a Mirage 2000.

After some final, very light weathering with graphite the kit was finally sealed with a coat of matt acrylic varnish (Italeri) and completed.

Nothing spectacular, but rather an exotic and still plausible what-if build, rooted in real life. While the paint scheme as such is not outstanding, I must say that the two-tone grey scheme suits the Kfir well, esp. together with the subdued markings.

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on authentic facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

The forerunners of the Philippine Air Force was the Philippine Militia, otherwise known as Philippine National Guard (PNG). On March 17, 1917 Senate President Manuel L. Quezon enacted a bill (Militia Act 2715) for the creation of the Philippine Militia, in anticipation that there would be an outbreak of hostilities between United States and Germany.

Beyond these standard duties, the PAF’s new type also took part in several other deployments: On 26 January 2017, two Philippine Air Force Kfir C.10s demonstrated their strike capabilities for the first time and conducted a nighttime attack on terrorist hideouts in Butig, Lanao del Sur province in Mindanao, the first “hot” combat sortie flown by these aircraft. In June 2017, Kfirs and FA-50s were sent out to conduct airstrikes against Maute terrorists entrenched in the city of Marawi, starting in May 2017.

General characteristics:

Crew: One

Length: 15.65 m (51 ft 4¼ 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. takeoff weight: 16,200 kg (35,715 lb)

Powerplant:

1× IAl Bedek-built General Electric J-79-J1E turbojet with a dry thrust of 52.9 kN (11,890 lb st)

and 79.62 kN (17,900 lb st) thrust with afterburner

Performance:

Maximum speed: 2,440 km/h (2 Mach, 1,317 knots, 1,516 mph) above 11,000 m (36,000 ft)

Combat radius: 768 km (415 nmi, 477 mi) in ground attack role, with, hi-lo-hi profile, seven 500 lb

bombs, two AAMs, two 1,300 L drop tanks

Maximum range: 3,232 km (2,008 miles, 1744 nm), high profile, with two 1,300 L drop tank

Service ceiling: 22,860 m (75,000 ft)

Rate of climb: 233 m/s (45,950 ft/min)

Armament:

2× Rafael-built 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA 553 cannons, 140 RPG

9× hardpoints for a total payload of 5,775 kg (12,730 lb), including an assortment of unguided

air-to-ground rockets, guided missiles (AIM-9 Sidewinders, Shafrir or Python-series AAMs; Shrike

ARMs and AGM-65 Maverick ASMs) or bombs such as the Mark 80 series, Paveway and Griffin

LGBs, SMKBs,TAL-1 OR TAL-2 CBUs, BLU-107 Matra Durandal, reconnaissance pods or Drop tanks

The kit and its assembly:

Like many of my what-if models, this one is rooted in real life. AFAIK, the PAF actually considered the procurement of refurbished, ex-Israeli Kfirs after the purchase of 2nd hand F-16s had turned out to be too costly – but even the Kfir deal did not materialize due to budgetary restrictions. However, whifworld can change this… And eventually, the PAF procured the South Korean FA-50 Golden Eagle multi-role advanced trainer.

The kit is the Italeri Kfir C.2/7, a sound and priceworthy offering, but it comes with some inherent flaws - the alternative Hasegawa kit is IMHO much easier to build, even though it is not much more detailed. Problem zones of the Italeri kit include the complex intersection between the air intakes, wings and the fuselage (nothing fits well, gaps galore!), ejector pin markings on the landing gear and on the wheels, sinkholes on the wings’ upper side towards the leading edges and the cockpit tub as a whole, which seems to stem from a different kit - including the dashboard, which is too wide, too.

In order to keep things simple and plausible, the kit was mostly built OOB, which is in itself enough work, with only a few cosmetic changes:

- a new nose section with a bigger radome from the scrap box and transplanted chines and pitot

- replacement of the early OOB Shafrir AAMs with Python AAMs, left over from a Trumpeter J-8

- additional/modified antennae and air sensors, including a RHAWS sensor at the top of the fin

- a refueling probe above the right air intake, from a Harrier GR.3, modified

- a Martin Baker ejection seat and some cockpit interior details

Painting and markings:

Since the fictional PAF Kfirs were to be primarily operated in the interceptor role, I gave the aircraft an air superiority scheme. Inspiration was taken from the type’s predecessor, the PAF’s F-8 Crusaders and their late Eighties livery, a wraparound scheme in two grey tones, coupled with low-viz (black) markings.

I actually used the F-8 camouflage pattern as benchmark and tried to adapt it to the delta-wing Kfir, but this eventually ended in almost complete improvisation. The colors are – based on visual impressions of some PAF Crusaders rather than on hard facts (since these turned out to be quite contradictive and/or implausible) – FS 36440 and 36270, Humbrol 129 and 126, respectively. The result appears a bit pale and reminds a lot of the French air superiority scheme (which is more bluish, though), but it does not look bad at all.

The radome and other dielectric fairings were slightly set apart from the camouflage tones (with Revell 47). The landing gear as well as the air intake interior were painted in gloss white (Humbrol 22), while the cockpit was painted in Sea Grey (Humbrol 27).

The model only received a light weathering treatment through a black ink washing and some post-shading with slightly lighter tones, since the aircraft would be relatively new in service – even though I have the impression that any PAF aircraft’s exterior quickly suffered under the local climate?

The national markings belong to a Philippine F-5 (a late camouflaged aircraft, hence the insignias’ small size), taken from an Aztec Decal sheet. The modex was created from code markings for a Bréguet Alizé and the cobra emblems on the fin belong to a Malaysian MiG-29 (Begemot sheet). The contemporary USAF-style BuNo for PAF aircraft was created with single decal letters – a fiddly affair.

Only a few stencils were actually taken from the OOB sheet and many of the original red markings were replaced. Most stencils became black and the walkway markings on the wings were replaced by segmented lines from a Mirage 2000.

After some final, very light weathering with graphite the kit was finally sealed with a coat of matt acrylic varnish (Italeri) and completed.

Nothing spectacular, but rather an exotic and still plausible what-if build, rooted in real life. While the paint scheme as such is not outstanding, I must say that the two-tone grey scheme suits the Kfir well, esp. together with the subdued markings.

+++ 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.

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.

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on authentic facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

The forerunners of the Philippine Air Force was the Philippine Militia, otherwise known as Philippine National Guard (PNG). On March 17, 1917 Senate President Manuel L. Quezon enacted a bill (Militia Act 2715) for the creation of the Philippine Militia, in anticipation that there would be an outbreak of hostilities between United States and Germany.

Beyond these standard duties, the PAF’s new type also took part in several other deployments: On 26 January 2017, two Philippine Air Force Kfir C.10s demonstrated their strike capabilities for the first time and conducted a nighttime attack on terrorist hideouts in Butig, Lanao del Sur province in Mindanao, the first “hot” combat sortie flown by these aircraft. In June 2017, Kfirs and FA-50s were sent out to conduct airstrikes against Maute terrorists entrenched in the city of Marawi, starting in May 2017.

General characteristics:

Crew: One

Length: 15.65 m (51 ft 4¼ 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. takeoff weight: 16,200 kg (35,715 lb)

Powerplant:

1× IAl Bedek-built General Electric J-79-J1E turbojet with a dry thrust of 52.9 kN (11,890 lb st)

and 79.62 kN (17,900 lb st) thrust with afterburner

Performance:

Maximum speed: 2,440 km/h (2 Mach, 1,317 knots, 1,516 mph) above 11,000 m (36,000 ft)

Combat radius: 768 km (415 nmi, 477 mi) in ground attack role, with, hi-lo-hi profile, seven 500 lb

bombs, two AAMs, two 1,300 L drop tanks

Maximum range: 3,232 km (2,008 miles, 1744 nm), high profile, with two 1,300 L drop tank

Service ceiling: 22,860 m (75,000 ft)

Rate of climb: 233 m/s (45,950 ft/min)

Armament:

2× Rafael-built 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA 553 cannons, 140 RPG

9× hardpoints for a total payload of 5,775 kg (12,730 lb), including an assortment of unguided

air-to-ground rockets, guided missiles (AIM-9 Sidewinders, Shafrir or Python-series AAMs; Shrike

ARMs and AGM-65 Maverick ASMs) or bombs such as the Mark 80 series, Paveway and Griffin

LGBs, SMKBs,TAL-1 OR TAL-2 CBUs, BLU-107 Matra Durandal, reconnaissance pods or Drop tanks

The kit and its assembly:

Like many of my what-if models, this one is rooted in real life. AFAIK, the PAF actually considered the procurement of refurbished, ex-Israeli Kfirs after the purchase of 2nd hand F-16s had turned out to be too costly – but even the Kfir deal did not materialize due to budgetary restrictions. However, whifworld can change this… And eventually, the PAF procured the South Korean FA-50 Golden Eagle multi-role advanced trainer.

The kit is the Italeri Kfir C.2/7, a sound and priceworthy offering, but it comes with some inherent flaws - the alternative Hasegawa kit is IMHO much easier to build, even though it is not much more detailed. Problem zones of the Italeri kit include the complex intersection between the air intakes, wings and the fuselage (nothing fits well, gaps galore!), ejector pin markings on the landing gear and on the wheels, sinkholes on the wings’ upper side towards the leading edges and the cockpit tub as a whole, which seems to stem from a different kit - including the dashboard, which is too wide, too.

In order to keep things simple and plausible, the kit was mostly built OOB, which is in itself enough work, with only a few cosmetic changes:

- a new nose section with a bigger radome from the scrap box and transplanted chines and pitot

- replacement of the early OOB Shafrir AAMs with Python AAMs, left over from a Trumpeter J-8

- additional/modified antennae and air sensors, including a RHAWS sensor at the top of the fin

- a refueling probe above the right air intake, from a Harrier GR.3, modified

- a Martin Baker ejection seat and some cockpit interior details

Painting and markings:

Since the fictional PAF Kfirs were to be primarily operated in the interceptor role, I gave the aircraft an air superiority scheme. Inspiration was taken from the type’s predecessor, the PAF’s F-8 Crusaders and their late Eighties livery, a wraparound scheme in two grey tones, coupled with low-viz (black) markings.

I actually used the F-8 camouflage pattern as benchmark and tried to adapt it to the delta-wing Kfir, but this eventually ended in almost complete improvisation. The colors are – based on visual impressions of some PAF Crusaders rather than on hard facts (since these turned out to be quite contradictive and/or implausible) – FS 36440 and 36270, Humbrol 129 and 126, respectively. The result appears a bit pale and reminds a lot of the French air superiority scheme (which is more bluish, though), but it does not look bad at all.

The radome and other dielectric fairings were slightly set apart from the camouflage tones (with Revell 47). The landing gear as well as the air intake interior were painted in gloss white (Humbrol 22), while the cockpit was painted in Sea Grey (Humbrol 27).

The model only received a light weathering treatment through a black ink washing and some post-shading with slightly lighter tones, since the aircraft would be relatively new in service – even though I have the impression that any PAF aircraft’s exterior quickly suffered under the local climate?

The national markings belong to a Philippine F-5 (a late camouflaged aircraft, hence the insignias’ small size), taken from an Aztec Decal sheet. The modex was created from code markings for a Bréguet Alizé and the cobra emblems on the fin belong to a Malaysian MiG-29 (Begemot sheet). The contemporary USAF-style BuNo for PAF aircraft was created with single decal letters – a fiddly affair.

Only a few stencils were actually taken from the OOB sheet and many of the original red markings were replaced. Most stencils became black and the walkway markings on the wings were replaced by segmented lines from a Mirage 2000.

After some final, very light weathering with graphite the kit was finally sealed with a coat of matt acrylic varnish (Italeri) and completed.

Nothing spectacular, but rather an exotic and still plausible what-if build, rooted in real life. While the paint scheme as such is not outstanding, I must say that the two-tone grey scheme suits the Kfir well, esp. together with the subdued markings.

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on authentic facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

The forerunners of the Philippine Air Force was the Philippine Militia, otherwise known as Philippine National Guard (PNG). On March 17, 1917 Senate President Manuel L. Quezon enacted a bill (Militia Act 2715) for the creation of the Philippine Militia, in anticipation that there would be an outbreak of hostilities between United States and Germany.

Beyond these standard duties, the PAF’s new type also took part in several other deployments: On 26 January 2017, two Philippine Air Force Kfir C.10s demonstrated their strike capabilities for the first time and conducted a nighttime attack on terrorist hideouts in Butig, Lanao del Sur province in Mindanao, the first “hot” combat sortie flown by these aircraft. In June 2017, Kfirs and FA-50s were sent out to conduct airstrikes against Maute terrorists entrenched in the city of Marawi, starting in May 2017.

General characteristics:

Crew: One

Length: 15.65 m (51 ft 4¼ 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. takeoff weight: 16,200 kg (35,715 lb)

Powerplant:

1× IAl Bedek-built General Electric J-79-J1E turbojet with a dry thrust of 52.9 kN (11,890 lb st)

and 79.62 kN (17,900 lb st) thrust with afterburner

Performance:

Maximum speed: 2,440 km/h (2 Mach, 1,317 knots, 1,516 mph) above 11,000 m (36,000 ft)

Combat radius: 768 km (415 nmi, 477 mi) in ground attack role, with, hi-lo-hi profile, seven 500 lb

bombs, two AAMs, two 1,300 L drop tanks

Maximum range: 3,232 km (2,008 miles, 1744 nm), high profile, with two 1,300 L drop tank

Service ceiling: 22,860 m (75,000 ft)

Rate of climb: 233 m/s (45,950 ft/min)

Armament:

2× Rafael-built 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA 553 cannons, 140 RPG

9× hardpoints for a total payload of 5,775 kg (12,730 lb), including an assortment of unguided

air-to-ground rockets, guided missiles (AIM-9 Sidewinders, Shafrir or Python-series AAMs; Shrike

ARMs and AGM-65 Maverick ASMs) or bombs such as the Mark 80 series, Paveway and Griffin

LGBs, SMKBs,TAL-1 OR TAL-2 CBUs, BLU-107 Matra Durandal, reconnaissance pods or Drop tanks

The kit and its assembly:

Like many of my what-if models, this one is rooted in real life. AFAIK, the PAF actually considered the procurement of refurbished, ex-Israeli Kfirs after the purchase of 2nd hand F-16s had turned out to be too costly – but even the Kfir deal did not materialize due to budgetary restrictions. However, whifworld can change this… And eventually, the PAF procured the South Korean FA-50 Golden Eagle multi-role advanced trainer.

The kit is the Italeri Kfir C.2/7, a sound and priceworthy offering, but it comes with some inherent flaws - the alternative Hasegawa kit is IMHO much easier to build, even though it is not much more detailed. Problem zones of the Italeri kit include the complex intersection between the air intakes, wings and the fuselage (nothing fits well, gaps galore!), ejector pin markings on the landing gear and on the wheels, sinkholes on the wings’ upper side towards the leading edges and the cockpit tub as a whole, which seems to stem from a different kit - including the dashboard, which is too wide, too.

In order to keep things simple and plausible, the kit was mostly built OOB, which is in itself enough work, with only a few cosmetic changes:

- a new nose section with a bigger radome from the scrap box and transplanted chines and pitot

- replacement of the early OOB Shafrir AAMs with Python AAMs, left over from a Trumpeter J-8

- additional/modified antennae and air sensors, including a RHAWS sensor at the top of the fin

- a refueling probe above the right air intake, from a Harrier GR.3, modified

- a Martin Baker ejection seat and some cockpit interior details

Painting and markings:

Since the fictional PAF Kfirs were to be primarily operated in the interceptor role, I gave the aircraft an air superiority scheme. Inspiration was taken from the type’s predecessor, the PAF’s F-8 Crusaders and their late Eighties livery, a wraparound scheme in two grey tones, coupled with low-viz (black) markings.

I actually used the F-8 camouflage pattern as benchmark and tried to adapt it to the delta-wing Kfir, but this eventually ended in almost complete improvisation. The colors are – based on visual impressions of some PAF Crusaders rather than on hard facts (since these turned out to be quite contradictive and/or implausible) – FS 36440 and 36270, Humbrol 129 and 126, respectively. The result appears a bit pale and reminds a lot of the French air superiority scheme (which is more bluish, though), but it does not look bad at all.

The radome and other dielectric fairings were slightly set apart from the camouflage tones (with Revell 47). The landing gear as well as the air intake interior were painted in gloss white (Humbrol 22), while the cockpit was painted in Sea Grey (Humbrol 27).

The model only received a light weathering treatment through a black ink washing and some post-shading with slightly lighter tones, since the aircraft would be relatively new in service – even though I have the impression that any PAF aircraft’s exterior quickly suffered under the local climate?

The national markings belong to a Philippine F-5 (a late camouflaged aircraft, hence the insignias’ small size), taken from an Aztec Decal sheet. The modex was created from code markings for a Bréguet Alizé and the cobra emblems on the fin belong to a Malaysian MiG-29 (Begemot sheet). The contemporary USAF-style BuNo for PAF aircraft was created with single decal letters – a fiddly affair.

Only a few stencils were actually taken from the OOB sheet and many of the original red markings were replaced. Most stencils became black and the walkway markings on the wings were replaced by segmented lines from a Mirage 2000.

After some final, very light weathering with graphite the kit was finally sealed with a coat of matt acrylic varnish (Italeri) and completed.

Nothing spectacular, but rather an exotic and still plausible what-if build, rooted in real life. While the paint scheme as such is not outstanding, I must say that the two-tone grey scheme suits the Kfir well, esp. together with the subdued markings.

Please see the camera-wiki article on the Super Program (or outside North America, the Super A). These were joined by a new Pentax-A series of K mount lenses which enable the body to set an aperture automatically. A locking "A" position on the aperture ring is now provided.

Here Pentax joins the movement towards "multimode" exposure options which had begun with Canon's A-1. In particular programmed autoexposure and TTL flash control were becoming must-have features in the enthusiast SLR space.

Unfortunately this also marks a breakdown in what had been harmonious sharing of the K mount standard with Ricoh. They also introduced multimode program models, but the mount linkages enabling this are not compatible. In fact, a pin extending from the Ricoh lens flange can become trapped in the autofocus drive slot of later Pentax models and is quite difficult to get unstuck.

.

Look at this everyone and say what you think.

At least the aircraft are going to a good home where they are appreciated!

WASHINGTON and LONDON - Britain has agreed to sell all of its 74 decommissioned Harrier jump jets, along with engines and spare parts, to the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps - a move expected to help the Marines operate Harriers into the mid-2020s and provide extra planes to replace aging two-seat F-18D Hornet strike fighters.

Rear Adm. Mark Heinrich, chief of the U.S. Navy's Supply Corps, confirmed the two-part deal Nov. 10 during a conference in New York sponsored by Bank of America Merrill Lynch in association with Defense News.

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Air Warfare

Heinrich negotiated the $50 million purchase of all Harrier spare parts, while Rear Adm. Donald Gaddis, the U.S. Navy's program executive officer for tactical aircraft, is overseeing discussions to buy the Harrier aircraft and their Rolls-Royce engines, Heinrich said.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence in London confirmed the Disposal Services Agency was in talks with the U.S. Navy for the sale of the Harriers. The deal had yet to be concluded, he said Nov. 11.

Britain retired its joint force of Royal Air Force and Royal Navy Harrier aircraft late last year in one of the most controversial moves of the defense reductions, which also cut the aircraft carriers that operated the jets, other warships, maritime patrol planes and personnel.

Most of the retired Harriers are stored at the Royal Air Force base at Cottesmore, England.

They have been undergoing minimum fleet maintenance, including anti-deterioration measures, in order to keep them airworthy, Heinrich said.

A spokesman for the U.S. Navy's Naval Air Systems Command declined Nov. 11 to comment on the deal, deferring to the British military.

An MoD source said Nov. 11 that he thought both deals could be signed in the next week or two. The MoD source confirmed that the entire fleet of 74 Harrier aircraft was involved in the sale.

Heinrich noted that payment details were the only outstanding issue on the parts deal discussions, and he said the purchase will give the U.S. Marines a relatively economical way to get their hands on key components to keep the Harrier fleet running.

Similar Aircraft

While it is unusual for the U.S. to buy used foreign military aircraft for operation, integration of the British planes into Marine Corps squadrons shouldn't be a major problem, one expert said.

"I don't think it will be costly to rip out the Brit systems" and replace them with Marine gear, said Lon Nordeen, author of several books on the Harrier.

Nordeen noted that the British GR 9 and 9As are similar in configuration to the Marines' AV-8B night attack version, which make up about a third of U.S. Harriers. The British planes also are night planes dedicated to air-ground attack, he said, and while both types carry Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) sensors, neither is fitted with a multimode radar such as the APG-65 carried by U.S. AV-8B+ models.

The absence of the big radar, Nordeen said, makes the GR 9A and AV-8Bs "a better-performing plane. Weighing less, it's more of a hot rod."

British GR 9s, although upgraded with improved avionics and weapons, are powered by the Rolls-Royce Mark 105 Pegasus engine. GR 9As have the more powerful Mark 107, similar to the Rolls-Royce F402-RR-408s that power Marine AV-8Bs.

British and U.S. Harrier II aircraft had a high degree of commonality from their origin. The planes were developed and built in a joint arrangement between British Aerospace - now BAE Systems - and McDonnell Douglas, now a division of Boeing. While each company built its own wings, all forward sections of the British and American Harrier IIs were built by McDonnell in St. Louis, Mo., while British Aerospace built the fuselage sections aft of the cockpit.

"All the planes have to fit together," Nordeen said.

The Harrier IIs, built between 1980 and 1995, "are still quite serviceable," he said. "The aircraft are not that far apart. We're taking advantage of all the money the Brits have spent on them. It's like we're buying a car with maybe 15,000 miles on it."

Operationally, Nordeen said, "these are very good platforms. They need upgrades, but on bombing missions they have the ability to incorporate the Litening II targeting pod [used by U.S. aircraft]. They're good platforms. And we've already got trained pilots."

Marine Corps Harriers are to be phased out by 2025, when replacement by new F-35B Joint Strike Fighters should be complete.

Nordeen, however, said he expects the British Harriers to be used initially to replace two-seat Marine F-18D Hornet fighters now operated in the night attack role.

"The F-18Ds are more worn out than the Harriers," Nordeen said. "Most of the conversions [of ex-British aircraft] early on will be to replace 18Ds and not Harriers." He noted the first Marine F-35B squadron already is slated to replace an F-18D unit.

Nordeen applauded the move.

"I would see this as a good bargain to extend the operational utility of the Harrier II fleet, no matter what," he said.

+++ 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.

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.

+++ 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.

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.

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on authentic facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

The forerunners of the Philippine Air Force was the Philippine Militia, otherwise known as Philippine National Guard (PNG). On March 17, 1917 Senate President Manuel L. Quezon enacted a bill (Militia Act 2715) for the creation of the Philippine Militia, in anticipation that there would be an outbreak of hostilities between United States and Germany.

Beyond these standard duties, the PAF’s new type also took part in several other deployments: On 26 January 2017, two Philippine Air Force Kfir C.10s demonstrated their strike capabilities for the first time and conducted a nighttime attack on terrorist hideouts in Butig, Lanao del Sur province in Mindanao, the first “hot” combat sortie flown by these aircraft. In June 2017, Kfirs and FA-50s were sent out to conduct airstrikes against Maute terrorists entrenched in the city of Marawi, starting in May 2017.

General characteristics:

Crew: One

Length: 15.65 m (51 ft 4¼ 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. takeoff weight: 16,200 kg (35,715 lb)

Powerplant:

1× IAl Bedek-built General Electric J-79-J1E turbojet with a dry thrust of 52.9 kN (11,890 lb st)

and 79.62 kN (17,900 lb st) thrust with afterburner

Performance:

Maximum speed: 2,440 km/h (2 Mach, 1,317 knots, 1,516 mph) above 11,000 m (36,000 ft)

Combat radius: 768 km (415 nmi, 477 mi) in ground attack role, with, hi-lo-hi profile, seven 500 lb

bombs, two AAMs, two 1,300 L drop tanks

Maximum range: 3,232 km (2,008 miles, 1744 nm), high profile, with two 1,300 L drop tank

Service ceiling: 22,860 m (75,000 ft)

Rate of climb: 233 m/s (45,950 ft/min)

Armament:

2× Rafael-built 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA 553 cannons, 140 RPG

9× hardpoints for a total payload of 5,775 kg (12,730 lb), including an assortment of unguided

air-to-ground rockets, guided missiles (AIM-9 Sidewinders, Shafrir or Python-series AAMs; Shrike

ARMs and AGM-65 Maverick ASMs) or bombs such as the Mark 80 series, Paveway and Griffin

LGBs, SMKBs,TAL-1 OR TAL-2 CBUs, BLU-107 Matra Durandal, reconnaissance pods or Drop tanks

The kit and its assembly:

Like many of my what-if models, this one is rooted in real life. AFAIK, the PAF actually considered the procurement of refurbished, ex-Israeli Kfirs after the purchase of 2nd hand F-16s had turned out to be too costly – but even the Kfir deal did not materialize due to budgetary restrictions. However, whifworld can change this… And eventually, the PAF procured the South Korean FA-50 Golden Eagle multi-role advanced trainer.

The kit is the Italeri Kfir C.2/7, a sound and priceworthy offering, but it comes with some inherent flaws - the alternative Hasegawa kit is IMHO much easier to build, even though it is not much more detailed. Problem zones of the Italeri kit include the complex intersection between the air intakes, wings and the fuselage (nothing fits well, gaps galore!), ejector pin markings on the landing gear and on the wheels, sinkholes on the wings’ upper side towards the leading edges and the cockpit tub as a whole, which seems to stem from a different kit - including the dashboard, which is too wide, too.

In order to keep things simple and plausible, the kit was mostly built OOB, which is in itself enough work, with only a few cosmetic changes:

- a new nose section with a bigger radome from the scrap box and transplanted chines and pitot

- replacement of the early OOB Shafrir AAMs with Python AAMs, left over from a Trumpeter J-8

- additional/modified antennae and air sensors, including a RHAWS sensor at the top of the fin

- a refueling probe above the right air intake, from a Harrier GR.3, modified

- a Martin Baker ejection seat and some cockpit interior details

Painting and markings:

Since the fictional PAF Kfirs were to be primarily operated in the interceptor role, I gave the aircraft an air superiority scheme. Inspiration was taken from the type’s predecessor, the PAF’s F-8 Crusaders and their late Eighties livery, a wraparound scheme in two grey tones, coupled with low-viz (black) markings.

I actually used the F-8 camouflage pattern as benchmark and tried to adapt it to the delta-wing Kfir, but this eventually ended in almost complete improvisation. The colors are – based on visual impressions of some PAF Crusaders rather than on hard facts (since these turned out to be quite contradictive and/or implausible) – FS 36440 and 36270, Humbrol 129 and 126, respectively. The result appears a bit pale and reminds a lot of the French air superiority scheme (which is more bluish, though), but it does not look bad at all.

The radome and other dielectric fairings were slightly set apart from the camouflage tones (with Revell 47). The landing gear as well as the air intake interior were painted in gloss white (Humbrol 22), while the cockpit was painted in Sea Grey (Humbrol 27).

The model only received a light weathering treatment through a black ink washing and some post-shading with slightly lighter tones, since the aircraft would be relatively new in service – even though I have the impression that any PAF aircraft’s exterior quickly suffered under the local climate?

The national markings belong to a Philippine F-5 (a late camouflaged aircraft, hence the insignias’ small size), taken from an Aztec Decal sheet. The modex was created from code markings for a Bréguet Alizé and the cobra emblems on the fin belong to a Malaysian MiG-29 (Begemot sheet). The contemporary USAF-style BuNo for PAF aircraft was created with single decal letters – a fiddly affair.

Only a few stencils were actually taken from the OOB sheet and many of the original red markings were replaced. Most stencils became black and the walkway markings on the wings were replaced by segmented lines from a Mirage 2000.

After some final, very light weathering with graphite the kit was finally sealed with a coat of matt acrylic varnish (Italeri) and completed.

Nothing spectacular, but rather an exotic and still plausible what-if build, rooted in real life. While the paint scheme as such is not outstanding, I must say that the two-tone grey scheme suits the Kfir well, esp. together with the subdued markings.

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.

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.

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on authentic facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

The forerunners of the Philippine Air Force was the Philippine Militia, otherwise known as Philippine National Guard (PNG). On March 17, 1917 Senate President Manuel L. Quezon enacted a bill (Militia Act 2715) for the creation of the Philippine Militia, in anticipation that there would be an outbreak of hostilities between United States and Germany.

Beyond these standard duties, the PAF’s new type also took part in several other deployments: On 26 January 2017, two Philippine Air Force Kfir C.10s demonstrated their strike capabilities for the first time and conducted a nighttime attack on terrorist hideouts in Butig, Lanao del Sur province in Mindanao, the first “hot” combat sortie flown by these aircraft. In June 2017, Kfirs and FA-50s were sent out to conduct airstrikes against Maute terrorists entrenched in the city of Marawi, starting in May 2017.

General characteristics:

Crew: One

Length: 15.65 m (51 ft 4¼ 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. takeoff weight: 16,200 kg (35,715 lb)

Powerplant:

1× IAl Bedek-built General Electric J-79-J1E turbojet with a dry thrust of 52.9 kN (11,890 lb st)

and 79.62 kN (17,900 lb st) thrust with afterburner

Performance:

Maximum speed: 2,440 km/h (2 Mach, 1,317 knots, 1,516 mph) above 11,000 m (36,000 ft)

Combat radius: 768 km (415 nmi, 477 mi) in ground attack role, with, hi-lo-hi profile, seven 500 lb

bombs, two AAMs, two 1,300 L drop tanks

Maximum range: 3,232 km (2,008 miles, 1744 nm), high profile, with two 1,300 L drop tank

Service ceiling: 22,860 m (75,000 ft)

Rate of climb: 233 m/s (45,950 ft/min)

Armament:

2× Rafael-built 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA 553 cannons, 140 RPG

9× hardpoints for a total payload of 5,775 kg (12,730 lb), including an assortment of unguided

air-to-ground rockets, guided missiles (AIM-9 Sidewinders, Shafrir or Python-series AAMs; Shrike

ARMs and AGM-65 Maverick ASMs) or bombs such as the Mark 80 series, Paveway and Griffin

LGBs, SMKBs,TAL-1 OR TAL-2 CBUs, BLU-107 Matra Durandal, reconnaissance pods or Drop tanks

The kit and its assembly:

Like many of my what-if models, this one is rooted in real life. AFAIK, the PAF actually considered the procurement of refurbished, ex-Israeli Kfirs after the purchase of 2nd hand F-16s had turned out to be too costly – but even the Kfir deal did not materialize due to budgetary restrictions. However, whifworld can change this… And eventually, the PAF procured the South Korean FA-50 Golden Eagle multi-role advanced trainer.

The kit is the Italeri Kfir C.2/7, a sound and priceworthy offering, but it comes with some inherent flaws - the alternative Hasegawa kit is IMHO much easier to build, even though it is not much more detailed. Problem zones of the Italeri kit include the complex intersection between the air intakes, wings and the fuselage (nothing fits well, gaps galore!), ejector pin markings on the landing gear and on the wheels, sinkholes on the wings’ upper side towards the leading edges and the cockpit tub as a whole, which seems to stem from a different kit - including the dashboard, which is too wide, too.

In order to keep things simple and plausible, the kit was mostly built OOB, which is in itself enough work, with only a few cosmetic changes:

- a new nose section with a bigger radome from the scrap box and transplanted chines and pitot

- replacement of the early OOB Shafrir AAMs with Python AAMs, left over from a Trumpeter J-8

- additional/modified antennae and air sensors, including a RHAWS sensor at the top of the fin

- a refueling probe above the right air intake, from a Harrier GR.3, modified

- a Martin Baker ejection seat and some cockpit interior details

Painting and markings:

Since the fictional PAF Kfirs were to be primarily operated in the interceptor role, I gave the aircraft an air superiority scheme. Inspiration was taken from the type’s predecessor, the PAF’s F-8 Crusaders and their late Eighties livery, a wraparound scheme in two grey tones, coupled with low-viz (black) markings.

I actually used the F-8 camouflage pattern as benchmark and tried to adapt it to the delta-wing Kfir, but this eventually ended in almost complete improvisation. The colors are – based on visual impressions of some PAF Crusaders rather than on hard facts (since these turned out to be quite contradictive and/or implausible) – FS 36440 and 36270, Humbrol 129 and 126, respectively. The result appears a bit pale and reminds a lot of the French air superiority scheme (which is more bluish, though), but it does not look bad at all.

The radome and other dielectric fairings were slightly set apart from the camouflage tones (with Revell 47). The landing gear as well as the air intake interior were painted in gloss white (Humbrol 22), while the cockpit was painted in Sea Grey (Humbrol 27).

The model only received a light weathering treatment through a black ink washing and some post-shading with slightly lighter tones, since the aircraft would be relatively new in service – even though I have the impression that any PAF aircraft’s exterior quickly suffered under the local climate?

The national markings belong to a Philippine F-5 (a late camouflaged aircraft, hence the insignias’ small size), taken from an Aztec Decal sheet. The modex was created from code markings for a Bréguet Alizé and the cobra emblems on the fin belong to a Malaysian MiG-29 (Begemot sheet). The contemporary USAF-style BuNo for PAF aircraft was created with single decal letters – a fiddly affair.

Only a few stencils were actually taken from the OOB sheet and many of the original red markings were replaced. Most stencils became black and the walkway markings on the wings were replaced by segmented lines from a Mirage 2000.

After some final, very light weathering with graphite the kit was finally sealed with a coat of matt acrylic varnish (Italeri) and completed.

Nothing spectacular, but rather an exotic and still plausible what-if build, rooted in real life. While the paint scheme as such is not outstanding, I must say that the two-tone grey scheme suits the Kfir well, esp. together with the subdued markings.

"Hexa-photo-cybernetic" is a complicated word to introduce Canon's complex new SLR.

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on authentic facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

The forerunners of the Philippine Air Force was the Philippine Militia, otherwise known as Philippine National Guard (PNG). On March 17, 1917 Senate President Manuel L. Quezon enacted a bill (Militia Act 2715) for the creation of the Philippine Militia, in anticipation that there would be an outbreak of hostilities between United States and Germany.

Beyond these standard duties, the PAF’s new type also took part in several other deployments: On 26 January 2017, two Philippine Air Force Kfir C.10s demonstrated their strike capabilities for the first time and conducted a nighttime attack on terrorist hideouts in Butig, Lanao del Sur province in Mindanao, the first “hot” combat sortie flown by these aircraft. In June 2017, Kfirs and FA-50s were sent out to conduct airstrikes against Maute terrorists entrenched in the city of Marawi, starting in May 2017.

General characteristics:

Crew: One

Length: 15.65 m (51 ft 4¼ 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. takeoff weight: 16,200 kg (35,715 lb)

Powerplant:

1× IAl Bedek-built General Electric J-79-J1E turbojet with a dry thrust of 52.9 kN (11,890 lb st)

and 79.62 kN (17,900 lb st) thrust with afterburner

Performance:

Maximum speed: 2,440 km/h (2 Mach, 1,317 knots, 1,516 mph) above 11,000 m (36,000 ft)

Combat radius: 768 km (415 nmi, 477 mi) in ground attack role, with, hi-lo-hi profile, seven 500 lb

bombs, two AAMs, two 1,300 L drop tanks

Maximum range: 3,232 km (2,008 miles, 1744 nm), high profile, with two 1,300 L drop tank

Service ceiling: 22,860 m (75,000 ft)

Rate of climb: 233 m/s (45,950 ft/min)

Armament:

2× Rafael-built 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA 553 cannons, 140 RPG

9× hardpoints for a total payload of 5,775 kg (12,730 lb), including an assortment of unguided

air-to-ground rockets, guided missiles (AIM-9 Sidewinders, Shafrir or Python-series AAMs; Shrike

ARMs and AGM-65 Maverick ASMs) or bombs such as the Mark 80 series, Paveway and Griffin

LGBs, SMKBs,TAL-1 OR TAL-2 CBUs, BLU-107 Matra Durandal, reconnaissance pods or Drop tanks

The kit and its assembly:

Like many of my what-if models, this one is rooted in real life. AFAIK, the PAF actually considered the procurement of refurbished, ex-Israeli Kfirs after the purchase of 2nd hand F-16s had turned out to be too costly – but even the Kfir deal did not materialize due to budgetary restrictions. However, whifworld can change this… And eventually, the PAF procured the South Korean FA-50 Golden Eagle multi-role advanced trainer.

The kit is the Italeri Kfir C.2/7, a sound and priceworthy offering, but it comes with some inherent flaws - the alternative Hasegawa kit is IMHO much easier to build, even though it is not much more detailed. Problem zones of the Italeri kit include the complex intersection between the air intakes, wings and the fuselage (nothing fits well, gaps galore!), ejector pin markings on the landing gear and on the wheels, sinkholes on the wings’ upper side towards the leading edges and the cockpit tub as a whole, which seems to stem from a different kit - including the dashboard, which is too wide, too.

In order to keep things simple and plausible, the kit was mostly built OOB, which is in itself enough work, with only a few cosmetic changes:

- a new nose section with a bigger radome from the scrap box and transplanted chines and pitot

- replacement of the early OOB Shafrir AAMs with Python AAMs, left over from a Trumpeter J-8

- additional/modified antennae and air sensors, including a RHAWS sensor at the top of the fin

- a refueling probe above the right air intake, from a Harrier GR.3, modified

- a Martin Baker ejection seat and some cockpit interior details

Painting and markings:

Since the fictional PAF Kfirs were to be primarily operated in the interceptor role, I gave the aircraft an air superiority scheme. Inspiration was taken from the type’s predecessor, the PAF’s F-8 Crusaders and their late Eighties livery, a wraparound scheme in two grey tones, coupled with low-viz (black) markings.

I actually used the F-8 camouflage pattern as benchmark and tried to adapt it to the delta-wing Kfir, but this eventually ended in almost complete improvisation. The colors are – based on visual impressions of some PAF Crusaders rather than on hard facts (since these turned out to be quite contradictive and/or implausible) – FS 36440 and 36270, Humbrol 129 and 126, respectively. The result appears a bit pale and reminds a lot of the French air superiority scheme (which is more bluish, though), but it does not look bad at all.

The radome and other dielectric fairings were slightly set apart from the camouflage tones (with Revell 47). The landing gear as well as the air intake interior were painted in gloss white (Humbrol 22), while the cockpit was painted in Sea Grey (Humbrol 27).

The model only received a light weathering treatment through a black ink washing and some post-shading with slightly lighter tones, since the aircraft would be relatively new in service – even though I have the impression that any PAF aircraft’s exterior quickly suffered under the local climate?

The national markings belong to a Philippine F-5 (a late camouflaged aircraft, hence the insignias’ small size), taken from an Aztec Decal sheet. The modex was created from code markings for a Bréguet Alizé and the cobra emblems on the fin belong to a Malaysian MiG-29 (Begemot sheet). The contemporary USAF-style BuNo for PAF aircraft was created with single decal letters – a fiddly affair.

Only a few stencils were actually taken from the OOB sheet and many of the original red markings were replaced. Most stencils became black and the walkway markings on the wings were replaced by segmented lines from a Mirage 2000.

After some final, very light weathering with graphite the kit was finally sealed with a coat of matt acrylic varnish (Italeri) and completed.

Nothing spectacular, but rather an exotic and still plausible what-if build, rooted in real life. While the paint scheme as such is not outstanding, I must say that the two-tone grey scheme suits the Kfir well, esp. together with the subdued markings.

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on authentic facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

The forerunners of the Philippine Air Force was the Philippine Militia, otherwise known as Philippine National Guard (PNG). On March 17, 1917 Senate President Manuel L. Quezon enacted a bill (Militia Act 2715) for the creation of the Philippine Militia, in anticipation that there would be an outbreak of hostilities between United States and Germany.

Beyond these standard duties, the PAF’s new type also took part in several other deployments: On 26 January 2017, two Philippine Air Force Kfir C.10s demonstrated their strike capabilities for the first time and conducted a nighttime attack on terrorist hideouts in Butig, Lanao del Sur province in Mindanao, the first “hot” combat sortie flown by these aircraft. In June 2017, Kfirs and FA-50s were sent out to conduct airstrikes against Maute terrorists entrenched in the city of Marawi, starting in May 2017.

General characteristics:

Crew: One

Length: 15.65 m (51 ft 4¼ 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. takeoff weight: 16,200 kg (35,715 lb)

Powerplant:

1× IAl Bedek-built General Electric J-79-J1E turbojet with a dry thrust of 52.9 kN (11,890 lb st)

and 79.62 kN (17,900 lb st) thrust with afterburner

Performance:

Maximum speed: 2,440 km/h (2 Mach, 1,317 knots, 1,516 mph) above 11,000 m (36,000 ft)

Combat radius: 768 km (415 nmi, 477 mi) in ground attack role, with, hi-lo-hi profile, seven 500 lb

bombs, two AAMs, two 1,300 L drop tanks

Maximum range: 3,232 km (2,008 miles, 1744 nm), high profile, with two 1,300 L drop tank

Service ceiling: 22,860 m (75,000 ft)

Rate of climb: 233 m/s (45,950 ft/min)

Armament:

2× Rafael-built 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA 553 cannons, 140 RPG

9× hardpoints for a total payload of 5,775 kg (12,730 lb), including an assortment of unguided

air-to-ground rockets, guided missiles (AIM-9 Sidewinders, Shafrir or Python-series AAMs; Shrike

ARMs and AGM-65 Maverick ASMs) or bombs such as the Mark 80 series, Paveway and Griffin

LGBs, SMKBs,TAL-1 OR TAL-2 CBUs, BLU-107 Matra Durandal, reconnaissance pods or Drop tanks

The kit and its assembly:

Like many of my what-if models, this one is rooted in real life. AFAIK, the PAF actually considered the procurement of refurbished, ex-Israeli Kfirs after the purchase of 2nd hand F-16s had turned out to be too costly – but even the Kfir deal did not materialize due to budgetary restrictions. However, whifworld can change this… And eventually, the PAF procured the South Korean FA-50 Golden Eagle multi-role advanced trainer.

The kit is the Italeri Kfir C.2/7, a sound and priceworthy offering, but it comes with some inherent flaws - the alternative Hasegawa kit is IMHO much easier to build, even though it is not much more detailed. Problem zones of the Italeri kit include the complex intersection between the air intakes, wings and the fuselage (nothing fits well, gaps galore!), ejector pin markings on the landing gear and on the wheels, sinkholes on the wings’ upper side towards the leading edges and the cockpit tub as a whole, which seems to stem from a different kit - including the dashboard, which is too wide, too.

In order to keep things simple and plausible, the kit was mostly built OOB, which is in itself enough work, with only a few cosmetic changes:

- a new nose section with a bigger radome from the scrap box and transplanted chines and pitot

- replacement of the early OOB Shafrir AAMs with Python AAMs, left over from a Trumpeter J-8

- additional/modified antennae and air sensors, including a RHAWS sensor at the top of the fin

- a refueling probe above the right air intake, from a Harrier GR.3, modified

- a Martin Baker ejection seat and some cockpit interior details

Painting and markings:

Since the fictional PAF Kfirs were to be primarily operated in the interceptor role, I gave the aircraft an air superiority scheme. Inspiration was taken from the type’s predecessor, the PAF’s F-8 Crusaders and their late Eighties livery, a wraparound scheme in two grey tones, coupled with low-viz (black) markings.

I actually used the F-8 camouflage pattern as benchmark and tried to adapt it to the delta-wing Kfir, but this eventually ended in almost complete improvisation. The colors are – based on visual impressions of some PAF Crusaders rather than on hard facts (since these turned out to be quite contradictive and/or implausible) – FS 36440 and 36270, Humbrol 129 and 126, respectively. The result appears a bit pale and reminds a lot of the French air superiority scheme (which is more bluish, though), but it does not look bad at all.

The radome and other dielectric fairings were slightly set apart from the camouflage tones (with Revell 47). The landing gear as well as the air intake interior were painted in gloss white (Humbrol 22), while the cockpit was painted in Sea Grey (Humbrol 27).

The model only received a light weathering treatment through a black ink washing and some post-shading with slightly lighter tones, since the aircraft would be relatively new in service – even though I have the impression that any PAF aircraft’s exterior quickly suffered under the local climate?

The national markings belong to a Philippine F-5 (a late camouflaged aircraft, hence the insignias’ small size), taken from an Aztec Decal sheet. The modex was created from code markings for a Bréguet Alizé and the cobra emblems on the fin belong to a Malaysian MiG-29 (Begemot sheet). The contemporary USAF-style BuNo for PAF aircraft was created with single decal letters – a fiddly affair.

Only a few stencils were actually taken from the OOB sheet and many of the original red markings were replaced. Most stencils became black and the walkway markings on the wings were replaced by segmented lines from a Mirage 2000.

After some final, very light weathering with graphite the kit was finally sealed with a coat of matt acrylic varnish (Italeri) and completed.

Nothing spectacular, but rather an exotic and still plausible what-if build, rooted in real life. While the paint scheme as such is not outstanding, I must say that the two-tone grey scheme suits the Kfir well, esp. together with the subdued markings.

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on authentic facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

The forerunners of the Philippine Air Force was the Philippine Militia, otherwise known as Philippine National Guard (PNG). On March 17, 1917 Senate President Manuel L. Quezon enacted a bill (Militia Act 2715) for the creation of the Philippine Militia, in anticipation that there would be an outbreak of hostilities between United States and Germany.

Beyond these standard duties, the PAF’s new type also took part in several other deployments: On 26 January 2017, two Philippine Air Force Kfir C.10s demonstrated their strike capabilities for the first time and conducted a nighttime attack on terrorist hideouts in Butig, Lanao del Sur province in Mindanao, the first “hot” combat sortie flown by these aircraft. In June 2017, Kfirs and FA-50s were sent out to conduct airstrikes against Maute terrorists entrenched in the city of Marawi, starting in May 2017.

General characteristics:

Crew: One

Length: 15.65 m (51 ft 4¼ 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. takeoff weight: 16,200 kg (35,715 lb)

Powerplant:

1× IAl Bedek-built General Electric J-79-J1E turbojet with a dry thrust of 52.9 kN (11,890 lb st)

and 79.62 kN (17,900 lb st) thrust with afterburner

Performance:

Maximum speed: 2,440 km/h (2 Mach, 1,317 knots, 1,516 mph) above 11,000 m (36,000 ft)

Combat radius: 768 km (415 nmi, 477 mi) in ground attack role, with, hi-lo-hi profile, seven 500 lb

bombs, two AAMs, two 1,300 L drop tanks

Maximum range: 3,232 km (2,008 miles, 1744 nm), high profile, with two 1,300 L drop tank

Service ceiling: 22,860 m (75,000 ft)

Rate of climb: 233 m/s (45,950 ft/min)

Armament:

2× Rafael-built 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA 553 cannons, 140 RPG

9× hardpoints for a total payload of 5,775 kg (12,730 lb), including an assortment of unguided

air-to-ground rockets, guided missiles (AIM-9 Sidewinders, Shafrir or Python-series AAMs; Shrike

ARMs and AGM-65 Maverick ASMs) or bombs such as the Mark 80 series, Paveway and Griffin

LGBs, SMKBs,TAL-1 OR TAL-2 CBUs, BLU-107 Matra Durandal, reconnaissance pods or Drop tanks

The kit and its assembly:

Like many of my what-if models, this one is rooted in real life. AFAIK, the PAF actually considered the procurement of refurbished, ex-Israeli Kfirs after the purchase of 2nd hand F-16s had turned out to be too costly – but even the Kfir deal did not materialize due to budgetary restrictions. However, whifworld can change this… And eventually, the PAF procured the South Korean FA-50 Golden Eagle multi-role advanced trainer.

The kit is the Italeri Kfir C.2/7, a sound and priceworthy offering, but it comes with some inherent flaws - the alternative Hasegawa kit is IMHO much easier to build, even though it is not much more detailed. Problem zones of the Italeri kit include the complex intersection between the air intakes, wings and the fuselage (nothing fits well, gaps galore!), ejector pin markings on the landing gear and on the wheels, sinkholes on the wings’ upper side towards the leading edges and the cockpit tub as a whole, which seems to stem from a different kit - including the dashboard, which is too wide, too.

In order to keep things simple and plausible, the kit was mostly built OOB, which is in itself enough work, with only a few cosmetic changes:

- a new nose section with a bigger radome from the scrap box and transplanted chines and pitot

- replacement of the early OOB Shafrir AAMs with Python AAMs, left over from a Trumpeter J-8

- additional/modified antennae and air sensors, including a RHAWS sensor at the top of the fin

- a refueling probe above the right air intake, from a Harrier GR.3, modified

- a Martin Baker ejection seat and some cockpit interior details

Painting and markings:

Since the fictional PAF Kfirs were to be primarily operated in the interceptor role, I gave the aircraft an air superiority scheme. Inspiration was taken from the type’s predecessor, the PAF’s F-8 Crusaders and their late Eighties livery, a wraparound scheme in two grey tones, coupled with low-viz (black) markings.

I actually used the F-8 camouflage pattern as benchmark and tried to adapt it to the delta-wing Kfir, but this eventually ended in almost complete improvisation. The colors are – based on visual impressions of some PAF Crusaders rather than on hard facts (since these turned out to be quite contradictive and/or implausible) – FS 36440 and 36270, Humbrol 129 and 126, respectively. The result appears a bit pale and reminds a lot of the French air superiority scheme (which is more bluish, though), but it does not look bad at all.

The radome and other dielectric fairings were slightly set apart from the camouflage tones (with Revell 47). The landing gear as well as the air intake interior were painted in gloss white (Humbrol 22), while the cockpit was painted in Sea Grey (Humbrol 27).

The model only received a light weathering treatment through a black ink washing and some post-shading with slightly lighter tones, since the aircraft would be relatively new in service – even though I have the impression that any PAF aircraft’s exterior quickly suffered under the local climate?

The national markings belong to a Philippine F-5 (a late camouflaged aircraft, hence the insignias’ small size), taken from an Aztec Decal sheet. The modex was created from code markings for a Bréguet Alizé and the cobra emblems on the fin belong to a Malaysian MiG-29 (Begemot sheet). The contemporary USAF-style BuNo for PAF aircraft was created with single decal letters – a fiddly affair.

Only a few stencils were actually taken from the OOB sheet and many of the original red markings were replaced. Most stencils became black and the walkway markings on the wings were replaced by segmented lines from a Mirage 2000.

After some final, very light weathering with graphite the kit was finally sealed with a coat of matt acrylic varnish (Italeri) and completed.

Nothing spectacular, but rather an exotic and still plausible what-if build, rooted in real life. While the paint scheme as such is not outstanding, I must say that the two-tone grey scheme suits the Kfir well, esp. together with the subdued markings.

The fourth of the 1950s era “Century Series,” the F-104 Starfighter was designed around one single element: speed. Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, head of Lockheed’s famous “Skunk Works” factory, had interviewed US Air Force pilots during the Korean War, seeking their input on any new fighter. Since the pilots reported that they wanted high performance more than anything else, Johnson returned to the United States determined to deliver exactly that: a simple, point-defense interceptor marrying the lightest airframe to the most powerful engine then available, the superb General Electric J79.

When Johnson offered the L-098 design to the USAF in 1952, the service was so impressed that they created an entire competition for the aircraft to be accepted, ostensibly as a F-100 Super Sabre replacement. The Lockheed design had the clear edge, though both North American’s and Northrop’s design went on to be built themselves—the North American F-107A Ultra Sabre and the Northrop T-38 Talon. The USAF purchased the L-098 as the F-104A Starfighter. The design changed very little from initial design to prototype to operational aircraft, which was done in the astonishing time of two years.

When the first F-104As reached the USAF in 1958, pilots quickly found that it was indeed a hot fighter—too hot. The Starfighter’s design philosophy of speed above all else resulted in an aircraft with a long fuselage, T-tail for stability, and small wings, which were so thin that special guards had to be put on the leading edges to avoid injuring ground personnel. Because of its small wing, the F-104 required a lot of runway, and blown flaps (which vents airflow from the engine over the flaps to increase lift) were a necessity; unfortunately, the airflow system often failed, which meant that the F-104 pilot would be coming in at a dangerous rate of speed. Because it was feared that a pilot who ejected from a F-104 would never clear the tail, a downward-ejection seat was fitted, but after killing over 20 pilots, the seat was retrofitted with a more reliable, upward-firing type. The design also was not very maneuverable in the horizontal, though it was difficult to match in the vertical. Its shape earned it the moniker “Missile With a Man In It” and “Zipper.”

One thing pilots did not complain about was its speed—the listed top speed of the F-104 was Mach 2.2, but this was because above that the fuselage would melt. The J79 was a near flawless engine that gave the Starfighter an excellent thrust-to-weight ratio; uniquely, the intake design of the Starfighter gave the engine a bansheelike wail. So superb was the F-104 at level speed and climbing that NASA leased several as trainers for the X-15 program, and in setting a number of speed and time-to-climb records.

If the F-104 had gotten a mixed reception at best in the USAF, Lockheed felt that it had potential as an export aircraft. Beating out several excellent British and other American designs in a 1961 competition, every NATO nation except France and Great Britain bought F-104s and manufactured their own as the F-104G; Japan also license-built Starfighters as F-104Js, while still more were supplied to Pakistan and Taiwan. Just as in USAF service, accident rates were incredibly high, particularly in West German and Canadian service—Germany lost 30 percent of its initial batch, and the Canadians over half. Worries that the F-104 was too “hot” for pilots usually transitioning from the F-86 were ignored, and later it was learned why: German, Dutch, and Japanese politicians later admitted to being bribed by Lockheed into buying the Starfighter.

Its high accident rate earned such nicknames as “Widowmaker,” “Flying Coffin,” and “Ground Nail.” Pakistani pilots simply called it Badmash (“Criminal”) and the Japanese Eiko (“Glory,” inferring that it was the easiest way to reach it). German pilots joked that the quickest way to obtain a F-104 was to buy a patch of land and wait.

Nonetheless, once pilots learned how to tame the beast, the accident rates eased somewhat, and NATO pilots discovered that the Starfighter excelled as a low-level attack aircraft: fitted with bomb racks, the F-104 was remarkably stable at low altitude and high speed, and Luftwaffe pilots in particular found that they could sneak up on a target, launch a simulated attack, and be gone before ground defenses could react. The Italians in particular loved the F-104, building their own as the F-104S: these aircraft were equipped with multimode radar and armed with AIM-7 Sparrow and Aspide radar-guided missiles, making them a superb interceptor. Though most NATO nations reequipped their F-104 units with F-16s, F-18s, or Tornados beginning in 1980, the Italian F-104S fleet was continually upgraded and soldiered on until final retirement in 2004. 2578 F-104s were built, mostly F-104Gs; today over 150 survive in museums, with at least ten flyable examples, making it one of the best preserved of the Century Series.

Finding the history of F-104D 57-1333 was a bit difficult, and the record remains incomplete. It is known that, like most ex-USAF F-104s, 57-1333 flew with the 479th Tactical Fighter Wing at George AFB, California, but also spent some time with the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB as well. When it was retired is unknown; it may have been as early as 1967. It spent some time in storage at MASDC, but in 1984, 57-1333 was saved from scrapping when it was donated to the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

This is probably one of the oddest ways to display an aircraft: high up on the side of the building, with the aircraft tilted 90 degrees! It does give the impression that 57-1333 is doing a knife-edge pass over the museum, but it also makes it a little hard to see, especially if someone doesn't know that it's even there. The Center has not painted it as a USAF aircraft, but spurious (albeit attractive) scheme that is similar to NASA's, as well as the Starfighters aerobatic team. It is starting to show some effects of being out in the elements; whether the Center intends to keep it on the side of the building or if it moves it inside its new facility is unknown.

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on authentic facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

The forerunners of the Philippine Air Force was the Philippine Militia, otherwise known as Philippine National Guard (PNG). On March 17, 1917 Senate President Manuel L. Quezon enacted a bill (Militia Act 2715) for the creation of the Philippine Militia, in anticipation that there would be an outbreak of hostilities between United States and Germany.

Beyond these standard duties, the PAF’s new type also took part in several other deployments: On 26 January 2017, two Philippine Air Force Kfir C.10s demonstrated their strike capabilities for the first time and conducted a nighttime attack on terrorist hideouts in Butig, Lanao del Sur province in Mindanao, the first “hot” combat sortie flown by these aircraft. In June 2017, Kfirs and FA-50s were sent out to conduct airstrikes against Maute terrorists entrenched in the city of Marawi, starting in May 2017.

General characteristics:

Crew: One

Length: 15.65 m (51 ft 4¼ 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. takeoff weight: 16,200 kg (35,715 lb)

Powerplant:

1× IAl Bedek-built General Electric J-79-J1E turbojet with a dry thrust of 52.9 kN (11,890 lb st)

and 79.62 kN (17,900 lb st) thrust with afterburner

Performance:

Maximum speed: 2,440 km/h (2 Mach, 1,317 knots, 1,516 mph) above 11,000 m (36,000 ft)

Combat radius: 768 km (415 nmi, 477 mi) in ground attack role, with, hi-lo-hi profile, seven 500 lb

bombs, two AAMs, two 1,300 L drop tanks

Maximum range: 3,232 km (2,008 miles, 1744 nm), high profile, with two 1,300 L drop tank

Service ceiling: 22,860 m (75,000 ft)

Rate of climb: 233 m/s (45,950 ft/min)

Armament:

2× Rafael-built 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA 553 cannons, 140 RPG

9× hardpoints for a total payload of 5,775 kg (12,730 lb), including an assortment of unguided

air-to-ground rockets, guided missiles (AIM-9 Sidewinders, Shafrir or Python-series AAMs; Shrike

ARMs and AGM-65 Maverick ASMs) or bombs such as the Mark 80 series, Paveway and Griffin

LGBs, SMKBs,TAL-1 OR TAL-2 CBUs, BLU-107 Matra Durandal, reconnaissance pods or Drop tanks

The kit and its assembly:

Like many of my what-if models, this one is rooted in real life. AFAIK, the PAF actually considered the procurement of refurbished, ex-Israeli Kfirs after the purchase of 2nd hand F-16s had turned out to be too costly – but even the Kfir deal did not materialize due to budgetary restrictions. However, whifworld can change this… And eventually, the PAF procured the South Korean FA-50 Golden Eagle multi-role advanced trainer.

The kit is the Italeri Kfir C.2/7, a sound and priceworthy offering, but it comes with some inherent flaws - the alternative Hasegawa kit is IMHO much easier to build, even though it is not much more detailed. Problem zones of the Italeri kit include the complex intersection between the air intakes, wings and the fuselage (nothing fits well, gaps galore!), ejector pin markings on the landing gear and on the wheels, sinkholes on the wings’ upper side towards the leading edges and the cockpit tub as a whole, which seems to stem from a different kit - including the dashboard, which is too wide, too.

In order to keep things simple and plausible, the kit was mostly built OOB, which is in itself enough work, with only a few cosmetic changes:

- a new nose section with a bigger radome from the scrap box and transplanted chines and pitot

- replacement of the early OOB Shafrir AAMs with Python AAMs, left over from a Trumpeter J-8

- additional/modified antennae and air sensors, including a RHAWS sensor at the top of the fin

- a refueling probe above the right air intake, from a Harrier GR.3, modified

- a Martin Baker ejection seat and some cockpit interior details

Painting and markings:

Since the fictional PAF Kfirs were to be primarily operated in the interceptor role, I gave the aircraft an air superiority scheme. Inspiration was taken from the type’s predecessor, the PAF’s F-8 Crusaders and their late Eighties livery, a wraparound scheme in two grey tones, coupled with low-viz (black) markings.

I actually used the F-8 camouflage pattern as benchmark and tried to adapt it to the delta-wing Kfir, but this eventually ended in almost complete improvisation. The colors are – based on visual impressions of some PAF Crusaders rather than on hard facts (since these turned out to be quite contradictive and/or implausible) – FS 36440 and 36270, Humbrol 129 and 126, respectively. The result appears a bit pale and reminds a lot of the French air superiority scheme (which is more bluish, though), but it does not look bad at all.

The radome and other dielectric fairings were slightly set apart from the camouflage tones (with Revell 47). The landing gear as well as the air intake interior were painted in gloss white (Humbrol 22), while the cockpit was painted in Sea Grey (Humbrol 27).

The model only received a light weathering treatment through a black ink washing and some post-shading with slightly lighter tones, since the aircraft would be relatively new in service – even though I have the impression that any PAF aircraft’s exterior quickly suffered under the local climate?

The national markings belong to a Philippine F-5 (a late camouflaged aircraft, hence the insignias’ small size), taken from an Aztec Decal sheet. The modex was created from code markings for a Bréguet Alizé and the cobra emblems on the fin belong to a Malaysian MiG-29 (Begemot sheet). The contemporary USAF-style BuNo for PAF aircraft was created with single decal letters – a fiddly affair.

Only a few stencils were actually taken from the OOB sheet and many of the original red markings were replaced. Most stencils became black and the walkway markings on the wings were replaced by segmented lines from a Mirage 2000.

After some final, very light weathering with graphite the kit was finally sealed with a coat of matt acrylic varnish (Italeri) and completed.

Nothing spectacular, but rather an exotic and still plausible what-if build, rooted in real life. While the paint scheme as such is not outstanding, I must say that the two-tone grey scheme suits the Kfir well, esp. together with the subdued markings.

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on authentic facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

The forerunners of the Philippine Air Force was the Philippine Militia, otherwise known as Philippine National Guard (PNG). On March 17, 1917 Senate President Manuel L. Quezon enacted a bill (Militia Act 2715) for the creation of the Philippine Militia, in anticipation that there would be an outbreak of hostilities between United States and Germany.

Beyond these standard duties, the PAF’s new type also took part in several other deployments: On 26 January 2017, two Philippine Air Force Kfir C.10s demonstrated their strike capabilities for the first time and conducted a nighttime attack on terrorist hideouts in Butig, Lanao del Sur province in Mindanao, the first “hot” combat sortie flown by these aircraft. In June 2017, Kfirs and FA-50s were sent out to conduct airstrikes against Maute terrorists entrenched in the city of Marawi, starting in May 2017.

General characteristics:

Crew: One

Length: 15.65 m (51 ft 4¼ 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. takeoff weight: 16,200 kg (35,715 lb)

Powerplant:

1× IAl Bedek-built General Electric J-79-J1E turbojet with a dry thrust of 52.9 kN (11,890 lb st)

and 79.62 kN (17,900 lb st) thrust with afterburner

Performance:

Maximum speed: 2,440 km/h (2 Mach, 1,317 knots, 1,516 mph) above 11,000 m (36,000 ft)

Combat radius: 768 km (415 nmi, 477 mi) in ground attack role, with, hi-lo-hi profile, seven 500 lb

bombs, two AAMs, two 1,300 L drop tanks

Maximum range: 3,232 km (2,008 miles, 1744 nm), high profile, with two 1,300 L drop tank

Service ceiling: 22,860 m (75,000 ft)

Rate of climb: 233 m/s (45,950 ft/min)

Armament:

2× Rafael-built 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA 553 cannons, 140 RPG

9× hardpoints for a total payload of 5,775 kg (12,730 lb), including an assortment of unguided

air-to-ground rockets, guided missiles (AIM-9 Sidewinders, Shafrir or Python-series AAMs; Shrike

ARMs and AGM-65 Maverick ASMs) or bombs such as the Mark 80 series, Paveway and Griffin

LGBs, SMKBs,TAL-1 OR TAL-2 CBUs, BLU-107 Matra Durandal, reconnaissance pods or Drop tanks

The kit and its assembly:

Like many of my what-if models, this one is rooted in real life. AFAIK, the PAF actually considered the procurement of refurbished, ex-Israeli Kfirs after the purchase of 2nd hand F-16s had turned out to be too costly – but even the Kfir deal did not materialize due to budgetary restrictions. However, whifworld can change this… And eventually, the PAF procured the South Korean FA-50 Golden Eagle multi-role advanced trainer.

The kit is the Italeri Kfir C.2/7, a sound and priceworthy offering, but it comes with some inherent flaws - the alternative Hasegawa kit is IMHO much easier to build, even though it is not much more detailed. Problem zones of the Italeri kit include the complex intersection between the air intakes, wings and the fuselage (nothing fits well, gaps galore!), ejector pin markings on the landing gear and on the wheels, sinkholes on the wings’ upper side towards the leading edges and the cockpit tub as a whole, which seems to stem from a different kit - including the dashboard, which is too wide, too.

In order to keep things simple and plausible, the kit was mostly built OOB, which is in itself enough work, with only a few cosmetic changes:

- a new nose section with a bigger radome from the scrap box and transplanted chines and pitot

- replacement of the early OOB Shafrir AAMs with Python AAMs, left over from a Trumpeter J-8

- additional/modified antennae and air sensors, including a RHAWS sensor at the top of the fin

- a refueling probe above the right air intake, from a Harrier GR.3, modified

- a Martin Baker ejection seat and some cockpit interior details

Painting and markings:

Since the fictional PAF Kfirs were to be primarily operated in the interceptor role, I gave the aircraft an air superiority scheme. Inspiration was taken from the type’s predecessor, the PAF’s F-8 Crusaders and their late Eighties livery, a wraparound scheme in two grey tones, coupled with low-viz (black) markings.

I actually used the F-8 camouflage pattern as benchmark and tried to adapt it to the delta-wing Kfir, but this eventually ended in almost complete improvisation. The colors are – based on visual impressions of some PAF Crusaders rather than on hard facts (since these turned out to be quite contradictive and/or implausible) – FS 36440 and 36270, Humbrol 129 and 126, respectively. The result appears a bit pale and reminds a lot of the French air superiority scheme (which is more bluish, though), but it does not look bad at all.

The radome and other dielectric fairings were slightly set apart from the camouflage tones (with Revell 47). The landing gear as well as the air intake interior were painted in gloss white (Humbrol 22), while the cockpit was painted in Sea Grey (Humbrol 27).

The model only received a light weathering treatment through a black ink washing and some post-shading with slightly lighter tones, since the aircraft would be relatively new in service – even though I have the impression that any PAF aircraft’s exterior quickly suffered under the local climate?

The national markings belong to a Philippine F-5 (a late camouflaged aircraft, hence the insignias’ small size), taken from an Aztec Decal sheet. The modex was created from code markings for a Bréguet Alizé and the cobra emblems on the fin belong to a Malaysian MiG-29 (Begemot sheet). The contemporary USAF-style BuNo for PAF aircraft was created with single decal letters – a fiddly affair.

Only a few stencils were actually taken from the OOB sheet and many of the original red markings were replaced. Most stencils became black and the walkway markings on the wings were replaced by segmented lines from a Mirage 2000.

After some final, very light weathering with graphite the kit was finally sealed with a coat of matt acrylic varnish (Italeri) and completed.

Nothing spectacular, but rather an exotic and still plausible what-if build, rooted in real life. While the paint scheme as such is not outstanding, I must say that the two-tone grey scheme suits the Kfir well, esp. together with the subdued markings.

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on authentic facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

The forerunners of the Philippine Air Force was the Philippine Militia, otherwise known as Philippine National Guard (PNG). On March 17, 1917 Senate President Manuel L. Quezon enacted a bill (Militia Act 2715) for the creation of the Philippine Militia, in anticipation that there would be an outbreak of hostilities between United States and Germany.

Beyond these standard duties, the PAF’s new type also took part in several other deployments: On 26 January 2017, two Philippine Air Force Kfir C.10s demonstrated their strike capabilities for the first time and conducted a nighttime attack on terrorist hideouts in Butig, Lanao del Sur province in Mindanao, the first “hot” combat sortie flown by these aircraft. In June 2017, Kfirs and FA-50s were sent out to conduct airstrikes against Maute terrorists entrenched in the city of Marawi, starting in May 2017.

General characteristics:

Crew: One

Length: 15.65 m (51 ft 4¼ 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. takeoff weight: 16,200 kg (35,715 lb)

Powerplant:

1× IAl Bedek-built General Electric J-79-J1E turbojet with a dry thrust of 52.9 kN (11,890 lb st)

and 79.62 kN (17,900 lb st) thrust with afterburner

Performance:

Maximum speed: 2,440 km/h (2 Mach, 1,317 knots, 1,516 mph) above 11,000 m (36,000 ft)

Combat radius: 768 km (415 nmi, 477 mi) in ground attack role, with, hi-lo-hi profile, seven 500 lb

bombs, two AAMs, two 1,300 L drop tanks

Maximum range: 3,232 km (2,008 miles, 1744 nm), high profile, with two 1,300 L drop tank

Service ceiling: 22,860 m (75,000 ft)

Rate of climb: 233 m/s (45,950 ft/min)

Armament:

2× Rafael-built 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA 553 cannons, 140 RPG

9× hardpoints for a total payload of 5,775 kg (12,730 lb), including an assortment of unguided

air-to-ground rockets, guided missiles (AIM-9 Sidewinders, Shafrir or Python-series AAMs; Shrike

ARMs and AGM-65 Maverick ASMs) or bombs such as the Mark 80 series, Paveway and Griffin

LGBs, SMKBs,TAL-1 OR TAL-2 CBUs, BLU-107 Matra Durandal, reconnaissance pods or Drop tanks

The kit and its assembly:

Like many of my what-if models, this one is rooted in real life. AFAIK, the PAF actually considered the procurement of refurbished, ex-Israeli Kfirs after the purchase of 2nd hand F-16s had turned out to be too costly – but even the Kfir deal did not materialize due to budgetary restrictions. However, whifworld can change this… And eventually, the PAF procured the South Korean FA-50 Golden Eagle multi-role advanced trainer.

The kit is the Italeri Kfir C.2/7, a sound and priceworthy offering, but it comes with some inherent flaws - the alternative Hasegawa kit is IMHO much easier to build, even though it is not much more detailed. Problem zones of the Italeri kit include the complex intersection between the air intakes, wings and the fuselage (nothing fits well, gaps galore!), ejector pin markings on the landing gear and on the wheels, sinkholes on the wings’ upper side towards the leading edges and the cockpit tub as a whole, which seems to stem from a different kit - including the dashboard, which is too wide, too.

In order to keep things simple and plausible, the kit was mostly built OOB, which is in itself enough work, with only a few cosmetic changes:

- a new nose section with a bigger radome from the scrap box and transplanted chines and pitot

- replacement of the early OOB Shafrir AAMs with Python AAMs, left over from a Trumpeter J-8

- additional/modified antennae and air sensors, including a RHAWS sensor at the top of the fin

- a refueling probe above the right air intake, from a Harrier GR.3, modified

- a Martin Baker ejection seat and some cockpit interior details

Painting and markings:

Since the fictional PAF Kfirs were to be primarily operated in the interceptor role, I gave the aircraft an air superiority scheme. Inspiration was taken from the type’s predecessor, the PAF’s F-8 Crusaders and their late Eighties livery, a wraparound scheme in two grey tones, coupled with low-viz (black) markings.

I actually used the F-8 camouflage pattern as benchmark and tried to adapt it to the delta-wing Kfir, but this eventually ended in almost complete improvisation. The colors are – based on visual impressions of some PAF Crusaders rather than on hard facts (since these turned out to be quite contradictive and/or implausible) – FS 36440 and 36270, Humbrol 129 and 126, respectively. The result appears a bit pale and reminds a lot of the French air superiority scheme (which is more bluish, though), but it does not look bad at all.

The radome and other dielectric fairings were slightly set apart from the camouflage tones (with Revell 47). The landing gear as well as the air intake interior were painted in gloss white (Humbrol 22), while the cockpit was painted in Sea Grey (Humbrol 27).

The model only received a light weathering treatment through a black ink washing and some post-shading with slightly lighter tones, since the aircraft would be relatively new in service – even though I have the impression that any PAF aircraft’s exterior quickly suffered under the local climate?

The national markings belong to a Philippine F-5 (a late camouflaged aircraft, hence the insignias’ small size), taken from an Aztec Decal sheet. The modex was created from code markings for a Bréguet Alizé and the cobra emblems on the fin belong to a Malaysian MiG-29 (Begemot sheet). The contemporary USAF-style BuNo for PAF aircraft was created with single decal letters – a fiddly affair.

Only a few stencils were actually taken from the OOB sheet and many of the original red markings were replaced. Most stencils became black and the walkway markings on the wings were replaced by segmented lines from a Mirage 2000.

After some final, very light weathering with graphite the kit was finally sealed with a coat of matt acrylic varnish (Italeri) and completed.

Nothing spectacular, but rather an exotic and still plausible what-if build, rooted in real life. While the paint scheme as such is not outstanding, I must say that the two-tone grey scheme suits the Kfir well, esp. together with the subdued markings.

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on authentic facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

The forerunners of the Philippine Air Force was the Philippine Militia, otherwise known as Philippine National Guard (PNG). On March 17, 1917 Senate President Manuel L. Quezon enacted a bill (Militia Act 2715) for the creation of the Philippine Militia, in anticipation that there would be an outbreak of hostilities between United States and Germany.

Beyond these standard duties, the PAF’s new type also took part in several other deployments: On 26 January 2017, two Philippine Air Force Kfir C.10s demonstrated their strike capabilities for the first time and conducted a nighttime attack on terrorist hideouts in Butig, Lanao del Sur province in Mindanao, the first “hot” combat sortie flown by these aircraft. In June 2017, Kfirs and FA-50s were sent out to conduct airstrikes against Maute terrorists entrenched in the city of Marawi, starting in May 2017.

General characteristics:

Crew: One

Length: 15.65 m (51 ft 4¼ 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. takeoff weight: 16,200 kg (35,715 lb)

Powerplant:

1× IAl Bedek-built General Electric J-79-J1E turbojet with a dry thrust of 52.9 kN (11,890 lb st)

and 79.62 kN (17,900 lb st) thrust with afterburner

Performance:

Maximum speed: 2,440 km/h (2 Mach, 1,317 knots, 1,516 mph) above 11,000 m (36,000 ft)

Combat radius: 768 km (415 nmi, 477 mi) in ground attack role, with, hi-lo-hi profile, seven 500 lb

bombs, two AAMs, two 1,300 L drop tanks

Maximum range: 3,232 km (2,008 miles, 1744 nm), high profile, with two 1,300 L drop tank

Service ceiling: 22,860 m (75,000 ft)

Rate of climb: 233 m/s (45,950 ft/min)

Armament:

2× Rafael-built 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA 553 cannons, 140 RPG

9× hardpoints for a total payload of 5,775 kg (12,730 lb), including an assortment of unguided

air-to-ground rockets, guided missiles (AIM-9 Sidewinders, Shafrir or Python-series AAMs; Shrike

ARMs and AGM-65 Maverick ASMs) or bombs such as the Mark 80 series, Paveway and Griffin

LGBs, SMKBs,TAL-1 OR TAL-2 CBUs, BLU-107 Matra Durandal, reconnaissance pods or Drop tanks

The kit and its assembly:

Like many of my what-if models, this one is rooted in real life. AFAIK, the PAF actually considered the procurement of refurbished, ex-Israeli Kfirs after the purchase of 2nd hand F-16s had turned out to be too costly – but even the Kfir deal did not materialize due to budgetary restrictions. However, whifworld can change this… And eventually, the PAF procured the South Korean FA-50 Golden Eagle multi-role advanced trainer.

The kit is the Italeri Kfir C.2/7, a sound and priceworthy offering, but it comes with some inherent flaws - the alternative Hasegawa kit is IMHO much easier to build, even though it is not much more detailed. Problem zones of the Italeri kit include the complex intersection between the air intakes, wings and the fuselage (nothing fits well, gaps galore!), ejector pin markings on the landing gear and on the wheels, sinkholes on the wings’ upper side towards the leading edges and the cockpit tub as a whole, which seems to stem from a different kit - including the dashboard, which is too wide, too.

In order to keep things simple and plausible, the kit was mostly built OOB, which is in itself enough work, with only a few cosmetic changes:

- a new nose section with a bigger radome from the scrap box and transplanted chines and pitot

- replacement of the early OOB Shafrir AAMs with Python AAMs, left over from a Trumpeter J-8

- additional/modified antennae and air sensors, including a RHAWS sensor at the top of the fin

- a refueling probe above the right air intake, from a Harrier GR.3, modified

- a Martin Baker ejection seat and some cockpit interior details

Painting and markings:

Since the fictional PAF Kfirs were to be primarily operated in the interceptor role, I gave the aircraft an air superiority scheme. Inspiration was taken from the type’s predecessor, the PAF’s F-8 Crusaders and their late Eighties livery, a wraparound scheme in two grey tones, coupled with low-viz (black) markings.

I actually used the F-8 camouflage pattern as benchmark and tried to adapt it to the delta-wing Kfir, but this eventually ended in almost complete improvisation. The colors are – based on visual impressions of some PAF Crusaders rather than on hard facts (since these turned out to be quite contradictive and/or implausible) – FS 36440 and 36270, Humbrol 129 and 126, respectively. The result appears a bit pale and reminds a lot of the French air superiority scheme (which is more bluish, though), but it does not look bad at all.

The radome and other dielectric fairings were slightly set apart from the camouflage tones (with Revell 47). The landing gear as well as the air intake interior were painted in gloss white (Humbrol 22), while the cockpit was painted in Sea Grey (Humbrol 27).

The model only received a light weathering treatment through a black ink washing and some post-shading with slightly lighter tones, since the aircraft would be relatively new in service – even though I have the impression that any PAF aircraft’s exterior quickly suffered under the local climate?

The national markings belong to a Philippine F-5 (a late camouflaged aircraft, hence the insignias’ small size), taken from an Aztec Decal sheet. The modex was created from code markings for a Bréguet Alizé and the cobra emblems on the fin belong to a Malaysian MiG-29 (Begemot sheet). The contemporary USAF-style BuNo for PAF aircraft was created with single decal letters – a fiddly affair.

Only a few stencils were actually taken from the OOB sheet and many of the original red markings were replaced. Most stencils became black and the walkway markings on the wings were replaced by segmented lines from a Mirage 2000.

After some final, very light weathering with graphite the kit was finally sealed with a coat of matt acrylic varnish (Italeri) and completed.

Nothing spectacular, but rather an exotic and still plausible what-if build, rooted in real life. While the paint scheme as such is not outstanding, I must say that the two-tone grey scheme suits the Kfir well, esp. together with the subdued markings.

The fourth of the 1950s era “Century Series,” the F-104 Starfighter was designed around one single element: speed. Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, head of Lockheed’s famous “Skunk Works” factory, had interviewed US Air Force pilots during the Korean War, seeking their input on any new fighter. Since the pilots reported that they wanted high performance more than anything else, Johnson returned to the United States determined to deliver exactly that: a simple, point-defense interceptor marrying the lightest airframe to the most powerful engine then available, the superb General Electric J79.

When Johnson offered the L-098 design to the USAF in 1952, the service was so impressed that they created an entire competition for the aircraft to be accepted, ostensibly as a F-100 Super Sabre replacement. The Lockheed design had the clear edge, though both North American’s and Northrop’s design went on to be built themselves—the North American F-107A Ultra Sabre and the Northrop T-38 Talon. The USAF purchased the L-098 as the F-104A Starfighter. The design changed very little from initial design to prototype to operational aircraft, which was done in the astonishing time of two years.

When the first F-104As reached the USAF in 1958, pilots quickly found that it was indeed a hot fighter—too hot. The Starfighter’s design philosophy of speed above all else resulted in an aircraft with a long fuselage, T-tail for stability, and small wings, which were so thin that special guards had to be put on the leading edges to avoid injuring ground personnel. Because of its small wing, the F-104 required a lot of runway, and blown flaps (which vents airflow from the engine over the flaps to increase lift) were a necessity; unfortunately, the airflow system often failed, which meant that the F-104 pilot would be coming in at a dangerous rate of speed. Because it was feared that a pilot who ejected from a F-104 would never clear the tail, a downward-ejection seat was fitted, but after killing over 20 pilots, the seat was retrofitted with a more reliable, upward-firing type. The design also was not very maneuverable in the horizontal, though it was difficult to match in the vertical. Its shape earned it the moniker “Missile With a Man In It” and “Zipper.”

One thing pilots did not complain about was its speed—the listed top speed of the F-104 was Mach 2.2, but this was because above that the fuselage would melt. The J79 was a near flawless engine that gave the Starfighter an excellent thrust-to-weight ratio; uniquely, the intake design of the Starfighter gave the engine a bansheelike wail. So superb was the F-104 at level speed and climbing that NASA leased several as trainers for the X-15 program, and in setting a number of speed and time-to-climb records.

If the F-104 had gotten a mixed reception at best in the USAF, Lockheed felt that it had potential as an export aircraft. Beating out several excellent British and other American designs in a 1961 competition, every NATO nation except France and Great Britain bought F-104s and manufactured their own as the F-104G; Japan also license-built Starfighters as F-104Js, while still more were supplied to Pakistan and Taiwan. Just as in USAF service, accident rates were incredibly high, particularly in West German and Canadian service—Germany lost 30 percent of its initial batch, and the Canadians over half. Worries that the F-104 was too “hot” for pilots usually transitioning from the F-86 were ignored, and later it was learned why: German, Dutch, and Japanese politicians later admitted to being bribed by Lockheed into buying the Starfighter.

Its high accident rate earned such nicknames as “Widowmaker,” “Flying Coffin,” and “Ground Nail.” Pakistani pilots simply called it Badmash (“Criminal”) and the Japanese Eiko (“Glory,” inferring that it was the easiest way to reach it). German pilots joked that the quickest way to obtain a F-104 was to buy a patch of land and wait.

Nonetheless, once pilots learned how to tame the beast, the accident rates eased somewhat, and NATO pilots discovered that the Starfighter excelled as a low-level attack aircraft: fitted with bomb racks, the F-104 was remarkably stable at low altitude and high speed, and Luftwaffe pilots in particular found that they could sneak up on a target, launch a simulated attack, and be gone before ground defenses could react. The Italians in particular loved the F-104, building their own as the F-104S: these aircraft were equipped with multimode radar and armed with AIM-7 Sparrow and Aspide radar-guided missiles, making them a superb interceptor. Though most NATO nations reequipped their F-104 units with F-16s, F-18s, or Tornados beginning in 1980, the Italian F-104S fleet was continually upgraded and soldiered on until final retirement in 2004. 2578 F-104s were built, mostly F-104Gs; today over 150 survive in museums, with at least ten flyable examples, making it one of the best preserved of the Century Series.

Like most USAF F-104s, 57-1323 began its career with the 479th Tactical Fighter Wing at George AFB, California, where it arrived in 1959. In 1968, as the 479th transitioned into the F-4 Phantom II, 57-1323 became a test aircraft with the Armament Development and Test Center at Eglin AFB, Florida. And like most USAF F-104s, it ended its career with the 156th TFG (Puerto Rico ANG) at San Juan. 57-1323 was retired in 1975 and was donated to the Pima Air and Space Museum in 1978.

Though the F-104 is probably better known in bare metal, the remaining USAF Starfighters began to get Southeast Asia camouflage in the mid-1960s. Though the camouflage was not glossy as 57-1323 is today, it definitely enhances the already attractive lines of the F-104. The 156th TFG at the time did not have flashy unit markings; only a small ANG patch and the words "Puerto Rico" on the tail give any indication as to where 57-1323 was from. I saw this excellently preserved aircraft in May 2019.

In 1969, the Soviet Union learned of the United States’ TFX program, what would become the F-15 Eagle. This aircraft threatened to be far beyond anything the Soviets had in their inventory or planned at the time. To counter the F-15, the Sukhoi design bureau was to begin work on a long-range heavy air superiority fighter. The so-called Advanced Frontline Fighter concept was too ambitious, and so the program was split up into two designs: the long-range air superiority fighter, and the short-range battlefield air superiority fighter. Mikoyan-Gurevich, with its experience in designing light point-defense fighters like the MiG-21, was assigned this second fighter, known as the Advanced Lightweight Fighter. The latter was also meant to counter the American light fighters known to be in the design stage, the F-16 Fighting Falcon and YF-17 Cobra. The Mikoyan-Gurevich design was designated MiG-29 in 1974.

Since both it and the Advanced Frontline Fighter (which would become the Su-27) had a common origin, the designs were broadly similar, though the MiG-29 was a good deal smaller than the Sukhoi design. Both would have blended fuselages, leading-edge wing extensions for better maneuverability, twin tails, and twin engines for better survivalbility—drawing on the same lessons of the Vietnam and Arab-Israeli Wars as the Americans had. Agility was paramount in the MiG-29’s design, as was simplicity and the ability to operate from forward airfields. Because of the latter, a complicated system of vents and doors over the intakes was devised to keep any foreign objects from being sucked into the engines. The intakes themselves were also variable to control airflow to the engines. Some emphasis was given to all-around visibility from the cockpit, as MiG-21 and MiG-23 pilots had complained of poor vision to the front and rear. Because it was meant to be used very close to the fighting front, range was not an important factor in the MiG-29’s design. Mikoyan-Gurevich meant for it to be a rugged aircraft that could maneuver with anything in the West’s inventory, and largely succeeded—despite not using a fly-by-wire control system.

The biggest drawback to the MiG-29 design was its radar. Because Soviet radar technology was still a generation behind that of the West, the multimode, look-down radar the Soviet V-VS desired was too big to fit in a smaller aircraft like the MiG-29. As a result, the radar from the MiG-23MF was adapted and modified. While the radar could track multiple targets, it could not pick out small targets at range and could only guide one missile at a time. This put the MiG-29 at a severe disadvantage: in hypothetical combat with a F-15, both pilots would detect each other at the same time, but the MiG-29 would be unable to respond until the range closed to visual range. Once at close range, the advantage would switch to the more maneuverable MiG-29, which compensated for its lack of long-range firepower by using both a helmet-mounted sight (which allowed pilots to engage targets “off-boresight” of the nose) and an infrared sensor mounted in front of the cockpit. The poor radar, combined with a poorly-designed cockpit, meant that the MiG-29 would not be able to reach its full potential. Nonetheless, it gave Soviet Frontal Aviation a dogfighter that was equal at short range with Western fighters.

The first MiG-29A prototype flew in October 1977; engine trouble which resulted in the loss of two prototypes led to delaying its entry into service until 1984 as the operational MiG-29B. By this time, it had been identified by US reconnaissance satellites as first the “Ram-L” and then as the MiG-29A, though only the prototypes had been given this designation. It was given the reporting name Fulcrum: when the name became known in the Soviet Union after its first public display in Finland in 1986, MiG-29 pilots liked the reporting name so much it was unofficially adopted. The MiG-29 would be extensively exported to Soviet client states.

The MiG-29’s combat experience was mixed: in engagements with F-15s during the First Gulf War in 1991, and F-15s and F-16s in the Bosnia and Kosovo Wars of the late 1990s, it came off second-best. Eleven MiG-29s were lost in air combat during these wars; several others were lost during the Eritrean War of 1999, ironically to Ethiopian Su-27s. 37 nations have operated or continue to operate the Fulcrum: this includes the United States, which purchased a number from Moldova to prevent them from being sold to Iran.The MiG-29 has been extensively upgraded by its operators, usually adding internal fuel, better avionics, and a much-improved radar. India has adopted the MiG-29K for use on its carriers. Some versions use Western electronics. Russian MiG-29s are being gradually upgraded to MiG-29SMT standard, though poor maintenance and aging engines has grounded the V-VS’ fleet on several occasions, as recently as 2009. Over 1600 MiG-29s have been produced, and it continues in production.

This MiG-29A had an interesting journey to its present position at the National Museum of the USAF at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. It was one of several bought by the United States from Moldova in 1997, to prevent them from being sold to Iran. Though the majority of the Moldovan purchase were nuclear-capable MiG-29S variants, this one was a MiG-29A fighter--and an early version at that. During restoration for display, the museum staff was surprised to find that it was not only an early MiG-29A, but one of the six Fulcrums that visited Kuopio-Rissala, Finland in 1986--the first time the MiG-29 had been seen in the West.

Restored to its previous condition, this MiG-29A is painted in standard Fulcrum colors for the air superiority mission. The crest on the nose indicates a Guards unit--in this case the 234th Guards Fighter Regiment based at Kubinka, Russia. Guards units are those regiments that distinguished themselves during World War II.

The MiG-29 is an elegant fighter. This one also has something of a personal connection: my friend Theo van Geffen was one of the Western photographers at Kuopio-Rissala in 1986, and I still have the magazine he sent my family with those first pictures of this now legendary fighter.

The big transport looming in the background is a C-133A Cargomaster. Somehow I got pictures of every aircraft around it, but forgot to get a picture of the C-133...

North American Aviation began a private study for a carrier-based, high-speed nuclear bomber in 1953. The US Navy’s nuclear bombers then in service or soon entering service, the A3J Savage and A3D Skywarrior, were considered by North American to be too slow to survive over the Soviet Union. The Navy liked the concept and awarded North American with a contract in 1956, with a first flight in August 1958 and entrance into the fleet in 1960, naming the aircraft the A3J (after 1962, A-5) Vigilante.

The Vigilante was very advanced for its time, and pioneered technology that would not become widespread for another decade. This included the use of blown flaps, all-moving tail, titanium in certain areas to lighten weight, a limited fly-by-wire control system, inertial navigation, HUD, multimode radar, and an early version of the TCS/TISEO later used by the Navy’s F-14 Tomcat and the USAF’s F-4E Phantom II. When running clean, the Vigilante was extremely fast and manueverable; one A-5B during a training mission successfully outmaneuvered a F-8 Crusader, then the Navy’s primary fighter. To keep it clean of drag, save internal space, and ensure that the A-5 would be able to clear a nuclear shockwave, the Vigilante had a unique bomb delivery system: instead of a conventional bomb bay, the nuclear bomb was ejected, along with spent auxiliary fuel tanks, from the rear of the aircraft, using the A-5’s speed to give it a ballistic arc and gaining time for the bomber to get away from a nuclear blast. In practice, however, the bomb ejection system rarely worked (luckily, the Vigilante was never tested with live nuclear ordnance), and the shock of a catapult launch caused the the fuel tanks to hurtle out the rear, leading to several deck fires and one loss. Its advanced technology was also prone to breakdown, and landing the Vigilante on a carrier deck required a highly skilled pilot due to its high landing speed and angle of attack.

Nonetheless, the A-5 became a popular aircraft in the Navy, though by 1963, the increasing decline in size of nuclear weapons (even the diminutive A-4 Skyhawk could carry one) and the Navy’s shift to submarine-launched ballistic missiles left the A-5 without a mission. By this time, however, North American was already producing the RA-5C reconnaissance version. With a slightly larger wing area and distinctive hump in the fuselage behind the cockpit that carried extra fuel, the RA-5C added an underfuselage “canoe” that carried side-looking radar, infrared sensors, cameras, and ECM. Elint equipment could also be carried. This added significant weight to the design with a subsequent cost in agility but not speed. The RA-5C became the primary reconnaissance aircraft of the “heavy” reconnaissance squadrons assigned to large attack carriers of the Forrestal, Kitty Hawk, and Nimitz series, supplemented by RF-8G squadrons on older Essex-class vessels and the USMC’s RF-4Bs.

The RA-5C also came along just in time for the Vietnam War, where it was to see the most use. Eight of the ten “heavy” reconnaissance squadrons would see service in the war, mainly in pre-strike and post-strike reconnaissance. The latter was the most dangerous: though the Vigilante’s speed made it nigh invulnerable to MiG interception—RA-5Cs were not even escorted because the F-4 could not keep up with it—and its agility made it difficult to hit with SAMs, the fact that the North Vietnamese could always count on a post-strike reconnaissance flight allowed them to set up ambushes. Of the 18 RA-5Cs lost in Vietnam, all but four was to flak. The type’s difficulty to land led to a further nine losses in accidents. As a result, the Vigilante production line was temporarily reopened to produce another 36 attrition replacements, raising total production to 157 aircraft when production ended in 1970.

Following the end of the Vietnam War, the Vigilante soldiered on for a few short years: to save costs and due to attrition, the US Navy decided to retire the RA-5C, along with the RF-8G, in 1980, replacing both platforms with TARPS camera pods carried by F-14s. These were the last dedicated reconnaissance aircraft operated by the Navy. The last Vigilante left the fleet in November 1979, and most ended their days as targets on the China Lake weapons range; about 14 are left in museums or as gate guards.

The Vigilante, however, was to have one more swan song. When the FIR Navy began planning the Pegasus-class carriers, it also adopted the US Navy’s air wing makeup, including the F-14 Tomcat. However, since the F-14s would be awhile coming online, the FIRNAA supplemented them with first the F-4N Phantom II and then the A-4ES Skyhawk. As TARPS-podded F-14s were also going to be the FIRNAA’s only reconnaissance asset, that gap also needed to be bridged.

As a result, the FIRNAA decided to acquire the RA-5C Vigilante in 1980, despite its reputation of high maintenance and high accident rate. 12 of the retiring Vigilantes from RVAH-1 were flown from Davis-Monthan AFB to Seashore IFAAS in July 1980, repainted, and entered immediate service with NRS-1. Carrier-qualifications were made with FIRNAA crews on the USS Nimitz, as the Pegasus was still two years away from launch. To the Vigilante crews’ horror, their first at-sea deployment was aboard the IWS Taurus, the ex-RN Ark Royal. The smaller British carriers had never been designed to accept something like the Vigilante, but the crews managed, though not without incident: three Vigilantes were lost in landing accidents aboard the Taurus in a three-month period in 1983, and the FIRNAA briefly considered grounding the type and retiring it.

With the outbreak of the Third World War, however, the RA-5C once more proved its worth. The TARPS F-14s were found to be vulnerable on camera runs, as they had to slow down, while the RN depended on even slower Vinten camera pod-equipped Sea Harriers. This left NATO’s seaborne reconnaissance duties limited to the handful of FIRNAA Vigilantes and Aeronavale Etendard IVPs. The RA-5C performed superbly, and was upgraded continually throughout the war with improved ECM and the same TCS used by the F-14, along with improvements in camera technology; FIRNAA RA-5Cs were the first to test fax technology, allowing for near real-time photo assessment. Since the RA-5C had always retained wing hardpoints for drop tanks, a few sorties were also carried out with the Pave Tack FLIR, in conjunction with precision-guided weapon strikes. RA-5Cs eventually served on all four carriers operated by the FIRNAA in its history, in three-aircraft detachments.

Following the end of the war in 1988, it was obvious that the days of the Vigilante were over. The type was retired for good in August 1987, and NRS-1 was disestablished in the same month, leaving the FIRNAA without a dedicated manned reconnaissance platform until the adoption of the RF-18C Hornet in 1999. The surviving RA-5Cs were once more returned to Davis-Monthan, where they were subsequently scrapped.

This RA-5C was built from the 1/144 Arii kit, with no modifications. To fit it into my fictional "Free Intelani Naval Air Arm" naval aviation force, all markings were hand-painted and lettered. (As the Vigilante is a big aircraft even in small scale, this was not as hard as it may appear!) I gave it a camouflage scheme of gunship gray over light ghost gray, which probably is too dark for real carrier operations. I thought it brought a nice change from the standard naval colors of light and neutral grays, though. The "Cougars" tail logo is based on the old Thundercats cartoon emblem.

Canon EOS 500 N ~1996

35mm focal-plane shutter multi-mode AF SLR camera

EF mount

Power Zoom EF 35-80mm f/4-5.6

Some shots taken with it.

In 1969, the Soviet Union learned of the United States’ TFX program, what would become the F-15 Eagle. This aircraft threatened to be far beyond anything the Soviets had in their inventory or planned at the time. To counter the F-15, the Sukhoi design bureau was to begin work on a long-range heavy air superiority fighter. The so-called Advanced Frontline Fighter concept was too ambitious, and so the program was split up into two designs: the long-range air superiority fighter, and the short-range battlefield air superiority fighter. Mikoyan-Gurevich, with its experience in designing light point-defense fighters like the MiG-21, was assigned this second fighter, known as the Advanced Lightweight Fighter. The latter was also meant to counter the American light fighters known to be in the design stage, the F-16 Fighting Falcon and YF-17 Cobra. The Mikoyan-Gurevich design was designated MiG-29 in 1974.

Since both it and the Advanced Frontline Fighter (which would become the Su-27) had a common origin, the designs were broadly similar, though the MiG-29 was a good deal smaller than the Sukhoi design. Both would have blended fuselages, leading-edge wing extensions for better maneuverability, twin tails, and twin engines for better survivalbility—drawing on the same lessons of the Vietnam and Arab-Israeli Wars as the Americans had. Agility was paramount in the MiG-29’s design, as was simplicity and the ability to operate from forward airfields. Because of the latter, a complicated system of vents and doors over the intakes was devised to keep any foreign objects from being sucked into the engines. The intakes themselves were also variable to control airflow to the engines. Some emphasis was given to all-around visibility from the cockpit, as MiG-21 and MiG-23 pilots had complained of poor vision to the front and rear. Because it was meant to be used very close to the fighting front, range was not an important factor in the MiG-29’s design. Mikoyan-Gurevich meant for it to be a rugged aircraft that could maneuver with anything in the West’s inventory, and largely succeeded—despite not using a fly-by-wire control system.

The biggest drawback to the MiG-29 design was its radar. Because Soviet radar technology was still a generation behind that of the West, the multimode, look-down radar the Soviet V-VS desired was too big to fit in a smaller aircraft like the MiG-29. As a result, the radar from the MiG-23MF was adapted and modified. While the radar could track multiple targets, it could not pick out small targets at range and could only guide one missile at a time. This put the MiG-29 at a severe disadvantage: in hypothetical combat with a F-15, both pilots would detect each other at the same time, but the MiG-29 would be unable to respond until the range closed to visual range. Once at close range, the advantage would switch to the more maneuverable MiG-29, which compensated for its lack of long-range firepower by using both a helmet-mounted sight (which allowed pilots to engage targets “off-boresight” of the nose) and an infrared sensor mounted in front of the cockpit. The poor radar, combined with a poorly-designed cockpit, meant that the MiG-29 would not be able to reach its full potential. Nonetheless, it gave Soviet Frontal Aviation a dogfighter that was equal at short range with Western fighters.

The first MiG-29A prototype flew in October 1977; engine trouble which resulted in the loss of two prototypes led to delaying its entry into service until 1984 as the operational MiG-29B. By this time, it had been identified by US reconnaissance satellites as first the “Ram-L” and then as the MiG-29A, though only the prototypes had been given this designation. It was given the reporting name Fulcrum: when the name became known in the Soviet Union after its first public display in Finland in 1986, MiG-29 pilots liked the reporting name so much it was unofficially adopted. The MiG-29 would be extensively exported to Soviet client states.

The MiG-29’s combat experience was mixed: in engagements with F-15s during the First Gulf War in 1991, and F-15s and F-16s in the Bosnia and Kosovo Wars of the late 1990s, it came off second-best. Eleven MiG-29s were lost in air combat during these wars; several others were lost during the Eritrean War of 1999, ironically to Ethiopian Su-27s. 37 nations have operated or continue to operate the Fulcrum: this includes the United States, which purchased a number from Moldova to prevent them from being sold to Iran.The MiG-29 has been extensively upgraded by its operators, usually adding internal fuel, better avionics, and a much-improved radar. India has adopted the MiG-29K for use on its carriers. Some versions use Western electronics. Russian MiG-29s are being gradually upgraded to MiG-29SMT standard, though poor maintenance and aging engines has grounded the V-VS’ fleet on several occasions, as recently as 2009. Over 1600 MiG-29s have been produced, and it continues in production.

This MiG-29 is one of 21 purchased from Moldova by the United States in 1997; the reason was that the MiG-29S is capable of carrying nuclear bombs, and Moldova was offering them on the open market. Rather than allowing Iran to buy them, the US bought them instead. It can be identified as a MiG-29S by the larger dorsal "humpback" extension. "Bort 23" is now on display in front of the Evergreen Aviation Museum in Russian Air Force markings.

While the Mirage III/5 family was very successful, the delta wings used in these designs required a long runway, and Mirage IIIs in combat had shown problems with stalling in high-G maneuvers. To counter these problems, the French Armee de l’Air asked Dassault to design a more conventional multirole aircraft. This became the Mirage F.2, but the F.2 proved to be too large and expensive for the AdA. Dassault had already begun design work on a smaller version as a private venture, the F.1. Despite being smaller than the Mirage III, the Mirage F.1 had longer range, better maneuverability without the stall problem, and only needed half the runway of its delta-winged cousins. The prototype took to the air in December 1966.

The AdA liked the design, but changed the requirement from a low-level strike aircraft to a multirole interceptor. This proved to be no trouble for Dassault, which simply enlarged the nose to take a multimode radar, and the first Mirage F.1C entered service in May 1973. Like most Dassault designs, the Mirage F.1’s reliability and low cost made it very attractive for export customers, and it was adopted by 13 air forces over the next decade. Also like the rest of the Mirage family, the Mirage F.1 was converted to a number of roles, acting as not only an air superiority fighter, but also for ground attack and reconnaissance.

Flying during the turbulent 1980s and 1990s in the Middle East, South America, and Africa, the Mirage F.1 was also to see a great deal of combat service. The first was Morocco, using its Mirages in attacks against Polisario Front guerillas in 1979, quickly followed by South Africa, who used its Mirages successfully against Cuban-flown Angolan MiG-23s in border disputes; SAAF Mirage F.1s shot down at least two MiGs and proved resilient to damage.

Iraq was to employ their Mirage F.1s with some success in the Iran-Iraq War, and the type proved to be the only Iraqi fighter to be able to dogfight Iranian F-14 Tomcats with any success. Iraqi Mirages fared less well in the First Gulf War, where several were lost against US Air Force and Royal Saudi Air Force F-15 Eagles; Kuwait’s Mirage F.1s had already seen action against Iraq earlier during the Iraqi invasion that started the war, and a significant number of Iraqi Mirages ended up interned in Iran during the war, later being incorporated into the Iranian Air Force. This was not the first time that two nations operating Mirage F.1s had the potential of fighting each other: France had already attacked Libya during the conflict in Chad in the early 1980s. The most recent combat involving Mirage F.1s was in Libya in 2011, again both France and Libya operating the type, though Libyan Mirages either remained on the ground or sought asylum in Malta. French Mirage F.1s also saw action in Afghanistan and the Ivory Coast.

Though the Mirage F.1 is approaching 40 years in service, it remains a viable fighter, and still serves in four air forces worldwide. France, ceding the fighter-interceptor role to the Mirage 2000, converted its Mirage F.1s to Mirage F.1CT standard, allowing the Armee de l’Air to replace the Mirage III/5s in service in the mid-1990s. These were finally retired in 2014. 720 Mirage F.1s were built.

As part of his "Arab-Israeli War" series of 1/48 scale models, Dad got this Esci kit in the late 1970s and built it as an Egyptian Air Force aircraft. Egypt never flew the Mirage F.1, however; I'm not sure if Dad just assumed they would get the Mirage eventually to replace their Mirage 5s, or Egypt had considered the aircraft but then ordered the F-16 instead.

Dad had the Mirage sitting on his shelf for a long time, and after the First Gulf War, realized that while the kit was inaccurate for Egypt, the camouflage scheme was almost perfect for Kuwait, which operated Mirage F.1CKs during the war--only the light blue underside would have to be changed. (Kuwaiti Mirages' undersurfaces were light gray.) He stripped the roundels off and got decals for "Free Kuwait" Mirages, but then figured that there were much better 1/48 scale Mirage F.1 kits and shelved the project. I'm not sure what happened to this model.

Whatever its fate, this Mirage is configured for the air superiority mission, with two Matra R.550 Magic infrared homing missiles on the wingtips, two Matra R.530 radar-guided missiles under the wings, and a single drop tank under the fuselage. While the Magic was one of the world's first true dogfighting missiles, the R.530 was considered worthless by pilots who flew with them; it was replaced by the superior R.530D/F series. Dad was still learning how to use his Minolta, so a good portion of the model is blurry.

The fourth of the 1950s era “Century Series,” the F-104 Starfighter was designed around one single element: speed. Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, head of Lockheed’s famous “Skunk Works” factory, had interviewed US Air Force pilots during the Korean War, seeking their input on any new fighter. Since the pilots reported that they wanted high performance more than anything else, Johnson returned to the United States determined to deliver exactly that: a simple, point-defense interceptor marrying the lightest airframe to the most powerful engine then available, the superb General Electric J79.

When Johnson offered the L-098 design to the USAF in 1952, the service was so impressed that they created an entire competition for the aircraft to be accepted, ostensibly as a F-100 Super Sabre replacement. The Lockheed design had the clear edge, though both North American’s and Northrop’s design went on to be built themselves—the North American F-107A Ultra Sabre and the Northrop T-38 Talon. The USAF purchased the L-098 as the F-104A Starfighter. The design changed very little from initial design to prototype to operational aircraft, which was done in the astonishing time of two years.

When the first F-104As reached the USAF in 1958, pilots quickly found that it was indeed a hot fighter—too hot. The Starfighter’s design philosophy of speed above all else resulted in an aircraft with a long fuselage, T-tail for stability, and small wings, which were so thin that special guards had to be put on the leading edges to avoid injuring ground personnel. Because of its small wing, the F-104 required a lot of runway, and blown flaps (which vents airflow from the engine over the flaps to increase lift) were a necessity; unfortunately, the airflow system often failed, which meant that the F-104 pilot would be coming in at a dangerous rate of speed. Because it was feared that a pilot who ejected from a F-104 would never clear the tail, a downward-ejection seat was fitted, but after killing over 20 pilots, the seat was retrofitted with a more reliable, upward-firing type. The design also was not very maneuverable in the horizontal, though it was difficult to match in the vertical. Its shape earned it the moniker “Missile With a Man In It” and “Zipper.”

One thing pilots did not complain about was its speed—the listed top speed of the F-104 was Mach 2.2, but this was because above that the fuselage would melt. The J79 was a near flawless engine that gave the Starfighter an excellent thrust-to-weight ratio; uniquely, the intake design of the Starfighter gave the engine a bansheelike wail. So superb was the F-104 at level speed and climbing that NASA leased several as trainers for the X-15 program, and in setting a number of speed and time-to-climb records.

If the F-104 had gotten a mixed reception at best in the USAF, Lockheed felt that it had potential as an export aircraft. Beating out several excellent British and other American designs in a 1961 competition, every NATO nation except France and Great Britain bought F-104s and manufactured their own as the F-104G; Japan also license-built Starfighters as F-104Js, while still more were supplied to Pakistan and Taiwan. Just as in USAF service, accident rates were incredibly high, particularly in West German and Canadian service—Germany lost 30 percent of its initial batch, and the Canadians over half. Worries that the F-104 was too “hot” for pilots usually transitioning from the F-86 were ignored, and later it was learned why: German, Dutch, and Japanese politicians later admitted to being bribed by Lockheed into buying the Starfighter.

Its high accident rate earned such nicknames as “Widowmaker,” “Flying Coffin,” and “Ground Nail.” Pakistani pilots simply called it Badmash (“Criminal”) and the Japanese Eiko (“Glory,” inferring that it was the easiest way to reach it). German pilots joked that the quickest way to obtain a F-104 was to buy a patch of land and wait.

Nonetheless, once pilots learned how to tame the beast, the accident rates eased somewhat, and NATO pilots discovered that the Starfighter excelled as a low-level attack aircraft: fitted with bomb racks, the F-104 was remarkably stable at low altitude and high speed, and Luftwaffe pilots in particular found that they could sneak up on a target, launch a simulated attack, and be gone before ground defenses could react. The Italians in particular loved the F-104, building their own as the F-104S: these aircraft were equipped with multimode radar and armed with AIM-7 Sparrow and Aspide radar-guided missiles, making them a superb interceptor. Though most NATO nations reequipped their F-104 units with F-16s, F-18s, or Tornados beginning in 1980, the Italian F-104S fleet was continually upgraded and soldiered on until final retirement in 2004. 2578 F-104s were built, mostly F-104Gs; today over 150 survive in museums, with at least ten flyable examples, making it one of the best preserved of the Century Series.

The second oldest F-104 left (only the YF-104A in the National Air and Space Museum is older), 55-2967 was delivered to the USAF as one of 17 YF-104 pre-production aircraft--and one of only two left, as the others were either expended as drones or crashed during testing. 55-2967 never served in a frontline or ANG unit: it went directly to Air Force Systems Command at Edwards AFB, California, in 1956. It only flew for a year before it was heavily damaged in a bad landing at Bergstrom AFB, Texas. 55-2967 would never fly again, but rather than scrap it, it was turned into a GF-104A ground instruction trainer.

Ironically, the hard landing that grounded 55-2967 saved it from the fate of the other YF-104s, and in the late 1960s, as the F-104 was phased out of USAF service, it was put on display on the cadet grounds at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. However, the airframe suffered from being out in the open, and the AFA wanted to replace it with something of a little newer vintage. It was then donated to the Pueblo Weisbrod Museum, and trucked down to its new home. It was restored and moved inside in 2011.

When I got the picture, I didn't realize this was either a YF-104 or that I'd almost certainly seen it as a kid when Dad and I visited the AFA on several occasions. Though few if any USAF F-104s flew in overall ADC Gray, this better preserves the aircraft; the font is also incorrect, but that's a nitpick on an excellent preservation job. A Tactical Air Command patch is carried on the tail.

I always love being reacquainted with aircraft I would've seen when I was little!

The fourth of the 1950s era “Century Series,” the F-104 Starfighter was designed around one single element: speed. Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, head of Lockheed’s famous “Skunk Works” factory, had interviewed US Air Force pilots during the Korean War, seeking their input on any new fighter. Since the pilots reported that they wanted high performance more than anything else, Johnson returned to the United States determined to deliver exactly that: a simple, point-defense interceptor marrying the lightest airframe to the most powerful engine then available, the superb General Electric J79.

When Johnson offered the L-098 design to the USAF in 1952, the service was so impressed that they created an entire competition for the aircraft to be accepted, ostensibly as a F-100 Super Sabre replacement. The Lockheed design had the clear edge, though both North American’s and Northrop’s design went on to be built themselves—the North American F-107A Ultra Sabre and the Northrop T-38 Talon. The USAF purchased the L-098 as the F-104A Starfighter. The design changed very little from initial design to prototype to operational aircraft, which was done in the astonishing time of two years.

When the first F-104As reached the USAF in 1958, pilots quickly found that it was indeed a hot fighter—too hot. The Starfighter’s design philosophy of speed above all else resulted in an aircraft with a long fuselage, T-tail for stability, and small wings, which were so thin that special guards had to be put on the leading edges to avoid injuring ground personnel. Because of its small wing, the F-104 required a lot of runway, and blown flaps (which vents airflow from the engine over the flaps to increase lift) were a necessity; unfortunately, the airflow system often failed, which meant that the F-104 pilot would be coming in at a dangerous rate of speed. Because it was feared that a pilot who ejected from a F-104 would never clear the tail, a downward-ejection seat was fitted, but after killing over 20 pilots, the seat was retrofitted with a more reliable, upward-firing type. The design also was not very maneuverable in the horizontal, though it was difficult to match in the vertical. Its shape earned it the moniker “Missile With a Man In It” and “Zipper.”

One thing pilots did not complain about was its speed—the listed top speed of the F-104 was Mach 2.2, but this was because above that the fuselage would melt. The J79 was a near flawless engine that gave the Starfighter an excellent thrust-to-weight ratio; uniquely, the intake design of the Starfighter gave the engine a bansheelike wail. So superb was the F-104 at level speed and climbing that NASA leased several as trainers for the X-15 program, and in setting a number of speed and time-to-climb records.

If the F-104 had gotten a mixed reception at best in the USAF, Lockheed felt that it had potential as an export aircraft. Beating out several excellent British and other American designs in a 1961 competition, every NATO nation except France and Great Britain bought F-104s and manufactured their own as the F-104G; Japan also license-built Starfighters as F-104Js, while still more were supplied to Pakistan and Taiwan. Just as in USAF service, accident rates were incredibly high, particularly in West German and Canadian service—Germany lost 30 percent of its initial batch, and the Canadians over half. Worries that the F-104 was too “hot” for pilots usually transitioning from the F-86 were ignored, and later it was learned why: German, Dutch, and Japanese politicians later admitted to being bribed by Lockheed into buying the Starfighter.

Its high accident rate earned such nicknames as “Widowmaker,” “Flying Coffin,” and “Ground Nail.” Pakistani pilots simply called it Badmash (“Criminal”) and the Japanese Eiko (“Glory,” inferring that it was the easiest way to reach it). German pilots joked that the quickest way to obtain a F-104 was to buy a patch of land and wait.

Nonetheless, once pilots learned how to tame the beast, the accident rates eased somewhat, and NATO pilots discovered that the Starfighter excelled as a low-level attack aircraft: fitted with bomb racks, the F-104 was remarkably stable at low altitude and high speed, and Luftwaffe pilots in particular found that they could sneak up on a target, launch a simulated attack, and be gone before ground defenses could react. The Italians in particular loved the F-104, building their own as the F-104S: these aircraft were equipped with multimode radar and armed with AIM-7 Sparrow and Aspide radar-guided missiles, making them a superb interceptor. Though most NATO nations reequipped their F-104 units with F-16s, F-18s, or Tornados beginning in 1980, the Italian F-104S fleet was continually upgraded and soldiered on until final retirement in 2004. 2578 F-104s were built, mostly F-104Gs; today over 150 survive in museums, with at least ten flyable examples, making it one of the best preserved of the Century Series.

Originally constructed as RF-104G 62-12243, this aircraft was originally destined for the Republic of China (Taiwan) Air Force. However, it doesn't seem to have been ever delivered; instead, it was diverted to NASA and demilitarized as a F-104N, as one of four aircraft used as high-speed chase aircraft. Now N811NA, 62-12243 was delivered to NASA's Dryden Flight Center at Edwards AFB, California in 1963. It would fly in this role until 1987. N811NA was first placed in flyable storage at Edwards, then retired for good in 1992. It remained at Edwards, covered in plastic, for a few more years before being donated the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona.

I had been meaning to photograph N811NA since 2020, when I first learned about it, but due to COVID, the university was closed to visitors. I finally got to see it in June 2022. Though N811NA does show some wear, it is in generally good condition; the later NASA white and blue scheme looks good on any aircraft, especially the F-104.

The Synthex is a massive sounding and classic analog 8 voice synthesizer. This one in particular has the added MIDI feature. First off, It's interface is a dream to program. It has 30 knobs, 6 sliders, 80 switches and a joystick. Powerful sounds with 2 oscillators per voice, separate envelope generators, chorus and even a sequencer! The use of stable DCO's (digitally controlled analog oscillators) and oscillator cross modulation of Pulse Width and a multimode filter! The filter is based on the CEM3396 chip which was also featured in e.g. Oberheim's Matrix line of synthesizers.

There is a cool joystick that replaces traditional pitch/mod wheels and allows for greater variable real-time control over the two LFOs, oscillator and filter modulation. The 6 sliders beside the joystick assign what (LFO, osc and filter) goes to the joystick. Voices can also be layered or split across the keyboard. Other great features include the onboard digital Ring-Modulator, Chorus effect and Dual or Layer modes available. And also a four-track sequencer rounds out this synths host of features. The four different sequencer tracks can have different length, and sounds (Upper/Lower can be allocated to different tracks). Also it is possible to insert rests between notes as well as length of notes. Sequences and patches could be dumped to analog cassette tape through an audio interface. Two of it's tracks can output MIDI data.

The Synthex has three keyboard modes. 8 voice single sound (both Lower/Upper voices), Split with user selected split point (4 voices Lower/4 voices Upper) or Double which reduce the polyphony to four voices. Later versions implemented basic MIDI functions. Voices can also be layered or split across the keyboard.

Polyphony - 8 Voices

Oscillators - 16

Sequencer - 4-Track

Filter - Curtis Chips: 24dB LowPass, 12dB HiPass, 12dB & 6dB BandPass

VCA - ADSR

Keyboard - 61 keys

Memory - 40 preset/40 user

Control - MIDI

Date Produced - 1981 - 1984

The fourth of the 1950s era “Century Series,” the F-104 Starfighter was designed around one single element: speed. Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, head of Lockheed’s famous “Skunk Works” factory, had interviewed US Air Force pilots during the Korean War, seeking their input on any new fighter. Since the pilots reported that they wanted high performance more than anything else. Johnson returned to the United States determined to deliver exactly that: a simple, point-defense interceptor marrying the lightest airframe to the most powerful engine then available, the superb General Electric J79. When Johnson offered the L-098 design to the USAF in 1952, the service was so impressed that they created an entire competition for the aircraft to be accepted, ostensibly as a F-100 Super Sabre replacement. The Lockheed design had the clear edge, though both North American’s and Northrop’s design went on to be built themselves—the North American F-107A Ultra Sabre and the Northrop T-38 Talon. The USAF purchased the L-098 as the F-104A Starfighter. The design changed very little from initial design to prototype to operational aircraft, which was done in the astonishing (for the 1950s) time of two years.

When the first F-104As reached the USAF in 1958, pilots quickly found that it was indeed a hot fighter—too hot. The Starfighter’s design philosophy of speed above all else resulted in an aircraft with a long fuselage, T-tail for stability, and small wings, which were so thin that special guards had to be put on the leading edges to avoid injuring ground personnel. Because of its small wing, the F-104 required a lot of runway, and blown flaps (which vents airflow from the engine over the flaps to increase lift) were a necessity; unfortunately, the airflow system often failed, which meant that the F-104 pilot would be coming in at a dangerous rate of speed.

Because it was feared that a pilot who ejected from a F-104 would never clear the tail, a downward-ejection seat was fitted, but after killing over 20 pilots, the seat was retrofitted with a more reliable, upward-firing type. The design also was not very maneuverable in the horizontal, though it was difficult to match in the vertical. Its shape earned it the moniker “Missile With a Man In It” and “Zipper.” One thing pilots did not complain about was its speed—the listed top speed of the F-104 was Mach 2.2, but this was because above that the fuselage would melt. The J79 was a near flawless engine that gave the Starfighter an excellent thrust-to-weight ratio; uniquely, the intake design of the Starfighter gave the engine a bansheelike wail. So superb was the F-104 at level speed and climbing that NASA leased several as trainers for the X-15 program, and in setting a number of speed and time-to-climb records.

Leaving aside its spectacular accident rate—the most of any in the Century Series—the USAF really did not know what to do with the Starfighter. The F-104’s design limited its armament to two AIM-9 Sidewinders and its internal M61 Vulcan gatling cannon, and its range was limited by the fuel-thirsty engine and limited internal space for fuel. There was nothing the F-104 could do that other designs could not do better, and the assignment of Starfighters to Air Defense Command was done only on an interim basis until the F-106 Delta Dart entered service. Several squadrons of F-104Cs served in the Vietnam War, with mixed results: they were not really suited to ground attack roles, their use over North Vietnam was limited by range, and the one dogfight that a USAF F-104 ended up in, with a Chinese MiG-19, ended in the loss of the Starfighter. The USAF quickly retired its comparatively small F-104 fleet in the late 1960s, with the last F-104Cs in service leaving the Puerto Rican ANG in 1975.

If the F-104 had gotten a mixed reception at best in the USAF, Lockheed felt that it had potential as an export aircraft. Beating out several excellent British and other American designs in a 1961 competition, every NATO nation except France and Great Britain bought F-104s and manufactured their own as the F-104G; Japan also license-built Starfighters as F-104Js, while still more were supplied to Pakistan and Taiwan. Just as in USAF service, accident rates were incredibly high, particularly in West German and Canadian service—Germany lost 30 percent of its initial batch, and the Canadians over half. Worries that the F-104 was too “hot” for pilots usually transitioning from the F-86 were ignored, and later it was learned why: German, Dutch, and Japanese politicians later admitted to being bribed by Lockheed into buying the Starfighter. Its high accident rate earned such nicknames as “Widowmaker,” “Flying Coffin,” and “Ground Nail.” Pakistani pilots simply called it Badmash (“Criminal”) and the Japanese Eiko (“Glory,” inferring that it was the easiest way to reach it). German pilots joked that the quickest way to obtain a F-104 was to buy a patch of land and wait.

Nonetheless, once pilots learned how to tame the beast, the accident rates eased somewhat, and NATO pilots discovered that the Starfighter excelled as a low-level attack aircraft: fitted with bomb racks, the F-104 was remarkably stable at low altitude and high speed, and Luftwaffe pilots in particular found that they could sneak up on a target, launch a simulated attack, and be gone before ground defenses could react. The Italians in particular loved the F-104, building their own as the F-104S: these aircraft were equipped with multimode radar and armed with AIM-7 Sparrow and Aspide radar-guided missiles, making them a superb interceptor. Though most NATO nations reequipped their F-104 units with F-16s, F-18s, or Tornados beginning in 1980, the Italian F-104S fleet was continually upgraded and soldiered on until final retirement in 2004.

The F-104 did see additional combat, in Pakistani, Jordanian, and Taiwanese service, again with mixed results: if the pilot was not drawn into a maneuvering battle, he could use “boom-and-zoom” tactics, but the F-104 was at a disadvantage in a horizontal fight with the MiG-19, MiG-21, or Mirage III. 2578 F-104s were built, mostly F-104Gs; today over 150 survive in museums, with at least ten flyable examples, making it one of the best preserved of the Century Series.

This is a TF-104G two-seat version of the Royal Norwegian Air Force’s 334 Squadron, based at Bodo, Norway. This aircraft is painted in overall dark green, the final color scheme of Norway’s F-104s before being withdrawn in service in 1982 in favor of the F-16. It is inaccurately depicted as carrying two AIM-7 Sparrows, which only Italian F-104S types carried.

The fourth of the 1950s era “Century Series,” the F-104 Starfighter was designed around one single element: speed. Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, head of Lockheed’s famous “Skunk Works” factory, had interviewed US Air Force pilots during the Korean War, seeking their input on any new fighter. Since the pilots reported that they wanted high performance more than anything else—citing the fact that the MiG-15 was a simpler, more maneuverable aircraft than their F-86 Sabres—Johnson returned to the United States determined to deliver exactly that: a simple, point-defense interceptor marrying the lightest airframe to the most powerful engine then available, the superb General Electric J79.

When Johnson offered the L-098 design to the USAF in 1952, the service was so impressed that they created an entire competition for the aircraft to be accepted, ostensibly as a F-100 Super Sabre replacement. The Lockheed design had the clear edge, though both North American’s and Northrop’s design went on to be built themselves—the North American F-107A Ultra Sabre and the Northrop T-38 Talon. The USAF purchased the L-098 as the F-104A Starfighter. The design changed very little from initial design to prototype to operational aircraft, which was done in the astonishing (for the 1950s) time of two years.

When the first F-104As reached the USAF in 1958, pilots quickly found that it was indeed a hot fighter—too hot. The Starfighter’s design philosophy of speed above all else resulted in an aircraft with a long fuselage, T-tail for stability, and small wings, which were so thin that special guards had to be put on the leading edges to avoid injuring ground personnel. Because of its small wing, the F-104 required a lot of runway, and blown flaps (which vents airflow from the engine over the flaps to increase lift) were a necessity; unfortunately, the airflow system often failed, which meant that the F-104 pilot would be coming in at a dangerous rate of speed.

Because it was feared that a pilot who ejected from a F-104 would never clear the tail, a downward-ejection seat was fitted, but after killing over 20 pilots (including Korean War ace and test pilot Iven Kincheloe), the seat was retrofitted with a more reliable, upward-firing type. The design also was not very maneuverable in the horizontal, though it was difficult to match in the vertical. Its shape earned it the moniker “Missile With a Man In It” and “Zipper.” One thing pilots did not complain about was its speed—the listed top speed of the F-104 was Mach 2.2, but this was because above that the fuselage would melt. The J79 was a near flawless engine that gave the Starfighter an excellent thrust-to-weight ratio; uniquely, the intake design of the Starfighter gave the engine a bansheelike wail. So superb was the F-104 at level speed and climbing that NASA leased several as trainers for the X-15 program, and it set a number of speed and time-to-climb records.

Leaving aside its spectacular accident rate—the most of any in the Century Series—the USAF really did not know what to do with the Starfighter. The F-104’s design limited its armament to two AIM-9 Sidewinders and its internal M61 Vulcan gatling cannon, and its range was limited by the fuel-thirsty engine and limited internal space for fuel. There was nothing the F-104 could do that other designs could not do better, and the assignment of Starfighters to Air Defense Command was done only on an interim basis until the F-106 Delta Dart entered service. Several squadrons of F-104Cs served in the Vietnam War, with mixed results: they were not really suited to ground attack roles, their use over North Vietnam was limited by range, and the one dogfight that a USAF F-104 ended up in, with a Chinese MiG-19, ended in the loss of the Starfighter. The USAF quickly retired its comparatively small F-104 fleet in the late 1960s, with the last F-104Cs in service leaving the Puerto Rican ANG in 1975.

If the F-104 had gotten a mixed reception at best in the USAF, Lockheed felt that it had potential as an export aircraft. Beating out several excellent British and other American designs in a 1961 competition, every NATO nation except France and Great Britain bought F-104s and manufactured their own as the F-104G; Japan also license-built Starfighters as F-104Js, while still more were supplied to Pakistan and Taiwan. Just as in USAF service, accident rates were incredibly high, particularly in West German and Canadian service—Germany lost 30 percent of its initial batch, and the Canadians over half. Worries that the F-104 was too “hot” for pilots usually transitioning from the F-86 were ignored, and later it was learned why: German, Dutch, and Japanese politicians later admitted to being bribed by Lockheed into buying the Starfighter. Its high accident rate earned such nicknames as “Widowmaker,” “Flying Coffin,” and “Ground Nail.” Pakistani pilots simply called it Badmash (“Criminal”) and the Japanese Eiko (“Glory,” inferring that it was the easiest way to reach it). German pilots joked that the quickest way to obtain a F-104 was to buy a patch of land and wait.

Nonetheless, once pilots learned how to tame the beast, the accident rates eased somewhat, and NATO pilots discovered that the Starfighter excelled as a low-level attack aircraft: fitted with bomb racks, the F-104 was remarkably stable at low altitude and high speed, and Luftwaffe pilots in particular found that they could sneak up on a target, launch a simulated attack, and be gone before ground defenses could react. The Italians in particular loved the F-104, building their own as the F-104S: these aircraft were equipped with multimode radar and armed with AIM-7 Sparrow and Aspide radar-guided missiles, making them a superb interceptor.

Though most NATO nations reequipped their F-104 units with F-16s, F-18s, or Tornados beginning in 1980, the Italian F-104S fleet was continually upgraded and soldiered on until final retirement in 2004. The F-104 did see additional combat, in Pakistani, Jordanian, and Taiwanese service, again with mixed results: if the pilot was not drawn into a manuevering battle, he could use “boom-and-zoom” tactics, but the F-104 was at a disadvantage in a horizontal fight with the MiG-19, MiG-21, or Mirage III. 2578 F-104s were built, mostly F-104Gs; today over 150 survive in museums, with at least ten flyable examples, making it one of the best preserved of the Century Series.

This particular Starfighter, 56-0934, on display at Seattle's Museum of Flight, never actually flew as a NASA NF-104; it's actually a F-104C that flew with the USAF, though it did fly at Edwards AFB as a test aircraft. It carries the older NASA scheme of two shades of blue and white; later NF-104s retained the NASA emblem on the tail and the dark blue cheatline, but lack the light blue undersides.

While the Mirage III/5 family was very successful, the delta wings used in these designs required a long runway, and Mirage IIIs in combat had shown problems with stalling in high-G maneuvers. To counter these problems, the French Armee de l’Air asked Dassault to design a more conventional multirole aircraft. This became the Mirage F.2, but the F.2 proved to be too large and expensive for the AdA. Dassault had already begun design work on a smaller version as a private venture, the F.1. Despite being smaller than the Mirage III, the Mirage F.1 had longer range, better maneuverability without the stall problem, and only needed half the runway of its delta-winged cousins. The prototype took to the air in December 1966.

The AdA liked the design, but changed the requirement from a low-level strike aircraft to a multirole interceptor. This proved to be no trouble for Dassault, which simply enlarged the nose to take a multimode radar, and the first Mirage F.1C entered service in May 1973. Like most Dassault designs, the Mirage F.1’s reliability and low cost made it very attractive for export customers, and it was adopted by 13 air forces over the next decade. Also like the rest of the Mirage family, the Mirage F.1 was converted to a number of roles, acting as not only an air superiority fighter, but also for ground attack and reconnaissance.

Flying during the turbulent 1980s and 1990s in the Middle East, South America, and Africa, the Mirage F.1 was also to see a great deal of combat service. The first was Morocco, using its Mirages in attacks against Polisario Front guerillas in 1979, quickly followed by South Africa, who used its Mirages successfully against Cuban-flown Angolan MiG-23s in border disputes; SAAF Mirage F.1s shot down at least two MiGs and proved resilient to damage.

Iraq was to employ their Mirage F.1s with some success in the Iran-Iraq War, and the type proved to be the only Iraqi fighter to be able to dogfight Iranian F-14 Tomcats with any success. Iraqi Mirages fared less well in the First Gulf War, where several were lost against US Air Force and Royal Saudi Air Force F-15 Eagles; Kuwait’s Mirage F.1s had already seen action against Iraq earlier during the Iraqi invasion that started the war, and a significant number of Iraqi Mirages ended up interned in Iran during the war, later being incorporated into the Iranian Air Force. This was not the first time that two nations operating Mirage F.1s had the potential of fighting each other: France had already attacked Libya during the conflict in Chad in the early 1980s. The most recent combat involving Mirage F.1s was in Libya in 2011, again both France and Libya operating the type, though Libyan Mirages either remained on the ground or sought asylum in Malta. French Mirage F.1s also saw action in Afghanistan and the Ivory Coast.

Though the Mirage F.1 is approaching 40 years in service, it remains a viable fighter, and still serves in four air forces worldwide. France, ceding the fighter-interceptor role to the Mirage 2000, converted its Mirage F.1s to Mirage F.1CT standard, allowing the Armee de l’Air to replace the Mirage III/5s in service in the mid-1990s. These were finally retired in 2014. 720 Mirage F.1s were built.

This Mirage F.1C of the Armee de l'Air (French Air Force) stopped in for the 1978 Ramstein airshow. As this is still early in the Mirage F.1's career, it carries the camouflage used by the type through the mid-1980s--a dark blue-gray over light gray scheme. This aircraft belonged to SPA 162 "Tete de Tigre" of EC 1/7 ("Provence"), one of the AdA's Tiger squadrons, based at St.-Dizier. SPA 162 remained in the Mirage F.1 for several decades before converting to the Rafale around 2012. The final fate of this particular Mirage F.1 is unknown.

While the Mirage IIICJ in Israeli Air Force (Heyl Ha’avir) service had proven the Mirage to be a superb fighter, it was not really designed as a ground-attack aircraft, though Israel had often been forced into using it as such. As a result, Israel commissioned Dassault Aircraft of France to design a clear-weather variant of the Mirage III, designed to have better ground-attack capability and range than the CJ fighter-interceptor. This new version was designated the Mirage 5J by Dassault, but following the Six-Day War, President Charles de Gaulle, attempting to improve Franco-Arab relations, embargoed the Mirage 5J, which went into French Armee de l’Air service instead. Israel was later able to covertly acquire plans for the Mirage 5 from Dassault, as well as a number of Atar 9C engines, and built their own version of the Mirage 5J, improving on the design slightly as the Nesher (Dagger).

Though the Nesher performed superbly in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, it retained the problems of the Atar 9-powered Mirage series: a tendency towards compressor stalls in high angles of attack and lack of power compared to other aircraft. Israel Aircraft Industries had already begun research into adapting the Mirage to carry the far more powerful American General Electric J79 turbojet, which powered the F-4 Phantom IIs in Israeli service. The J79 had more than enough power, but also needed much more airflow than the Atar 9, and operated at much hotter temperatures. Using a two-seat Mirage IIIBJ as a test bed, the rear fuselage had to be widened, air scoops added to the rear fuselage and at the base of the tail, and a titanium casing built for the J79. This proved to be successful, and a second conversion of a Nesher resulted in the prototype Kfir (Lion Cub), which first flew in June 1973. Production of the Kfir C.1 would not begin until after the Yom Kippur War; while it would enter service in 1974, its existence was not publicly revealed until a year later.

While the Kfir C.1 was adequate, the power of the J79 was such that, at high speeds, the aircraft was difficult to control, with a tendency to both “snake” through the sky in uncontrollable turns, and to provide too much power to the pilot. It also lacked radar, though early Kfirs had their noses painted black to fool observers into thinking it did. IAI embarked on a program to cure this problem, which resulted in the Kfir C.2. This changed the appearance of the Kfir completely by adding large canards to the intakes, strakes on the slightly longer nose, and more cooling intakes. This cured not only the tendency towards loss of control at high speeds, it also lowered the Kfir’s landing speeds and made it more maneuverable at low speed. The leading edge of the wing was altered to a “sawtooth” design, which also improved performance. As radars became smaller, a ranging radar for attack missions was added as well. While the Kfir was not the first aircraft to use the canard/delta combination (the Saab Viggen had entered service just before the Kfir C.2), the use of this combination would be subsequently adopted by several Mirage III/5 users for the same reasons, namely by South Africa, who converted a number of their Mirage IIIs to essentially Kfir clones as the Cheetah.

The Kfir C.2, and its upgraded successor the C.7, would see action beginning in 1977 and culminating in the Lebanon War of 1982, in various airstrikes first against terrorist targets in Lebanon and Syria, and then against Syrian forces directly. Though the Kfir was a good fighter, it was used mainly in the ground attack role, as Israel’s F-15 Eagles were much better suited for air superiority missions. Israel retired its Kfirs by 1996 in favor of F-16C Fighting Falcons, offering surplus aircraft on the open market. Since sale of Kfirs also needed US approval (as the Kfir uses an American engine), foreign sales have been limited to Colombia, Ecuador, and Sri Lanka; Colombia has upgraded its aircraft to C.10 standard, with a full multimode radar, making the Kfir a truly multirole fighter. At least 220 Kfirs were built.

The Malmstrom Museum retains a Kfir in its model collection, a F-21. In 1985, the US Navy and Marine Corps leased 12 Kfir C.1s from storage in Israel for use as aggressor dissimilar training aircraft; it was felt that the F-21 better simulated the Soviet MiG-23 Flogger than the Navy’s other aggressor aircraft, the F-5E Tiger II. These aircraft were slightly upgraded by adding small intake strakes, which mitigated the control problems of the C.1. Another batch of 13 Kfirs were added by the Marines in 1987. These were designated F-21A Kfir in American service. F-21s served in the Top Gun program as aggressors until 1989, when the Navy replaced them with the F-16N, while the Marines returned to F-5Es. All surviving F-21s were returned to Israel in 1989, where most were scrapped. A private firm today flies ex-Israeli Kfir C.7s on government contract as aggressors.

This aircraft, serving with VF-43 at NAS Oceana, carries a three-tone gray camouflage; USN and USMC F-21s were painted in several different color schemes. This aircraft was returned to Israel in 1988; only a few F-21s are known to survive, either in storage in Israel or in museums.

The fourth of the 1950s era “Century Series,” the F-104 Starfighter was designed around one single element: speed. Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, head of Lockheed’s famous “Skunk Works” factory, had interviewed US Air Force pilots during the Korean War, seeking their input on any new fighter. Since the pilots reported that they wanted high performance more than anything else, Johnson returned to the United States determined to deliver exactly that: a simple, point-defense interceptor marrying the lightest airframe to the most powerful engine then available, the superb General Electric J79.

When Johnson offered the L-098 design to the USAF in 1952, the service was so impressed that they created an entire competition for the aircraft to be accepted, ostensibly as a F-100 Super Sabre replacement. The Lockheed design had the clear edge, though both North American’s and Northrop’s design went on to be built themselves—the North American F-107A Ultra Sabre and the Northrop T-38 Talon. The USAF purchased the L-098 as the F-104A Starfighter. The design changed very little from initial design to prototype to operational aircraft, which was done in the astonishing time of two years.

When the first F-104As reached the USAF in 1958, pilots quickly found that it was indeed a hot fighter—too hot. The Starfighter’s design philosophy of speed above all else resulted in an aircraft with a long fuselage, T-tail for stability, and small wings, which were so thin that special guards had to be put on the leading edges to avoid injuring ground personnel. Because of its small wing, the F-104 required a lot of runway, and blown flaps (which vents airflow from the engine over the flaps to increase lift) were a necessity; unfortunately, the airflow system often failed, which meant that the F-104 pilot would be coming in at a dangerous rate of speed. Because it was feared that a pilot who ejected from a F-104 would never clear the tail, a downward-ejection seat was fitted, but after killing over 20 pilots, the seat was retrofitted with a more reliable, upward-firing type. The design also was not very maneuverable in the horizontal, though it was difficult to match in the vertical. Its shape earned it the moniker “Missile With a Man In It” and “Zipper.”

One thing pilots did not complain about was its speed—the listed top speed of the F-104 was Mach 2.2, but this was because above that the fuselage would melt. The J79 was a near flawless engine that gave the Starfighter an excellent thrust-to-weight ratio; uniquely, the intake design of the Starfighter gave the engine a bansheelike wail. So superb was the F-104 at level speed and climbing that NASA leased several as trainers for the X-15 program, and in setting a number of speed and time-to-climb records.

If the F-104 had gotten a mixed reception at best in the USAF, Lockheed felt that it had potential as an export aircraft. Beating out several excellent British and other American designs in a 1961 competition, every NATO nation except France and Great Britain bought F-104s and manufactured their own as the F-104G; Japan also license-built Starfighters as F-104Js, while still more were supplied to Pakistan and Taiwan. Just as in USAF service, accident rates were incredibly high, particularly in West German and Canadian service—Germany lost 30 percent of its initial batch, and the Canadians over half. Worries that the F-104 was too “hot” for pilots usually transitioning from the F-86 were ignored, and later it was learned why: German, Dutch, and Japanese politicians later admitted to being bribed by Lockheed into buying the Starfighter.

Its high accident rate earned such nicknames as “Widowmaker,” “Flying Coffin,” and “Ground Nail.” Pakistani pilots simply called it Badmash (“Criminal”) and the Japanese Eiko (“Glory,” inferring that it was the easiest way to reach it). German pilots joked that the quickest way to obtain a F-104 was to buy a patch of land and wait.

Nonetheless, once pilots learned how to tame the beast, the accident rates eased somewhat, and NATO pilots discovered that the Starfighter excelled as a low-level attack aircraft: fitted with bomb racks, the F-104 was remarkably stable at low altitude and high speed, and Luftwaffe pilots in particular found that they could sneak up on a target, launch a simulated attack, and be gone before ground defenses could react. The Italians in particular loved the F-104, building their own as the F-104S: these aircraft were equipped with multimode radar and armed with AIM-7 Sparrow and Aspide radar-guided missiles, making them a superb interceptor. Though most NATO nations reequipped their F-104 units with F-16s, F-18s, or Tornados beginning in 1980, the Italian F-104S fleet was continually upgraded and soldiered on until final retirement in 2004. 2578 F-104s were built, mostly F-104Gs; today over 150 survive in museums, with at least ten flyable examples, making it one of the best preserved of the Century Series.

56-0790 was delivered to the USAF in 1957, but never entered service with a frontline unit. Instead, it was assigned to the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB, California, for high-speed flight tests, and to act as a chase plane for NF-104s going for speed and altitude records. In 1959, it was returned to Lockheed for a year and converted to a F-104G for testing tactical nuclear weapons delivery. It was returned to AFFTC in 1960, and in 1966 was transferred to NASA directly to replace the NASA F-104 that had been destroyed in a midair collision with the XB-70 Valkyrie. It was reregistered as N820NA, and would perform much the same duties as it had with the USAF, including chase plane duties for the Space Shuttle and YF-12 speed tests. It was retired in 1977 and donated to the Flight Test Museum at Edwards in 1985, and moved to Century Circle in 2007.

I've seen pictures of N820NA, and my stepfather built a model of the aircraft for the Malmstrom AFB Museum, but I had no idea this was that aircraft. (Adding to the confusion is that the Museum of Flight in Seattle has a F-104 painted as N820NA.) While at the Flight Test Museum, N820NA was displayed in its NASA colors, but when it was moved to Century Circle, it was refinished as 56-0790--rather plain, in my opinion, as compared to NASA colors, and giving little hint to its identity as one of the more famous chase Starfighters. The California sun has not been kind either, so it remains to be seen how Edwards will display the aircraft when it moves into their new museum in 2022.

While the Mirage III/5 family had been extremely successful, the delta wings used in these designs required a long runway, and Mirage IIIs in combat had shown problems with stalling in high-G maneuvers. To counter these problems, the French Armee de l’Air asked Dassault to design a more conventional multirole aircraft. This became the Mirage F.2, but the F.2 proved to be too large and expensive for the AdA. Dassault had already begun design work on a smaller version as a private venture, the F.1. Despite being smaller than the Mirage III, the Mirage F.1 had longer range, better maneuverability without the stall problem, and only needed half the runway of its delta-winged cousins. The prototype took to the air in December 1966.

The AdA liked the design, but changed the requirement from a low-level strike aircraft to a multirole interceptor. This proved to be no trouble for Dassault, which simply enlarged the nose to take a multimode radar, and the first Mirage F.1C entered service in May 1973. Like most Dassault designs, the Mirage F.1’s reliability and low cost made it very attractive for export customers, and it was adopted by 13 air forces over the next decade. Also like the rest of the Mirage family, the Mirage F.1 was converted to a number of roles, acting as not only an air superiority fighter, but also for ground attack and reconnaissance.

Flying during the turbulent 1980s and 1990s in the Middle East, South America, and Africa, the Mirage F.1 was also to see a great deal of combat service. The first was Morocco, using its Mirages in attacks against Polisario Front guerillas in 1979, quickly followed by South Africa, using its Mirages quite successfully against Cuban-flown Angolan MiG-23s in border disputes; SAAF Mirage F.1s shot down at least two MiGs and proved resilient to damage, with two aircraft sustaining hits from SAMs and air-to-air missiles and still returning to base. Iraq was to employ their Mirage F.1s with some success in the Iran-Iraq War, and the type proved to be the only Iraqi fighter to be able to dogfight Iranian F-14 Tomcats with any success. Iraqi Mirages fared less well in the First Gulf War, where several were lost against US Air Force and Royal Saudi Air Force F-15 Eagles; Kuwait’s Mirage F.1s had already seen action against Iraq earlier during the Iraqi invasion that started the war, and a significant number of Iraqi Mirages ended up interned in Iran during the war, later being incorporated into the Iranian Air Force.

This was not the first time that two nations operating Mirage F.1s had the potential of fighting each other: France had already attacked Libya during the conflict in Chad in the early 1980s. The most recent combat involving Mirage F.1s was in Libya in 2011, again both France and Libya operating the type, though Libyan Mirages either remained on the ground or sought asylum in Malta. French Mirage F.1s have also seen action in Afghanistan and the Ivory Coast.

Though the Mirage F.1 is approaching 40 years in service, it remains a viable fighter, and still serves in eight air forces worldwide. France, ceding the fighter-interceptor role to the Mirage 2000, converted its Mirage F.1s to Mirage F.1CT standard, allowing the Armee de l’Air to replace the Mirage III/5s in service in the mid-1990s. With the entry of the Rafale into French service, the Mirage F.1’s days in its parent nation are numbered, and it is expected to be withdrawn within the next five years. 720 Mirage F.1s were built.

This is a Mirage F.1CE in service with the Spanish Air Force (Ejercito del Aire), serving with the 14th Wing at Albaceter air base. This aircraft carries the standard 1980s camouflage of Spanish Mirage F.1s, a desert-style scheme of brown, yellow, and dark green. It is configured for the interceptor mission, with two Matra R530 radar-guided missiles beneath the wings and two wingtip Matra R550 Magic infrared missiles. Affectionately known as Abuela (“Grandma”) in Spanish service, the last Mirage F.1 left the EdA in 2014 in favor of the Eurofighter Typhoon.

(The following is a fictional history of a fictional aircraft.)

Almost as soon as the FIRAF and FIRNAA began acquiring the A-4E Skyhawk in numbers, it was decided to begin upgrading the aircraft, due to the A-4E’s lack of all-weather combat capability and the increasing age and cost of the J52 powerplant. McDonnell Douglas and Intelani Aeronautics planned the upgrade as a joint project, as McDonnell Douglas saw the export potential in such an aircraft. The project was designated A-4ES (Enhanced Skyhawk); the six testbeds were a mix of “flatback” A-4Es and “humpback” A-4Fs.

The upgrade was extensive, with the entire nose section of the A-4 redesigned from the intakes forward, incorporating an entirely new structure. The cockpit was enlarged slightly (similar to the A-4M) and the canopy made largely frameless, with a new teardrop shape added. The interior was completely reworked, with an instrument panel incorporating two multifunction displays, the addition of a multimode HUD, HOTAS, and a radar scope just below the HUD. This was due to the addition of an entirely new, also multimode radar: the APG-66, the same radar used on the F-16A. Like early models of the F-16, the A-4ES was to lack the ability to carry radar-guided missiles, limiting it to only the AIM-9 Sidewinder, but this was deemed adequate.

Behind the nose, other modifications were made. Due to minaturization, the “humpback” of the A-4F was no longer necessary, and so was deleted, though a small hump just past the midway point was added to incorporate the Have Quick radio system. An ILS antenna was added just behind the cockpit, but the biggest change in the fuselage was the addition of a USAF-style boom refuelling plug, with fuel tanks suitably altered. This allowed the A-4ES to refuel from either boom/plug or probe/drogue tankers, making it a “hermaphrodite." ALR-66 radar warning recievers and ALR-39 chaff/flare dispensers were also added.

Finally, the engine was upgraded from the J52 turbojet to a more fuel-efficient and quieter General Electric F404 turbofan. This gave the A-4ES a higher combat speed, increased warload, and thirty percent reduction in takeoff time, giving the Skyhawk better short-field takeoff/landing capability. Because landing speed was also somewhat higher, a brake parachute housing was added beneath the engine, though this was not always necessary to use. The SA-77C’s rearward-facing camera system was also added at the base of the tail, but this retained the same tendency to go out during high-G manuevers, though it was retained throughout the A-4ES’ service.

The first modified A-4ES was rolled out in March 1984, and performed “almost flawlessly,” according to a test pilot; one of the prototypes was taken over Mach 1 in a shallow dive in May, proving that the Skyhawk was capable of this speed, though actual use of supersonic speed was rare in service. With the Third World War looming on the horizon, the FIRAF and FIRNAA cancelled additional upgrades such as the use of Israeli-style DEFA 552 30mm cannon, retaining the Colt Mk 12, though many A-4ES would be field-refitted with the newer and more reliable M39A2. The FIRAF immediately placed an order for 40 upgraded A-4ES (to be done by cycling the FIRAF’s A-4Es already in use), while the FIRNAA also opted for upgrading its remaining 30 A-4Es, along with 18 new conversions, both in June 1984. This was almost immediately followed by an “emergency” order for 36 more A-4ES for the FIRAF a month later, with war imminent. Even with this, conversion did not begin until after the war broke out, with the 1st Fighter Squadron being the first recipient in December 1984.

The reliability and especially low cost of the A-4ES made it a natural choice as both the FIRAF and FIRNAA began expanding expotentially during the Third World War; demand for new Skyhawks was such that McDonnell Douglas’ Long Beach plant simply couldn’t keep pace, and subsequently new conversion lines were opened at Intelani Aeronautics. Sagely, Minister of Defense Akela Canis ordered an expansion of the FIRAF and FIRNAA anticipating a three-year war in November 1984 and three carrier battlegroups for the FIRNAA. As a result, the FIRAF now placed an additional “emergency” order for 48 A-4ES in that same month, with a final order for 48 more aircraft placed in March 1985, both to form more squadrons and as attrition replacements. Likewise, the FIRNAA’s orders also expanded to 72 more aircraft for the same reason, with this order placed in January 1985.

Eventually, no less than 301 A-4s were ordered: 181 for the FIRAF, and 120 for the FIRNAA. These conversions came from initially ex-US Navy A-4Es (eventually, two-thirds of the available A-4E airframes would be converted), ex-US Navy and Marine Corps A-4Fs, and even 52 ex-US Navy A-4Ls, themselves conversions of early A-4Bs. The latter were converted to A-4ES standards by adding a nose plug and refurbishing the wing to carry five hardpoints.

Against the MiG-23 and later the MiG-29/Su-27 series, the A-4ES was at a distinct disadvantage, and as the F-15 and F-31 entered FIRAF service, the Skyhawk was increasingly taken off of fighter duties and relegated to close air support and strike missions. This did not mean that the Skyhawk couldn’t defend itself, and Soviet Frontal Aviation pilots were warned to use caution in engaging Skyhawks that had dropped their ordnance. Though the A-4ES was capable of carrying Paveway LGBs, it usually employed “dumb” GP bombs.

Following the end of the Third World War, and the increasing availability of modern fighters such as the F-16 and F-31, the need for the A-4ES had declined considerably, and units chosen for deactivation in the FIRAF were generally A-4ES operators. From the end of the war in June 1987 to June 1989, A-4ES strength fell from eleven squadrons to two. The FIRNAA divested itself of all of its A-4s, with all nine operational squadrons reequipping with F-14Cs, F/A-18Cs, and A-6Es by February 1990.

The FIRAF retained two squadrons of A-4ES: the 63rd Fighter Squadron, which used its Skyhawks in the fast FAC role, and the 1st Aggressor Squadron, which used its aircraft in dissimilar fighter training. The 63rd FS’ Skyhawks were upgraded to A-4ESA standard, though this designation was not used outside of Intelani Aeronautics; this involved upgrading the radio suite for the FAC role and some of the avionics. These aircraft would see action during the First Gulf War. The A-4ES would remain in service with the 63rd FS until December 1994, when they were replaced by F-16Cs. The Aggressors would keep their Skyhawks a little longer, though numbers were reduced by attrition and age to only six aircraft by its retirement in October 1996.

As a big fan of the A-4 series (one of my first toys was a diecast A-4F), I wanted to build a Skyhawk kit, but there were none available in my preferred 1/144 scale. I found an old Tamiya 1/100 scale A-4E, which was good enough. Conversion to the "A-4ES" wasn't difficult, adding a few bumps for ECM and inflight refuelling, and painting on the "extended" canopy to change the profile of the nose. I replaced the bent inflight refuelling probe with a "stowed" version from a Tornado IDS kit. The two AIM-9D Sidewinders came from a 1/100 A-7 kit, which along with drop tanks, are the aircraft's ordnance load. For my fictional color scheme, I picked Ferris Splinter, a camouflage experimented with by the US Navy in the mid-1980s to break up the profile of an aircraft (and named for its designer, aviation artist Keith Ferris). I added some nose art and a tail logo, and voila, my first A-4 kit.

This excerpt from Popular Photography dates the introduction of the Fujica AX-5. Along with its lower-spec siblings, here Fuji has dropped the 42mm screw mount used up through the Fujica AZ-1. Fuji was a latecomer in introducing a new bayonet mount to replace the venerable screwmount—lagging Pentax, Mamiya, and even Vivitar.

The new mount standard allows the camera body to set apertures automatically, enabling the kinds of "multimode" autoexposure which the Minolta XD-11 and Canon A-1 were making popular.

The A-6 Intruder was designed to serve two roles: one, to replace the aging A-1 Skyraider and supplement the A-4 Skyhawk in the carrier-based strike role, and two, to give the US Navy a genuine all-weather strike aircraft. The requirement was issued in 1957, and Grumman’s A2F-1 design selected, with the first flight in 1960. In 1962, just before fleet entry in 1963, the Intruder was redesignated A-6A.

The A-6 was designed to hit targets with pinpoint accuracy in adverse weather, day or night, similar to what the USAF would later require for the F-111 Aardvark. For this reason, it was built around the Digital Integrated Attack/Navigation Equipment (DIANE), which used three radar systems to constantly update the INS and provide attack data to the bombardier/navigator sitting in the right seat. The system proved very complicated and it would be some years before it was perfected. Since the weather and night would be the Intruder’s primary defense, no internal armament equipped the aircraft, though it could carry an impressive 18,000 pound warload.

The Intruder was committed early to the Vietnam War, which showed up the flaws in the DIANE system and a more lethal one in the bomb delivery system, which had a tendency to set off the bombs prematurely, destroying the aircraft. Gradually improvements were made, and despite the loss of 84 Intruders over Vietnam, it proved to be extremely effective: until the bugs were ironed out of the F-111A in 1971, the A-6 remained the only American aircraft that could attack during the monsoon season.

Specialized A-6Bs were also produced specifically for Iron Hand defense suppression missions, and A-6Cs for anti-truck operations on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. All three variants were replaced by the A-6E beginning in 1971: this replaced DIANE with a more advanced solid-state computer and the three radars with a single AN/APQ-148 multimode radar. In 1979, the A-6E was further modified with the installation of Target Recognition Attack Multisensor (TRAM), consisting of a turret in the nose containing FLIR linked to the radar and a new bomb computer. Besides making the already accurate A-6 even more deadly, it also allowed the Intruder to drop laser-guided bombs, hit moving targets with bombs, and also use passive radar to attack a target.

A-6s would find themselves once more heavily employed during the First Gulf War, flying 4700 sorties for the loss of four aircraft; its final roles would find it supporting Marines in Somalia in 1991 and UN forces in Bosnia in 1995. By that time, surviving A-6Es had been partially upgraded to allow them to fire all newer guided weapons in the inventory (namely the AGM-84 Harpoon, AGM-65 Maverick, and AGM-88 HARM), while most of the fleet also received composite wings.

Grumman further proposed an updated version designated A-6F, with new avionics and engines, but the US Navy rejected this in favor of replacing the Intruder with first the cancelled stealthy A-12A Avenger II, then the F/A-18C/D Hornet. The last A-6E left US Navy service by Feburary 1997; the US Marine Corps had retired theirs in 1993. Older, non-modified aircraft were sunk as an artificial reef off Florida; others remain at AMARC for scrapping.

(The next part is fictional...)

With the formation of the Free Intelani Republic Naval Air Arm and the decision to build three Pegasus-class carriers, the FIRNAA quickly decided to follow the US Navy’s carrier air group format as well. The FIRNAA placed an order for 30 A-6E Intruders and six KA-6Ds in 1983, with the aircraft built to the same specifications as US Navy Intruders. Because of the Third World War and the US Navy’s need for all the Intruders it could get, FIRNAA production was pushed back until 1986, when the situation stabilized.

Finally, the FIRNAA received its first A-6Es in January 1987, and NAS-21 became the first FIRNAA Intruder squadron. To make up for the shortfall in production, the US Navy turned over 12 more aircraft after the end of the war, with the final batch of twelve A-6s delivered to the FIRNAA by January 1989. These replaced the A-4ES Skyhawk in service, and brought procurement at that time to 24 new-build aircraft and 12 ex-US Navy aircraft, with the balance of the order going to the USN to replace the last of the war losses. The FIRNAA did benefit from the delay in production, because the intelani Intruders were produced with the later weapons update already in place. FIRNAA A-6Es got their baptism of fire in the First Gulf War, and would go on to serve in the Balkans.

Though the US Navy never took up Grumman on the A-6F (or the less comphrensive A-6G) upgrade, the FIRNAA intended its Intruders to be in service for some years to come, and contracted Grumman to upgrade their aircraft to A-6F standard beginning in 1995. The new aircraft had their wings replaced with the same graphite-epoxy composite wings of late A-6Es, but the most significant changes were in the engines and avionics. General Electric F404 turbofans replaced the J52 turbojets for greater range and fuel efficiency, while the AN/APQ-156 radar was replaced with a synthetic-aperture AN/APQ-173, giving the A-6F the same ability as the much newer F-15E Strike Eagle. The cockpit was made a fully “glass” cockpit, though the two extra weapons stations on the A-6F prototypes were not fitted to FIRNAA models as a weight-saving measure.

The first FIRNAA A-6F flew in July 1994, and entered the fleet almost exactly a year later, in June 1995. Fleetwide refitting was completed in January 1998. FIRNAA KA-6Ds were not modified. The improved Intruders would see their first action in Operation Desert Fox against Iraq in 1998, over Kosovo in 1999, and led the first FIR airstrikes on Taliban positions in Afghanistan in October 2001. They were also heavily used in the initial invasion of Iraq in spring 2003.

Despite the relative newness of the aircraft and the fact that they were not slated to be retired before 2015, the FIR Defense Review of 2000 predicated a switch to an all multirole naval air arm by 2010, which sounded the death knell of the Intruder. Since the F/A-18E Super Hornet was multirole and one pilot could do the work of the two-man crew of the A-6F, it was decided that it would save the FIRNAA money by retiring the Intruder, though the Super Hornet did not have the range or warload of the A-6F.

The first Intruders left the fleet with the retirement of the IWS Sagittarius in 2004 and the disestablishment of NAS-22, while Super Hornets reached the fleet in 2005. The last A-6F Intruders were launched from the deck of IWS Aquarius in June 2006. The KA-6D had left the fleet earlier, with the last being retired in March 2004.

(Back in the real world...)

A friend of mine gave me this A-6 diecast toy a few years ago, and it sat on my shelf for a long time. Recently, I decided to paint it up a little bit for my fictional navy, by adding highlights, wing walkways, and squadron markings. It turned out well, though the felt tip squadron markings smeared a little...but this does make the A-6 look worn, as most do after coming home from sea duty.

While the F-16A had proven a success, its lack of long-range missile and true all-weather capability hampered it, especially in projected combat against the Warsaw Pact over Central Europe. General Dynamics began work on the upgraded F-16C/D version, with the first Block 25 F-16C flying in June 1984 and entering USAF service that September.

Externally, the only ways to tell apart the F-16C from the F-16A is the slightly enlarged base of the tail and a UHF radio antenna at the base of the tail. The intake is also slightly larger, though later marks of the F-16A also have this feature. Internally, however, the F-16C is a significantly different aircraft. The earlier APG-66 radar was replaced by the APG-68 multimode radar used by the F/A-18, which gave the F-16C the same capability to switch between ground-attack and dogfight mode and vastly improved all-weather capability. Cockpit layout was also changed in response to pilots’ requests, with a larger Heads-Up Display and movement of the radar display to eye level rather than between the pilot’s legs on the F-16A. The F-16C would also have the capability to carry the AIM-120 AMRAAM, though it would not be until 1992 that the missile entered service. Other small upgrades were made throughout the design, including the engine.

The Block 25 initial production was superseded by the Block 30 F-16C in 1987, which gave it better navigation systems, and the capability to carry the either the General Electric F110 or the Pratt and Whitney F100 turbofan. The Block 40/42 “Night Falcon” followed in 1988, equipped with LANTIRN night attack pods, followed by the Block 50/52, which was a dedicated Wild Weasel variant. In USAF service, the latter are semi-officially known as F-16CG and F-16CJ variants.

The F-16C had replaced the F-16A in nearly all overseas USAF units by the First Gulf War in 1991, and as a result, the aircraft was among the first deployed to the theater in August 1990. During the war, the F-16C was used mainly in ground attack and strike sorties, due to delays in the AIM-120, but it performed superbly in this role. USAF F-16s finally scored kills in the F-16C, beginning in 1992, when an Iraqi MiG-23 was shot down over the southern no-fly zone; the victory was also the first with the AMRAAM. Four Serbian G-4 Super Galebs were shot down over Bosnia in 1994. F-16Cs had replaced the F-16A entirely in regular and Reserve USAF service by 1997, and further service was seen over Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya by 2012. Subsequent upgrades to USAF F-16Cs with GPS allow them to carry advanced precision weapons such as JSOW and JDAM.

Whatever the variant, the F-16 is today the most prolific combat aircraft in existence, with 28 nations operating the type (17 of which operate F-16Cs). Over 4450 have been built, with more in production; the F-16C is also license-produced by Turkey and South Korea. It also forms the basis for the Mitsubishi F-2 fighter for Japan, though the F-2 is significantly different, with a longer nose and larger wing. Though the USAF projects that the F-16C will be replaced by the F-35 beginning in 2020, it will likely remain in service for a very long time.

This F-16C belongs to the 401st Tactical Fighter Wing, based at Torrejon AB, Spain; the 401st replaced its F-4Cs with F-16s beginning in 1983. F-16Cs from the 401st deployed to the First Gulf War in 1991, flying ground-attack and strike sorties throughout the war, and this particular model represents such an aircraft; it is equipped with two Mk 83 2000-pound bombs used to destroy runways at Iraqi air bases, along with four AIM-9L Sidewinders for defense, two external fuel tanks, and a centerline ALQ-131 ECM pod. It is finished in standard USAF F-16 camouflage of gunship and ghost grays.

(This is a mostly fictional history.)

The SA-77C Wildfire owes its existence to the British requirement for a development of the Panavia Tornado strike aircraft into an interceptor, known as the Tornado Air Defense Variant (ADV) by Panavia and the Tornado F.2 by the RAF. As such, the Tornado ADV would be longer than the IDS, with a longer nose for the Marconi/Ferranti AI.24 Foxhunter multimode radar, and a two-foot fuselage stretch to allow the design to accommodate four Sky Flash missiles. This stretch also reduced drag and allowed the Tornado ADV to carry more fuel. The ADV’s purpose was more or less that of a pure interceptor, designed to fly far out over the North Sea and intercept Soviet bombers long before they reached missile range of the UK.

Though other nations of the Panavia consortium had no interest in the ADV—Germany and Italy were not likely to face Soviet bombers but strike aircraft, which could be handled by German F-4Fs and Italian F-104S—the fourth member of the consortium, the Free Intelani Republic, was very much interested in the ADV. At the time, the primary interceptor of the FIRAF was the obsolescent F-106A Delta Dart, and although the F-15 Eagle was beginning to enter service, the FIR desired a secondary source of equipment besides the United States. Moreover, the FIR Congress and Ministry of Defense wanted a new interceptor to be built in the FIR itself. This made the Tornado ADV perfect for everyone involved, as Intelani Aeronautics was already producing parts for the Tornado IDS and Predator Propulsion was already producing engines. The Tornado ADV then became a joint project between the UK and the FIR, with both nations signing a memorandum of development in October 1979, the same month the prototype Tornado ADV, produced by British Aerospace, had flown.

Very quickly, however, both nations discovered that they had differing ideas in the direction of the ADV. Intelani Aeronautics saw little reason for a two-seat interceptor, citing that the F-15 and F-106 were single-seaters, and thus the FIRAF had no trained Weapon Systems Officers. To create such a position would increase the overall operating costs of the Tornado, which was already slightly higher than the F-15 due to its use of variable-sweep wings. With this in mind, Intelani Aeronautics proposed a single-seat version of the ADV, which British Aerospace refused, citing that the RAF already operated two-seat interceptors (the Phantom FGR.2) and was moving away from single-seat fighters like the Lightning.

Not wishing to delay development of the ADV, the two companies came to an agreement: the British would continue development of the two-seat Tornado F.2, and the intelanis would go forward with the single-seat SA-77C. The second seat in the SA-77C would be used as an electronics bay, which also allowed the SA-77C to retain both 27mm Mauser cannon; the Tornado F.2 deleted one cannon to make room for its electronics suite. This was enough of a design change that Intelani Aeronautics renamed the SA-77C as the Wildfire, reflecting the desire of the company for a “home-grown” design. The FIRAF duly placed an order for 36 SA-77Cs in October 1979, with an option for 24 more.

Seemingly freed from the burden of working on a joint project—though the Wildfire and the Tornado were still basically the same aircraft—Intelani Aeronautics began changing other aspects of the aircraft, despite warnings from both British Aerospace and Minister of Defense Akela Canis that the intelani company was getting carried away with their “new” fighter. Recognizing that the planned Foxhunter radar was intended for a two-man crew, Intelani Aeronautics redesigned the cockpit and introduced revolutionary data management systemry, reducing the workload of the pilot considerably. Reportedly inspired by the movie Firefox, the designers also commissioned Holly Electronics to design a rearward-firing rocket pack, which could launch either decoys for missiles or shoot down enemy fighters closing to gun range. Holly was to name it the Stego (short for Stegosaurus, the dinosaur which carried spikes in its tail), and the Stego was installed below and between the twin engines. To guide the Stego, a rearward-facing television camera (TCS) was also installed, at the base of the tail; this was also to satisfy pilots’ concerns of the poor rearward-vision of the Wildfire, a problem the Tornado ADV shared but one considered secondary in a bomber interceptor. Finally—something originally planned for the fighter—the Wildfire was rewired to carry the AIM-7 Sparrow in the semi-recessed fuselage wells rather than the British-specific Sky Flash. Almost at the last minute, Intelani Aeronautics also added a boom/plug refuelling receptacle just behind the cockpit, allowing the Wildfire to refuel in both USAF-standard boom/plug and European-standard probe/drogue.

The first completed SA-77C Wildfire took to the air in July 1980, six months ahead of schedule. The first production aircraft were supplied to three squadrons that “stood up” simutaneously: the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Fighter Squadrons, all of which got their first Wildfires before the end of the year. Pilots were already trained in Tornado operations, having flown with the NATO TTTE Tornado training unit at RAF Cottesmore prior to 1980. The initial batches of Wildfires lacked radars, but these were installed retroactively in all aircraft prior to January 1981.

Almost immediately, pilots began to report severe problems. While the aircraft flew fine, and pilots praised the work-management system and its climb performance, the initial batch of Foxhunter radars were very unreliable. GEC-Marconi, which supplied the radars, pointed out that the Foxhunter was still in its test phase, and Intelani Aeronautics had rushed installation of the radar to get the SA-77C into service by its planned delivery date; the RAF, due to budget difficulties and the emphasis placed on the Tornado IDS, was not planning on getting its first Tornado F.2s until 1983 at the earliest, and had yet to even test the Foxhunter. Pilots, however, also reported that the radar itself had distinct difficulties as designed, which led Marconi to begin reworking it—which in turn delayed delivery of the Foxhunter even more.

To the consternation of the FIRAF Wildfire squadrons, this meant that the supposedly “obsolete” F-106 was more capable than the brand-new SA-77C, because the FIRAF’s F-106s had been refitted with the same APG-63 radar as the F-15. To make matters worse, the “revolutionary” Stego rearward defense pod was also unreliable—when it worked, which was not often, the shock of firing it tended to knock out the rearward TCS, while the rockets themselves were very inaccurate. After one Wildfire was destroyed when the rockets exploded, after being ignited by the Wildfire’s engines, Minister Canis ordered them removed, though Intelani Aeronautics continued to produce the Wildfire with the Stego, hoping the problems would be worked out.

With a radar that was unreliable and often not even delivered, a rearward defense pod that was more dangerous to the pilot than to the enemy, and teething troubles common to any new aircraft, the SA-77C Wildfire program was in trouble. Critics pointed out that the F-15 was far more reliable, capable, and cheaper to operate, and that even the F-106 was, as long as the Foxhunter remained plagued with problems, more capable. Canis agreed and cancelled the option to acquire any more beyond the 36 aircraft ordered, aside from attrition replacements. Intelani Aeronautics, now under new management, accepted the judgement quietly, and began work on new designs—one of which was to culminate in the highly-successful F-31 Stingray. In the meantime, the Foxhunters were taken out of the existing SA-77Cs and replaced with APG-63s taken from redundant modified F-106s (which at least spared the FIRAF from the fate of the RAF’s Tornado F.2s, which went into service with “Blue Circle” concrete ballast in the nose). Holly also began reworking the Stego pod, which would eventually become the forward-firing, fairly successful Zinger guided rocket pod.

By the beginning of the Third World War in 1984, the FIRAF was planning on replacing the SA-77C Wildfire with F-15 Eagles, but the war ended those plans. Instead, the three squadrons operating Wildfires—the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd FS—went to war with their aircraft in September 1984. In combat, the SA-77C proved to be a fairly decent interceptor and did score a small number of kills, but clearly was overmatched against more nimble Soviet fighters; the AIM-7 Sparrow was still somewhat unreliable, which robbed the Wildfire of its most potent weapon. As an interim fighter until more F-15s could be made available—the USAF needing all the F-15 attrition replacements it could get at the time—the SA-77C squadrons would replace their aircraft with A-4ES Skyhawks, though in the end the 3rd FS received F-16As instead.

Surviving SA-77Cs were consolidated into a single squadron—the 51st FS—which only operated the aircraft in the FIR for six months before becoming the first squadron to operate the F-31 Stingray. The last SA-77C was retired from FIRAF service without much ceremony in July 1985, five years to the day of its entry into service. Intelani Aeronautics retained three for testbeds, while the others were placed in storage at Dinosaur IAFB in case they should be needed. They were not, and so starting in 1988 these remaining aircraft, save those retained for museums, were scrapped in situ or used as targets.

The "SA-77C" here was an easy "conversion" from Revell's 1/144 Tornado IDS--the rear cockpit was painted over and a F-16 refueling plug decal applied. It carries four AIM-7M Sparrows and two AIM-9J Sidewinders (taken from a F-14 kit), though the Sparrows can't be seen. The camouflage scheme is similar to that carried by German Marineflieger Tornado IDSs in the 1980s, with the fictional "Free Intelani Air Force" and "2nd Fighter Squadron" tail markings. Tailcodes were hand-lettered with a felt pen. As a diecast toy Tornado was one of my first airplane toys, this model was fun to do, as was the "history" of a fictional aircraft.

At last a camera that can handle a great many picture taking situations even under unfavorable lighting conditions.

Nikon presents the new Nikon FA with "multi-technomode" automatic exposure capability.

Dual Program auto-exposure with cybernetic override and Normal as well as High-Speed Program.

Shutter-Priority auto-exposure with cybernetic override and top 1/4000 sec. shutter speed.

Aperture-Priority, with stopped-down auto exposure.

And Manual mode.

Plus TECHNOFLASH with direct TTL flash control at up to 1/250 sec.

TECHNODRIVE with an all-new motor drive.

And the FA offers what no other SLR can: Nikon's all-new Automatic Multi-Pattern Metering (AMP) system which executes optimum exposure measurements automatically, even in difficult lighting situations.

A built-in microcomputer enables the FA to put all these functions at your command, automatically, instantly, making it a camera that's amazingly easy to use.

The Nikon FA. We won't call it revolutionary, you will.

Nikon FA [1983-1989]

THE TECHNOCAMERA

a little update :-D

Nikon FA

History

Review

Specifications

Lenses

The most sophisticated multimode manual focus Nikon ever.

It has P, A, S and M shooting modes

Matrix metering (AMP)

Split-Image rangefinder/Microprism focusing screen

European Camera of the year 1984

Winner Japan Camera Grand Prix 1984

Hope this setting will help those who had trouble setting it up :)

Open your Internet browser and navigate to "192.168.1.1".

For new router, the user name should be "admin" and password also "admin".

Then, go to "Setup", click "Basic Setup". You should be able to see similar page like the above.

ASDL

RFC 2364 PPPoA

Multiplexing: VC

QoS Type: UBR

Autodetect: Disable

Virtual Circuit: VPI=0; VCI=100

DSL Modulation: MultiMode

User Name: [your_singnet_username]@singnet

Password: [Enter your singnet broadband password or call singnet to reset it]

Keep Alive: 30 seconds

Host Name: singnet.com.sg

Domain Name: singnet.com.sg

MTU: Auto

IP Address: 192.168.1.1

Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

DHCP Server: Enabled

Start IP Address: 192.168.1.100

Maximum Number of Users: [up to you, 50 is default]

(Accept the rest of the settings as default)

Canon EOS 300 (1999 - 2002)

Kiss III Canon Japan.

Canon Revel 2000 in USA.

AF Mount.

Speed ​​30 sec. to 1/2000

TTL multimode.

7 points of focus.

Manual modes, automatic, P, Av, Tv, depth of field and scenes.

Built-in flash.

2 CR2 battery

35mm film camera user medium / low.

Features:

Kit Sold with a 28-90 zoom silver color as the body of the camera.

TTL multimode.

7 points of approach, it is possible to select the focus point.

Modes Manual, Automatic, Program, Av, Tv, depth of field and scenes (portrait, landscape, macro, sports, night snapshot)

Electronic shutter 30 sec to 1/2000, self timer of 10 seconds.

Synchronizes with the flash at 1/90.

Viewer 90%, and opening speed information selected focus point used approach, flash ready and under / over exposure.

It has an LCD shooting mode information, speed and openness, self-timer, trigger type type of exposure, number of frames, etc.

Built-in flash, guide number 12.

Automatically goes into automatic mode and can be used manually in the rest.

In use:

This new camera purchase in early 2001.

For me a great value for money, at that time was looking for a comfortable camera to use and carry around a long time.

It was my second Canon and I fidelizo to the brand for its excellent performance and compatibility of your lenses with digital cameras.

Camera is a convenient and simple to use.

It can be used in fully automatic point and shoot or P or other programs and lets get more from your camera.

I normally use it in P, Av or Tv, I may take several exposures or built-in flash for fill flash use ocmo.

For a starter camera is pretty full value having a very competitive price.

One of the advantages is the weight (335 gr) allowing you to carry it all day without suffering neck hookup effects on cervical.

A good camera to go hiking or kick a city of tourist.

Not resistant as the larger models but it is not throw it to the ground or driving nails into the walls.

I completed the kit with a long zoom 70-300 and an external flash Metz.

In resumenuna great camera that gave me great satisfaction, gives a very correct photos with good color and remove only the push of digital photography, it was still my companion for 10 years leaving me very nice photos.

At the WEB

User manual:

usuarios.multimania.es/mceos300/

www.mediafire.com/?jwccgca4g6ip71y#!

www.butkus.org/chinon/canon/canon_eos_rebel_2000_300/cano...

Opinion:

www.fotonatura.org/material/35mm/118/

Information:

photo.net/equipment/canon/eos-300

www.collection-appareils.fr/x/html/page_standard.php?id_a...

www.canon.com/camera-museum/camera/film/data/1996-2000/19...

photonotes.org/manuals/eos-rebel-2000/#differences

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_EOS_300

Lomography:

www.lomography.es/photos/cameras/3332149-canon-eos-300

Flickr

www.flickr.com/groups/rebel2000/

www.flickr.com/groups/eos_analog/

While the Mirage IIICJ in Israeli Air Force (Heyl Ha’avir) service had proven the Mirage to be a superb fighter, it was not really designed as a ground-attack aircraft, though Israel had often been forced into using it as such. As a result, Israel commissioned Dassault Aircraft of France to design a clear-weather variant of the Mirage III, designed to have better ground-attack capability and range than the CJ fighter-interceptor. This new version was designated the Mirage 5J by Dassault, but following the Six-Day War, President Charles de Gaulle, attempting to improve Franco-Arab relations, embargoed the Mirage 5J, which went into French Armee de l’Air service instead. Israel was later able to covertly acquire plans for the Mirage 5 from Dassault, as well as a number of Atar 9C engines, and built their own version of the Mirage 5J, improving on the design slightly as the Nesher (Dagger).

Though the Nesher performed superbly in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, it retained the problems of the Atar 9-powered Mirage series: a tendency towards compressor stalls in high angles of attack and lack of power compared to other aircraft. Israel Aircraft Industries had already begun research into adapting the Mirage to carry the far more powerful American General Electric J79 turbojet, which powered the F-4 Phantom IIs in Israeli service. The J79 had more than enough power, but also needed much more airflow than the Atar 9, and operated at much hotter temperatures. Using a two-seat Mirage IIIBJ as a test bed, the rear fuselage had to be widened, air scoops added to the rear fuselage and at the base of the tail, and a titanium casing built for the J79. This proved to be successful, and a second conversion of a Nesher resulted in the prototype Kfir (Lion Cub), which first flew in June 1973. Production of the Kfir C.1 would not begin until after the Yom Kippur War; while it would enter service in 1974, its existence was not publicly revealed until a year later.

While the Kfir C.1 was adequate, the power of the J79 was such that, at high speeds, the aircraft was difficult to control, with a tendency to both “snake” through the sky in uncontrollable turns, and to provide too much power to the pilot. It also lacked radar, though early Kfirs had their noses painted black to fool observers into thinking it did. IAI embarked on a program to cure this problem, which resulted in the Kfir C.2. This changed the appearance of the Kfir completely by adding large canards to the intakes, strakes on the slightly longer nose, and more cooling intakes. This cured not only the tendency towards loss of control at high speeds, it also lowered the Kfir’s landing speeds and made it more maneuverable at low speed. The leading edge of the wing was altered to a “sawtooth” design, which also improved performance. As radars became smaller, a ranging radar for attack missions was added as well. While the Kfir was not the first aircraft to use the canard/delta combination (the Saab Viggen entered service just before the Kfir C.2), the use of this combination would be subsequently adopted by several Mirage III/5 users for the same reasons, namely by South Africa, who converted a number of their Mirage IIIs to essentially Kfir clones as the Cheetah.

The Kfir C.2, and its upgraded successor the C.7, would see action beginning in 1977 and culminating in the Lebanon War of 1982, in various airstrikes first against terrorist targets in Lebanon and Syria, and then against Syrian forces directly. Though the Kfir was a good fighter, it was used mainly in the ground attack role, as Israel’s F-15 Eagles were much better suited for air superiority missions. Israel retired its Kfirs by 1996 in favor of F-16C Fighting Falcons, offering surplus aircraft on the open market. Since sale of Kfirs also needed US approval (as the Kfir uses an American engine), foreign sales have been limited to Colombia, Ecuador, and Sri Lanka; Colombia has upgraded its aircraft to C.10 standard, with a full multimode radar, making the Kfir a truly multirole fighter. At least 220 Kfirs were built.

I've actually had this Israeli Air Force Kfir C.7 since 2006, with some idea towards repainting it as a F-21A Kfir from my fictional air force. I may still do that, but for now, it remains in IDF/AF colors. This gray on gray color scheme was applied to Kfirs towards the end of their careers, and only one or two squadrons adopted it; the rest either remained in desert camouflage or adopted the "cafe au lait" scheme. (Supposedly the gray Kfirs were optimized for air-to-air combat, but I don't believe that to be the case--though this would have been a very effective scheme.) Which squadron the real 845 belonged to is unknown, though it was retired in 1994; it may have been scrapped or supplied to the Sri Lankan Air Force.

The Kfir always looked good no matter what scheme it was in, and though marketed as a toy, this is more of a display model than anything else.