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+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The Malaysian air forces trace their lineage to the Malayan Auxiliary Air Force formations of the Royal Air Force (RAF) formed in 1934. They later transformed into the Straits Settlements Volunteer Air Force (SSVAF) and the Malaya Volunteer Air Force (MVAF) formed in 1940 and dissolved in 1942 during the height of the Japanese advance over Malaya. The latter was re-established in 1950 in time for the Malayan Emergency and contributed very much to the war effort.
On 2 June 1958 the MVAF finally became the Royal Federation of Malaya Air Force (RFMAF), this date is celebrated as RMAF Day yearly. On 25 October 1962, after the end of the Malayan Emergency, the RAF handed over their first airfields in Malaya to the RFMAF, at Simpang Airport; it was opened on 1 June 1941, in Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpur which was formerly part of Selangor and the national capital city. The first aircraft for the fledgling air force was a Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer named "Lang Rajawali" by the then Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman. Several Malayans serving with the Royal Air Force transferred to the Royal Federation of Malaya Air Force. The role played by RMAF was limited initially to communications and the support of ground operations against Communist insurgents during the Malayan Emergency. RMAF received its first combat aircraft with the delivery of 20 Canadair CL41G Tebuans (an armed version of the Canadair Tutor trainer). RMAF also received Aérospatiale Alouette III helicopters, to be used in the liaison role.
With the formation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963, the name of the air force was changed to "Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia" or "Royal Malaysian Air Force". New types introduced into service included the Handley Page Herald transport and the De Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou. RMAF received Sikorsky S-61A-4 helicopters in the late 1960s and early 1970s which were used in the transport role. RMAF gained an air defence capability when the Australian Government donated 10 ex-Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) CAC Sabre fighters. These were based at the Butterworth Air Base. After the withdrawal of British military forces from Malaysia and Singapore at the end of 1971, a Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) agreement between Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom was concluded to ensure defence against external aggression. The RAAF maintained two Mirage IIIO squadrons at RAF/RAAF Station Butterworth, Butterworth Air Base as part of its commitment to the FPDA. These squadrons were withdrawn in 1986, although occasional deployments of RAAF aircraft continue.
With the withdrawal of British military forces, RMAF underwent gradual modernization from the 1970s to the 1990s. The Sabre were replaced by 16 Northrop F-5E Tiger-IIs. A reconnaissance capability was acquired with the purchase of two RF-5E Tigereye aircraft. RMAF also purchased 88 ex-US Navy Douglas A-4C Skyhawks, of which 40 of the airframes were converted/refurbished by Grumman Aircraft Engineering at Bethpage into the A-4PTM ('Peculiar To Malaysia'), configuration (A-4Bs updated to A-4M standard). RMAF has traditionally looked to the West for its purchases, primarily to the United States. However, limitations imposed by the US on "new technology" to the region, such as the AIM-120 AMRAAM fire-and-forget air-to-air missile, has made RMAF consider purchases from Russia and other non-traditional sources. The early 1990s saw the arrival of a number of IAI Kfir fighter bombers from Israel and the first BAE Hawk Mk108/208s which replaced the T/A-4PTMs and the ageing F-5Es. These were followed by the MiG-29N/NUB in 1995 in the air superiority role.
Malaysia’s order for the IAI Kfir had been placed in 1989 and a total of twenty-eight aircraft were procured. These machines were among the last newly built aircraft of this type, comparable with the IDF’s late C.7 standard with HOTAS and a partial “glass cockpit”. Deliveries included twenty-four single seaters, optimized for the fighter bomber/strike role, even though the machines could carry light AAMs like the AIM-9 Sidewinder, too, and operate as interceptors. Additionally, four new Kfir TC.7 two-seaters were bought, primarily for conversion training, but these machines had, except for a reduced internal fuel capacity in the fuselage due to the second seat, the same capabilities as the TUDM C.7 single seaters. By 1992 the RMAF Kfir fleet was ready for service and the machines were concentrated at No. 17 Squadron, based at Kuantan Air Base, located at the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Even though they were not officially re-christened, the RMAF Kfirs were frequently referred to as “Anak Singa” among the personnel, meaning “lion cub” in Malaysian language.
In 1996, three TUDM Kfir C.7s were, with the help from IAI and imported hardware, modified into armed photo reconnaissance aircraft, resulting in the CR.7 variant exclusively operated by Malaysia. These machines received an elongated nose section (more than 4’ longer) with space for a rotating long-range oblique camera, similar in shape to the former “Tsniut” conversion of C.2 fighter bombers for the IDF. The guns were replaced with avionics but the C.7s’ Elta EL/M-2021B pulse-Doppler radar was retained, so that these converted machines kept their limited all-weather strike and interception capability. But as dedicated reconnaissance aircraft they were almost exclusively operated unarmed, just carrying up to three drop tanks for extra range and loiter time.
The Kfirs did not serve with the Royal Malaysian Air Force for a long period, though: In 1997, Malaysia received a dozen F/A-18D Hornet two-seaters to provide an all-weather interdiction capability, which the rather simple Kfirs did not offer. They could also use the AGM-84 “Harpoon” ASM, making them better suited for naval strike missions, and initially the Hornets frequently served as pathfinders for the Kfirs on all-weather missions. Despite their limitations, what still made the Kfirs attractive for the RMAF was their relatively low operational cost level and the type’s high speed and rate of climb.
However, in 2003 a contract was signed for 18 Su-30MKMs from Russia for delivery in 2007 to fulfill a requirement for a new multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA). Boeing alternatively offered the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, but the type was declined. These capable machines, which were adapted to Western ordnance like GBU-12 laser-guided glide bombs, eventually replaced the RMAF Kfirs, which were gradually phased out until 2010, mothballed, and put up for sale. The last new Su-30MKM arrived in 2009 August, but the F/A-18Ds remained in service – even though only eight machines were still operational at that time. Apparently, the RMAF’s budget was tightened in the meantime since a new requirement for a further batch of new 18 MRCAs remained unfulfilled. Furthermore, the RMAF has also been looking for an AWACS aircraft, although no firm orders have been placed.
General characteristics
Crew: One
Length (incl. pitot): 16.92 m (55 ft 5¾ in)
Wingspan: 8.22 m (26 ft 11½ in)
Height: 4.61 m (14 ft 11 3/4 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) with 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 with a dry thrust of 52.9 kN (11,890 lb st)
and 79.62 kN (17,900 lb st) 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 configuration, hi-lo-hi profile,
with 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:
No internal guns
9× hardpoints under the wings and fuselage for up to 5,775 kg (12,730 lb) of payload
The kit and its assembly:
This was a spontaneous build for the “Recce & Surveillance” Group Build at whatifmodellers.com in September 2021. I had bought a resin conversion set from AML for a Kfir RC.2 a while ago, without a certain plan. I had originally planned not to use it on a Kfir, though, but when I considered the build of a Malaysian Kfir I remembered the conversion set and decided to use it for this project, giving it a weird twist.
The kit is the Italeri 1:72 Kfir C.2 in a recent Revell re-boxing. It is not a stellar model of this aircraft. While outlines are O.K. and the kit comes with fine recessed surface details, fit is so-so and there are some weak spots, like the fuselage/wing seams, the many intersections under the air intakes that run right through the gun ports, sinkholes on the wings upper surface and a cockpit tub/front landing gear well piece that won’t fit properly. The Hasegawa kit’s fit is better, but the Italeri Kfir is detail-wise not worse – and it’s cheaper.
The model was built OOB with the usual challenges (see above). When the fuselage was completed, the nose was chopped off in front of the windscreen, to be replaced with the parts from the “Tsniut” (however this is properly pronounced, meaning “modesty”) AML set – which is apparently different from those resin parts that come with the manufacturer’s Mirage IIICJ kit, which offers two versions of the long Tsniut nose plus a modified standard radome nose with a vertical Zeiss camera inside that was mounted on some converted IDF Mirages, too, called AFAIK the “Tarmil” nose.
The AML set is a very nice and clean offering – crisply molded, no bubbles, and with delicate parts and details like a new pitot or conduits that run from the former gun ports to the front of the nose – all molded in fine resin. There’s a good instruction sheet and even a decal set (plus painting instructions) for the two real IDF Kfir CR.2 conversions. However, there is also a piece of acetate film supposed to be included, to be used as a clear cover for the relatively large oblique camera fairing that is open to three sides and gives a good view to the rotating camera mount inside - it was missing from my set. But it was easily replaced with a piece of stiff clear film from a blister packaging. The camera opening’s 3D shape was copied with the help of masking tape into 2D, which was used to cut the replacement window out. This tailored piece of sheet was then bent into shape and attached with Humbrol Clearfix. A prothesis, but it does certainly not look worse than the OOB solution.
However, while the AML set itself went together fluidly, grafting it onto the Italeri Kfir was more complicated: the kit’s nose diameter is markedly larger than the camera extension, maybe 1mm. This does not sound much, but it leaves a recognizable step on an otherwise smooth surface – some body sculpting with a Dremel tool and PSR was necessary to even the intersection out.
The rest of the conversion was straightforward – I considered to leave the nose extension away, for a personal Kfir recce variant, but eventually stuck close to the original Tsniut configuration because of the aircraft’s weird look and added realism.
As a recce aircraft, I left the kit’s underwing pylons for the Python AAMs away and just used the ventral pylon and the large OOB drop tank.
Painting and markings:
The bane of modern aircraft type: dull livery options. I wanted a realistic paint scheme for this aircraft, suitable for a tactical mission and for the late Nineties tine frame – but the TUDM offers only very limited options. At first I considered the late A-4PTM scheme (either SEA style or a subdued two-tone green/brown scheme) with low-viz markings, but eventually settled for a simple all-grey scheme, inspired by the TUDM’s F-18Ds that arrived in the model’s time frame, too. These were dedicated all-weather strike aircraft and were initially painted overall FS 36118 (USAF Gunship Grey) with low-viz markings. This is very dull and simple, but I nevertheless adopted it for the recce Kfir because it does not distract from the odd nose, and it suits the tactical recce mission profile well.
The basic paint became Humbrol 125, which is a rather bluish interpretation of the tone, and the retrofitted new nose was set apart with FS 36118 from ModelMaster. The cockpit interior was painted in Medium Gull Grey (Humbrol 140) and landing gear as well as the air intakes were painted in bright white (Revell 301) – they really stand out on the dark and uniform airframe! To reduce the contrast a little I took the Gunship Grey over to the inner intake lips and the shock cones - some Kfirs have these intake areas painted all-white, making them stand out blatantly! The outside of the intake lips was painted black, as well as the small nose radome and the antenna bumps under the cockpit.
The interior color of the camera compartment is uncertain, but I painted it in anthracite (Revell 06), while the rotating camera mount became light grey, so that it would be more visible from the outside.
The model received an overall light ink washing to emphasize the engraved surface details as well as some post-shading and weathering through dry-brushing with various shades of medium grey. The markings/decals were puzzled together from a Begemot MiG-29 sheet (national and tactical markings) and the Kfir’s OOB stencils, which had to be – because they are in Hebrew in the Revell kit – partly replaced with low-viz alternatives from leftover Italeri Kfir sheets. The camera window received frames made with 1mm black decal strips. Finally, the model was sealed with matt acrylic varnish.
A relatively simple and quick build. The Italeri Kfir has some weaknesses, but I have built enough of them to know the major pitfalls. The AML Tsniut conversion set blended well onto the airframe, even though the missing camera window called for some scratch work. The result is an interesting Kfir variant, and the subtle paint scheme of the fictional Malaysian operator adds credibility – the dark grey upper color reminds a little of the late Ecuadorean Kfirs, but this TUMD whif is much less colorful, even with the many red markings and stencils, which blend into the grey with little contrast. This is not a spectacular model/whif, but I like the unusual dark livery on the Kfir. And it certainly is not the last whiffy Kfir I will build, there are already ideas for more…
The flowers are inspired by the "Carnation Bouquet" peony, all made in gumpaste as are the ribbons. The cake is covered in Satin Ice fondant. These are just dummies, made for fun.
I have decided to add my logo to photos as they are making their way off of flickr but not necessarily being credited to me. I hope that this doesn't sound too precious!
There are some close ups on my website.
Her birthday present :)
She wanted the pottery barn one (and so did I!), but this craigslist one works just fine!
Testing my new gear.. Orb done with led Poi's with a red gelled flash towards the ground. Thanks for the Led Poi tip, Versacrum! Straight from the camera.
Le Château Frontenac est le deuxième d'une longue série d'hôtels de style « château » construits par les compagnies ferroviaires canadiennes à la fin du xixe siècle et au début du xxe siècle afin de populariser les voyages par train.
À la fin du xixe siècle, la ville de Québec désire se doter d'un grand hôtel. En 1890, l'architecte Eugène-Étienne Taché, à qui l'on doit notamment l'Assemblée nationale du Québec, présente son avant-projet du Fortress Hotel, édifice imposant comprenant un hôtel de luxe et un grand opéra, dont le plan symétrique flanqué de trois tours rondes rappelle les châteaux français.
La première phase de la construction du Château Frontenac, commandé par le chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique, commence en 1892. Le projet retenu est celui de l'architecte américain Bruce Price, qui avait déjà réalisé la gare Windsor de Montréal.
I gave Pablo my old laptop as a present for his 6th birthday
I gave Pablo my old laptop as a present for his 6th birthday. He's already using it, although he did make a funny face to me, not sure whether it was because of how dusty it is or because it's still running FreeBSD 5.3
By the way, he also has his own twitter account: twitter.com/pablothecat
I hadn't taken any photos in quite awhile and really needed to get out and do something fun so I went with some friends to Arlington National Cemetery to look around. I was able to get some really neat shots, especially when we got to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for the Changing of the Guard.
This is Nan - Nan has come to Brookfield Zoo from Toledo Zoo on a breeding recommendation by the SSP.
(Species Survival Plan)
Nan will eventually be introduced to 10 yr old Hudson.
Paws crossed for future cubs. I love her already.
Polar Bear
Ursus Maritimus
Ganhei de pessoas queridas... a de chapéu...ganhei da querida Zoraida...um amor de pessoa...e a
de fuxicos...da querida Sherry...
Adorei conhecê-las....bjs
L’art de prendre un bon Caffè avec Jazz Coltrane in the Background Blissful moment for me. Pure Jazz, perfect espresso shot in a warm latté, sourire de la barista et’ l’ambiance de rue de mon quartier adoré Shaughnesy un après-midi d’été. La vie quoi, c’est simplement ça, a qui bon tour le reste?
Gente, mil desculpas pela foto horrível. Só vi que tinha ficado tão ruim depois que passei para o pc (tirei com o cel) e já guardei os vidrinhos em seus lugares, então vai ficar essa ruim mesmo. =p
Na fila de cima estão os vidrinhos que chegaram na caixinha que a Eli mandou:
O Anita (Céu Estrelado) e o Vult (Dress Code) foram presentes dela. Ainda vieram um creme para as mão e um doce. Adorei tudo! Obrigada, Elinda!
Pelo que consegui saber, o Nati (Rainha da Bateria) foi enviado pela Nety. Adorei! Ele tem uns brilhinhos lindos! Obrigada, Nety!
O Laccor (Malícia), o Realce (It Blue) e os Hits (Moderno e Menos Ciúmes) foram desapegos que vieram de SP. Já faz tanto tempo que mostraram que nem lembro mais quem desapegou, mas adorei as cores! Obrigada!
Na fila de baixo tem:
Os novos sands da Avon (Roxo e Esmeralda) que peguei com uma amiga que revende e consegui um preço bem amigo.
O Essie (Sand Tropez), que tava com a May há um bom tempo e foi comprado na Sepha.
Paixão (Hortelã), Bella & Chick (Licor) e Verona (Glitter Day) comprados em lojas locais.
Os dois últimos foram misturinhas que fiz. A primeira foi com receita da Nety. A foto não mostra a beleza dele. É cheio de brilhinhos e flocos. O segundo fiz com um mix pronto de glitters que comprei na KK.
15 novos vidrinhos para a coleção.
Esse mês consegui desapegar bastante. 6 foram para o lixo, 9 foram para a May distribuir no interior e 8 foram para novas donas. No total, então, foram 23 vidrinhos embora. \o/
Because next Thursday is my 29th birthday, I decided to buy myself a present. :-)
God... I hope I'm making the lot of you jealous now. :-P
www.facebook.com/expomare www.facebook.com/lucaquerzolifotografo www.facebook.com/maurofotografo www.facebook.com/tourvirtuale
#SanLorenzoAlMare # #Expomare2015 #Imperiapost #Expomare #MarinadiSanLorenzo #Sciallino
What a lovely surprise! A little present has arrived in our post few days ago and there was this cute little dress modelled by Aini. Thank you to Ute - Aini's new Mummy!! So sweet of you. x
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The P-51H (NA-126) was the final production Mustang, embodying the experience gained in the development of the lightweight XP-51F and XP-51G aircraft. This aircraft, brought the development of the Mustang to a peak as one of the fastest production piston-engine fighters to see service in WWII.
In July of 1943, U.S. Army approved a contract with North American Aviation to design and build a lightweight P-51. Designated NA-105, 5 aircraft were to be built and tested. Edgar Schmued, chief of design at NAA, began this design early in 1943. He, in February of 1943, left the U.S. on a two-month trip to England. He was to visit the Supermarine factory and the Rolls Royce factory to work on his lightweight project.
Rolls Royce had designed a new version of the Merlin, the RM.14.SM, which was proposed to increase the manifold pressure to 120 (from 67 max) and thus improve military emergency horsepower to 2,200. Schmued was very eager to use this powerplant, since the new Merlin was not heavier than the earlier models. In order to exploit the new engine to the maximum, he visited the engineers at Rolls Royce in Great Britain. However, British fighters were by tendency lighter than their U.S. counterparts and Schmued also asked for detailed weight statements from Supermarine concerning the Spitfire. Supermarine did not have such data, so they started weighing all the parts they could get a hold of and made a report. It revealed that the British had design standards that were not as strict in some areas as the U.S, and American landing gear, angle of attack and side engine design loads were by tendency higher. When Schmued returned, he began a new design of the P-51 Mustang that used British design loads, shaving off weight on any part that could yield. The result was an empty weight reduction by 600 pounds, what would directly translate into more performance.
This design effort led to a number of lightweight Mustang prototypes, designated XP-51F, XP-51G and XP-51J. After their testing, the production version, NA-126 a.k.a. P-51H, was closest to the XP-51F. The project began in April 1944 and an initial contract for 1,000 P-51Hs was approved on June 30, 1944, which was soon expanded.
The P-51H used the V-1650-9 engine, a modified version of the new Merlin RM.14.SM that included Simmons automatic supercharger boost control with water injection, allowing War Emergency Power as high as 2,218 hp (1,500 kW) and a continuous output of up to 1,490 hp (1.070 kW).
Even though the P-51H looked superficially like a slightly modified P-51D, it was effectively a completely new design. External differences to the P-51D included lengthening and deepening the fuselage and increasing the height of the tailfin, which reduced, together with a lower fuel load in the fuselage tank, the tendency to yaw. The landing gear was simplified and lightened. The canopy resembled the P-51D bubble top style, over a raised pilot's position. The armament was retained but service access to the guns and ammunition was improved, including the introduction of ammunition cassettes that made reloading easier and quicker. With the new airframe several hundred pounds lighter, extra power, and a more streamlined radiator, the P-51H was faster than the P-51D, able to reach 472 mph (760 km/h; 410 kn) at 21,200 ft (6,500 m), making it one of the fastest piston engine aircraft in WWII.
The high-performance P-51H was designed to complement the P-47N as the primary aircraft for the invasion of Japan, with 2,000 ordered to be manufactured at NAA’s Inglewood plant. Variants of the P-51H with different versions of the Merlin engine were produced in limited numbers, too, in order to ramp up production and deliveries to frontline units. These included the P-51L, which was similar to the P-51H but utilized the V-1650-11 engine with a modified fuel system, rated at maximum 2,270 hp (1,690 kW), and the P-51M, or NA-124. The P-51M, of which a total of 1629 was ordered, was built in Dallas and utilized the V-1650-9A engine. This variant was optimized for operations at low and medium altitude and lacked water injection, producing less maximum power at height. However, it featured attachment points for up to ten unguided HVAR missiles under the outer wings as well as improved armor protection for the pilot against low-caliber weapons esp. from ground troops, which ate up some of the light structure’s weight benefit.
Most P-51H and L were issued to USAF units, while the P-51M and some Hs were delivered to allied forces in the Pacific TO, namely Australia and New Zealand. Only a few aircraft arrived in time to become operational until the end of hostilities, and even less became actually involved in military actions during the final weeks of fighting in the Pacific.
The RAAF received only a handful P-51Hs, since Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) had recently started license production of the P-51D (as CA-18) and the RAAF rather focused on this type. However, there were plans in early 1945 to build the P-51H locally as the CA-21, too, but this never came to fruition.
New Zealand ordered a total of 370 P-51 Mustangs of different variants to supplement its Vought F4U Corsairs in the PTO, which were primarily used as fighter-bombers. Scheduled deliveries were for an initial batch of 30 P-51Ds, followed by 137 more P-51Ds and 203 P-51Ms. The first RNZAF P-51Ms arrived in April 1945 and were allocated to 3 Squadron as well as to the Flight Leaders School in Ardmore (near Auckland in Northern New Zealand) for conversion training. The machines arrived as knocked-down kits via ship in natural metal finish, but the operational machines were, despite undisputed Allied air superiority, immediately camouflaged in field workshops to protect the airframes from the harsh and salty environment, esp. on the New Guinean islands. The RNZAF Mustangs also received quick identification markings in the form of white tail surfaces and white bands on the wings and in front of and behind the cockpit, in order to avoid any confusion with the Japanese Ki-61 “Hien” (Tony) and Ki-84 (Frank) fighters which had a similar silhouette and frequently operated in a natural metal finish.
During the final weeks of the conflict, the RNZAF only scored three air victories: two Japanese reconnaissance flying boats were downed and a single Ki-84 fighter was shot down in a dogfight over Bougainville. Most combat situations of 3 Squadron were either fighter escorts for F4U fighter bombers or close air support and attacks against Japanese strongholds or supply ships.
After the war, many USAF P-51Hs were immediately retired or handed over to reserve units. The surviving P-51Js were, due to their smaller production numbers, were mostly donated to foreign air forces in the course of the Fifties, in order to standardize the US stock. Despite its good performance, the P-51H/J/M did not take part in the Korean War. Instead, the (by the time re-designated) F-51D was selected, as it was available in much greater numbers and had a better spares supply situation. It was considered as a proven commodity and perceived to be stouter against ground fire – a misconception, because the vulnerable ventral liquid cooling system caused heavy losses from ground fire. The alternative P-47 would have been a more effective choice. The last American F-51H Mustangs were retired from ANG units in 1957, but some of its kin in foreign service soldiered on deep into the Sixties. The F-51D even lasted into the Eigthies in military service!
After the end of hostilities in the PTO, the RNZAF’s forty-two operational P-51Ms met different fates: The twenty-six survivors, which had reached frontline service in New Guinea, were directly scrapped on site, because their transfer back to New Zealand was not considered worthwhile. Those used for training in New Zealand were stored, together with the delivered P-51Ds, or, together with yet unbuilt kits, sent back to the United States.
In 1951, when New Zealand’s Territorial Air Force (TAF) was established, only the stored P-51D Mustangs were revived and entered service in the newly established 1 (Auckland), 2 (Wellington), 3 (Canterbury), and 4 (Otago) squadrons. Due to the small number, lack of spares and communality with the P-51D, the remaining mothballed RNZAF F-51Ms were eventually scrapped, too.
General characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length: 33’ 4” (10.173 m)
Wingspan: 37‘ (11.28 m)
Height: 13‘ 8” (4.17 m) with tail wheel on ground, vertical propeller blade
Wing area: 235 sq ft (21.83 m²)
Airfoil: NAA/NACA 45-100 / NAA/NACA 45-100
Empty weight: 7.180 lb (3,260 kg)
Gross weight: 9,650 lb (4,381 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 11,800 lb (5,357 kg)
Fuel capacity: 255 US gal (212 imp gal; 964 l)
Aspect ratio: 5.83
Powerplant:
1× Packard (Rolls Royce) V-1650-9A Merlin 12-cylinder liquid cooled engine, delivering 1,380 hp
(1,030 kW) at sea level, driving a 4-blade constant-speed Aeroproducts 11' 1" Unimatic propeller
Performance:
Maximum speed: 465 mph (750 km/h; 407 kn) at 18,000 ft (5,500 m)
Cruise speed: 362 mph (583 km/h, 315 kn)
Stall speed: 100 mph (160 km/h, 87 kn)
Range: 855 mi (1,375 km, 747 nm) with internal fuel
1,200 mi (1,930 km, 1,050 nmi) with external tanks
Service ceiling: 30,100 ft (9,200 m)
Rate of climb: 3,200 ft/min (16.3 m/s) at sea level
Wing loading: 30.5 lb/sq ft (149 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.19 hp/lb (315 W/kg)
Lift-to-drag ratio: 14.6
Recommended Mach limit 0.8
Armament:
6× 0.50 caliber (12.7mm) AN/M2 Browning machine guns with a total of 1,880 rounds
2× underwing hardpoints for drop tanks or bombs of 500 pounds (227 kg) caliber each,
or 6 or 10 5” (127 mm) T64 HVAR rockets
The kit and its assembly:
A relatively simple project, a whiffy color variant based on RS Model’s 1:72 P-51H kit – which I quickly turned into a P-51M, which was planned as mentioned in the background, but never produced in real life.
The model was strictly built OOB, and while this short-run kit goes together quite well, I encountered some problems along the way:
- There are massive and long ejector pin markers, sometimes in very confined locations like the radiator intake. Without a mini drill, getting rid of them is very difficult
- Somehow the instructions for the cockpit are not correct; I put the parts into place as indicated, and the pilot’s seat ended up way too far forward in the fuselage
- The canopy, while clear, is pretty thick and just a single piece, so that you have to cut the windscreen off by yourself if you want to show the otherwise very nice cockpit.
- The separated windscreen section itself includes a piece of the cowling in front of the window panes, which makes its integration into the fuselage a tricky affair. However, this IMHO not-so-perfect construction became a minor blessing because the separated windscreen turned out to be a little too narrow for the fuselage – it had to be glued forcibly to the fuselage (read: with superglue), and the section in front of the window panes offered enough hidden area to safely apply the glue on the clear piece.
- While there are some resin parts included like weighted wheels, it is beyond me why tiny bits like the underwing pitot or most delicate landing gear parts have been executed in resin, as flat parts of a resin block that makes it IMHO impossible to cut them out from.
- The tail wheel is a messy three-piece construction of resin and IP parts, with a flimsy strut that’s prone to break already upon cutting the part from the IP sprue. Furthermore, there’s no proper location inside of the fuselage to mount it. Guess and glue!
- The fit of the stabilizers is doubtful; it’s probably best to get rid of their locator pins and glue them directly onto the fuselage
- The propeller consists of a centerpiece with the blades, which is enclosed by two spinner halves (front and back). This results in a visible seam between them that is not easy to fill/PSR away
On the positive side I must say that the engraved surface details, the cockpit interior and the landing gear are very nice, and there is even the complete interior of the radiator and its tunnel included. PSR requirements are also few, even though you won’t get along well without cosmetic bodywork.
The only personal modification is a styrene tube inside of the nose for the propeller, which was mounted onto a metal axis for free rotation; OOB, the propeller is not moveable at all and is to be glued directly to the fuselage.
While the kit comes with optional ordnance (six HVARs or a pair of 500 lb bombs, both in resin), I just used the bomb pylons and left them empty, for a clean look.
Painting and markings:
Even though the model was a quick build, finding a suitable color concept took a while; I had a whiffy P-51H on my agenda for a long time (since the RS Models kit came out), and my initial plan was to create an Australian aircraft. This gradually changed to an RNZAF aircraft during the last weeks of WWII in the PTO, and evolved from an NMF finish (initial and IMHO most logical idea) through am Aussie-esque green/brown camouflage to a scheme I found for a P-40: a trainer that was based in New Zealand and (re)painted in domestic colors, namely in Foliage Green, Blue Sea Grey and Sky. This might sound like a standard RAF aircraft, but in the end the colors and markings make this Mustang look pretty exotic, just as the P-51H looks like a Mustang that is “not quite right”.
The Foliage Green is Humbrol 195 (Dark Green Satin, actually RAL 6020 Chrome Oxide Green), which offers IMHO a good compromise between the tone’s rather bluish hue and yellow shades – I find it to be a better match than the frequently recommended FS 34092, because RAL 6020 is darker. The RNZAF “Blue Sea Grey”, also known as “Pacific Blue” or “Ocean Blue”, is a more obscure tone, which apparently differed a lot from batch to batch and weathered dramatically from a bluish tone (close to FS 35109 when fresh) to a medium grey. I settled for Humbrol 144 (FS 35164; USN Intermediate Blue), which is rumored to come close to the color in worn state.
The undersides were painted with Humbrol 23 (RAF Duck Egg Blue), which I found to be a suitable alternative to the more greenish RAF Sky, even though it’s a pretty light interpretation.
Tail and spinner were painted white, actually a mix of Humbrol 22 (Gloss White) and 196 (Light Grey, RAL 7035) so that there would be some contrast room left for post-shading with pure white.
The interior of cockpit and landing gear wells was painted with zinc chromate primer yellow (Humbrol 81), while the landing gear struts became Humbrol 56 (Aluminum Dope). The radiator ducts received an interior in aluminum (Revell 99).
In order to simulate wear and tear as well as the makeshift character of the camouflage I painted the wings’ leading edges and some other neuralgic areas in aluminum (Revell 99, too) first, before the basic camouflage tones were added in a somewhat uneven fashion, with the metallized areas showing through.
Once dry, the model received an overall washing with thinned black ink and a through dry-brushing treatment with lighter shades of the basic tones (including Humbrol 30, 122 and 145) for post-panel-shading and weathering, esp. on the upper surfaces.
The decals are a mix from a Rising Decals sheet for various RNZAF aircraft (which turned out to be nicely printed, but rather thin so that they lacked opacity and rigidity), and for the tactical markings I stuck to the RNZAF practice of applying just a simple number or letter code to frontline aircraft instead of full RAF-style letter codes. The latter were used only on aircraft based on home soil, since the RNZAF’s frontline units had a different organization with an aircraft pool allocated to the squadrons. Through maintenance these circulated and were AFAIK not rigidly attached to specific units, hence there was no typical two-letter squadron code applied to them, just single ID letters or numbers, and these were typically painted on the aircraft nose and/or the fin, not on the fuselage next to the roundel. The nose art under the cockpit is a mix of markings from P-40s and F4Us.
The white ID bands on fuselage and wings are simple white decal strips from TL-Modellbau. While this, together with the all-white tail, might be overdone and outdated towards mid-1945, I gave the Kiwi-Mustang some extra markings for a more exciting look – and the aircraft’s profile actually reminds a lot of the Ki-61, so that they definitely make sense.
Towards the finish line, some additional dry-brushing with grey and silver was done, soot stains were added with graphite to the exhaust areas and the machine gun ports, and the model was finally sealed with matt acrylic varnish.
After the recent, massive YA-14 kitbashing project, this Mustang was – despite some challenges of the RS Models kit itself – a simple and quick “relief” project, realized in just a couple of days. Despite being built OOB, the result looks quite exotic, both through the paint scheme with RNZAF colors, but also through the unusual roundels and the striking ID markings (for a Mustang). I was skeptical at first, but the aircraft looks good and the camouflage in RNZAF colors even proved to be effective when set into the right landscape context (beauty pics).
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The 80th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) was constituted on 13 January 1942 and activated on February 1942. It was redesignated as the 80th Fighter Group in May 1942. During World War II, the group was the first USAAF unit to be stationed in Burma after the Allied retreat in 1942. During its two years in combat, this group, which called itself the Burma Banshees, kept the supply lines open to China while clearing the way for Allied forces and US Army units such as Merrill's Marauders to sweep Japanese forces from northern Burma.
The 80th trained for combat and served as part of the defense force for the northeastern United States from, 1942–1943. Its flying squadrons were the 88th, 89th, and 90th Pursuit (later Fighter) Squadrons, later augmented by the 459th Fighter Squadron.
The 80th sailed for India, via Brazil, the Cape of Good Hope, and Ceylon, in May 1943, commencing combat operations in the China-Burma-India theater in September 1943. The group supported Allied ground forces during the battle for northern Burma and the push southward to Rangoon, bombing and strafing troop concentrations, supply dumps, lines of communication, artillery positions, and other objectives.
Initial flying material consisted mainly of the P-40 and a few P-38 fighters. Using modified, so-called “B-40 fighter” bombers (P-40s fitted with a single 1,000-pound bomb), the 80th FG attacked Japanese-held bridges, sometimes demolishing their target with a single bomb. The 80th was assigned the defense of the Indian terminus of the Hump route, which it carried out by striking Japanese airfields and patrolling Allied air bases to safeguard them from attack. The 80th received a Distinguished Unit Citation for intercepting a formation of Japanese aircraft, preventing the destruction of a large oil refinery in Assam, India, on 27 March 1944. During this engagement, they shot down 18 enemy machines without losing any of their own.
After the capture of Myitkyina and the nearby airfield on May 17, 1944, parts of the 80th Fighter Group relocated to this location. During the heavy fighting around Kohima and Imphal, the British troops deployed there requested air support and the 80th Fighter Group was able to successfully thwart the Japanese advance. In the further course of the operations in Burma, the pilots of the 80th Fighter Group destroyed more than 200 bridges held by the Japanese and shot down around 80 Japanese planes.
Though its primary mission in Burma was the protection of the "Hump" cargo route, the group also played an important role in reopening the Ledo/Burma Road.
From mid-1944 onwards, the P-40s were supplemented and gradually replaced with the new, much more potent P-47 Thunderbolt. With their heavier machine gun armament (eight instead of six 0.5” machine guns) and a much higher ordnance load of up to 2,500 lb (1,100 kg) of bombs, unguided rockets and M10 “Bazooka” launchers, this new aircraft type proved to be very effective.
The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American aerospace company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to eight tons, making it one of the heaviest fighters of the war. The Thunderbolt was effective as a short-to medium-range escort fighter in high-altitude air-to-air combat and ground attack in both the European and Pacific theaters. The P-47 was designed around the powerful Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp 18-cylinder radial engine, which also powered two U.S. Navy/U.S. Marine Corps fighters, the Grumman F6F Hellcat and the Vought F4U Corsair. The P-47 became one of the main United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) fighters of World War II and also served with other Allied air forces, including those of France, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union. Mexican and Brazilian squadrons fighting alongside the USAAF also flew the P-47. The Thunderbolt’s armored cockpit was relatively roomy and comfortable. Nicknamed the "Jug" owing to its appearance if stood on its nose, the P-47 was noted for its firepower, as well as its ability to resist battle damage and remain airworthy.
From October 1944 the operations of the 80th Fighter Group in Northern Burma concentrated on the destruction of the routes of the Burma Railway. Operations with army support (operating as "cab ranks" to be called in when needed) were very successful, with attacks on enemy airfields and lines of communication, and the aircraft flew a number escort sorties. An 80th FG squadron could finally be relocated to Shingbwiyang and was thus in the immediate vicinity of Ledo Street, which was under construction. The squadron flew many sorties against advancing Japanese forces and was instrumental in the capture of Myitkyina. Napalm bombs, a new weapon and initially improvised from drop tanks with makeshift fins, were also used with devastating effect, but some of them very close to the company's own lines.
By the end of the war, the group had destroyed more than 200 bridges and killed scores of bridge repair crews. Air-to-air and air-to-ground sweeps by the group's pilots claimed 80 enemy planes destroyed in the air or on the ground. The 80th Fighter Group was withdrawn from combat in May 1945 and inactivated in November.
General characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length: 36 ft 1.75 in (11.02 m)
Wingspan: 40 ft 9 5/16 in (12.429 m)
Height: 14 ft 8 1/16 in (4.472 m)
Airfoil: Seversky S-3
Empty weight: 10,000 lb (4,536 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 17,500 lb (7,938 kg)
Powerplant:
1 × Pratt & Whitney R-2800-59 18-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 2,000 hp (1,500 kW),
driving a 4-bladed Curtiss Electric C542S constant-speed propeller, 13 ft (4.0 m) diameter
Performance:
Maximum speed: 426 mph (686 km/h, 370 kn) at 30,000 ft (9,100 m)
Range: 1,030 mi (1,660 km, 900 nmi)
Service ceiling: 42,000 ft (13,000 m)
Armament:
8x 0.5” caliber (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns (3.400 rounds)
Up to 2,500 lb (1,100 kg) of bombs, drop tanks and/or up to ten 5” (130 mm) unguided rockets
The kit and its assembly:
This is a very modest what-if model – just a fictional livery on a stock model, and part of the ongoing plan to “build down” The Stash™ of kits during the ongoing Corona lockdown. The idea behind it was spawned by a number of decals for P-40s for the 80th FG I found in my scrap box, which all carried spectacular skull markings on their noses. I wondered if and how these could be adapted to another aircraft type – and the P-47 lent itself for this project due to its sheer “canvas” size, despite having a radial engine, and being the natural successor of the P-40 in USAAF service.
From that I spun the idea further and settled for an early Razorback P-47D, in the form of the very nice Academy kit. The kit was basically built OOB, it went together nicely without major fights – a trait that I really like about most Academy kits. The only true weak spot of the P-47 is the flaps’ undersides: they are pretty thick/massive, so that there are shallow sinkholes. These are easy to fill, though, even though I ignored this flaw and rather lowered the flaps, a mod that’s pretty easy to do.
An addition is a scratched D/F loop antenna on a streamlined socket behind the cockpit, a typical feature of P-47s operated in the BMI theatre. The loop was created with thin wire, the socket is a piece of sprue, integrated into the spine with some putty. As a late-production Razorback Thunderbolt I gave the aircraft a Curtiss Electric paddle-bladed propeller, which the Academy kit offers as an optional piece.
The ordnance was also taken from the kit: a pair of Bazooka triple launchers for ground attack duties and a drop tank under the fuselage.
Painting and markings:
A simple affair: as an early P-47, I gave the aircraft the standard USAAF livery of olive drab and neutral grey. I used Tamiya XF-62, IMHO the best interpretation of the tone, and ModelMaster 1740, actually FS 36231 instead of FS 36173, but the Dark Gull Grey is a bit lighter than Neutral Grey and looks IMHO better on the 1:72 scale model. AFAIK, no P-47 carried the earlier mid-green blotches on the wings anymore. The cockpit was painted in Interior Green, while the landing gear wells became zinc chromate yellow, very traditional.
The individual aircraft markings were more spectacular and also challenging. The real eye-catcher is pair of 80th FG skulls on the cowling flanks, even though these had to be completed with paint since they come from a Hobby Boss P-40N and feature empty sections for the exhaust stubs. The empty eye sockets had to be added manually, too, and since there was now a lot of white, I added – after consulting pictures of 80th FG P-40s - thin black lines to the skull with a felt tip pen. A real improvement, and it’s even authentic!
Furthermore, I added 1st Air Commando Group markings in the form of five white diagonal stripes around the rear fuselage. This group operated in the BMI area, e.g. P-51s, B-25s and even P-47s, but the 80th FG was not part of it. Nevertheless, the stripes suit the Razorback very well, and they were created with generic 2mm decal stripes from TL Modellbau. Each stripe had to be applied and trimmed individually, not an easy task on the conical tail with its concave and convex surface. The result is not perfect, but I am fine with it, and it looks very cool.
Pictures of early USAAF P-47s in the BMI are hard to find, but what I found suggests that Allied machines wore single bands on wings and tail surfaces as additional ID markings from 1943 on, much like the P-47s over Europe. On later NMF aircraft, these were dark blue (on both USAAF and RAF aircraft), and I was lucky to have a complete set of white P-47 markings left over from an Xtradecal set for SEAC RAF Thunderbolts, which comes with pre-cut bands in white and blue, very convenient! On the downside, the white fuselage stripes dramatically revealed that the P-47’s OOB decals, esp. the Stars and Bars, lacked opacity, so that I had to add some white paint manually to hide the resulting mess.
Typical unit markings of the 89th FS are a red spinner, and since the P-47 has only a small one, I added a thin red frame around the cowling, as carried by later real-world 89th FS P-47s, which were left in bare metal, though. As a gimmick I painted the wheel hubs in red, too. As a personal marking of the pilot I christened the aircraft “The Big Fella”, taken from an Irish pre-WWII armored car, and I added some air victory markings.
As usual, the kit received a black ink washing overall and some post panel shading with Revell 42 and 46 on the upper surfaces and ModelMaster 2105 (Dark French Blue Gray) underneath for visual drama and weathering. Some light soot stains around the gun muzzled were created with graphite, oil stains under the fuselage with Tamiya “Smoke”.
While this was not a complex build and even the livery is pretty close to real world standards, I like the outcome and how the skull markings stand out on the huge P-47. The array of fuselage stripes are an interesting visual extra, even though I was afraid that they were, together with the white ID stripes on the wings, a bit too much. The red highlights are an interesting contrast, too, and IMHO the whole decoration works fine. Everything fictional, but plausible and believable.
[ Demi Set + Nelle Heels ]
Set
Multiple colorways
Heels fatpack available (HUD)
Rigged for Legacy, Kupra, Reborn, Reborn Juicy
Demo before purchase
This year my wife is painting wine glasses for her friends for Christmas. This is for a friend with two Westies.
Nikon 1 V2 with the 18.5 wide open.
A fofa da Ana Kuhnen, do flickr Marmelinhas, me mandou estes presentes lindos!
Obrigada de coração :)
Security measures, including razor wire and concrete barriers, were erected around the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis in anticipation of the Derek Chauvin trial. The extensive security presence reflected concerns about potential unrest and protests following the highly publicized case.
On May 25, 2020, Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin murdered 46-year-old George Floyd during an arrest outside Cup Foods at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in south Minneapolis. Video recorded by bystanders showed Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes while Floyd repeatedly said he could not breathe. Three other Minneapolis police officers - J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao — were also present during the arrest and later faced criminal charges for their roles in Floyd’s death. Floyd’s murder sparked protests and civil unrest across Minneapolis and around the world, leading to widespread demonstrations against police violence, major policy debates on policing, and the conviction of Chauvin on murder and manslaughter charges in 2021.
This image is part of a continuing series following the unrest and events in Minneapolis following the May 25th, 2020 murder of George Floyd.
Viva la Woolly Mammoth!
Reese posted the full video of my Biotech 2.0 talk, and he kept a steady hand throughout.