Model Aircraft 2017-04

S Mi UPE F/Assi R H 18 on OR Pro NE file T s

EXCLUSIVE - MIG MASTERCLASS

Chinese Flanker

shenyang j-11

Super Detailed SLUF A-7 Corsair Exposed!

CI

ITFIRE P S N E – XIc VILIA

AR S C H POST-W

photo recce

mig-29 air-to-air

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PORT P U S AIR CLOSTEERNATIONAL A M X IN

EM

In The Pink

RSAIIRON O C D F4U-1 H A MISS A MO D

EL W I T

APRIL 2017 Vol 16 Iss 04 £4.50 Printed in UK

Jaguar GR.1

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CONTENTS

39  Model Aircraft Extra - The A-7E Corsair II Background details, walk around and a full super detailed model build from JM Villalba

Model Aircraft Extra 54  A Civilian Spitfire

Andrew Root builds the 1:32 Tamiya Spitfire XIc in a colourful post-War scheme

Air-to-Air

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he one thing guaranteed to get the old editorial pulse racing is some stunning airto-air photography, and that’s just what we have for you this month courtesy of Daniele Falconi with his shoot of Bulgarian MiG-29’s during the NATO Exercise ‘Thracian Star’. His skill in capturing these aircraft in action is just sublime, and it reminded me that a few years ago I had the unique opportunity to capture some of RAF

and USAF and Navy aircraft ‘in the air’, including taking backseat ride in a US Marine Corps F/A-18D Hornet, and photographing a plethora of RAF F-4 Phantoms, and later Victor tankers - gathering off the side on an RAF Hercules during their last aerial photo-calls, - remain the absolute highlights of my

aviation ‘photography career’!

12  Casemate

Competition

Flight of the Dragon

Back to the present and on terra firma, we have another packed issue for you to enjoy, and as always we have some quite superb features! Andrew Root brings a civilian Spitfire, whilst Chad Summers shows off his Argentine ‘Tracker’, and Ricardo Rivas shows you ‘how to’ model an RAF Gulf War Jaguar. We also have a couple of Corsairs, an in flight F4U from Andy Renshaw and an ‘access all areas’ A-7E for JM Villalba! We also continue our ‘Flanker’ theme as Jezz Coleman shares his Shenyang J-11.So I hope you enjoy this issue, and all I can say is….

48  Combat-Zone -

The Desert Air War Part 2

Happy modelling

Andy

64  A Model with A Mission Andy Renshaw builds and ‘in-flight’ version of the 1:48 Tamiya F4U-1D Corsair in the markings of USMC World War II Ace Colonel Jim Swett

72  Canada’s Cold War Warrior

Rob Ludlow builds the Kinetic CF-5A

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5 VOLUME 16 ISSUE 4

30  Photo-Recce – ‘Fulcrums in Focus’

Daniele Faccioli provides some stunning air-to-air imagery of Bulgarian MiG-29’s during the NATO Exercise ‘Thracian Star’

6  Close Air Support

14  Azerbaijani Air Force

18  Combat Edge – The

26  Diamondbacks Super

Chris McDowell builds the 1:48 Kinetic single-seat AMX International in Italian livery

‘Avant Garde’ Colours!

Grumman S-2 Tracker

Bug

34  Mission Profiles

58  Millennium Falcon

68  China’s B+ Flanker

76  MIG Masterclass -

Super Hornet

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George Johnson adds an unusual finish to the 1:48 Academy MiG-29U

Alex Sidharta builds the 1:48 Kinetic F-16 in Indonesian Colours

Background details, with a full model build of from Chad Summers

Jezz Coleman builds the 1:48 HobbyBoss Shenyang J-11

Angel Exposito builds a VF-102 bird

‘In the Pink’

Ricardo Rivas shows you ‘how to’ create an authentic RAF Gulf War finish on the 1:48 Kitty Hawk Jaguar GR.1 using Ammo of MIG products

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AMX FIGHTER SINGLE SEAT

Kinetic have done a very nice job providing a busy looking and detailed office

Support

Chris McDowell builds the 1:48 Kinetic single-seat AMX International in Italian livery

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he AMX International ‘AMX’ is a joint Italian-Brazilian venture for a light ground attack and close support aircraft, designated A-11 ‘Ghibli’ by the Italian Air Force and ‘A-1’ by the Brazilian Air Force. Kinetic released their AMX kit in 2015 and it consists of over a 180 parts moulded in a light grey plastic, with fifteen etched pieces, thirteen clear parts, and markings for three aircraft. The box looks incredibly full on first opening it,

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until you realize you don’t need quite a bit of it to build the single seat version, so there will be plenty left over for your ‘spares-box’. The plastic is well moulded with crisp details, although on closer inspection you will notice that the mould seam lines can be a bit heavy at times, and there is a little flash here and there around most parts. The long and the short of it is, every part removed from the sprues required to be cleaned up, and every mating surface needed to be dry fitted to ensure there was a good fit.

AMX Fighter Single Seat

Manufacturer: Kinetic Scale: 1:48 Kit Type: Plastic injection moulded with etch Kit Number: 48026

Construction began as usual with the cockpit, and Kinetic have done a very nice job of providing a busy looking and detailed office. There is plenty of raised detail on the side consoles and instrument panel, and with some careful painting it is possible to produce a very nicely detailed cockpit. The ejector seat is

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7 CLOSE AIR SUPPORT

For nose weight I used a combination of Deluxe Materials Liquid Gravity for the smaller spaces……

…. and larger individual weights just in front and below the cockpit tub

definitely worth mentioning as well, as is made up of five different plastic parts with etched seated belts, which help greatly with the overall look. Once everything had been carefully painted using various Vallejo shades and AK Interactive Light Ghost Grey #2057, a light coat of matt varnish was used to kill off any shine. I did add some Krystal Klear to the instrument dials to simulate the glass

before assembling the different parts of the cockpit. The fuselage has been designed so that the cockpit and nose section are separate sub-assemblies. This allows Kinetic to use the same sprues for different versions, but unfortunately this means a little more work to ensure a smooth transition between the forward and aft fuselage sections. Before closing up the forward sub-assembly, the nosewheel well has to be included, along with the finished cockpit as well as some nose-weight, to ensure the model sits correctly when it has been completed. Here I used a combination of Deluxe Materials

Kinetic have designed the wings so that the leading edge and the trailing edge flaps can be either shown raised or lowered

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Liquid Gravity for the smaller spaces, and larger individual weights just in front and below the cockpit tub. Turning to the main fuselage assembly, the two air intakes, engine exhausts and rear wheel wells have to be assembled and painted before the fuselage halves can be closed up. Everything fitted pretty well although I’m not keen on having to fit the landing gear legs so early in the build, as there is a good chance of damaging them! Once the two halves were mated together I did have to use a little filler along the main seam, and once the filler had dried it was sanded smooth and the lost panel lines and rivet detail rescribed on. There are several inserts and antennas to be fitted around the fuselage, dependent on which version of the kit you’re building, so make sure to study the instructions and reference materiel carefully before committing to glue. With the fuselage set to the side, the wing assemblies were up next. Kinetic have designed

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AMX FIGHTER SINGLE SEAT Kinetic have designed the wings so that the leading edge and the trailing edge flaps can be either shown raised or lowered

Alclad 2 Aluminum to give a good metal base to work with

the wings so that the leading edge and the trailing edge flaps can be set in either the raised or the lowered position. This adds a lot more interest to the look of the finished model and is a welcome addition, and I of course decided to model mine with all of the flaps in the lowered position. I did leave both sets of flaps unattached at this stage, as it would greatly help with the painting stage later. Once the glue had dried, the wings were then secured to the fuselage leaving only the smallest of gaps, which were filled with some Mr Surfacer 500. Although the rear horizontal stabilizers were also assembled at this stage, I left these unattached for the time being to assist with the painting stage later. So with the main assembly completed I just had to add the front section of the canopy before masking up the cockpit opening and the two wheel wells. I then used Mr Surfacer 1000 thinned with their Self Leveling Lacquer Thinner as a primer. This doesn’t take long to dry and gives a perfect base to paint on, and any seams, or missing panel lines and rivet details were easily seen and taken care of before carrying on. When looking at reference photographs of the AMX, I noticed that on a lot of examples that there was a difference in the paint finish on the rear fuselage. Obviously this was caused by a different metal being used in the construction of the aircraft in this area, and the effects from the heat of the jet exhaust, and the paint was

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thin enough to reveal a hint of the metal underneath. This was something I wanted to try and capture on my model, so I began by masking off the rear section of the fuselage and airbrushed this with a light coat of Alclad 2 Gloss Black Primer. Once this had dried, I used Alclad 2 Aluminum to give a good metal base to work with. So it was time to start airbrushing the main airframe, and Tamiya Sky Grey XF-19 was used as the overall base colour. I avoided spraying on a blanket coat over the rear fuselage, but instead sprayed a light coat along the rivet lines. Once this had dried, an even mix

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of XF-19 and XF-2 was used to create highlights. This was sprayed in a random fashion within each panel creating a sort of mottled or marble look. Again this mix was used sparingly around the metal section of the fuselage. Tamiya’s Neutral Grey XF-53 was used on the panel lines to create further depth to the paint finish. Finally a very thin mix of the original colour was used to blend all of the shades together.

settled over the surface perfectly. However, here the Kinetic instructions were found wanting as some decals were incorrectly numbered or were not mentioned at all. The missiles being a perfect example, there is no mention of the decal placements for them at all, and I had to rely on my own research to apply them correctly. Once the decals had dried, the surface of the model was lightly cleaned with a damp clean cloth to remove any excess decal solution. Another coat of Aqua gloss was used to seal in the decals before moving onto a panel line wash. For this I used AK Interactive Paneliner for Blue and Grey #2072. This solution was brushed into

CLOSE AIR SUPPORT

Creating an authentic paint finish takes a little time

Once the main camouflage had dried, I used the Kinetic colour guide and my own references to mask off the areas of the airframe that needed to be airbrushed Black and White. I used both Tamiya’s XF-1 and XF-2 to build up the colours slowly to ensure I got achieved coverage, and that the paint didn’t pool and bleed under the masks. Once the paint had dried the masks were removed and the model given a couple of light coats of Alclad 2 Aqua Gloss in preparation for decaling. I have to say that if you haven’t tried the Aqua Gloss before, do yourself a favour and get some! At first glance there didn’t seem to be a great many stencils or markings on the aircraft, but I found out rather quickly that wasn’t to be the case. Kinetic have supplied quite a substantial decal sheet beautifully printed by Cartograph, and they

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I finished the last of the weathering off with Humbrol Smoke Pigment around the engine exhaust

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AMX FIGHTER SINGLE SEAT The finished look after the white areas had been masked and painted

A view of the undersides, suitably streaked and dirtied

the panels letting capillary action do most of the work. Once this was dry to the touch I used some clean dry cotton buds to remove any excess. Any stubborn stains were removed with a brush dampened with AK Interactives odourless thinners. I then used a highly thinned mix of Tamiya Flat Black and Red Brown to create some streaking on the lower surface. The same mix was also used to highlight a few of the panel lines around the airframe to add some general dirt and grime. Once this had dried I added most of the smaller parts, followed by a coat of Mr Hobby Matt Clear thinned with their own acrylic thinner. Once dry I used AK Interactive Streaking Grime around specific areas of the model, concentrating more on the lower surfaces to represent leaking fluids and general staining. I left this to dry for a while before using a brush dampened with ordless thinners to create streaks in the direction of the airflow. I finished the last of

the weathering off with Humbrol Smoke Pigment #AV0004 around the engine exhaust, and around the nose mounted machine gun. Finally the canopy masks were removed and the canopy was fixed in position with some Micro Krystal Klear Canopy Glue. In conclusion I’m quite happy with how the finished model turned out. Yes, there are a few issues that need care, but nothing a little basic modelling skill couldn’t take care of, although the instructions are not really up to scratch - so take care! MA

The decals settled very nicely

The canopy was fixed in position with some Micro Krystal Klear Canopy Glue

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11 CLOSE AIR SUPPORT

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AMX FIGHTER SINGLE SEAT

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23 rd April 10am - 4pm Stantonbury Leisure Centre Milton Keynes MK14 6BN

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MIG-29UB

There appear to be a few anodized panels on the real aircraft

Azerbaijani Air Force ‘AVANT GARDE’ COLOURS! George Johnson adds an unusual finish to the 1:48 Academy MiG-29UB

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purchased an Academy 1:48 MiG-29 some years ago and stashed it somewhere in the bowels of my rented storage unit. As I was searching around the Internet for reference material for another MiG I wanted to build, I came across a photo of a pretty beat up looking MiG-29UB and thought to myself that I just had to build it. I found out it belonged to the Azerbaijani Air Force and looked like it was sold to them by the Ukraine. At first glance it seemed as if somebody had spilled paint remover over it and washed some of it off! But to me it looked more like an ‘Avant Garde’ painting with

Construction complete – it was time to paint!

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wings. So I thought this would be a relatively simple build, with a somewhat unusual paint scheme. I really didn’t do much in the way of enhancing the model in any way other than adding a couple of Aires resin seats to it. I built and painted the kit cockpit using pretty standard techniques as I was going to keep the canopy closed. I used a mixture of Tamiya Greys that I mixed for another model that approximated the actual colors pretty well. I used Vallejo acrylics slightly thinned with plain water for the dials and smaller details. Assembly of the model was without major hassles and joints were filled with Tamiya Putty and sanded smooth. Some panel lines were re-scribed and an

Careful masking pays dividends

occasional rivet restored. The engine exhausts were painted with around eight shades of Alclad and AK Interactive metallic’s, and since the build was basically a study in metals, I went all out and spent a considerable amount here. I usually spend a lot of time preparing the surfaces for natural metal finishes, but this time I didn’t. I didn’t even use a primer, as I wanted any scratches on the plastic to show through.

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‘AVANT GARDE’ COLOURS!

FULCRUM

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MiG-29UB

Manufacturer: Academy Scale: 1:48 Kit Type: Plastic injection moulded Kit Number: 2119

The panels were shaded in using various colours

Remember, this is a pretty beat-up airplane. I experimented with colours and paints first to see what would work the best. Turns out that AK Extreme Metals really withstand abuse and don’t really require a primer to adhere to the plastic. I sprayed Aluminum all over the model followed by selectively painting random panels in different shades. Greys were painted on the tails and diluted Vallejo Prussian Blue was airbrushed using a very fine needle and low pressure. This was the first time I had used any of the new paints from Mr Paint. I purchased a bottle of Lemon Yellow that

emulates the primer used on Russian aircraft very well. I also found that Vallejo German Green was a close approximation that needed a little fine tuning, and after a few nights of mixing and experimenting, but eventually I found the correct colour proportions for a perfect match. I sprayed the Mr Paint over the aluminum colours, let everything dry for a couple of days, and then sprayed on some AK Interactive Heavy

and Light Chipping Effects over a few areas, waited again, and then sprayed my custom Vallejo mixture. You might be wondering why I didn’t just use the Vallejo everywhere. Well, It turns out Mr Paint is really resistant to panel line washes where as the Vallejo isn’t, and my testing showed that the enamel thinners I use dissolved the Vallejo shades very quickly, so I wanted to minimise the amount of acrylics on the model. I ‘chipped’ away at the paint until I

I thought this would be a relatively simple build, with a somewhat unusual paint scheme Adding the blue to the tails

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MIG-29UB

The Inspiration for the build!

Applying the Yellow Chromate……

…and distressing the paintwork

got the result I was looking for, and once satisfied I sprayed some diluted Tamiya Smoke along the panel lines. This was followed by various shades of Ammo of MIG Panel Line Washes. There appear to be a few anodized panels on the real aircraft that I emulated by mixing Tamiya

Clear Yellow, Clear Green and Aluminum together, and spraying it over some masked areas. The engines and landing gear were then attached and any masks were removed. I then painted the pink sealer around the canopy frames, and added a brass pitot tube, and with that, the model was finished. It was great fun working on this model, and it won ‘best natural metal finish’ at a recent show here in Portland, Oregon. MA

I spent a lot of time working on the exhaust colours

I sprayed some diluted Tamiya Smoke along the panel lines

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COMBAT EDGE – S-2 TRACKER

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COMBAT EDGE

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A US Navy Tracker about to launch for the USS Lexington in 1963

The Grumman S-2 Tracker

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he Grumman S-2 Tracker was the first purpose-built, single airframe antisubmarine warfare to enter service with the US Navy. Designed and initially built by Grumman the Tracker was of conventional design with twin reciprocating propeller engines, a high wing and tricycle undercarriage and was exported to a number of naval air arms around the world. Introduced in 1952, the Tracker and its E-1 Tracer derivative saw service in the US Navy until the mid-1970s, and its C-1 Trader version until the mid-1980s, with a few aircraft remaining in service with other air arms, with Brazil and Argentina being the last countries to still use the Tracker. The Tracker was intended

An Argentine Navy Tracker prepares to launch

An Australian Tracker prepares to launch for HMAS Melbourne

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as a replacement for the Grumman Guardian, itself a purpose-built aircraft system for ASW, using two airframes in two versions, one with the detection gear, and the other with the weapon systems. The Tracker however, combined both functions in one airframe. Grumman’s design was for a large high-wing monoplane with twin Wright-Cyclone R-1820 radial engines, a yoke type arrestor hook and a crew of four. Two prototype XS2F-1s and

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COMBAT EDGE – S-2 TRACKER

A preserved example of a Canadian built CS2F

fifteen S2F-1 production aircraft were ordered at the same time, on 30 June 1950. The first flight was conducted on 4 December 1952, and production aircraft entered service with VS-26, in February 1954, and follow-on versions included the E-1 Tracer and C-1 Trader. The S-2 carried the nickname ‘Stoof’ (S-two-F) throughout its military career, and the E-1 Tracer variant with the large overhead radome was colloquially called the ‘Stoof with a Roof.’ Grumman produced 1,185 Trackers, with some 100 aircraft, carrying the CS2F designation being manufactured under license Canada by De Havilland Canada US built versions were sold Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, Peru, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, Uruguay and Venezuela. The Tracker carried an internal torpedo bay capable of housing two lightweight torpedoes or one nuclear depth charge. There were six underwing hard points for rocket pods and conventional depth charges or up to four additional torpedoes. The Tracker also carried a ventrally mounted retractable radome for with an AN/APS-38 radar and a AN/ASQ-8 Magnetic Anomaly Detector (MAD) system mounted on an extendable rear mounted boom. Early model Trackers had an Electronic Surveillance

Measures (ESM) pod mounted dorsally just aft of the front seat overhead hatches and were also fitted with a smoke particle detector. Later S-2s had this removed and also had the ESM antennae relocated onto four rounded extensions on the wingtips. A seventy million candlepower searchlight also was mounted on the starboard wing and the engine nacelles carried JEZEBEL sonobouys in the rear. Early Trackers also carried sixty explosive charges dispensed ventrally from the rear of the fuselage, and used for the JULIE active sonar with the AN/ AQA-3 and later AQA-4 detection sets. However, the introduction of active sonobouys and AN/ AQA-7 with the S-2G conversion saw these removed and smoke dispensers were mounted on the port ventral surface of the nacelles in groups of three. The Tracker was eventually superseded by the S-3 Viking, and the last US Navy operational Tracker squadron VS-37 flying the S-2G was disestablished in 1976, and the S-2 was withdrawn from service on 29 August 1976.

The S-2 in Argentine Service

The Argentine Navy received seven S-2As in 1962, six S-2Es in 1978 and three S-2Gs in the 1990s. They were used from the aircraft carriers,

An S-2 displaying its equipment fit

ARA Independencia and ARA Veinticinco de Mayo for Maritime Patrol and Anti-Submarine Warfare roles. They were extensively used in the 1982 Falklands War, first from Veinticinco de Mayo, from where they detected the British Task Force and then from the mainland when the carrier returned to port after the sinking of the cruiser General Belgrano. In the 1990s, their six remaining airframes where refurbished by Israel Aerospace Industries with turboprop engines as S-2T Turbo Trackers. MA

Argentina navy S-2 Tracker performs a low approach during exercise Southern Seas 2010

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COMBAT EDGE – S-2 TRACKER

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South Atlantic ’Stoof’ Chad Summers builds the 1:48 Kinetic kit in Argentinean Markings

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n the heels of my 1:48 A-4 Skyhawk built in Argentinian markings, I wanted to continue in that theme. There are a couple of options for modellers wanting to add a Tracker to their collection. The out of production Collect-Aire kit is still relatively easy to acquire at a decent price on trading forums, whilst Collect-Aire generally produces some fine resin kits, they are not usually the easiest to build and depending on who created the masters for a particular airframe, the quality, accuracy, and overall finesse of the kits can vary widely. Fortunately Kinetic released an injection moulded Tracker in a few different variants, and

this has also been released under the Italeri label. The kit certainly has its pluses and minuses. On the plus side, the mouldings are nice and crisp with good surface detail, and there are some nice features like open crew door, and open weapons bay doors, but these are offset by the lack of detail in these areas. There are options for folded or fixed wings, which is nice. Some other oddities include a wing mounted searchlight radome but not the light itself. Not only is the kit a bit too simplistic in some of

Grumman S-2F Tracker Manufacturer: Kinetic Scale: 1:48 Kit Type: Plastic injection moulded Kit Number: 48024

The Kinetic Tracker is a great looking model

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these areas, it also has some shape problems in the nose and nacelles, and correction sets are available to fix these inaccuracies but I decided just to live with the shape issues, but to take steps during the build to address some of the areas that lacked detail. As usual, the build began with the cockpit, and there’s not a whole lot of detail provided here. No sidewall detail is provided so I scratchbuilt these using styrene strip and sheet. The seats are way over simplified, and cast as single piece mouldings, but a decent instrument panel is provided but the overhead panel lacks any detail whatsoever. Again I added more detail here using bits cut and punched out of plastic card and I also replaced the kit seats with ones from Steel Beach. All the cockpit parts were painted in my usual fashion; primed with flat black, base coated with the correct cockpit colour; oil washed to highlight the details, and then successively lightened coats of the base colour reapplied with my airbrush and then suitably detailed. Before the fuselage halves are joined, the Magnetic

Anomaly Detector (MAD) hardware and the ventral radar were installed. The instructions don’t give an adequate indication of the amount of weight necessary but take my word for it in that you can’t over-do it, and I packed the areas around the nose gear bay and behind the cockpit area with lead weight and in the end, that wasn’t enough. In the end, I opted to use the lowered arrestor hook to keep the model on its nose! The main canopy is moulded in separate pieces,

COMBAT EDGE – S-2 TRACKER

Adding detail to the bomb bay

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The Quickboost resin engines are pretty good replacements!

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COMBAT EDGE – S-2 TRACKER

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…..and with care you can achieve a realistic finish…..

Pre-shading underway……

….which look even better with the FCM decals applied

Here you can see the Argentine colours applied to the tail

The upper canopy windows were tinted green

and before attachment, I airbrushed the inside portion of the upper windows with Tamiya Clear Green to provide the necessary tinting. The weapons bay is also void of any detail so I added some ribs l and boxes using strip and sections of plastic card. After joining up the fuselage, I moved onto assembling the right and left wings with their nacelles, engines, and landing gear. One thing I really didn’t like was the way the upper and lower wing halve mouldings are split, leaving a prominent and in my opinion, completely unnecessary seam on the trailing edge of the lower wing, which needed to be filled and sanded smooth. The nacelles themselves contain some decent wheel bay detail, but the kit provided engines are not so good. Fortunately, Quickboost makes highly detailed ‘plug and play’ units, and the only thing missing from these resin engines were the pushrods and ignition wires. I made new pushrods using styrene rod and chose to forgo adding any ignition wiring detail. The kit wheels were replaced with ones from Aires as they have better detailing than the kit option, and are also slightly flattened to provide the correct look of a loaded aircraft. The kit contains separate leading edge flaps and this is a nice touch, and the wing mounted search radome was added, and but before attaching the clear cover, I scratchbuilt a searchlight. Painting each of the sub-assemblies followed my typical approach of pre and post shading

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techniques, and I applied Tamiya NATO Black along the panel lines, and then airbrushed the lower surfaces gloss White and the upper surfaces Gull Grey. Post-shading was done with darker and lighter shades of the base colour to add depth to the finish. Where practical, I prefer to airbrush my markings so I masked the tail sections and airbrushed those in their respective white and blue colours, which were typically custom mixes to match references. The cowlings and wing walkways were masked and painted, as were the leading edge de-icer boots on the wings and tail. Then I sealed everything with a coat of ‘Future’ in preparation for decals. FCM produce an excellent decal sheet, which performed flawlessly, responding well to coats of Micro Set and Micro Sol. When the decals had set, I applied another coat of ‘Future’ to serve as the base for the upcoming oil wash, and here I used their AK Interactive Engine Grime Wash, that I think looks good on Gull Grey over White. After the wash had set, I wiped down the excess

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COMBAT EDGE – S-2 TRACKER

I chose to replace the propellers with an excellent set from Quickboost

with a cloth moistened with mineral spirits and then applied a sealing coat of AK Interactive Ultra Matt Clear. The remaining smaller details could now be completed and added, and this included the two torpedoes for the weapons bay, propellers, rocket pods, identification and landing lights, gear, gear doors, and various antenna and antenna wire. The Antenna wire was from EZ Line

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kit propellers are not too bad but the blades are a little thick and the hub detail is a bit soft, so I chose to replace them with another excellent set from Quickboost. The nice feature about this set is the inclusion of a pitch setting jig that allows the modeller to accurately attach each blade to the hub at the right pitch angle. Each propeller was painted flat black and then the tips were masked and airbrushed with their red and white stripes. For the landing light, I replaced the clear kit part with a brighter looking one from MV lenses, and all antenna wire was from EZ Line. The Kinetic Tracker is a great looking model when complete, and whilst the kit is a bit oversimplified for my taste, it serves as a good basis for adding extra detail. The FCM decals provide some nice colours and markings for Trackers schemes that you don’t see every day and really bring life to the model! MA

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24

CASEMATE COMPETITION

Flight of the Dragon

Competition

M

odel Aircraft has got together with Casemate Publishing to bring you an exclusive monthly competition to win one of their latest military titles. Founded in 2007, Casemate UK is a major specialist publisher and book distributor in the UK, European and Commonwealth markets.

The publishing arm of Casemate is one of the leading publishers in the fields of military history, defence studies, and military science worldwide. Casemate’s publishing list covers subjects as diverse as Roman History, Napoleonic Wars and the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts of today.

So for your chance to win a copy of: Flight of the Dragon – Just answer this simple question:

What was the nickname of the U-2? A) Dragon-Slayer B) Dragon-Lady C) Dragon-Rider

Send your entries to... Model Aircraft/Casemate U-2 Competition Media House, 21 Kingsway, Bedford, MK42 9BJ Or email: [email protected]

Competition Rules Employees/volunteers working for SAM Publications Ltd, Casemate Publishing and associated companies or their families are not permitted to enter. Entries are limited to one per person/household. No correspondence will be entered into. The judges’ decision is final. Winners’ names will be published in a future edition of Scale Military Modeller International. All entries must reach Media House by 28th April 2017, when the prize draw will take place.

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F/A-18F SUPER HORNET

Diamondbacks Angel Exposito builds the 1:72 Hasegawa F/A-18F in the markings of VFA-102

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his Hasegawa kit is surely one of the best representations of this iconic fighter in 1:72. However, there are some issues and you do need to take care cutting the parts from the sprues and doing a little dry fitting before you commit to glue. Perhaps the worst parts are in the cockpit and behind the intakes. Both areas are easily correctable, so I made FOD covers for the intakes and added an Aires cockpit. So with all that taken care of it was time to paint. I wanted something eye catching so I chose the splendid scheme carried by VFA102 ‘Diamondbacks’. I also wanted to show an aircraft that had been well used, so I began with a black primer coat and then proceeded to add small ‘clouds’ of different Greys in random fashion using Gunze H308, H337 and H307, and also added a brown tone H406, and then picked out some of the panel lines in White. I finally tone down and unify everything with two typical Greys as used by the US Navy, in this case H308 and on the upper surfaces H307 on the undersides.

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Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet Manufacturer: Hasegawa Scale: 1:72 Kit Type: Plastic injection moulded Kit Number: E18

I chose to add an Aires cockpit……

After a gloss coat I applied the decals and sealed them with another gloss coat. I then set about adding plenty of weathering around the panels and on the wings and tails using oil washes and plenty of pigments. The exhausts were treated with numerous Alclad metallic shades and once I was happy with the look I applied a final Matt coat to bring everything together. MA

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27 DIAMONDBACKS SUPER BUG

After a black primer coat and then proceeded to add small ‘clouds’ of different Greys ……

…which was suitably painted and detailed

... on the upper and lower surfaces

I wanted something eye catching so I chose the scheme carried by VFA-102 ‘Diamondbacks’

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F/A-18F SUPER HORNET

For the main colours I added the two typical Greys as used by the US Navy

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The exhausts were treated with numerous Alclad metallic shades

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29 DIAMONDBACKS SUPER BUG I wanted a very weathered appearance

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PHOTO-RECCE

WWW.SAMPUBLICATIONS.COM

Fulcrums in Focus Daniele Faccioli provides some stunning air-to-air imagery of Bulgarian MiG-29’s during the NATO Exercise ‘Thracian Star’.

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he Thracian Star was held between the 13th and the 24th of July and the Bulgarian Air Forces fighter component was provided by the Graf Ignatievo’s MiG-29s and MiG-21s and by Su-25s temporarily relocated in Graf Ignatievo from their home base in Bezmer. Thracian Star’s main goal was to integrate the Bulgarian Air Force and participating allies into NATO standards and procedures, and familiarise their airmen with tactics, techniques and procedures. MA

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31 FULCRUMS IN FOCUS

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PHOTO-RECCE

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33 FULCRUMS IN FOCUS

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MISSION PROFILES – HORNET

Super Hornet

mission profiles

Boeing F/A-18E and F

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he Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet and F/A-18F are twin engined, carrier capable multi-role strike fighters from Boeing, and also in the same family is the EA-18G ‘Growler’ electronic warfare variant. Both the F/A-18E single-seat and F/A-18F tandemseat variants are larger and more advanced derivatives of the F/A-18C and D Hornet. The Super Hornet has an internal 20mm cannon and can carry air to air and air to surface weapons as well external fuel tanks, and the aircraft can be configured as an airborne tanker by adding a

buddy refuelling system The Super Hornet first flew in 1995, and full-rate production began in September 1997, after the merger of McDonnell Douglas and Boeing the previous month. The Super Hornet entered service with the US Navy 1999, replacing the F-14 Tomcat, which was retired in 2006, and serves alongside the original ‘Legacy’ Hornet. The Royal Australian Air Force, which has operated the F/A-18A as its main fighter since 1984 ordered the F/A-18F in 2007, to replace its aging F-111 fleet, and entered service in December 2010.

The forward fuselage of the Super Hornet is largely unchanged for the ‘Legacy Hornet’, but the remainder of the aircraft shares little with earlier F/A-18C/D models. The fuselage was stretched by thirty-four inches to make room for fuel and future avionics upgrades, and the aircraft has an increased the wing of 25%. However, the Super Hornet has 42% fewer structural parts than the original Hornet design. The General Electric F414 engine, developed from the Hornet’s F404 has 35% more thrust over most of the aircraft’s flight envelope, and the

An armed F/A-18E from VFA-115

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Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet of VX-23 ‘Salty Dogs’

MISSION PROFILES – HORNET

By Andrew Borovyh of Tailhook Prints

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Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet of VFA-22 ‘Fighting Redcocks’

Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet of VFA-27 ‘Royal Maces’

Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet of VFA-31 ‘Tomcatters’

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MISSION PROFILES – HORNET

Buddy refuelling is one of the Super Hornets assets

The RAAF chose the Super Hornet to replace its ‘Legacy’ models

Super Hornet can return to an aircraft carrier with a larger load of unspent fuel and munitions than the original Hornet. Other differences include trapezoidal engine intakes and intake ramps and two extra wing hard points, however, the aircraft retains the previous hardpoints on the wings, centerline and wingtips. Another aerodynamic change is the enlarged leading edge root extensions (LERX), which provides improved vortex lifting characteristics at high angles of attack. Initial production models used the APG-

73 radar, later replaced by the AN/APG-79 active electronically scanned array (AESA) and an AN/ ASQ-228 ATFLIR as its main electro-optical sensor and laser designator. The AESA radar can also detect smaller targets, such as inbound missiles, and can track air targets beyond the range of the aircraft’s air-to-air missiles. The Super Hornet received its IOC in September 2001 and has taken part in operations in the Gulf, over Afghanistan and is, at the time of writing actively engaged in missions against IS. MA The EA-18G Growler is the EW version

The Super Hornet replaced th4e F-14 Tomcat in US Navy service

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MISSION PROFILES – HORNET

Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet of VFA-32 ‘Swordsmen’

37

Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet of VFA-41 ‘Black Aces’

Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet of VFA-81 ‘Sunliners’

Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet of VFA-146 ‘Blue Diamonds’

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10/03/2017 17:16

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10/02/2017 14:56

MODEL AIRCRAFT APRIL 2017

39 THE A-7E CORSAIR II

Model Aircraft Extra

The A-7E Corsair II

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he US Navy was sufficiently impressed with the increased power offered by the A-7D Spey engine used by the Air Force, and decided to use this engine for its own version, the A-7E. However, there were delays in the deliveries of the TF41-A-2 engine, so the first sixty-seven aircraft of the order were delivered with the TF30-P-5 engine. These aircraft had all of the other improvements planned for the A-7E, including the uprated avionics and the M61 rotary cannon, and were re-designated A-7C after delivery, and the first Spey-powered A-7E flew for the first time on 9 March 1969 The A-7E differed from the USAF A-7D in retaining the probe-and-drogue refuelling system of the earlier A-7A/B, and entered service in Southeast Asia in May 1970 with VA-146 and VA-147 aboard the USS America. The A-7E’s state-of-the-art bombing and navigation system proved particularly reliable and accurate, and the aircraft participated in the mining of Haiphong

The TA-7C was the twoseat training version

harbour in 1972, and played a vital role in Linebacker I and II operations that led up to the formal end of US involvement in the Vietnam War in January 1973. On 15 May 1975, A-7Es aircraft operating from the USS Coral Sea, and in conjunction with A-7D aircraft assigned to the

The A-7E differed from the USAF A-7D in retaining the probe-and-drogue refuelling system of the earlier A-7A/B

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3d TFS at Korat RTAFB, provided air cover in what is considered the last battle of the Vietnam war, the recovery of SS Mayaguez. A-7E squadrons VA-15 and VA-87, flying for the USS Independence also provided close air support during Operation ‘Urgent Fury’ over Granada in October 1983. US Navy A-7s also provided air support during the US Mission in Lebanon in 1983, and a Syrian SAM shot down an A-7 on 4 December 1983. On 24 March 1986, during the Gulf of Sidra dispute with Libya, A-7s operating from the USS launched the first AGM-88 HARM missiles against

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MODEL AIRCRAFT EXTRA

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Armed with Shrike and Rockeye CBUs this A-7 is prepared for a strike against Libyan targets

A Corsair from VA-12

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41 THE A-7E CORSAIR II

An A-7E comes in to refuel

SAM sites. In April 1986, navy Sixth Fleet A-7Es from VA-72 and VA-46 embarked on board USS America also participated in Operation ‘El Dorado Canyon’ a retaliatory attack on Libya, again using HARM and Shrike anti-radar missiles. During Operation ‘Desert Storm’ the US Navy deployed two of its last A-7E squadrons aboard the USS John F Kennedy where VA-46 and VA-72 flew the last A-7E combat sorties from the Red Sea attacking targets throughout Iraq. The A-7

was used both day and night to attack a wide range of heavily defended deep interdiction targets in Iraq as well as ‘kill boxes’ in Kuwait, employing a variety of weapons including LGBs, TV-guided Walleye glide bombs, unguided general purpose bombs, and HARM missiles. The A-7 was also used as a tanker in numerous in-flight refuelling missions. Navy Corsairs began being phased out of the fleet during the mid1980s and were officially retired in May 1991. In low-vis colours is this A-7E from VA-37

An A-7E from VA-22

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MODEL AIRCRAFT EXTRA

A Super Detailed S JM Villalba brings the 1:72 Fujimi A-7E Corsair to life

T

his is an old, but good model from Fujimi, and one that encouraged me to start a super-detailed project, and to help this along I obtained a Verlinden A-7E Super-Detail Set dedicated to this model. My first job was to create some new landing gear well bays using a combination of 0.2mm acetate sheet and 0.15mm Evergreen sheet. Into these areas I

Vought A-7E Corsair Manufacturer: Fujimi Scale: 1:72 Kit Type: Plastic injection moulded Kit Number: F9

A-7E Super Tech Update Set Manufacturer: Verlinden Scale: 1:72 Kit Type: Multi-Media Kit Number: 756

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added a lot of scratchbuilt parts. The main parts for the cockpit came from the Fujimi kit, and I add some extra detailing on the ejection seat rails along with some electronics boxes and all of the etched parts from the Verlinden set. The seat also came from Verlinden. The cockpit painting was done with various acrylic shades. To complete the details I opened some of the side panels of the A-7s right hand side to leave visible the complicated plumbing of this area. Again I used a combination of 0.2mm acetate sheet and 0.15mm Evergreen sheet to made the walls and copper wire to build all the hydraulic piping. Finally I cut the wings in order to place them in the folded position,

Super-detailing of the nose gear bay……

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43 THE A-7E CORSAIR II

d SLUFF The finished cockpit. The main parts were from the Fujimi kit, and the seat was from Verlinden

….and the main wheel wells. Also visible is the avionics bay, which is a resin part from the Verlinden kit

My A-7E depicts one of those used during the first Gulf War, painted in a low-vis scheme of FS 36320 overall

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MODEL AIRCRAFT EXTRA

FS-36320 was the main colour used, created with a mix of Tamiya acrylics

WWW.SAMPUBLICATIONS.COM

Applying the very nice kit decals

To simulate some wear and tear some panels were painted lighter or darker

Panel lines were marked with a Faber Castell Brown Pencil

A look into the finished nose wheel bay

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45 THE A-7E CORSAIR II

Weapons such the Mk 81 Snakeye’s were from a Hasegawa weapons set. The MERs were from Fujimi, and I added some details such the fuse cables and connectors The avionics bays were from the Verlinden kit, and the hydraulic bay and the auxiliary generator were all scratchbuilt parts The wing fold mechanism was entirely scratchbuilt

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MODEL AIRCRAFT EXTRA

The radar was from the Verlinden kit, and the ladder was scratchbuilt

and made all of the wing fold details from acetate sheet and copper wire. My A-7E depicts one of those used during the first Gulf War, painted in a low-vis scheme of FS 36320 overall, and belongs to the VF-72 aboard the USS John F Kennedy. To make the overall Grey I used a thinned mix of Tamiya XF-19 Sky Grey- 70%, XF- 2 Flat White - 25% and XF-8 Flat Blue - 5%. Images of these Gulf War aircraft show a very faded colour with multiple patching, and to reproduce this, I added XF-8 Blue to the main

mixture for the lighter patches and XF-20 Grey for the darker patches. The panel lines were marked over by using 0.5mm Faber Castell Brown Pencil, and to finish the model was given an overall coat of satin ready for the decals. The markings of this VA-72 Corsair are the included in the Fujimi boxing, and were very easy to place. Once I had finished the decal work, I applied a final coat of matt varnish to complete the look. MA

For a better scale effect, I replaced the original fins of the Sidewinder missiles

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47 THE A-7E CORSAIR II

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MODEL AIRCRAFT EXTRA

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THE DESERT AIR WAR PART 2

COMBAT-ZONE

The Desert Air War Part Two

Afrika Korps examine the remains of a Hurricane

In the second part of his feature, Anthony Tucker-Jones recounts how Rommel’s supply lines were strangled in North Africa after failing to overcome Malta’ defences

F

rustratingly for Rommel when he arrived in Libya in February 1941 to support the Italians, the accompanying Luftwaffe units were not subordinate to his Afrika Korps. This meant that the fighters and divebombers tended to be employed strategically, rather than in tactical support of Rommel’s ground forces. Nevertheless, the Ju 87 Stuka was a vital component of the Afrika Korps armoury, with it acting as long-range artillery. Although the Luftwaffe’s Bf 110 twin-engine fighter and ground attack aircraft proved a failure in the Battle of Britain, in North Africa it provided valuable service as a fighter-bomber. From France it was redeployed to other theatres of operation where its vulnerability to single engine fighters was offset by its heavy armament. The Ju 88 was used as both a level and dive-bomber in the desert, with the Bf 109E fighter providing much needed top cover. During the campaigns fought in North Africa aircraft were in short supply and those that were supplied were often obsolete compared to those in use elsewhere. While Rommel’s air force had largely superior aircraft, most notably the Bf 109 that was better that the RAF’s Hurricane and Tomahawk fighters, they were never available in decisive numbers. Nonetheless, not surprisingly the British and Commonwealth (Australia and South Africa) desert air forces came to consider themselves as a Cinderella service. Their main job

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was ground attack and air defence, plus there were a few squadrons of medium bombers to attack Rommel’s supply routes. One of the key roles for the fighters was to provide cover for the vital British convoys steaming across the Mediterranean to Malta. Although slow the Hurricane was manoeuvrable and importantly for the pilot could take a good degree of punishment. The American supplied Curtiss P-40), known as the Tomahawk by the British, was too sluggish for a fighter was used in North Africa mainly as a ground attack aircraft. Likewise, the Kittyhawk (P-40D onwards distinguished from the Tomahawk by its larger chin radiator) was used for the same purpose. The Bristol Beaufighter, used in Britain as a night fighter was employed in a variety of roles in the desert. The Douglas DB-7 Boston when it first arrived in the desert, suffered numerous teething problems, but once these were ironed out it served as an effective medium bomber. It was one of the first American aircraft ordered by the British government after the outbreak of the war and was used extensively by the RAF and the US Army Air Force. Initially the Luftwaffe’s Bf 109s,

Rommel knew that failure to subdue Malta threatened his vital supply lines.

During the campaigns fought in North Africa aircraft were in short supply and those that were supplied were often obsolete compared to those in use elsewhere.

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51 COMBAT-ZONE

Malta’s air defences fend off another Axis attack

A deadly combination the Bf 109 and Ju 87

Bf 110s and Ju 87 and Ju 88 inflicted heavy losses on the Desert Air Force as the latter’s generally inferior Hurricanes and Kittyhawk’s were often flown by inexperienced and under trained pilots. Once Rommel had rolled the British out of most of Cyrenaica the Luftwaffe’s Bf 109s and Ju 87s were able to support his ground operations flying from Derna and Gazala west of Tobruk. However, the Stukas suffered heavy losses attacking Tobruk, forcing Rommel to withdraw a flak regiment that had been countering British armoured attacks. As the war progressed these dive-bombers became increasingly vulnerable.

By 1942 the Luftwaffe’s preference for engaging enemy fighters rather than bombers often left Axis ground forces unsupported with predictable results. The Luftwaffe deployed using the Schwarm of four planes operating in two pairs, this proved superior to clumsy Vic-3 system employed by the British. By the end of 1940 the Commonwealth desert air forces were abandoning this in favour of pairs, comprising a leader and his wingman. These operated as three weaving pairs which the Germans dubbed ‘Waltzing Matildas.’ By early 1942 radar was in use by both sides to track

Bf 109Es of JG 27 on patrol over North Africa

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THE DESERT AIR WAR PART 2 each other’s bombers. The rate of fighting on the ground in the Western Desert was determined by the rate at which each side could be resupplied. British shipping either had to brave attack transiting the Mediterranean to Malta and Alexandria or travel round the cap and through Suez. The later route came under increasing attack by German U-boats. Malta remained a thorn in the German and Italian’s supply route as it sat astride the shipping and air corridors from Sicily to the port of Tripoli. Mussolini’s bombers attacked the island in the summer of 1940, violently at first but soon with diminishing strength. The Macchi MC.200 Saetta interceptor fighter initially went into action acting as escort for the bombers attacking Malta in the autumn of 1940. The Luftwaffe’s first limited offensive in the spring of 1941 conducted from Sicily was to distract the garrison while the Afrika Korps was ferried across to Tripoli. During the summer of 1941 the island’s defences were given the chance to recuperate. Of the three large supply convoys totalling 39 transports that reached Malta that year only one ship was lost. Air Vice Marshal HP Lloyd who took over command of the RAF units in May remarked, ‘You wouldn’t have known there was a war on.’ The RAF and Royal Navy were not idle though successfully attacking Axis shipping and Rommel’s forces suffered accordingly. He received neither munitions nor fuel by sea and air deliveries were insufficient to keep the Afrika Korps in action. The initiative passed to the British. When the British struck in North Africa with Operation Crusader on 18 November 1941 Rommel was outnumbered in the air. The Luftwaffe had 120 aircraft and the Italians 200 compared to the 700 available to the British. On the ground 700 British tanks faced Rommel whereas he could muster only 350 panzers and 150 obsolete Italian tanks. When the German commander surrendered at Bardia, Rommel lost 9,000 German and Italian troops who went into captivity. A total of 4,000 Germans and 10,000 Italians were taken at Bardia, Sollum and Halfaya. Since Bardia was one of Rommel’s major supply

This crash-landed Bf 109 was captured after its airfield was overrun

bases, he also lost vast quantities of supplies, guns and ammunition. This was an irreplaceable loss and despite his subsequent victories in 1942, he never really recovered. Fortunately for Rommel the British attack became disjointed. Countering Crusader Rommel showed himself as a master tactician, but he was severely handicapped by the almost complete lack of air reconnaissance. Despite being outnumbered after a series of brilliant rear-guard actions Rommel escaped to fight another day. The following year indifferent British leadership and Rommel’s daring resulted in a series of disasters for the British. In the meantime, what was clear was that Malta had to be subdued or Rommel and his men would be lost. The Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica were called on once again. Initial deliveries of the Italian Macchi MC.202 Folgore were made in November 1941 to units operating in Libya. It took part in operations against Malta and the Allied convoys. The Folgore proved to be the best wartime fighter to serve in large numbers with the Regia Aeronautica. Once the Luftwaffe’s II Air Corps deployed to Sicily life became much more difficult for Malta’s garrison. It had been recalled from the Eastern Front and refitted for sub-tropical warfare, comprising five Gruppen of Ju 88, one of Ju 87 and one of Bf 110. Jagdgeschwader 53 provided fighter protection with four Gruppen of Bf 109Fs. This represented 325 aircraft, though only 229

were serviceable. Air attacks on Malta began in December 1941 and reached their height in April 1942. By that point there were 300 German and 200 Italian fighters and bombers operating from Sicily. Malta in contrast could muster twenty or thirty serviceable fighters. Thanks to American assistance 126 aircraft were safely delivered to the garrison, which led to an end in Axis daylight raiding. This though was not before many of the

Another Bf 109 abandoned in North Africa and stripped of spares

newly delivered Spitfires had been destroyed and the island’s airfields and ports put out of action. The Luftwaffe conducted 5,807 sorties dropping 6,557,231 kilos of bombs. Rommel desperately wanted the island invaded and occupied but it never happened. When attacking Allied convoys, the Messerschmitt fighters’ tactic was to draw off the

Remains of a Ju 87 that appears to have been cannibalised for spares

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MODEL AIRCRAFT APRIL 2017

Desert Bf109 gets a lick of paint – Rommel never had enough

protecting air cover so that the more vulnerable dive bombers could attack the ships or ‘lay their eggs’ as some pilots put it. The Bf 109s would dive down in waves and the only real way to counter them was head on, in order to scatter them. In the meantime, some Allied pilots would have to stay with the convoy ready to set about the Stukas. Once under attack Stuka pilots would often jettison their bombs in order to increase their escape speed. Rommel recaptured el Adem on 17 June 1942. The following day the RAF base at Gambut was overrun. He then turned to take Tobruk still holding out in his rear. Stukas tore open the barbed wire defences while Ju 88s targeted enemy artillery positions. Bf 110s then used their cannon on machine gun and anti-tank posts. Mussolini’s CR.42s also joined in the air attacks, which included Tobruk’s airfield, forts and harbour shipping. After taking Tobruk Rommel wanted to press on to Cairo but the Luftwaffe was exhausted. The crews needed rest and the aircraft overhauled. Nonetheless, they were ordered forward despite the ground crews inability to keep up and fuel shortages. During the retreat back to Alamein in July 1942 Dr Theodore Stephanides recalled “I had always thought that, in modern air fighting, both sides kept some sort of formation in a big battle. But there was nothing like that here. Planes were just circling and weaving in and out among each

other… Within scarcely a minute… four planes had crashed in flames. They fell blazing in a row, about a mile to the east of us, and four tall columns of black smoke gushed into the sky.” The RAF operating from its bases in Egypt gathered its strength to pit against the overextended Luftwaffe. Initially the Luftwaffe largely dominated the skies over North Africa, however as the Desert Air Force gained experience and built up its strength its support for the ground war became relentless. As a prelude to Montgomery’s offensive Axis lines of communication, transport and supplies were attacked by fighters and medium bombers. That October Rommel was beaten at Alamein and withdrew. He attempted not to repeat the same mistake that occurred at Bardia, when at the end of the year he sought to evacuate at least part of the 10,000 tons of Axis supplies at Tobruk. British air raids had destroyed 2,000 tons of precious fuel at Benghazi. When Rommel was forced from Tripoli in early 1943 he managed to spirit away almost all of his supplies and quite remarkably most of it by road. The Desert Air Force’s offensive spirt was such that on 4 December 1942 ten bombers even attacked a Luftwaffe fighter airfield in Tunisia without escort and in clear weather. Although hitting the target they were subsequently pounce on by up to sixty Bf 109Fs. The Axis defence in Tunisia only delayed the inevitable. Losses of the CR.42 were such that only forty-two of these aircraft type were evacuated to Italy just before the Axis collapse in North Africa in the spring of 1943. By the time of the Italian armistice in September 1943 just sixty-four remained serviceable. The lessons learned in North Africa proved vital in supporting D-Day. Group Captain (later Air Chief Marshal) Frederick Rosier noted ‘I thought the desert was fascinating. It was in the desert that we developed ways of supporting the Army, which stood us in good stead for the rest of the war. In fact, all the support work for the Normandy invasion and afterwards was based on what we had done in the desert.’ MA

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The Desert Air Force bombing Rommel’s exposed ground forces

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SPITFIRE XIC

A Civilian Spitfire Andrew Root builds the 1:32 Tamiya Spitfire XIc in a colourful post-War scheme

W

hat is there to say about the 1:32 Tamiya Spitfire range that hasn’t already been said? This is my third Spitfire build, having already built the Mk VIII and Mk XVI, I can honestly say that these are the bestmanufactured kits I have built to date, it’s not just a great product, it’s a superb package! It’s looks a quality product, from the second you open the

box, its really well put together with a photoreference booklet inside to the metal parts and tools. That’s enough love for now, so onto the build. I was by now pretty clued up with the build process, so the cockpit and interior went together really well, and I used an Eduard interior set to enhance the look of the cockpit. The fuselage was soon ready to be joined together,

Supermarine Spitfire XIc Manufacturer: Tamiya Scale: 1:32 Kit Type: Plastic injection moulded

and you can start to see the classic shape of Spitfire emerging, from this point on. Its it’s a fairly speedy process, with the wings and tail section going on with no fitting issues at all, and I think these are the first kits that I have used no filler of any kind. With the airframe complete, my attention turned to the mighty Merlin engine, and this a little kit in itself, really well detailed and a pleasure to build, however, having built my Mk IVX with the cowling off, I decided to cover this Merlin up, and put the cowling on, as I wanted to show the clean lines of the paint job. Tamiya provide magnets to remove the cowlings with ease if needed, but I glued the cowling in place. 

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MODEL AIRCRAFT APRIL 2017

55 A CIVILIAN SPITFIRE

I really wanted to do something different, and came across an image of an eye-catching civil paint scheme Now on to the paint job, I really wanted to do something different, and came across an image of an eye-catching civil paint scheme, which is provided by Ram models on their RAM32-002 sheet The aircraft in question was Spitfire G-ASJV, and is still airworthy today, as some readers

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will undoubtedly know, and is one of the most famous Spitfires still flying, and is better known as MH434. The aircraft scored several kills in World War II, while serving with 222 Squadron, and later saw active service with the Dutch and Belgium air forces after the war. In 1963 the new

owner, Tim Davies, had the aircraft painted in civil markings you see here, this was a fairly short lived scheme, as in 1967 the aircraft was purchased for the movie ‘The Battle of Britain’ ‘ and was returned to a more traditional camouflage scheme. The paint job was a relatively simple one, with just three main colours, the Silver and White both came from Tamiya rattle cans. The Blue was Tamiya X-3 Royal Blue. Masking proved to be a bit of a challenge, but a bit of patience prevailed, and I was pleased with final look. A coat of Johnson’s

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SPITFIRE XIC

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‘Klear’ was then added and the decals fitted. When I posted this on social media, the owner of Ram decals got in touch and expressed his pleasure at seeing his decals put to such good use, which is always nice to hear. To finish the model off, it was given three coats of Alclad Clear and the undercarriage fitted.  There are people, who say Tamiya kits are expensive, and of course they are right, but as has been said before - you really do get what you pay for. MA

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Polish Aircraft (1939) Instrument Panels This book from the series ìINSIDEî shows detailed drawings of the famous Polish (used in 1939) aircraft instrument panels in great detail. Also every single instrument is shown in the separate big drawing. Instrument panels of the following aircraft: PZL P.11c PZL.37 ?o? PZL.23 Kara? Lublin R-XIII ter RWD14 Czapla PWS-26.Hardback

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Modern War Horses Hellicopters.The ninth issue of Aces High magazine deals with a very special subject that had never received such extensive coverage before: modelling the military helicopters. Our contributors had again prepared a number of interesting articles, revealing dozens of tips and tricks that will help you to deal with various problems that you may possibly encounter during various stages of your own builds.

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F-16 IN INDONESIAN COLOURS

Millennium

FALCON

Alex Sidharta builds the 1:48 Kinetic F-16 in Indonesian Colours

I

ndonesian Air Force (TNI AU) received its first three brand new F-16A/B Block15OCU aircraft in December 1989, with the complete order for twelve aircraft being delivered in 1990. In Indonesia, F-16 replaced the North American OV-10F Bronco with Skadron Udara 3 (No.3 Squadron), the Bronco then moving to Skadron Udara 1 (No.1 Squadron). The original camouflage scheme of this Indonesian F-16 was

was called ‘Blue Spot’ which adopted from the USAF Aggressor’s ‘New Blue’ scheme. These aircraft now sport grey and green colours of the so-called ‘Millennium Scheme’, and this is also now applied to new F-16C/D. This is my very first attempt on building a 1:48 Kinetic F-16, in fact this is their F-16AM Block 15 NATO Viper #K48002. I had mixed feelings about this kit, as having recently built the 1:32 F-16CJ,

F-16AM Block 15 NATO Viper Manufacturer: Kinetic Scale: 1:48 Kit Type: Plastic injection moulded Kit Number: K48002

this felt different with grainy surfaces, big sprue gates and a lot of ejector-pin marks everywhere! On the plus side, I now have a lot of F-16 spares and weapons from the Kinetic kit for my future builds. For building an Indonesian Falcon, the only thing needed is to modify the front cockpit panel, as all the other parts are provided in the box. You just have to be careful to choose which ones to use.

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MODEL AIRCRAFT APRIL 2017

59 MILLENNIUM FALCON

The F-16s sport grey and green colours of the so-called ‘Millenium Scheme’

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F-16 IN INDONESIAN COLOURS

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The build went much better than I had first expected although some filler was needed here and there. I sanded the grainy surfaces using #600 and #800 sanding paper before I pre-shaded the model with Tamiya Black. After some trial and error I used Gunze’s H-61 Grey and Humbrol #115 for the ‘Millennium Scheme’, and these were applied via my airbrush and a little careful masking. Then I added gloss coat and applied the markings from Zotz Decals ‘Vivacious Viper’ set which includes a TNI AU Falcon option. I chose the tail serial of TS-1605 as this was the first F-16A landed in Indonesia. Once dry another gloss coat sealed them in. Weathering was done with Windsor & Newton oil paints diluted in mineral spirit and applied using familiar techniques. I then added a coat of Gunze Flat and then revisited some of the panel lines to accentuate the effect. I armed my Falcon model with three drop tanks, three Mk-82 bombs, an AGM-65 Maverick and four AIM-9P Sidewinders. This loadout gave the model an aggressive and workmanlike look, which is exactly what I was after! MA

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MODEL AIRCRAFT APRIL 2017

61 MILLENNIUM FALCON

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F4U-1D CORSAIR

A Model with a Mission Andy Renshaw builds and ‘in-flight’ version of the 1:48 Tamiya F4U-1D Corsair in the markings of USMC World War II Ace Colonel Jim Swett

Chance Vought F4U-1/2 Bird Cage Corsair Manufacturer: Tamiya Scale: 1:48 Kit Type: Plastic injection moulded Kit Number: 61046

W

e all enjoy building models and admiring them when finished, and I am no exception. However, once in a while I am provided the opportunity build in a way that benefits others, and such an opportunity arose recently with our local chapter of the United States Marine Corps League. The League is made up of Marines have both served in the past and are presently serving, plus likeminded individuals who desire to serve the local community through various activities and programs. In conjunction with the annual US Marine Birthday Ball, the League raises money by auctioning various donated goods and services. I opted to participate by providing a finished

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model that had not just a Marine theme, but a historical element as well. I love the F4U Corsair, and with its iconic look even non-aviation types can recognise it, and made a natural choice of subject, with the 1:48 Tamiya kit fitting the bill perfectly. For the slice of history, I contacted a local friend who has been collecting the signatures of Ace pilots for many decades, and after a quick phone call inquiring on a ‘USMC Ace who flew Corsairs’, he graciously provided an original signature by Col. James Swett, a three-time ace and Medal of Honour recipient. Swett started off flying F4F Wildcats with VMF-221 on Guadalcanal, but the squadron later transitioned to the F4U where he continued to add to his victories throughout the war. Considering that this was going to be a piece for ‘public consumption’, I opted for wheels up, and cockpit closed, as that would provide the least protrusions to get damaged by the new owner. Construction started in the cockpit, and I kept it simple using only the kit parts including the instrument panel decal! The provided pilot figure, which is quite nice, was painted up and secured in his seat. He tended to ‘sit low’,

maybe due to the absence of a parachute pack, so I raised him in the seat several millimeters, allowing him to at least see over the instrument cowling! The engine was then built, painted and inserted into the pre-painted cowl. Meanwhile, the landing bay doors were fitted in the closed position with some plastic reinforcement on the interior of the wing. Before joining the upper and lower wing halves, the outer panels were glued to the corresponding inner portion, I made sure that the joint was flush on the outside, so there would be not be any unsightly step on the extended wings. At this point, fuselage and wings were all joined, and continuing with the modifications and corrections, the flap step was filled and the wing fuel filler caps filled and re-scribed one panel inboard. The faring’s on the tail gear covers were also removed, as all of these items are carry-over to later mark Corsairs and not appropriate for the -1. Some other detail changes, included removing the small scoop on

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MODEL AIRCRAFT APRIL 2017

65 A MODEL WITH A MISSION

The kit provided pilot was raised a bit in his seat

Cockpit detailing was kept to that provided in the kit, including the instrument panel decal

Preparing the Corsair for ‘flight’

I love the F4U Corsair, and it was a natural choice for this project blue portions. Model Master #2055 US Navy Blue Grey was lightened some measure with Light Gull Grey, then sprayed on the upper surfaces and lower wing portions. The fuselage demarcation line was done freehand while spraying. Having mixed more Blue Grey than needed, I added a bit more Light Gull Grey to make a faded hue, and oversprayed the previous Blue-Grey areas in a random pattern. Back at the workbench, Light Grey Vallejo

acrylic was thinned and brushed over the fabric surfaces for even further fading and weathering. Some of the ammunition tray covers, and other random areas were painted slightly different shades of the Blue Grey, including Intermediate Blue, to provide even further visual interest. Once satisfied a clear gloss coat prepared the model for decals. Ammo of MIG panel line washes were then applied and allowed to sit for at least thirtyminutes, and then any excess was removed with

An overall shot of the bottom, and note, the slot for the stand has yet to be cut

the starboard side cowl (this is for the -2 night fighter), and hollowing out the exhaust once they were secured to the model, were also made With the aircraft in flight, the next modification was raising the flaps. There are aftermarket sets for this, however, the kit parts can be used quite effectively and the modification is simple. On the flaps themselves, remove all the protruding pins and pegs. Then on the wing, thin the upper trailing edge so that the flap can sit almost flush with the surface. At this point, the flaps will fit in the raised position quite well. The underside gap covers, which would be pushed down by the raising of the flap, can then be replicated with some strip plastic cut to length and placed between the flap and wing. Once the canopy was masked and placed, painting began with coat of Interior Green over the canopy parts, and then followed by some random Dark Grey over areas that received some putty work, such as the landing gear bays and flaps. The Dark Grey was also used to pre-shade hinge areas and some random splotches. This was followed with a Model Master Neutral Grey for the undersides. I then added an overspray of Light Gull Grey for some weathering and fading effects, keeping it subtle. Once dry a quick strip of masking tape was placed along the underside wing fold line, as this is a sharp demarcation between the grey and

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Several hues of Blue Grey……..

……..plus some acrylic filters produced a faded, patchy appearance

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F4U-1D CORSAIR

Ammo of MIG Products were used for some authentic weathering

The finished stand provided space for the authentic James Swett autograph and fifteen and a half victory flags!

Chips, fluid stains, and sealant tape complete the weathering on this Pacific War warrior

a moistened cotton cloth. A final overspray of some clear flat tinted with a fair amount of Gull Grey faded the decals and blended the overall hue of the paint. Final weathering included the addition of some ‘tape’ seals on the gun ports and around the fuselage fuel tank directly in front of the cockpit, along with some exhausts stains, and chipping. The base was constructed from pre-milled pine, and finished with a ebony wood stain followed by a coat of semi-gloss varnish. The flags, representing Swett’s fifteen and a half kills, were drawn using some computer drawing software and printed. The authentic signature was originally on an index card, and was trimmed down and sealed with a clear acrylic. Once

sealed, both the flags and autograph were applied to the base, and the whole given one more coat of semi-gloss varnish. Some acrylic rod was then cut to length, heated, bent to the desired angle and inserted into a hole drilled into the base, and then into a slot on the bottom of the model. Building a model ‘in flight’ is a nice break from the usual shelf sitters, and offers a chance for a dramatic pose. I really like how this Corsair turned out, and I would encourage you to look for opportunities to use your hobby to help your community. The auction winner couldn’t have been happier, plus the Marine Corps League was able to augment their funding, a win for all involved! MA

Building a model ‘in flight’ is a nice break from the usual shelf sitters

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NEW ARRIVAL OUT NOW! The Northrop

MDFSD 5 F-5 TIGER

£14.99 + P&P

F-5 TIGER

Freedom Fighter, Tiger II and Tigereye MDF Scaled Down #5 By Andy Evans One of the most enduring military aircraft designs ever produced, the F-5 series has served for more than four decades since its initial flight on July 31, 1963. The F-5 remains an agile, highly manoeuvrable, reliable supersonic fighter; lead-in trainer and ‘aggressor’, combining advanced aerodynamic design, engine performance and low operating costs. More than 2,600 were built by Northrop and with even more built under coproduction and licensing agreements with Canada, the Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, Spain and Switzerland. From the F-5's first delivery in 1964 to its final one in 1989, every aircraft has delivered the performance as promised, and approximately two-thirds of the original production F-5's remain operational in twenty-six countries, including the United States. Being smaller and simpler than contemporaries such as the F-4, the F-5 cost less to both purchase and operate, making it a popular export aircraft. The F-5A ‘Freedom Fighter’ entered service in the early 1960s, and although the USAF at the time had no acknowledged need for a light fighter, it did procure roughly 1,200 T-38 Talons, which were directly based on the F-5 design. After winning the International Fighter Aircraft competition in 1970, a program aimed at providing effective low-cost fighters to American allies, Northrop introduced the secondgeneration F-5E ‘Tiger II’ in 1972. The F-5 was also developed into a

Cover: Illustration Purposes Only

dedicated reconnaissance version, the RF-5 ‘Tigereye’ and the ill-fated F-20 ‘Tigershark’. For the F-5 it has been a fast ride into aviation history! The story of the F-5 is brought to life in this new MDF Scaled Down from SAM Publications, and the types background; operators, colour schemes and roles are all included, along with colour profiles, technical diagrams and extensive walk arounds. This is a must have book for the enthusiast and modeller alike.

M DF 5

SCALED DOWN

ORDER HOTLINE: 44 (0)1234 211245 ORDER ONLINE: www.sampublications.com

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SHENYANG J-11

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China’s B+ Flanker Jezz Coleman builds the 1:48 HobbyBoss Shenyang J-11 

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he Shenyang J-11, NATO code name ‘Flanker B+’ is a single-seat, twin-engine fighter, based on the Sukhoi Su-27, and currently manufactured by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), who are the sole operator of the aircraft. The J-11 is a fourthgeneration jet fighter which, like its Sukhoi brother it is intended as a direct competitor to other fourth generation fighters such as the F-15 Eagle, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and Eurofighter Typhoon to name but a few. On opening the box I was pleasantly surprised by the moulding on the fuselage,

PLA J-11B Manufacturer: HobbyBoss Scale: 1:48 Kit Type: Plastic injection moulded Kit Number: 81715

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MODEL AIRCRAFT APRIL 2017

69 CHINA’S B+ FLANKER

which comes as a top and bottom ‘sandwich’ with some very nice rivet detailing and fine panel lines. The transparent parts were also crystal clear, but had a small seam line running down the length that would require a little clean up and buffing out. There are also two nicely printed decal sheets supplied and the tyres were moulded in rubber, of which I’m not a fan.  The first stage was to paint and build up the various parts of seat and cockpit, which had some quite reasonable details, and there were optional decals provided, however, I preferred

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to paint the various switches and buttons which adds a little more life. This cockpit was then installed into the upper fuselage and then top and bottom sections were glued together, clamped and put to one side to dry. All the other control surfaces such as the flaps, elevators and slats were added, and where needed they fixed in various positions. The air intakes were next to be made up in a sub-assembly an attached

to the underside of the airframe with minimal clean up needed. I also added some weight into the nose section and glued that into place. The undercarriage was next to be assembled, watch out for the front leg as it is a little weak and I needed to drill out centre strut

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SHENYANG J-11

The J-11 is a fourth-generation jet fighter  and glue in a metal rod for strength. After the cockpit was masked up whole model was wiped over with IPA prior to being primed with Tamiya Matt Black, which doubles as a primer and also as a base. The kit has two colour camouflage schemes available, a two-tone grey scheme or a overall grey one, and I decided to go with the overall grey, and for this I used Tamiya XF-66. I began with a highly thinned mix, and airbrushed this onto the various sections in a ‘mottled’ effect, slowly building up the colour and concentrating the paint to the centre of all

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the panels. Once I had achieved the colour I was looking for I then started the fading process by adding small amounts of the Light Grey and White to the main colour and airbrushing this on various panels to add highlights and give the paintwork a worn and weathered appearance. I then added a coat of gloss and once dry added

and oil wash to accentuate the panel lines. Again, once dry this was buffed off with a soft cloth and then the decals were applied and left overnight to dry. Then a further clear coat was applied and oil stains and streaks were added with a fine brush.  Now it was time to add the smaller details such as the control surfaces air brake, weapons, undercarriage and canopy. Then was on with a final coat of matt unmask the canopy and the build was complete.  MA

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MODEL AIRCRAFT APRIL 2017

71 CHINA’S B+ FLANKER

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KINETIC CF-5A

Rob Ludlow builds the Kinetic CF-5A

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inetic’s 1:48 F-5A Freedom Fighter comes in their customary light grey plastic on seven sprues with an etch fret providing detail parts for the chaff/ flare dispensers, antenna and strip formation lights.  The kit includes a decal sheet crammed with no less than sixteen options for USAF, Canadian, Dutch, Norwegian, Greek and South Vietnamese aircraft with some interesting schemes. The breakdown of parts is modular, with the forward fuselage being provided as a separate assembly that has allowed Kinetic to also tool the two seat F-5B. Construction commenced with the cockpit, and the level of detail here is really good, however, I opted to use the Eduard Zoom Set #FE619, which provides parts for the instrument and side panels, throttle, gun sight and ejection seat. Once the cockpit was detailed and painted, it was enclosed within the fuselage halves and lower section, incorporating the wheel bay. The instructions recommend that the air intake parts are also assembled at this stage, but I chose to leave off these until I joined the forward and rear fuselage assemblies.   

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The rear fuselage assembly is made up of the fuselage halves, the wing section, and the rear fuselage and exhausts. It is important to refer to the instructions at this point, as there are several optional parts, depending on the variant that is being built. Test fitting of the parts will also ensure a good fit, and I managed to use only a smear of filler along the fuselage spine. The allmoving tailplanes should have been installed at this stage, but again I opted to leave them off to facilitate painting. The forward and rear fuselage assemblies came together without any difficulty, and the intake parts were then installed. The only area I encountered any problems were the outer intake panels, particularly on the right hand side that required the generous application of superglue, Gunze Mr Surfacer 500 and elbow grease to ensure a smooth join. At this point I

also cleaned up the undercarriage, installed the hardpoints onto the fuselage and wings and made up the weapons. During its service life with the Canadian Armed Forces, the CF-5A wore several schemes, and these are all included in the kit. I opted for an aircraft with the attractive tail markings for 434 (Bluenose) Squadron in their tactical scheme of Dark Grey and Dark Green disruptive camouflage on the upper surfaces, with Light Grey undersides. My reference photographs showed that the upper surface colours were similar to their RAF equivalents of Dark Sea Grey and Dark Green and I eventually settled on a mix of

In time of war CF-5s would have deployed to Norway to reinforce NATOs Northern Flank

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MODEL AIRCRAFT APRIL 2017

73 CANADA’S COLD WAR WARRIOR

F-5A Freedom Fighter Manufacturer: Kinetic Scale: 1:38 Kit Type: Plastic injection moulded Kit Number: 48020

Gunze H331 Dark Sea Grey and H54 Navy Blue for the former and Tamiya XF-27 Black Green for the latter. The underside colour used was H306 Grey FS36270 mixed with a touch of H11 Flat

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White. The camouflage scheme was painted using the White-Tack ‘worm’ method that provided a slightly feathered demarcation, which to my eye this did not look out of place in 1:48! AK Interactive Extreme Metal Steel was applied to the natural metal section of the rear fuselage and exhaust nozzles, and following an application of Vallejo gloss varnish the decals were

applied, and then a coat of Vallejo Matt Varnish was added to seal everything in.    CF-5As were seldom seen carrying weapons, but in time of war the squadrons home based in Canada would have deployed to Norway to reinforce NATOs Northern Flank and so a mixed payload of bombs, rocket pods and a centreline fuel tank seemed

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KINETIC CF-5A

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appropriate. These were added to the hardpoints once the undercarriage had been installed. At this point all that was left was to add some finishing touches, including the installation of the canopy, cannons fabricated from aluminium tubing and the painting of navigation lights using Ammo of MIG Crystal Colours. I must say I was very was pleased with how the finished model turned out, as Kinetics’ F-5A fills a gap in the market left by the once available Classic Airframes kit. MA

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SAM-MDSD-06-Buccaneer-Ad_Layout 1 10/03/2017 17:32 Page 1

Faster-Lower-Longer

COMING SOON!

MDFSD 6

BUCCANEER

£14.99 + P&P

The Blackburn

BUCCANEER S.1. S.2 and Mk.50

MDF Scaled Down #6 By Andy Evans Built by Blackburn at Brough, the Buccaneer epitomises the very essence of the fast, low-level ground attack concept, coupled with an inherently stable ride. The Buccaneer was designed in the late 1950’s as a low-level, long range, high speed, strike/attack/recce aircraft for carrier operations. It was produced in two main variants, the S.1 and the much improved and more powerful S.2, serving with both the Royal Navy and later the RAF from 1965 to 1994. Having enjoyed a successful, albeit relatively uneventful, career with the Royal Navy, the Buccaneer realised its true potential with the RAF and South African Air Force where it soon proved itself to be an immensely strong, manoeuvrable and reliable aircraft with a better speed, range and weapons carrying capability than many others. This was borne out during the many NATO exercises but came to public attention during Operation ‘Granby’ in the Gulf War. Here twelve Buccaneers were dispatched at three days notice, initially to laser designate targets for Tornado bombers, and later in the campaign, they acted as both Tornado designators and bombers in their own right whilst carrying out missions dropping their own 1000lb LGB’s. In total the type flew 216 Gulf sorties, destroying numerous bridges, aircraft shelters, Cover: Illustration Purposes Only

runways, command bunkers, ammunition stores and even other aircraft. The Buccaneer was prematurely withdrawn from service in 1994 as a result of arms reduction talks and the subsequent rationalisation of RAF assets, being replaced in the maritime strike role by more modern Tornado IDS aircraft. This new MDF Scaled Down from SAM Publications takes you into the heart of the Buccaneer, as we go faster, lower, longer!

M DF 6

SCALED DOWN

ORDER HOTLINE: 44 (0)1234 211245 ORDER ONLINE: www.sampublications.com

76

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JAGUAR GR.1

MIG Masterclass ‘In the Pink’ Ricardo Rivas shows you how to create an authentic RAF Gulf War finish on the 1:48 Kitty Hawk Jaguar GR.1 using Ammo of MIG products

T

he 1991 Gulf War saw the RAF’s Jaguar fleet, then on the verge of retirement, thrust into the spotlight. Painted in ‘Desert Sand’ the small Jaguar force proved its worth in the skies of Iraq and Kuwait and gave the aircraft a new lease of life! For this build I am using the 1:48 Kitty Hawk kit, along with an Eduard Zoom cockpit detailing set and a few scratchbuilt items. The kit built up very well with few, if any problems and it was soon time to add some colour. To begin I applied and overall base coat of Dark Sea Grey and Dark Green in the standard Jaguar disruptive camouflage pattern using the A.MIG-7203 RAF Colours Set. Once this had thoroughly dried I added several fine layers of A.MIG-2010 Chipping Fluid and allowed this to dry. For the ‘Desert Sand’ colour so synonymous with RAF strike aircraft during the Gulf War I used a mix of 80% A.MIG-0106 Desert Sand and 10% A.MIG-0049 Red, and this was applied in thin coats gradually

building up the colour. One of the most impressive things about the ‘Desert Sand’ colour scheme is that being an Alkaline Removable Temporary Finish (ARTF), the texture soon chipped, peeled and discoloured, and this is what I wanted to achieve on my Jaguar. So with a little water, a paintbrush and a cocktail stick I set about distressing the paintwork. Taking my time and working on small areas at a time the effect gradually began to take shape. Once I was happy with the look on both the upper surface and the undersides, I sealed everything in with a coat of A.MIG-0091 Gloss. Next I added some diluted A.MIG-1622 Ochre for Sand Panel Line Wash, and allowed this to dry for fifteeen minutes and then removed any excess with a damp cotton bud. Once this was thoroughly dry I added an oil paint was to further enhance the panel lines and add a greater depth to the overall look. Next I used a small piece of sponge dipped in A.MIG-1617 Blue Black Panel Line Wash to add more flaking paint

The Jaguars paint scheme quickly chipped, peeled and discoloured in the desert environment

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Jaguar GR.1/GR.3 Manufacturer: Kitty Hawk Scale: 1:48 Kit Type: Plastic injection moulded Kit Number: 80106

effects. I als then added touches of A.MIG-191 Steel, again using a sponge to show areas of the natural metal showing through. I then sealed everything in with a further gloss coat and then added the decals. Then it was time for some final weathering and touching up to complete the look. Once I was satisfied I gave the model a coat of A.MIG-89 Matt. This was a very enjoyable project and one that I hope you will try for yourself. MA

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WWW.MIGJIMENEZ.COM

77 MIG MASTERCLASS

After applying the Jaguars original camouflage colours, I added a coat of Chipping fluid, followed by my mix of the Desert Sand colour…….

....which was built up in thin layers

I then began to distress the paintwork as you can see here….

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WWW.MIGJIMENEZ.COM

JAGUAR GR.1

….using a cocktail stick…..

….and a paintbrush…..

….to achieve the desired effect

The upper surfaces…….

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79

We Recommend Ammo of MIG Products Used in This Build

MIG MASTERCLASS

Model Aircraft Choice

• A.MIG-7203 RAF Colours Set

• A.MIG-2010 Chipping Fluid • A.MIG-0049 Red • A.MIG-0091 Gloss

….and undersides were also chipped and flaked, working in small areas at a time….. For the full story of the Jaguar in the Gulf War then SAM Publications latest Datafile MDF 27 is the ideal choice. You can order this at www. sampublications.com

76-79-MIG-Master-Granby-Jag-MA-0417.indd 79

• A.MIG-1622 Ochre for Sand Panel Line Wash • A.MIG-1617 Blue Black Panel Line Wash • A.MIG-191 Steel • A.MIG-89 Matt

10/03/2017 17:25

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VOLUME 16 ISSUE 04

Produced by HobbyZone Limited under licence from SAM Publications 21 Kingsway, Bedford MK42 9BJ Telephone: +44 (0)1234 211245 Fax: +44 (0)1234 325927 Email: [email protected] PUBLISHER SAM Publications GROUP EDITOR Andy Evans EDITOR Andy Evans HobbyZone Limited, 21 Kingsway, Bedford MK42 9BJ Email: [email protected] ASSISTANT EDITOR David Francis ASSOCIATE EDITOR Andy Renshaw EDITORIAL CONSULTANT Mario Serelle EDITORIAL CONSULTANT (EUROPE) Vitor Costa The above editorial email is ONLY to be used for editorial submissions. It is NOT for subscription payments or queries, back issues or Modellers Datafile orders. Please send all of these to [email protected] STUDIO MANAGER / DESIGN Jonathan Phillips PAGE LAYOUT Andy Folds SAM PUBLICATIONS EMAIL [email protected] Use this address for back issue orders, subscriptions or subscription enquiries or book orders. Note that we cannot undertake research into specific or general aviation queries and that there may be some delays in responses from the contributors, as they are not based at the editorial address.

And Finally... Hurricane Exposed

T

he Royal Air Force Museum at Cosford has their Hawker Hurricane IIc undergoing some work with a number of its panels removed showing some of the internal workings! Fascinating stuff!

CONTRIBUTORS Jezz Colman; Angel Exposito; Daniele Falconi; George Johnson; Rob Ludlow; Chris McDowell; Andrew Root; Alex Sidharta; Chad Summers; Ricardo Rivas; JM Villalba ADVERTISING SALES Mark Willey Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)1234 224992 PRE-PRESS PRODUCTION HobbyZone Limited PRINT PRODUCTION Stephens and George Print Group, UK DISTRIBUTION COMAG Tavistock Road, West Drayton, Middlesex, UB7 7QE Telephone: 01895 433777 NORTH AMERICAN DISTRIBUTION BY disticor 695 Westney Rd South, Suite 14, Ajax, Ontario, Canada L1S 6M9 Tel: + 1 (905) 619 6565 Contributions and photographic material are welcome, but must be accompanied by adequate postage to cover return. HobbyZone Limited accept no responsibility for loss or damage to materials supplied. © HOBBYZONE LIMITED 2017 Articles, photographs and drawings published in Model Aircraft Monthly are protected by copy­right. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden without prior author­ity of the publishers. Opinions expressed by contributors and advertisers are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher. HobbyZone Limited reserves the right to suspend or refuse any advertisement without giving reasons. Whilst every care is taken to avoid mistakes HobbyZone Limited cannot be liable in any way for any errors or omissions. Nor can the publisher accept respon­sibility for the bona fides of advertisers. ISSN: 2046-5386 HobbyZone Limited is a member of The paper used in this magazine is made from timber sourced from sustainable managed forests; the pulp is ECF (elemental chlorine free); the manufacturing mill is accredited with ISO14001 and EMAS for their environmental controls. SUBSCRIPTIONS Cheques/Money Orders in Sterling only made payable to HobbyZone Limited and sent to the address above. Credit card payment accepted by phone. Subscription Hotline +44 (0)1234 211245 AMERICAN SUBSCRIPTIONS Wise Owl is no longer selling subscriptions on behalf of HobbyZone Limited. Current Wise Owl customers can renew their subscriptions at the current rates directly with HobbyZone Limited: Subscription hotline +44 (0)1234 211245 – we are happy to call you back to take your order! Email ordering and customer support: [email protected] Website secure online ordering: www.sampublications.com Model Aircraft, Volume 16, Issue 04, April 2017 (ISSN: 2044-737X) published monthly by HobbyZone Limited, 2221 Niagara Falls Blvd, Niagara Falls NY 14304-5709. Periodical postage pending Niagara Falls NY. U.S. Postmaster. Send address corrections to Model Aircraft Monthly, PO Box 265 Williamsville, N.Y 14231 QUESTIONS TO CONTRIBUTORS If you have a question or query you wish to raise with any of the contrib­utors to this magazine, they should be made IN WRITING to the HobbyZone Limited address. Neither the Group Editor nor any of the contrib­utors are at HobbyZone Limited on a daily basis and the Group Editor asks for all enquirers to appreciate this fact and be patient. Please understand that the staff at HobbyZone Limited do not have access to the information you require and therefore cannot answer your questions on the phone. Please enclose a stamped SAE with all enquiries, if you anticipate a reply. Thank you. SAMPLES FOR REVIEW Model Aircraft Monthly is always happy to review new books within its pages. Any item which you feel is appropriate will be given due consideration for inclusion in the title. Any company, trade representative, importer, distributor or shop which wishes to have books reviewed within Model Aircraft Monthly should send them directly to the editorial address and clearly mark them for the attention of the Group Editor. Confirmation of receipt of the samples will be supplied if requested. For all international companies etc the above applies, but please ensure that the package is clearly marked for customs as a ‘sample, free of charge’ to reduce the risk of unnecessary delays. Thank you. COMPANY/SUPPLIERS ADDRESS DETAILS & GENERAL ENQUIRIES Please note that the Group Editor and staff at HobbyZone Limited cannot help with general enquires about contact details for companies, importers or model shops whose products may be mentioned in Model Aircraft Monthly if the address information is not included with the review etc. Please check the advertisements in this journal for all suitable UK sources and only contact the firm directly if it is noted that there is ‘No UK stockist’. We are sorry, but we cannot help with details of companies which do not advertise in this magazine. Also note that neither the Group Editor nor contributors will undertake specific or general research for enquirers. Thank you. COPYRIGHT WARNING Due to the growing misuse and breach of copyright apparent on the web, HobbyZone Limited hereby gives notice that no-one is permitted to reproduce in any way, (in original form or ‘modified’), anything published in this, or previous editions of this magazine. All design, layout and studio photography is the copyright of HobbyZone Limited. All profiles, scale plans and supporting photographs are the copyright of the individual authors. None of these may be used without prior written agreement from both the author/artist and HobbyZone Limited. Infringement is a breach of international law, so if you see items posted on the web from this magazine other than on the official HobbyZone Limited website (sampublications.com) please advise the publisher immediately.

Next Month in Model Aircraft – May 2017 ‘First to Fight’ – David Lengyel builds the 1:48 Eduard F-4C Phantom from early in the Vietnam War Combat Edge –‘Advanced Hawks’ – John ‘Tigger’ Wilkes details a pair of 1:32 NATO and RAF trainers ‘Viva Espagna’ – Pierre Baudru builds a 1:48 F-5A Freedom Fighter Photo-Recce -’Fullbacks Over Syria’ Soviet Su-33’s at War

‘Austrian Dragon’ - Danumurthi Mahendra builds the 1:72 Hasegawa SAAB Draken MIG Masterclass – ‘Felix the Super-Bug’ - Mario Serelle builds the 1:72 Revell F/A-18E in the colours of VFA-31 ‘Swordsmen Super Cat’ – Christoff Theunissen looks at the recent Tamiya F-14A

Mission Profiles – RAF Phantoms

‘COIN Operated’ - Danumurthi Mahendra builds the 1:48 Testors kit as an Indonesian OV-10F

‘The Ultimate Viggen’ – Jan Sairanen builds a superb 1:48 version of the iconic SAAB fighter

‘Fullback!’ – Kitti Tatsumaki builds the 1:72 Italeri Su32/34 Soviet Striker

Model Aircraft Extra – Mirage F.1, with background details, scale plans and full model builds from Olivier Bonnet and Dominique Breffort

‘Saints Striker’ - Rene Van Der Hart builds a 1:48 RAF Buccaneer S.2B in the markings of No.16 Squadron

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