[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by skanchan95

R-23s for a MiG-23 air defence variant (M/MF/ML/MLD)?

Its amazing how talented scale modellers like you manage to replicate minute details like bands, stencils and other markings on missiles. Well Done!!!

Mig-23MF is correct Just hope the customs doesn't open it for inspection and pack it roughly. It happened recently for a package from the UK, they never do it for packages from Mother Russia or Eastern Europe

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by FrozeninTime

Time Changes but values don't: SU-24M vs SU-34

Congratulations @FrozeninTime. The top two strike fighters of the Russians on a single platform. Both detailed and handsome. A great addition to your fleet.

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by Foxbat

Mig-23MF is correct

Look forward to it. I suppose the 4 R-60s will go in to dual IRM launcher attachments on the pylon?

Originally Posted by Foxbat

Just hope the customs doesn't open it for inspection and pack it roughly. It happened recently for a package from the UK, they never do it for packages from Mother Russia or Eastern Europe

The Customs geniuses work in mysterious ways

[skanchan95]

1:72 McDonnell Douglas F-4G Phantom II - 69-0291, 90th Tactical Fighter Squadron "The Dicemen", 1990 Operation Desert Storm [Low-Vis Scheme] (Hobbymaster)

The F-4G Wild Weasel V was a dedicated SEAD(Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses) variant of the F-4 Phantom II for the U.S. Air Force with updated radar and avionics and converted from F-4E. A Typical SEAD mission includes not only destruction of surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) and anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) but also interrelated systems such as early-warning radar and command, control and communication (C3) functions, while also marking other targets to be destroyed by an air strike. Such dedicated SEAD aircraft are also known in the United States as "Wild Weasel" and (initially) were called "Iron Hand" missions.

The F-4, by design, looked like someone had stepped on the blueprints!!! It had bent wings, a sharply downswept horizontal tail slab, and a pointed nose with an abruptly fattened aft fuselage holding two powerful General Electric J79 engines. Those turbojet engines produced 17,000 pounds of thrust (8,120 kilograms) with afterburning.

The Phantom had two seats for two crew members (Pilot & his RIO/WSO) And the two engines meant redundancy and greater prospects for survival when hit by gunfire.

F-4E ==> F-4G
The F-4E, the most advanced Phantom variant with extensive ground-attack capabilities and an internal gun, became the basis for the F-4G "Wild Weasel V" (also known as the Advanced Wild Weasel). This modification consisted of removing the gun and replacing it with the APR-38(t) Radar Homing and Warning Receiver (later upgraded to the APR-47), and a cockpit upgrade for the back seat to manage the electronic combat environment. It could carry several ECM pods including the ALQ-87, ALQ-101, ALQ-119, ALQ-130, ALQ-131, and the ALQ-140 IR jammer. The F-4Gs had the ability to carry AGM-45 Shrike, AGM-78 Standard, and AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missiles. They were widely used during the Gulf War, Operation Provide Comfort, and Operation Southern Watch. A total of 134 F-4G models were converted from F-4Es with the first one flying in 1975. Squadron service began in 1978.

During Desert Storm, the F-4G saw heavy use, with only a single loss: an aircraft from Spangdahlem AB crashed in Saudi Arabia while returning from a mission, after one of the AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missiles hang fired which left the aircraft's instruments not displaying the correct altitude information and a significant frame tweak from the damage made the plane hard to control. After an investigation into the loss of the aircraft which occurred during several aborted landing attempts in a sandstorm, it was determined that a fuel cell was punctured by anti-aircraft fire. The pilot and EWO safely ejected after the engines shut down when the aircraft ran out of fuel attempting to land at a forward airstrip.

The F-4G was the last Phantom II model in active USAF duty when it was retired in 1995 ending over 30 years of service with the branch of the U.S. Military. The F-4G was replaced by the newer F-16C Fighting Falcon equipped with AGM-88 HARM and HARM targeting pods.

90th TFS, USAF
The 90th TFS began in 1917 as the 90th Aero Squadron. Between 1977 and 1991 the 90th TFS flew F-4Gs based at Clark AFB, Philippines. On August 19, 1972 F-4G 69-0291 shot down a VPAF MiG-21 over North Vietnam. In May 1991 they were reassigned to the 21st TFW at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska with F-15E Eagles. In September 1991 the 90th TFS became the 90th FS.

F-4 69-0291's "MiG Kill"
F-4 Tail no. 69-0291 was delivered, as an F-4E in 1970 to the USAF. It was assigned first to the 4th TFS "Fighting Fuujins", 366th TFW at Da Nang AB, Vietnam.

On 19.08.1972, flying as Pistol 03 in F-4E 69-0291 - Capt Sammy C White & his WSO 1st Lt Frank J Bettine, shot down a VPAF MiG-21 using an AIM-7 Sparrow. Reference to this - Image No.3

Later the aircraft was converted to an F-4G, she took part in the Gulf War with USAF's 90th TFS.

The model in a lovely two tone Grey air superiority paint scheme and a shark mouth comes with a range of weapon attachments - a couple of ECM pods - ALQ-131 & ALQ-101, 2 X AGM-88 HARMs, 3 X F-4 fuel tanks, 4 X AIM-7 Sparrows & 4 X AIM-9s. The ECM pods can be mounted on the front two AIM-7 stations & the AGM-88s & AIM-9s interchanged on the inner wing stations.

McDonnell Douglas F-4G Wild Weasel Specifications
First Flight – December 6, 1975
Crew – 2

Dimensions
Length – 63 ft
Wingspan – 38 ft 7 ins
Height – 16 ft 6 ins

Weight
Empty – 30,200 lbs
Maximum Take Off – 61,700 lbs

Performance
Powerplant – 2 x GE J79-GE-17A Turbofans producing 17,900 lbs thrust per engine with afterburners

Fuel Capacity
Internally - 1,900 gallons
Externally – 1,300 gallons

Speed
Maximum – 1,430 mph
Cruise – 571 mph

Service Ceiling – 59,000 ft

Range – 1,978 miles

Armament
AGM-45 Shrike
AGM-88 HARM
AGM-65 Maverick
AIM-7F Sparrows
And/Or
AIM-9L Sidewinder Air-To-Air missiles
And a range of ECM/EW Pods





69-0291's MiG kill










Airborne










The HARMs can be replaced by Sidewinders


Air & Ground Crew Names & Star on the intake splitter denoting the MiG-kill. 19.08.1972




Closeups












The F-4E was the only internal gun equipped F-4 varinat. A 20mm M61A1 Vulcan cannon, which was installed in detachable gunpods for other F-4 variants( and carried on the centerline station) was belatedly slung under the nose of the F-4E model. The modification looked distinctly like an afterthought, its barrel poking out from nose contours that weren’t particularly streamlined anyway. This "Barrel" was even more pronounced on the F-4G after the removal of the cannon and addition of electronic equipment in its place. Comparing the F-4G with a JASDF F-4EJ. Notice the difference in the length of the "barrel" and how far out it extends on the F-4G.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by skanchan95

1:72 McDonnell Douglas F-4G Phantom II - 69-0291, 90th Tactical Fighter Squadron "The Dicemen", 1990 Operation Desert Storm [Low-Vis Scheme] (Hobbymaster)

And what does one say to such a superbly crafted model with such mouth watering etchings and finish. Congratulations on adding another unique and well known tail fin number to your Phantom squadron. You must be the king in India at least of F-4 and F-14 model collections.

To the credit of the Americans the Wild Weasel brought combat electronic warfare to the battlefield and made SEAD a unique weapon system and form of air warfare all by itself.

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by skanchan95

1:72 McDonnell Douglas F-4G Phantom II - 69-0291, 90th Tactical Fighter Squadron "The Dicemen", 1990 Operation Desert Storm [Low-Vis Scheme] (Hobbymaster)

Excellent model These Hobby Master models attention to detail is very impressive considering they are mass manufactured. I love the fact they give so many weapon options and removable landing gear.

A new photoshoot of your enhanced F-4 fleet is due ! I'm guessing this and all the recent F-14 additions were all from DBJets?

[Foxbat]

The Dassault M.D.450 Ouragan (French: Hurricane) is a French fighter-bomber developed and produced by Dassault Aviation. It has its origins in a private venture by Dassault to produce an all-French aircraft which would make use of jet propulsion, which subsequently would receive orders from the French Air Force.

The Ouragan holds the distinction of being the first jet-powered French-designed combat aircraft to enter production, and thus played a key role in the resurgence of the French aviation industry following the Second World War. The Ouragan was operated by France, India, Israel and El Salvador.

The Dassault Ouragan was an early jet-powered fighter aircraft. It employed a straightforward basic layout, with a single divided air intake in the nose that carried air around either side of the cockpit to the engine, which was located directly behind the pilot. The Ouragan was powered by a single Rolls-Royce Nene turbojet engine, produced under license by Hispano-Suiza. Early aircraft were equipped with Martin-Baker Mk.1 ejection seats, however the majority of production aircraft were outfitted with SNCASO E.86 ejection seats instead. Some of the more advanced aerodynamic features of the Ouragan included its swept tailplane and its thin wing, which was tapered along the leading edge.

Service with the Indian Air Force
When the United Kingdom threatened the continued supply of parts for the already acquired IAF DeHavilland Vampires, the Indian government decided it was needed to evaluate other sources for air force fighters. It was found that the French Ouragan proved to meet the requirements of the Indian Air Force, and subsequently placed an initial order of 71 aircraft. These were to be similar to the standard production variant, but were outfitted with updated Nene 105 engines.
By October 1953 the first four aircraft were delivered and received the Toofani nickname (meaning as much as ‘Ouragan’/’Hurricane’ in Hindi) with the remainder delivered by mid 1954. In 1957 two more orders were placed for 20 and 13 ex-l’Armée de l’Air machines, bringing the total of Indian Toofani’s up to 104. The aircraft saw combat service in various conflicts. It carried out airstrikes during an engagement with the Portuguese forces based on the island of Diu, ground-attack missions against anti-government rebels in Assam and Nagaland and recon missions during the Sino-Indian War in 1962.
By the mid-50’s the Toofani was considered obsolete and replaced by the Mystère IVA in 1957. The aircaft remained in use as a training and target tug aircraft.By the time of its retirement in 1968, the type was to have been used by the IAF for nearly fifteen years.

1/72 Scale Indian Air Force Dassault MD.450 'Toofani', 29 Squadron "Scorpions", Serial: IC692 Assam airbase, 1962.









The actual IC 692 can be seen behind the first aircraft.


A Toofani on display at the IAF museum in New Delhi.


With one of its successors, the Dassault Super Mystère (a development of the Mystère)


The 'Toofani 'was the first French jet in IAF, the Rafale is the latest.


My 1/72 Scale Indian Air Force Collection.

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

And what does one say to such a superbly crafted model with such mouth watering etchings and finish. Congratulations on adding another unique and well known tail fin number to your Phantom squadron.

Thank You Sir.

Originally Posted by Foxbat

Excellent model These Hobby Master models attention to detail is very impressive considering they are mass manufactured. I love the fact they give so many weapon options and removable landing gear.

Thank you. HM is the only diecast brand whose 1:72 & 1:48 Military models get a stand in box. One has to buy stands separately with models of other brands.

Originally Posted by Foxbat

I'm guessing this and all the recent F-14 additions were all from DBJets?

Yes

Originally Posted by Foxbat

The Dassault M.D.450 Ouragan (French: Hurricane) is a French fighter-bomber developed and produced by Dassault Aviation. It has its origins in a private venture by Dassault to produce an all-French aircraft which would make use of jet propulsion, which subsequently would receive orders from the French Air Force.

Fantastic, another brilliant one !!!!

It is amazing how Dassault has been a part of every generation of fighters that the IAF has bought since independence!!!

1:72 Grumman F-14A Tomcat VF-1 "Wolfpack", Gulf War "Mi-8 Killer" Bu No. 162603 "El Coyote" (Hobbymaster)
Enough has been discussed about the Tomcat on the thread. So, I am getting straight to the model and its significance.

This particular Mi-8 kill was the US Navy F-14's only kill during the Gulf War. VF-1 "Wolfpack"(Callsign - Wichita) , as many would be aware was the first operational US Navy F-14 Sqdn, alongside VF-2 "Bounty Hunters". VF-1's initial deployment was in 1974 with her sister squadron VF-2 aboard USS Enterprise. The squadron flew over Saigon in support of Operation Frequent Wind - the evacuation of US personnel in April, 1975.

VF-1 was part of the Air Wing of the Aircraft carrier USS Ranger and was on station, when the 1991 Gulf War began on 16 January 1991.

On 6 February, an F-14A Tomcat from VF-1, off Ranger, downed an Iraqi Mi-8 Hip helicopter with an AIM-9M Sidewinder missile.

The USS Ranger was decommissioned in 1993 and VF-1 was left without a carrier. They operated out of NAS Miramar until VF-1 itself was disestablished on 1 October 1993.

El Coyote's Mi-8 Kill
Stenciled on the tails of VF-1’s Wichita 103 were the words “El Coyote” (The Coyote). This Tomcat scored the first recorded air-to-air kill against an Iraqi helicopter in Desert Storm.

In the early morning hours of Jan. 17, USS Ranger’s air wing participated in the first airstrikes of Operation Desert Storm. VAW-116 E-2C Hawkeyes ranged all the way up the Persian Gulf to keep track of all aircraft in the vicinity. Iraq’s actions the previous decade with its Mirage F.1EQs armed with Exocet anti-ship missiles gave USN planners serious concern. The Iraqi Exocet missiles had achieved success against Iranian ships and the USS Stark, so combat air patrols (CAPs) of USN F-14 Tomcats were placed in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea to deter any threats coming out over water.

On Feb. 6, 1991 Lieutenant Stuart “Meat” Broce from VF-1 Wolfpack and his RIO (Radar Intercept Officer) and squadron commander, Commander Ron “Bongo” McElraft, were tasked to provide the air cover for a high value asset: an EA-6B Prowler on a jamming mission in support of a daylight air strike in occupied Kuwait.

Meat and Bongo took off from the USS Ranger (CV-61) flying the F-14A BuNo. 162603, call-sign Wichita 103, paired with another F-14 from VF-1, flown by Scott “Ash” Malynn and his RIO Dan “Zymby” Zimberoff. Since McElraft was the squadron commander, he and Broce took the lead of the section.

While proceeding to their assigned rendezvous point, Bongo told Meat that their radar was inoperative.

After the weapons checks were complete, the controller informed the two Tomcats that from that moment they had an alternate task: they had to refuel from an Air Force KC-135 and then proceed to a new CAP (Combat Air Patrol) station to look for enemy activity there.

A change in tasking was unusual during the war, so the aircrews had to find where their new CAP station was on their navigation charts. None of their charts covered the northern part, so they imagined that the new CAP station was between the Gulf and Baghdad, farther north than any aircraft in the battle group had gone and where the U.S. Air Force F-15s were getting all the kills.

As they were heading north, Broce, who was the Wolfpack junior pilot in terms of fleet Tomcat experience, with only six months in the squadron (Malynn was the third most junior pilot in the squadron with only a year and half under his belt), thought about the weapons options of his F-14.

The fighter was armed with four AIM-9s and four AIM-7s plus 700 high-explosive 20mm bullets, but with Tomcat’s radar off he could launch his missiles only by pointing F-14’s nose at the intended target, meaning that the weapons could only be used in degraded launch modes, highly degraded in the case of the radar-guided Sparrows.

Soon the Tomcats went out of radio range of their E-2 Hawkeye and were transferred under a USAF AWACS control.

After about ten minutes on station, as Broce himself explains in Craig Brown book Debrief: A Complete History of U.S. Aerial Engagements-1981 to the Present, the controller “broke the (until then) radio silence with, ‘Wolfpack, engage bandit, vector 210-36, angels low, nose on!’ Translation: ‘Hey! Turn to a heading of 210°. Attempt to destroy the enemy aircraft 36 miles in that direction. He’s low and heading toward you!’ No word on what type of aircraft it was.”

Since his Tomcat had the radar off, Meat passed the lead for the interception to Malynn and Zimberoff.

Bongo contacted the AWACS to verify if they were really cleared to fire and the AWACS voice that came back said: “Affirmative! Cleared hot, weapons free!”

Broce selected master arm switch to ‘on’ and since he wanted to record the engagement on their onboard HUD camera/voice recorder, said “Recorder on!”

The two F-14s accelerated while the AWACS was updating them with bearing and range calls. Broce repeated “Recorder on!” but again, he didn’t receive any response from McElraft. With Malynn over a mile to his right, Meat levelled off at 3,000ft and after four or five seconds Bongo said “Come left! Helicopter!”

Broce performed a 7g turn and he visually pick up a Mil Mi-8 Hip armed transport. Meat switched to AIM-9 and pitched up and to the left trying to gain a little bit of altitude and lateral separation, then reversing for high-aspect attack from above at about a mile off the helicopter’s left side.

But since the seeker head hadn’t the right tone, he moved the F-14 nose around searching for a hotter spot. They were accelerating toward the ground from a low altitude and after a third attempt to get a lock-on, Broce let the nose drift a little behind the target on a hunch that there was enough of a heat of a signature for a lock, despite the lack of a tone.

As Broce recalls, when he started the firing sequence McElraft shouted “PULL UP! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU…” then he stopped as the missile roared off its rail and rocketed loudly past the canopy to his left. Broce thought that the Sidewinder had gone stupid and was racing for a sand dune in front of the Mi-8, but instead the AIM-9 flame turn hard toward the target and he turned his head just to watch the Hip instantly turned into a bright yellow fireball.

Bongo contacted the AWACS to inform the controller that they had downed one helicopter, then they rejoined with Malynn and Zimberoff and they refuelled from a KC-135 with two other VF-1 F-14s. They returned to the CAP station, then they refuelled from a KC-10 and returned again to the CAP station for the last half an hour before heading to the Gulf when the AWACS requested them to perform a battle damage assessment (BDA) on an attacked strategic target.

After having passed the BDA to the AWACS, they finally headed to the Ranger in the night, just to discover that a Wolfpack Tomcat had just launched but the gear wouldn’t retract.

Malynn and Zimberoff landed, while Bongo used his flashlight to check out the Tomcat landing gear. Since everything was ok, the F-14 landed and it was immediately discovered that the deck personnel had forgotten the “red flags” attached,. After the pins were removed the Tomcat was launched before Meat and Bongo recovered.

Finally, six and a half hours after launch, Broce and McElraft landed.

After the CAG (Commander of the Air Group) Captain Jay “Rabbit” Campbell and thirty other people congratulated them on the success of their air-to-air engagement, a maintainer came up to Meat and said “Where’s your tape?” Broce replied “What?” “The HUD tape. There isn’t one in the recorder!”

Broce then remembered the skipper’s silence every time he said “Recorder on!” and he suddenly understood: three weeks earlier McElraft said to every officer in the squadron that it was RIO’s responsibility bringing a video tape to the jet and ensure it was inserted into the onboard recorder but he had forgotten the tape on this flight!


The jet they flew for their kill was given a helicopter kill mark under the canopy( an Mi-24, which was later corrected to an Mi-8). It was the first recorded air-to-air kill against an Iraqi helicopter in Desert Storm. Following the kill, VF-1 continued to perform its assigned missions, often under the cover of darkness, with the utmost professionalism until the ceasefire on Feb. 28.


The model comes with an interchangeable load of 4 X AIM-54s, 4 X AIM-7s and a TARPS pod & 2 X F-14 drop tanks. The AIM-7s and AIM-9s on the wing glove stations are fixed and cannot be removed.


With AIM-7s loaded in the belly stations & without the AIM-54s, the Tomcat does look out of character.






The Mi-8 kill mark under the canopy.


El Coyote





























A Jolly Roger & a Coyote








The Hunter & the hunted






The US Navy Tomcat Corner in my display cabinet. The IRIAF Tomcat sits in the Asian Arm models section

[skanchan95]

1:72 Lockheed F-16C Block 52 10904, No.5 Sqdn “Falcons”, Pakistan Air Force, Shahbaz AB 2017 (Hobbymaster)

A model that was on my wishlist for a long time- a PAF F-16. I always felt that the PAF's two tone grey scheme looks very elegant on the F-16.

The PAF & the F-16
In the mid-70s, Pakistan began re-flirting with the US for lethal weapon purcahse after US lifted the embargo on both India & Pakistan. The Pakistanis were offered 100+ Vought A-7D Corsair II attack aircraft but on the condition that they gave up thier nuclear programme. The then Pakistani PM Z A Bhutto refused to give the programme and the deal fell through.

In 1979, the Pakistanis were gain offered 100+ F-5E Tiger IIs under the same condition. It was also motivated by the worsening situation in Afghanistan when the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan was imminent and the US suddenly needed Pakistan again.

When the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in December 1979, re-equipping the Pakistani armed forces with American equipment seemed only a matter of time and a mouth watering for Pakistan. However, it was nearly two years later after the Soviet invasion that an arms package was agreed upon by the US. Along with it came the permission for Pakistan buy lethal weapons from the US to supposedly take on the Soviet threat on their western border. With Saudi loans, Pakistan purchased 40 General Dynamics F-16A/B Fighters( 28 single seat A & 12 twin seat B models) under Peace Gate I & II. With such relatively high number of twin seat models, it was clear Pakistan was plannig to induct a much larger fleet of F-16s and have a bigger pool of F-16 qualified pilots ready quickly.


The US, worried about antagonizing India, tried to persuade Pakistan to buy the F-16/79 - a version of the F-16 using the J-79 engine used on the F-4 Phantom. and a less capable variant of the F-16. But Pakistan steadfastly refused to accept this variant. AS the US needed Pakistan desperately, it chose to ignore India's sensitivites and Pakistan got the standard F-16A/B versions.

The first F-16 aircraft were accepted at Fort Worth in October of 1982, and the first F-16, flown by Squadron Leader Shahid Javed, landed in Pakistan at Sargodha Air Base on January 15th, 1983 as part of a package of 6 'Peace Gate I' aircraft (2 A's and 4 B's).

The remaining 34 aircraft were delivered under Peace Gate II. The Pakistani F-16A/B's are all Block 15 aircraft, the final version of the F-16A/B production run, and are powered by the Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-200 turbofan. All 40 'Peace Gate I & II' aircraft were delivered between 1983 and 1987.

The PAF F-16s were assigned USAF serial numbers for record-keeping purposes, and carry a three-digit PAF serial number on their noses; the F-16A's being assigned numbers in sequence beginning with 701, and the F-16B's being assigned numbers beginning with 601. The two digit prefix preceding these numbers is the year of delivery of these aircraft. The PAF Falcons have a slightly altered color scheme, with the dark gray area covering most of the wings and the aft part of the horizontal tailplanes and carry toned-down markings: the national flag (normally a white moon and star on green field) on the tail and roundels on the upper wing surface.

These F-16A/Bs were commissioned into PAF's No. 9 "Griffins" No.11 "Arrows" Sqdns.

Seven years after the first order, in December of 1988, Pakistan ordered 11 additional F-16A/B Block 15 OCU (Operational Capability Upgrade) aircraft (6 Alpha and 5 Bravo models) under the Peace Gate III program. These aircraft were purchased as attrition replacements and fully paid for, but are still awaiting delivery in the Arizona Desert. The reason for this is that Pakistan got involved in a controversy with the United States over its suspected nuclear weapons capability. Intelligence information reaching US authorities indicated that Pakistan was actively working on a nuclear bomb, had received a design for a bomb from China, had tested a nuclear trigger and was actively producing weapons-grade uranium. Furthermore, the F-16A's of no 9 and 11 squadrons at Sargodha AB have allegedly been modified to carry and deliver a Pakistani nuclear weapon. In addition, Pakistan has steadfastly refused to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

As a result, in accordance to the Pressler amendment to the Foreign Assistance Act, which forbids military aid to any nation possessing a nuclear explosive device, the United States government announced on October 6th, 1990 that it had embargoed further arms deliveries to Pakistan. The 11 Peace Gate III aircraft were consequently stored at AMARC (Aircraft Maintenance and Regeneration Center) at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, also known as the Boneyard. There, they were put in 'Flyable Hold' for 5 years, during which time 85% of each aircraft's fuel system was preserved with JP-9, and each aircraft had its engine run once every 45 days. This resulted in the curious situation that most of those aircraft now have more engine run time than air time, the latter being only 6 hours.

These F-16s were offered to different countries but none of the deals went through and these F-16s eventually were flown by US Navy's Fighters weapons school as the F-16N variant.

Enter the F-16C Block 52
On March 25th, 2005, the US Government announced that it had agreed to Pakistan's request to sell new F-16s. Initially, Pakistan has requested an additional 24 new Block 50/52 F-16C/Ds (with option for as much as 55 aircraft).

Finally, after long series of negotiations, on September 30th, 2006 the contract was signed between the Pakistani and US government for the acquisition of 18 new F-16C/D block 52 aircraft and an option for another 18 more.

These 12 F-16Cs were assigned the serial numbers 10901-10912 & six twin seat F-16Ds were assigned the serial numbers 10801-10806. All these Block 52 F-16C/Ds were commissioned into PAF's No.5 Sqdn "Falcons"

This order was granted and given a new FMS name at Pakistan's request. Albeit it already had the Peace Gate program, the PAF decided to choose another name since Peace Gate had too much negative commotion since the embargo of the last batch of aircraft. All PAF F-16s delivered earlier were also to be upgraded to F-16 ADF standards that gave them AMRAAM & other precision munition firing capability.

In 2013, Pakistan also bought a few second hand Block 20 F-16A/Bs from Jordan.

The Model
On November 20, 2010 Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 52+ 07-0004 MSN JE-4(PAF Serial Tail no. 10904) was one of six F-16C Block 52+ delivered to Pakistan Air Force No. 5 Squadron “Falcons”. In total, the Pakistan Air Force received twelve C variants and six D variants of the F-16 between June 2010 and February 2012.

The model comes with armament of 2 X AIM-20 AMRAAMs, 2 X AIM-9 Sidewinders, 3 X F-16 Fuel tanks , Sniper Targeting Pod and an interchangeable load of 4 X GBU-12 Paveways( 2 each on MERs) and 2 X AGM-65 Mavericks. On the model, the Conformal Fuel Tanks (CFTs) are fixed and cannot be removed.





































a Hawk & a Falcon






















PAF F-16C Block 52 Tail No. 10904

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by skanchan95

1:72 Lockheed F-16C Block 52 10904, No.5 Sqdn “Falcons”, Pakistan Air Force, Shahbaz AB 2017 (Hobbymaster)

A model that was on my wishlist for a long time- a PAF F-16. I always felt that the PAF's two tone grey scheme looks very elegant on the F-16.

Sandesh, you are a true connoisseur of scale models. It takes a special love for this hobby to invest in a truly iconic aircraft but from the other side. I will admit with candour I have not evolved to that point yet. :-) Thank you for the research and effort put in to explain the whole F-16 story of the PAF. In the early 1980s it generated a lot of emotion in the Indian press. More than was warranted IMHO. And journalists would write about how it could bomb Calcutta! and fly undetected by radar and the magic of fly-by-wire. But that is how journalists are. Till the Su-27 came to India 17 years later it did remain the most potent fighter in the sub-continent. The real danger was in their ability to be re-configured to carry nuclear weapons and by circa 1988 the Pakistanis without doubt were a nuclear equipped nation.

All said a great aircraft, one of the all time classics like the MiG-21 or the F-4 and a machine that will serve on till 2050 and longer.

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by skanchan95

1:72 Lockheed F-16C Block 52 10904, No.5 Sqdn “Falcons”, Pakistan Air Force, Shahbaz AB 2017 (Hobbymaster)

Great model But I somehow feel the same as Narayan does on this one

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

It takes a special love for this hobby to invest in a truly iconic aircraft but from the other side. I will admit with candour I have not evolved to that point yet. :-)

Regarding the PAF F-16 fleet, I find this fact to be amazing :

The PAF and their F-16 fleet size is a black box which they only know of. How many planes are currently operational how many are lost in accidents is a mystery.

Between the 8 year period between 1986 to 1994 the PAF lost 8 F-16s in "accidents". This includes one which might have been shot down by a Russian Mig-23 but is counted as a own goal by another F-16.

For 15 years between 1994 to 2009 the PAF lost only 1 F-16 in an accident.

For the next 10 years between 2009 and 2019 not a single one was lost.

Interesting point to note during the 1980s-90s the PAF only had 34-45 F-16s and the maximum attrition rate along with a full supply of spares and support from the US.

When the numbers went by to 70+ the attrition rate became nearly zero and during this period it was under sanctions and spare part supplies were stopped. So 1 lost in 25 years with 70+ operational and 8 lost in 8 years with average of 40 operational.
Source:http://www.f-16.net/aircraft-databas.../airforce/PAF/

The average annual attrition for the worldwide F-16 fleet is 0.33% for the PAF its claimed to be less than 0.05%. Despite having extended periods of no access to spare parts and heavy usage their attrition rate is 1/7th of F-16s users like the USAF, Israel, Norway ! The earlier Block 10/15 models which make up more than 50% of the PAFs fleet have even higher average annual attrition numbers in western nations!

Source: http://www.f-16.net/fleet-reports_article5.html

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by Foxbat

Great model But I somehow feel the same as Narayan does on this one

Just to clarify so that there is no misunderstanding. I admire Sandesh's pluralistic and liberal approach where he pursues his hobby without letting the anger of geo-politics to get in the way. It is a great attribute to have. I regret that in this respect I am short. And needless to say this HM model has a superb finish.

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Just to clarify so that there is no misunderstanding. I admire Sandesh's pluralistic and liberal approach where he pursues his hobby without letting the anger of geo-politics to get in the way. It is a great attribute to have. I regret that in this respect I am short. And needless to say this HM model has a superb finish.

Thanks Narayan, but we are still waiting for the Mig-29 and Su-24 and one Indian model pics
BTW you missed my "Toofani" above!

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by Foxbat

The Dassault M.D.450 Ouragan (French: Hurricane) is a French fighter-bomber developed and produced by Dassault Aviation.

OMG. How did I miss this. A IAF Toofani!!!! Foxbat, where did you get this from? A true blue desi machine. I see you have painted it yourself. Great work, your hand is improving at the paint work with each successive model. The Toofani was the first in a long line of excellent French machines we bought or built - Toofani, Mystere IV, Alize, Alouette III, Cheetah, Mirage 2000, Rafale. The decision, 70 years ago, to diversify is holding good for us today.

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

OMG. How did I miss this. A IAF Toofani!!!! Foxbat, where did you get this from? A true blue desi machine. I see you have painted it yourself. Great work, your hand is improving at the paint work with each successive model. The Toofani was the first in a long line of excellent French machines we bought or built - Toofani, Mystere IV, Alize, Alouette III, Cheetah, Mirage 2000, Rafale. The decision, 70 years ago, to diversify is holding good for us today.

This is a plastic kit from a French (who else? ) company called Heller and it was released in 1981! I think in 2013 it was manufactured again with Indian Air Force markings and I managed to find an unsold example on an online shop in the UK.



Yes my painting skills are improving especially the weathering effects, a few days back I managed to weather my previously shiny IAF Mig-21Bis.