[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Supermarine Spitfire :: RAF, Fighter, World War -II :: JC Wings 1:72, diecast metal

Last photo showing the 4 aircraft that fought over England and Western Europe in 1939 to 1942, the Fw190 coming only in 1941.

Great collection from the Western Front of the WWII Air war. I'm confused which is my favourite the BF-109 or Fw190

Originally Posted by skanchan95

1:72 Grumman F-14B Tomcat BuNo. 163227, AG200, VF-11 "Red Rippers", USS George Washington (CVN-73) [Red Rippers Last Flight with the Tomcat] - (Easy Model)

The F-14 fleet grows rapidly I guess a new photo shoot is due of the 1:72 collection. Maybe you should go for a custom 1:48 model? I made one as a child and it was huge.

Not sure how but I ended up living in an apartment with a view of a F-14 on an aircraft carrier it never flew from(and much more rarer A-12).

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by Foxbat

Great collection from the Western Front of the WWII Air war. I'm confused which is my favourite the BF-109 or Fw190

In terms of sheer design thoughtfulness I'd go with the Fw190. In terms of the number of top aces that flew it there is nothing to beat the Bf109.

Not sure how but I ended up living in an apartment with a view of a F-14 on an aircraft carrier it never flew from(and much more rarer A-12).

Looks like a museum ship now. NYC? or SFO? Amongst others I can see a Grumman Panther (Korean war) and Mirage III I think.

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by Foxbat

The F-14 fleet grows rapidly I guess a new photo shoot is due of the 1:72 collection.

Soon. Hopefully. But before that, photoshoot of one more Tomcat and a Hornet from Down Under are pending.

Originally Posted by Foxbat

Not sure how but I ended up living in an apartment with a view of a F-14 on an aircraft carrier it never flew from(and much more rarer A-12).

Where is this? Did you ever visit the museum? That Tomcat is most certainly an F-14D ( in Super Tomcat Prototype livery). The others I could identify were A-6F( Prototype Livery), SR-71, F-16, Kfir, E-1 Tracer, F11 Tiger , , Harrier and F4D Skyray. The others are beyond my aircraft identification skills.

A USN/USMC F-4 too.

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Looks like a museum ship now. NYC? or SFO? Amongst others I can see a Grumman Panther (Korean war) and Mirage III I think.

Originally Posted by skanchan95

Where is this? Did you ever visit the museum? That Tomcat is most certainly an F-14D ( in Super Tomcat Prototype livery). The others I could identify were A-6F( Prototype Livery), SR-71, F-16, Kfir, E-1 Tracer, F11 Tiger , , Harrier and F4D Skyray. The others are beyond my aircraft identification skills.

A USN/USMC F-4 too.

It's the USS Intrepid (CV/CVA/CVS-11), also known as The Fighting "I", is one of 24 Essex-class aircraft carriers built during World War II for the United States Navy. She was in service from 1943 to 1974. The was ship was converted into a museum in 1982 and is docked in NYC.

More Information here: https://www.intrepidmuseum.org/The-I...ience/Exhibits

As a child I asked my dad to bring me there many times but we never went so when I visited again after almost two decades in 2014 this was one of my firsts stops.

Apart from the ship it self there is a Concorde, submarine and Space Shuttle on the deck of the ship (under the white enclosure).



List of aircraft onboard: https://www.intrepidmuseum.org/AircraftCollection

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by skanchan95

1:48 Bell AH-1W Super Cobra - HMLA 167 "Warriors", United States Marine Corps, BuNo. 160820, 9/11 tribute markings, Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, Dec 2012 (Forces of Valor)

The model
It's a beautiful model with insane amounts of detailing & wear & tear, as is evident from the photos.

Engine Doors open to reveal intricate detailing on the "engines"

The Countermeasures dispenser above the stubby wings

A great addition to your fleet and to this thread. What an evolution this machine went through from being a single engine utility transport to a single engine attack helicopter to a twin engine attack helicopter. In 1967 when the first AH-1 flew it set the design parameters for attack helicopters for two generations - tandem seating + chin gatling gun + wing stubs for rockets and guided missiles. Your photos as always are outstanding and worth being jealous over.

Originally Posted by skanchan95

1:72 Grumman F-14B Tomcat BuNo. 163227, AG200, VF-11 "Red Rippers", USS George Washington (CVN-73) [Red Rippers Last Flight with the Tomcat] - (Easy Model)

It is reported you have more Tomcats than the USS Enterprise had at her peak!!!!.

Originally Posted by Foxbat

It's the USS Intrepid (CV/CVA/CVS-11), also known as The Fighting "I", is one of 24 Essex-class aircraft carriers built during World War II for the United States Navy. She was in service from 1943 to 1974. The was ship was converted into a museum in 1982 and is docked in NYC.
As a child I asked my dad to bring me there many times but we never went so when I visited again after almost two decades in 2014 this was one of my firsts stops.
Apart from the ship it self there is a Concorde, submarine and Space Shuttle on the deck of the ship (under the white enclosure).

That is a large museum! With a submarine and Concorde to add flavour. Glad you fulfilled your child hood dream.

[V.Narayan]

Sukhoi Su-7 BMK :: IAF, fighter bomber, 1971 War :: 1:72, plastic, assembled. Brand Modelsvit.
The model has a wingspan of 5 inches and length of 9 inches. Modelsvit is a Ukrainian brand that specialized in Soviet aircraft. Now shut down.

Customized model to reflect the damage to Wing Commander H.S. Manget’s Su-7 that got hit by a Sidewinder in December 1971, lost a part of the tail fin, damage to the tail planes and returned to base with half the Sidewinder jammed into the braking chute bay. A short video shows this aircraft’s tail section at the IAF Museum.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE3N6Go29c8

Manget was the CO of 32 Squadron which was at the fore front of army ground support and received the Maha Vir Chakra for his services in 1971. He later rose to be an Air Commodore. Manget is now 90 years old.

The Su-7 BMK is India’s unsung hero. In 1971 it flew ~2800 sorties and carried the load of daytime attack missions on the West Pakistan front. The aircraft’s short range had received much criticism within the IAF and of course in Western military press. In war it proved to be a survivor and capable of up to 6 sorties per day on a sustained basis. While a gas guzzler it had what it takes where it mattered.

Powered by the Lyulka AL-7F reheat turbojet developing 6800 kgf dry and a (for that era) a significant 9600 kgf with reheat. When this engine entered service with the Soviet Frontal Aviation in 1959 this was the most powerful single engine fighter in squadron service in the world. Many IAF pilots simply outran the Pakistani Sabre jets when returning back from a ground attack sortie. The Su-7 in clean configuration could outpace a MiG-21 at low altitudes!

Despite its size and very useful ruggedness it had a small fuel fraction which meant it could carry either just enough fuel or some munitions and less than enough fuel. This limited its attack radius to 100 to 150 kms inside enemy territory. This served the IAF well as that was the strip that needed attention to support the Army and cut the lines of supply. Typical payload was 2 to 4 UV-57-16 or UV-57-32 rocket pods and two under fuselage tanks.

The versatility of this design was seen when the same aircraft & wing was redesigned to a swing wing configuration to create the Su-17/19/22 series of ground attack aircraft.

Wing area: 370 sq feet Wingspan: 30 feet 1 inch Length: 55 feet 7 inches

Weight empty: ~9000 kgs MTOW: ~15,200 kgs

Powerplant: Lyulka Al-7F-1; 9600 kgf with reheat; 6800 kgf dry

Top speed: Mach 1.74 at altitude Ferry range: 1650 kms Climb: 31,000 feet/ minute

Armament: 6 pylons for 2000 kgs of stores. Two under fuselage pylons were always carrying tanks thus limiting the wing pylons to a 1000 kgs payload. Typical warload was iron bombs, 57mm rockets and the powerful S-24 bunker busting rockets. 2 x 30mm NR-30 cannons

This masterpiece has been painstakingly assembled, modified and painted by our own Team BHPian, Basu Roy. My thanks to him for helping me get this curated piece.

Photo of Wing Commander HS Manget and the tail of his aircraft at the IAF museum, Palam, New Delhi

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Sukhoi Su-7 BMK :: IAF, fighter bomber, 1971 War :: 1:72, plastic, assembled. Brand Modelsvit.

This is one outstanding model and great work by Basu too. Love the little stand as well. Congratulations!!!

Love the way he modelled the damage on the airframe, which is exactly as described in the book by the late Pushpindar Singh in his book "History on the IAF" on Wg Cdr Mangat's mission:


Wg Cdr Pritam "Pat" Singh's using his Rockets in air to air role that day is described in detail here

Instinctively Pat ducked and pitched his aircraft down just in time to see a missile streak over him and hit his leader- Mangat. He remembers seeing his leader’s aircraft disappear in a ball of fire and then miraculously reappear trailing smoke from a burning tail parachute. Simultaneously he heard someone ordering a “hard left” but he had already broken right and into the threat that had appeared from the right.

The Su-7 was one tough aircraft, capable of taking a lot of punishment! Not many jets could have survived a hit like that.

The Su-7 may never been acquired had the HF-24 succeeded


The Su-7 led the IAF's charge into Pakistan even flying missions in night that had left the American advisors in Pakistan dumbfounded. An IAF Su-7 even had a confirmed air -to-air kill to it's credit( probably the only one ever by an Su-7 too). Wg Cdr M S "Mad Mally" Malhotra, on a PR mission, managed to shoot down an intercepting PAF F-6 more than 100 kms inside Pakistani airspace.

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Sukhoi Su-7 BMK :: IAF, fighter bomber, 1971 War :: 1:72, plastic, assembled. Brand Modelsvit.
The model has a wingspan of 5 inches and length of 9 inches. Modelsvit is a Ukrainian brand that specialized in Soviet aircraft. Now shut down.

Customized model to reflect the damage to Wing Commander H.S. Manget’s Su-7 that got hit by a Sidewinder in December 1971, lost a part of the tail fin, damage to the tail planes and returned to base with half the Sidewinder jammed into the braking chute bay. A short video shows this aircraft’s tail section at the IAF Museum.

Marvellous addition to your collection Definitely one of the best works by Basuroy. The battle damage is so realistic and very hard to make as its mostly hit and trial work.

I was looking to buy this kit but had to drop the idea as I was relocating. It looks best in black shark mouth colours in my opinion.

When I relocated to Delhi last year one of the first stops was the IAF museum in Palam (my 3rd visit). Here is a complete Su-7 on display, its much bigger than the Mig-21 although it looks similar. I wonder why they preserved just the tail and not the whole aircraft. Also they keep painting the aircraft in non-standard colours probably to save costs but its really takes away from the authenticity of the display.

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by Foxbat

I wonder why they preserved just the tail and not the whole aircraft.

This probably is a mystery if you dig deeper. Wg Cdr Mangat's Su-7 whose damaged Tail is on displayed at Palam bore the Tail No. B858.


Now, as per BR database, Su-7 Tail no. B858 is listed as lost in an air crash on 23/10/1980!

Aircraft Type: Sukhoi-7
Date of Crash : 23 Oct 80
Serial Number : B-858
Unit : 221 Sqn
Pilot details: Sqn Ldr Kariyadil Cheriyan Kuruvilla.

What are the chances that the tail section of Wg Cdr Mangat's damaged B858 was preserved and replaced with a new tail section because as per the data base, B 858 continued to fly for nine years after Wg Cdr Mangat flew it on that mission.

As for the pilot who was flying B858 when it crashed on 1980 while it was on strength with No. 221 Sqdn - Sqn Ldr K C Kuruvillla (Later Air Commodore), in 1971, was a young Flying Officer in the IAF’s No. 222 Squadron, flying Sukhoi Su-7s. While on a CAS mission, his Su-7 on was hit and he became a PoW.

Originally Posted by Foxbat

Also they keep painting the aircraft in non-standard colours probably to save costs but its really takes away from the authenticity of the display.

If you are referring to the Su-7 in tan/brown paint scheme, it was one of the many ad-hoc paint schemes applied on the Su-7(and MiG-21s) during the 1971 war.



In fact, I had painted this "skin"(as it is called in flight sim lingo) for a PC flight sim Su-7, years ago.

[V.Narayan]

Shinmaywa US-2 Amphibious aircraft :: Air-Sea Rescue, Patrol aircraft :: Aoshima make, plastic, Scale 1:144

A good looking model with a reasonable level of detail but not in the detailing class of a HobbyMaster. Details over engines and landing gear quite good.

Unique in the world’s aircrafts today is this large 4 engine amphibian machine – the US-2. Along with its predecessor the US-1 these large flying boats have served Japan’s Coastguard & rescue services for almost 5 decades. It is used as a air-sea rescue aircraft over the vast reaches of the western Pacific and as a long range patrol aircraft by the large well equipped Japanese Coastguard.

With a length and wing span of ~109 feet it is roughly the size of a Boeing 737-700NG. Powered by 4 Rolls Royce Allison AE2000J turboprops rated at ~4500 shp each mounted on the shoulder wings and a 1300 shp boundary layer gas compressor turboshaft fitted inside the fuselage. The boundary layer flow system comprises of many tiny apertures across the wing through which compressed gas is blown. Long story short it lowers the take-off speed dramatically and aids low and slow flying so much necessary in a patrol aircraft. The hull is designed to lift the nose above the water during take off at lower speeds than the nose would lift by aerodynamic lift. This lowers the drag of the hull across the water and provides the right angle of attack to help lift off. This gives it a remarkable short take off run of 280 metres when operating over water. The hull enables it to land and take off with wave heights of up to 3 metres. At 90 kmph its stall speed must be the lowest for any large 4- engine aircraft built in the last 75 years.

Wing span: ~109 feet Wing Area: 1462 sq feet Length: ~109 feet

MTOW: ~55,700 kgs Capacity: 20 pax or 12 stretchers

Speed: 560 kmph Range: 4700 kms with reserves

This model has been assembled and painted by member Basu Roy. Another wonderful piece of work by a fellow Team BHPian and a great addition to my collection. I have a soft spot for Japanese aircraft :-)

[V.Narayan]

I am a swing wing design
My name put fear in the hearts of NATO in the 1980s
I am a dedicated lo-lo-lo attack aircraft.

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

I am a swing wing design
My name put fear in the hearts of NATO in the 1980s
I am a dedicated lo-lo-lo attack aircraft.

MiG-27?

1:72 Grumman F-14A Tomcat 3-6079 (160377), 82nd TFS, IRIAF, TFB.8 [Esfahãn Air base, Iran] (Calibre Wings)

F-14A 3-6079 was the last of 79 F-14As delivered to the IIAF(Imperial Iranian Air Force). The last F-14A that was mean to be delivered (3-6080) was never delivered by the US because of the Islamic revolution in Iran, which resulted in detention/execution of many IIAF pilots, RIOs/WSOs and technicians who were considered loyal to the Shah of Iran. The IIAF was re-named as the IRIAF (Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force).

When Iraq invaded Iran in 1980, the IRIAF did not have enough pilots, RIOs, WSOs and technicians to fight the war. The new regime did not have any choice but to free the jailed crew after a brief "re-education" camp. Almost all of them, seeing their country in danger, flew for the same people who had threatened to execute them. Thus began the saga of the F-14 in Iran, which continues till date.

Against this onslaught from a numerically superior enemy, the "new" IRIAF found itself with a rapidly-declining stockpile of weaponry and spare parts. The IRIAF’s force of American-built F-4s, F-5Es and F-14s was pitted against Iraq’s Soviet MiG-21, 23 and 25s and French Mirage F1s. The MiG-25 was the fastest fighter in the world, and was manned by Iraq’s elite fighter pilots- and was a daunting opponent. In the attack role, Iraq had the Super Etendard (armed with the AM39 Exocet) and the rugged Su-20 and 22s. Lack of US support meant the Air Force suffered. Many F-14s were cannibalized to keep the few flyable F-14s operational. Many F-14s were forced to fly armed with sidewinders and guns only and had relied on GCI for intercepts. Nevertheless, inspite of the problems, Iran's F-14s did a fabulous job of protecting Iran's skies. Inspite of being arch -enemies after the Iranian revolution under the Ayatollah, Iran did receive F-4 spare parts and weapons from Israel. F-14 and other aircraft spare parts and possibly weapons were received from the US through other sources.

The first confirmed kill by an IRIAF F-14A during the Iran–Iraq War occurred before the formal start of hostilities: on 7 September 1980, an IRIAF F-14A destroyed an Iraqi Mi-25 Hind helicopter using its internal 20mm Vulcan cannon. Six days later, Major Mohammad-Reza Attaie shot down an Iraqi MiG-21 with an AIM-54 Phoenix while flying a border patrol( the world's first AIM-54 kill). A single AIM-54 fired in July 1982 by Captain Hashemi may have destroyed two Iraqi MiG-23s flying in close formation. The use of AIM-54s was only sporadic during the start of the war, most likely because of a shortage of qualified radar intercept officers, and then more frequently in 1981 and 1982—until the lack of thermal batteries suspended the missiles’ use in 1986.There were also rumours that suggested that Iran’s Tomcat fleet would be upgraded with avionics derived from the MiG-31 “Foxhound”. However, IRIAF officials and pilots insist that the Soviets were never allowed near the F-14s, and never received any F-14 or AIM-54 technology. Also, the AIM-54 missile was never out of service in the IRIAF, though the stocks of operational missiles were low at times. Clandestine deliveries from US sources and black market purchases supplied spares to top up the Phoenix reserves during the war, and spares deliveries from the USA in the 1990s have also helped. Furthermore, an attempt was made to adapt the MIM-23 Hawk surface-to-air missiles that were also a carry-over from the pre-revolution period, to be used as air-to-air missiles for the F-14; at least two F-14s have been successfully modified to carry the hybrid weaponry.

All in all, the IRIAF was said to have launched possibly 70 to 90 AIM-54A missiles, and 60–70 of those scored. Of those, almost 90 percent of the AIM-54A missiles fired were used against Iraqi fighters and fighter-bombers. Only about a dozen victories by AIM-54s were claimed to be against fast, high-flying targets such as the MiG-25 or Tu-22 ‘Blinder’.

One IRIAF pilot distinguished himself in combat by becoming the all-time top scoring F-14 ace. Major Jalil Zandi is credited with shooting down eight Iraqi aircraft. He is additionally credited with three probable kills, bringing his total to 11 air victories. These include four MiG-23s, two Su-22s, two MiG-21 and three Mirage F1s. He is the most successful F-14 Tomcat pilot worldwide.

F-14A 3-6079

F-14A S/N 3-6079 was one of the most successful Tomcats in Iranian service. It was used for downing of one Iraqi MiG-21 and a MiG-23 early in the war. On 9 February 1988, it was used by 1st Lt. Qiyassi & his RIO for downing three Iraqi Mirage F.1EQs during two subsequent engagements within two hours.








No. 199 of 1000 manufactured










Note how the IRIAF F-14As just have the ALQ-100 antenna on the chin unlike US Navy F-14As that had IR seeker or TCS camera on the chin(TCS Cameras were supposed to a part of the IIAF F-14A and were to be delivered later)

[skanchan95]

The Alicats(as Iranian Tomcats were called) in my collection

1:72 JC Wings F-14A 3-6024 & Calibre Wings F-14A 3-6079
















With their smaller 1:200 equivalents














Tomcat Alley

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by skanchan95

MiG-27?

Close but not quite.:-)

1:72 Grumman F-14A Tomcat 3-6079 (160377), 82nd TFS, IRIAF, TFB.8 [Esfahãn Air base, Iran] (Calibre Wings)

F-14A 3-6079 was the last of 79 F-14As delivered to the IIAF(Imperial Iranian Air Force).... Inspite of being arch -enemies after the Iranian revolution under the Ayatollah, Iran did receive F-4 spare parts and weapons from Israel. F-14 and other aircraft spare parts and possibly weapons were received from the US through other sources.

politics makes strange bedfellows!

One IRIAF pilot distinguished himself in combat by becoming the all-time top scoring F-14 ace. Major Jalil Zandi is credited with shooting down eight Iraqi aircraft. He is additionally credited with three probable kills, bringing his total to 11 air victories. These include four MiG-23s, two Su-22s, two MiG-21 and three Mirage F1s. He is the most successful F-14 Tomcat pilot worldwide.

Could he be the most successful fighter pilot in the world, since the end of WW-II, outside the Korean & Vietnam wars.

Sandesh, a fantastically well appointed scale model. Calibre have a higher standard IMHO than even HobbyMaster which itself is excellent. In comparison Corgi is an afterthought. Congratulations on this addition. You probably have one of the world's largest and most diverse Tomcat collections. What is the scale size of your smaller Tomcat models? - is it 1:144.

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Close but not quite.:-)

Su-24?

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Could he be the most successful fighter pilot in the world, since the end of WW-II, outside the Korean & Vietnam wars.

That honour belongs to Israeli Air Force Ace Brig. Gen. Giora "Hawkeye" Epstein. He had 17 confirmed air to air kills flying Mirage IIICJs and Neshers against Egyptian & Syrian Jets - the highest scoring modern jet ace. The accounts of his air to air kills are fascinating to read, as described in his autobiography.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Sandesh, a fantastically well appointed scale model. Calibre have a higher standard IMHO than even HobbyMaster which itself is excellent. In comparison Corgi is an afterthought. Congratulations on this addition. You probably have one of the world's largest and most diverse Tomcat collections. What is the scale size of your smaller Tomcat models? - is it 1:144.

Thank you Sir. Yeah, Calibre is the best and none of the other brand F-14s even come close.

The smaller scale Tomcats are in 1/200 scale(Hogan Wings)