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1:200 Airbus A320neo(320-251N) Air India VT-EXK(JC Wings)
VT-EXK is one of the 27 Airbus A320-251neos currently active with Air India. It was leased from Kuwaiti aircraft leasing firm- ALAFCO (Aviation Lease and Finance Company)

Registration: VT-EXK
Manufacturer's Serial number: 7930
Type: 320-251N
First flight date: 11/12/2017
Delivery Date: 22/12/2017
Plane age: 5.9 years
Engines: 2 x CFMI LEAP-1A26
Status: Active

The two 1:200 metal A320s in my collection
Indian Airlines A320-231 VT-EYL & AIr India A320-251N VT-EXK




















With the Aeroclassics 1:400 Air India A320neo VT-EXF

These have been in the family for nearly 35 years. As kid in the late 1980s, I remember dad had bought these two wooden, hand-made boat models when we had been to Mangalore on vacations. For our journey back home to Veraval, Gujarat, these was packed securely in separate wooden crates. The Scale of these, I don't know.

There used to be great detailing on these with sails on the dhow, fishing net & deck steering wheel on the Fishing Trawler. There was a cargo deck cover on the trawler also that I remember fooling around with as a kid. There were moveable rudders on both of them and the fans used to spin too. Over time, some parts got lost partly because of our neglect. They are clearly not in great shape and someday I hope to have it restored fully.

Fishing Trawler













Dhow

These are masterful hand crafted pieces. They deserve to be restored and placed in a glass cabinet. Best of luck with the exercise.

You are quite the collector of Air India A320s!! Competing with your F-14 Tomcat collection:-)

Congratulations on your ever growing collection.

Thank you Sir.

Air India / Indian Airlines A320 Family Fleet
A319 is obviously missing because no manufacturer made an AI/IC A319 in 1:200 scale














Air India Narrowbody family

With your passion you have collected all three livery formats used by Indian Airlines and then Air India on their jet fleets. Congratulations. I liked the 'Indian' format the best and find the current Air India livery the worst. The Air India Express on the other hand is chic. There used to be an even older livery in the prop days as shown below. With the advent of the Caravelle's or just before that the orange and white combination was introduced.

Gems from your childhood! I would recommend cleaning them thoroughly with some mild detergent and letting them dry in the sun. Then get a spray can of clear coat spray and add a few light coats to protect the wood and get a gloss finish. You check many videos on YouTube how to spray paint from a can on small objects.

In anticipation of the movie- Pippa that is going to premier on Amazon Prime tomorrow(November 10). The movie is apparently based on the Battle of Garibpur, as seen through the eyes of then Captain Balram Singh Mehta of C squadron, 45 Cavalry equipped with PT-76 light amphibious tanks. The film's title highlights the Soviet built amphibious tank - the PT-76, used in this battle and named "Pippa" in Punjabi slang - akin to an empty tin of ghee that smoothly floated on water.

I have read the book "The Burning Chaffees" by Brigadier Balram Singh Mehta and the movie is based on his book as well.

Battle of Garibpur, as many would be aware, happened just weeks before the official start of the 1971 Indo-Pak war between the Indian and Pakistani Armies in late November 1971. It resulted in a decisive Indian victory where where an Indian Army Infantry Battalion supported by 14 PT-76s was able to maul a much larger brigade-strength unit of Pakistani armor and inflict heavy casualties. During the battle, 8 Pakistani M24 Chaffee tanks were destroyed, 3 captured at the cost of 2 PT-76s. The battle also later resulted in IAF Gnats mauling PAF F-86s that were called up to provide air support to Pakistani ground forces.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAp-9i4mFBQ

clap:
Thank you for sharing this story from our recent history. I am embarrassed to say I am learning of it for the first time. Thank you Sandesh. The air battle over Boyra where Gnats shot down 2 Sabres & damaged 1 is well known and was much written about in the papers at the time {read with glee by me!}. It is so heartening to see we are making realistic war movies now based on our history. A far cry from the few Bollywood ones that came in 1972.

Yes Sir, very little is known about the events preceding that air encounter and much was written about the Battle of Boyra(the clash between the PAF F-86s and IAF Gnats), but not the ground battle(Battle of Garibpur) that led to that clash.

As you rightly said, it is indeed heartening to see that realistic war movies are now being made by our film industry. The last two historically accurate war movies I saw were "Midway"(Battle of Midway)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9laReRAYFk

and "Devotion"( a movie about the life of Ens Jesse Brown and F4U Corsairs in the Korean War),
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCDEGP6VjYY

both on Amazon Prime and I do hope Pippa matches both those movies.

1:72 Grumman F-14A Tomcat Bu no. 160665 VF-1 Maverick/Goose( Fictional - Top Gun) [Calibre Wings]

The third Top Gun F-14 in my collection depicting the ill-fated F-14 flown by Lt Pete "Maverick" Mitchell & Lt(JG) Nick "Goose" Bradshaw in the movie Top Gun.

This F-14 is lost in the movie when Maverick inadvertently flies into the jetwash of Iceman's F-14 while chasing an adversary A-4, leading to a dual engine flameout and an irrecoverable flat spin. Due to an ejection seat/canopy malfunction, Goose gets ejected into the semi-open canopy while Maverick is ejected clear. The impact of hitting the canopy likely causes Goose's immediate death, as Goose was left to parachute down into the ocean below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJWrHqW2O9g










































Maverick & Goose's pilot figures are detailed with open visors.

Rivals
Rivals who fight for the Top Gun trophy and become great friends by the movie - a beautiful story of friendship that continues in Top Gun: Maverick.
















Top Gun Tomcats
Maverick/Goose
Maverick/Merlin
Iceam/Slider

Another brilliant addition Sandesh.:thumbs up That is one long line up of Tomcats you have and this one by Calibre seems to be the most detailed.

Airborne






















An F-14A painted in Maverick/Goose markings on the USS Lexington museum


Thank you sir. Calibre's Tomcats surely are the most detailed among all of them. Eventhough all the three Top Gun Tomcats are fictional, Calibre went out of their way to make them as close to ones seen in the movie.

The next one is associated with "Music" that when played can render you BLIND!!! Any guesses?

The "Blinder" Soviet aircraft - Tu-22 or Tu-22M??