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Great writeup and narration and an interesting addition to you tank collection :thumbs up

35 years later its interesting to see how the tables have turned in the T-72 vs M1A1 Abrams rivalry. We have the latest T-72 variant the T-72B3 going against an old version of the Abrams. Also an important fact to consider is the T-72 is a "Medium" tank with a weight of 41-44 tons while the Abrams is a heavy tank with a weight of 60-73 tons.


The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced that the T-72B3 tank destroyed one of the American-supplied M1 Abrams in Ukraine. According to the Russian ministry spokesman, this happened “with the first shot” fired by the T-72B3 in the skirmish.

Tank on Tank Duel: Russian Army T-72B3 ‘One Shot Kills’ New Ukrainian M1 Abrams

Source:https://militarywatchmagazine.com/ar...abrams-ukraine

‘Upgraded’ T-72B3 destroyed the M1 Abrams with its first shot

Source: https://bulgarianmilitary.com/2024/0...ts-first-shot/

The foursome is awesome!!:thumbs up clap:

Hello everyone, this is my first post on this thread.
Please forgive any of my errors henceforth.
I had been a silent reader of this post for several months, just happy in the fact that there are die cast metal-heads like me, who love to collect models of beautiful aircraft and other military equipment, to admire the craftsmanship at a smaller scale. Me and my brother were voracious car and airplane model collectors, who were also blessed with generous parents who didn’t say no to our sometimes outrageous demands! Over the years we managed to collect around 100-150 automobile models in total, and also 10-20 airplane models.
As we grew older, we gave some of the models away, and in that process, I had thought I had lost my airplane models forever. Reading this thread gave me a semblance of having those models again, and also gave me advice on from where to restart my collecting hobby again, once I started earning well and had settled down.
Today, while searching my cupboard for things to throw away, I found an old box containing most of my airplane models! I was overjoyed, for I had thought they had been guven away. My first thought was to make a post here, as now I have finally something to add on here. And so it goes:

F-14 Tomcat, by Maisto
The F-14 Tomcat is a two-seat, supersonic, carrier-borne interceptor 4th generation fighter, operated by the United States Navy (USN) and the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF). A lot has already been disseminated on the Tomcat on this forum by more knowledgeable members, so I’ll stick to my model.
It is a 1:87 scale die cast model, made by Maisto. The canopy is clear plastic, as are the vertical stabilisers and the AIM-54 Phoenix missiles, but the rest is metal. It is pretty detailed for a cheap toy, but the swing wings are fixed in a mid-sweep position. It has the insignia of the VFA-103 “Jolly Rogers” strike fighter squadron on the vertical stabilisers , which operated this aircraft from 1983 to 2004. It contains 4 AIM-54 Phoenix BVR missiles on the underbody hardpoints, these are fixed to the aircraft. The model is pretty well proportioned for a 1:87 scale model.
The decals are somewhat faded due to age,the canopy glass has a crack, and i have lost its stand somewhere in all these years, thus the aircraft pictures are from my lintel.
The F-14 has always remained a favourite of mine, as I was first introduced to this jet while watching Top Gun with my mother and brother at our house about 10-12 years back. The memories of those times are still fresh with me. The fact that this plane could go close to Mach 2.5, and had missiles capable of downing the big interceptors of the VVS , that is the MiG-25s , made it a lone American favourite in the mind of a boy in love with Soviet jets. I hope that in the future, I can buy a few more models to give this one company. I hope all of you will enjoy this little read.

Welcome to the thread and thank you for the post. Good to see another Tomcat fan:)

It is somewhere between 1/100 & 1/144 scale. 1:87 would be much bigger.

VF-103 in the Tomcat years, not VFA-103. VF-103 Sluggers(later Jolly Rogers) "became" VFA-103 Jolly Rogers after transitioning to the F/A-18F Super Hornet.

VF-103 = Veloci Fighter (Squadron) - Dedicated Fleet Defense (A2A) with limited multi-role capability
VFA-103 = Veloci Fighter Attack (Squadron) - Fully Multi-role (A2A, A2G)

Oh, you're right, it's definitely too small for 1:87. I was not sure of the scale, so had Googled it and found it to be 1:87. It does seem to be actually around the 1:100 mark.

Thank you for telling me this. I didn't know the A stands for Attack, which makes sense as the Bug is a multiple jet, while the Cat was a full-fledged interceptor.

Thank you for welcoming me into the forum as well, I will be restarting my hobby in due course and will post here as well.

I was so happy to see 4 Mig-17s doing an air show and I eagerly clicked on the article to see where in Russia they were performing with the Red Star on their wings. Was shocked to see they are all privately owned and flying at a US airbase !









History roared over Barksdale AFB as four MiG-17F Frescos took to the skies in a first-of-its-kind performance during the 2025 Defenders of Liberty Airshow. Led by veteran airshow pilot Randy Ball, the flight marked the largest gathering of flying MiG-17s at a North American airshow.

Source: https://vintageaviationnews.com/airs...y-airshow.html

Long-time MiG airshow performer, Randy Ball, exclaimed after the history-making flights, “I acquired my first MiG in 1994 and have flown airshows for three decades in MiGs, but I never thought there would ever be a team of four MiGs flying at a US airshow. This is nothing short of surreal!” In 2023, Ball also led the first team of three MiG-17Fs at the Barksdale AFB airshow.

Ball’s 1959 MiG-17F Fresco (Fresco was NATO’s code name for the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17) is a Polish-built WSK-Mielec Lim-5. He bought the airframe directly from the Polish Air Force in 1994 and began a detailed restoration through his company, FIGHTERJETS INC., which he founded in 1995. Airshow fans today are very familiar with this striking silver MiG with 1611 painted on the nose. But what makes 1611 even more unique is that it has its original cannons. Ball was able to import the two-23mm cannons and one-37mm cannon with the airframe. 1611 is the only MiG flying in the US with its Soviet weapons on board.

The livery is the same one as the Mig-17 I had built a 4 years ago:




I'm not sure if Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich would be happy or rolling in their graves at the site lol:

There are a number of MIGs flying around d the USA. All privately owned. I never heard of these four thought. Must have been quite the sight.

You can catch an introductory flight on a MIG in places such as these:

https://www.jetwarbird.com/Mig.html

Same place as where I got to fly the Fouga Magister.

Jeroen

Paul Allen, one of the co-founders of Microsoft owned a Mig29UB earlier. I read somewhere that he had apparently approached the IAF for "English" manuals for the restoration and maintenance of his jet and was obliged, do not know about the technicians though...:D

1:200 Ilyushin IL-76MD Candid-B/Gajraj KI2878 "G", No. 44 Squadron "Mighty Jets", Indian Air Force, Chandigarh AFS

The Ilyushin IL-76MD (NATO reporting name: Candid-B) is a multi-purpose, fixed-wing, four-engine turbofan military strategic airlifter designed by the Soviet Union's Ilyushin design bureau in 1967, to replace the Antonov An-12.

The IL-76MD was the "military" transport variant of the IL-76 and were equipped for troop transport and paratroop dropping, with a row of fold-down seats along each side of the cargo bay. A double row of seats could also be easily installed down the center of the cargo bay, and for troop transport an upper deck with seats could be installed as well. Up to 140 troops or 125 paratroops could be carried. For paradrops, the cargo bay was depressurized while the cockpit remained pressurized; the jump alarm system was so loud and obnoxious that paratroopers said they were eager to jump out.

The defensive armament of the IL-76MD consisted of a prominent UKU-9K-502-1 manned tail turret, where "UKU" stood for "unifitseerovannaya kormovaya ustanovka (standardized tail installation)". This designation was derived from the fact that exactly the same tail turret was fitted to the Tupolev Tu-95 "Bear" and Tu-22M "Backfire" bombers. The turret's "sting" consisted of twin Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23 twin-barreled 23-millimeter cannon. The GSh-23 was an ingenious weapon, the two barrels of each cannon being arranged in a "teeter-totter" fashion so that the firing of one barrel hinged the other barrel forward to be loaded and fired in turn. The effect was a very high rate of fire, with a cyclic rate of 3,600 rounds per minute.

A PRS-4 Krypton fire-control radar was fitted under the rudder to guide the cannon. Although such defensive armament might have seemed futile, with a fighter armed with air-to-air missiles (AAM) able to easily stand off out of range of the cannon and blow the IL-76 out of the sky, the cannon also amounted to a countermeasures system, since it could fire chaff and flare rounds to confuse AAMs. The gunner sat in his own pressurized compartment, generally entering through a door in the rear cargo bay bulkhead. If he needed to bail out, there was a hydraulically-operated escape hatch on the right side.

The IL-76MD, aside from the tail gun turret, was generally similar to the "civilian" IL-76TD, with the uprated D-30KP-2 turbofans. The IL-76MD had provisions for fitting defensive chaff-flare dispensers to the rear fuselage. Two stores pylons could be fitted to each outer wing, for a total of four pylons, each of which could handle a 500-kilogram (1,100-pound) load. The pylons were rarely attached; it was troublesome to fit them, since they were heavy and had to be held up by ground crewmen standing on ladders. Il-76 crews occasionally performed practice drops of leaflet canisters, but that's about as much use as was ever made of the pylons.

Demilitarized IL-76M/MDs, with the tail guns and other combat-related gear yanked, sometimes ended up in commercial service. Oddly, some IL-76T/TDs were observed with markings identifying them as Il-76M/MDs despite the lack of a tail turret, while some IL-76M/MDs were observed similarly marked as IL-76T/TDs despite being fitted with the tail turret. These machines were sometimes referred to as "Falsies".

The Indian Air Force & the IL-76

In 1961, the IAF had inducted it's first large transport aircraft - the Antonov An-12 from the Soviet Union. Two IAF squadrons were equipped with the An-12 - No. 44 "Mighty Jets"(Then known as "Mountain Geese") & No. 25 "Himalayan Eagles". While the An-12s did a stellar job with the IAF as a transport aircraft by maintaining the Himalayan air bridge for over two decades while also participating in the 1971 war in the bomber role, by the early 1980s it was evident that the An-12s were to be replaced soon as they were getting obsolete.

As a result, the IAF had formulated it's Heavy Tactical Transport Aircraft(HETAC) requirement. But the options available were limited - the Americans would not sell anything remotely similar to India(C-130/C-141) and the Russian IL-76 seemed to be the only option available. The IAF evaluated the IL-76 in Feb 1982 under the leadership of the legendary Gp Capt Ajit Singh Lamba, Vr.C(later AVM - after whom the HAL Ajeet was named) and the aircraft was selected as the An-12's replacement.

Powered by Four Soloviev D-30KP-2 turbofans for improved hot & high take off performance, the IL-76MDs for the IAF retained the tail gunner station. The first IL-76s started arriving in India in March 1985. No. 44 Squadron was re-formed on the IL-76 under the command of Wg Cdr Ashok Goel and it became an IL-76 only squadron. No. 25 Squadron continued to operate An-12 before receiving Il-76s. The An-12s continued to operate alongside IL-76s for a short time before the An-12s of the squadron were replaced by An-32s, thus making No,. 25 squadron a composite squadron flying the An-32 and IL-76 together. In 2011, No.25 squadron relinquished it's IL-76s and became an An-32 squadron. No. 44 Squadron is the sole IL-76MD squadron in the IAF.

The IL-76MD was named Gajraj(Elephant King) in the IAF. A Total of 17 IL-76MDs were acquired by the IAF (Serial nos. K2661, K2662, K2663, K2664, K2665, K2666, K2878, K2879, K2901, K2902, K2999, K3000, K3012,K3013,K3014, K3077 & K3078).

Within three years of induction, IAF IL-76s went into action and became the mainstay for inducting Indian Army's IPKF forces into Northern Sri Lanka. The IL-76s also flew in BMPs, T-72s, fuel trucks and other equipment to sustain IPKF operations in Sri Lanka. The IL-76s also took part in operations to prevent the coup on Maldives (Operation Cactus).

Later as part of some overhaul/upgrades, these tail gunner station was removed on some IL-76s and externally, these aircraft started looking like civlian IL-76TDs(lack of tail gunner station). Later IL-76s were re-serialled in the KI- series. For e.g. IL-76 K2878 became KI2878(like the one depicted in the model).

The IL-76s continue to soldier alongside the IAF's C-17s as the IAF's heavy transport aircraft.

K2878 in its delivery scheme with tail gun turret


Re-serialed "Upgraded" KI2878 "Falsie" with tail gun turret missing


Specifications
Origin: Russia
Type: Heavy Transport Aircraft.
Crew: Two pilots, One Navigator, One Flight Engineer

Weights:
Empty – 75,000 kg (1,65,347 lbs.)
MTOW – 1,70,000 kg (3,74,786 lbs.)

Engines: Four Soloviev D-30KP-2 turbofans (26,455 lbf thrust)

Speed: Maximum – 459 knots (528 mph; 850 km/h) at 11,000 meters (36,090 feet)
Max. cruising speed : 432 knots (497 mph; 800 km/h)
Range: 4,400 km (2,700 mi, 2,400 nmi) Il-76MD/TD with 52,000 kg (115,000 lb) payload.
Ferry range: 9,300 km (5,800 mi, 5,000 nmi) Il-76MD-90A with no payload.
Service ceiling: 13,000 m (43,000 ft)
Thrust/weight ratio: 0.252
Minimum landing run: 450 m (1,480 ft) with thrust reversers.
Capacity/Payload: 225 paratroopers or 40 tons of freight, wheeled or tracked armoured vehicles, etc.
Avionics: Search/Weather Radar
Armament: Twin 23mm cannons in radar-directed manned turret at base of tail (removed in Upgraded and re-serialled IL-76MDs)
Self Defence: ECM – Flare/Chaff Dispenser

The Indian Air Force's Heavy lifters. The Ageing IL-76 and the C-17 forms the Backbone of the IAF's strategic Heavy lift fleet.
Maximum payload capacity of the C-17 is 1,70,900 pounds (77,519 kilograms) and the Maximum payload capacity of the IL-76MD is 88,000 pounds (40,000 kilograms). The IL-76s serve with No. 44 Sqdn "Mighty Jets" while the C-17s with No. 81 Sqdn "SkyLords"



























Airborne

As usual, superlative write up regarding the IL-76.
I'm guessing both models are 1:144 scale.
Nice looking but minimum detailing due to the scale.
There are 1:72 scale models of both but cost a small fortune! :uncontrol

Do the upgraded ones still require the flight engineer and navigator?

I remember seeing the interview of an IAF IL76 pilot in the NatGeo documentary on the charkhi-dadri air crash explaining about the aircraft.

Another masterpiece pair by Sandesh. Which make are these. A classic combination. Which books are those. In many ways the lifters are the unsung heroes of the IAF along with the helicopters while the fast combat aircraft get all the publicity. Beautiful.

Thank you. These are in 1:200 scale.

and decent amount of real estate in the display cabinet too:D

Not sure. The upgrade involved modernization of avionics and navigation systems. I assume the Navigator and FE and stations would still be there

The Navigator station - probably the coolest pace to be on an IL-76( navigator sits on the lower deck, with a view of the glass nose):


New IL-76MD-90 and TD-90 require an FE & Navigator so I suppose our IL-76s require them as well.

Yes, one of the most tragic air crashes in aviation history. I remember watching it on Nat Geo long ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7v22y-1wjA

Thank you Sir. The C-17 is from Hogan Wings and the IL-76 is from an unknown Ukrainian brand made in Ukraine(despite the terrible war, Ukrainians continue to go about their lives as usual)

The book is "Soviet & Russian Aircraft Military Aircraft in Asia" by Yefim Gordon & Dmitry Komissarov:

These are gorgeous models, Skanchan95!! What piqued my interest even more is the book on which the models are placed? Couls you let us know what book is that?
Thanks.

Its an old book titled "Squadrons, Patches, Heraldry & Artwork of the Indian Air Force 1932-2016" by the late Phil Camp.