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Just below and to the right of '101'- they look like circles of the Olympics logo.

It is the Olympics logo. Found this:


A U.S. Navy Grumman F-14B Tomcat of Fighter Squadron VF-74 "Be-Devilers" parked on the flight line a Naval Air Facility Andrews, Maryland (USA), prior to taking part in a flyover during Inauguration festivities for President-elect William Jefferson Clinton. The aircraft exhibits the symbol of the Olympics on its nose as a tribute to the '92 Olympics held in Spain. VF-74 was deployed to the region while that event was taking place. Note the missing in-flight refueling probe door.

Date: 17 January 1993

Yes I found the same info after a bit of Googling. Thats amazing attention to detail, I didn't notice the rings on the model until you pointed them out !



In 1992 the Olympic Games were celebrated at Barcelona (Spain) and VF-74 "Bedevilers" decored this Tomcat with Olympic rings when they was in a MED cruise onboard USS Saratoga at the same time.

https://www.airliners.net/photo/USA-...-Tomcat/564145

Well, your VF-103 Tomcat has some logo like that on the nose as well. Noticed that now. Absolutely love that scheme. Wish Easy model had painted a VF-84 one - the Original Jolly Rogers and a superstar squadron that featured in a few Hollywood movies(Executive Decision and Final Countdown come to mind).

Hope the Customs fellows didn't create problems for you this time for your new Hornet and Tomcat.

Yes I just noticed, but it seems to be a trophy or something.

Yes I told the seller to mark it as a gift and he marked it as $10 value (same as before) and it sailed through however all of them were held for checking for a long time as it says "Record customs information" for all of them but no customs was charged.

Tupolev Tu-154M; Czech Airlines Tail OK-UKE; 1:200 Herpa

The model is ~9 inches in length and has a wing span of ~7.5 inches



The Tu-154M was the final production variant of the Tu-154 family of tri-jet airliners. It was the USSR’s most successful large jet airliner with 1026 built.



Unique to Russian requirements it was designed to take-off and land from mud & gravel airstrips and forward short strips in Siberia in winter. This led to its powerful engines and heavy landing gear when compared to Western airliners.


In the 1970s when India was strapped for foreign exchange the Govt contemplated equipping Indian Airlines and Air India [for its Middle East routes] with the Tu-154. JRD Tata advised the Govt against this citing rational reasons of differing logistics, maintenance protocol, inadequate passenger safety facilities and higher down time. It was a logical decision but air romantics like me wonder what life would have been like with this rugged, beautiful but fuel guzzling aircraft.


The Tu-154M is now largely in service only with Government agencies. The only national airline operating it is North Korea’s Air Koryo.

Photo: Wikipedia
One Tu-154 was converted to fly on liquid hydrogen and LNG becoming the first hydrogen fueled aircraft. It was designated Tu-155. The experiment was abandoned due to the difficulty of storing hydrogen as a liquid. Liquid hydrogen boils at -253 degrees centigrade.The Tu-155 first flew on 15 April 1988. The Tu-155 flew around 100 flights until it was placed in storage.

Photo:airliners.net
Tu-154 in the standard Aeroflot colours of the 1970s and 1980s – its hey days.

Photo:transportphoto.com
Tu-154 cockpit. The turquoise blue background was a Russian practice for cockpits. You'll find this in the MiG-21s too.

Photo:airliners.net
Tu-154 cabin. Not very different from an A320 or B737 except they did not carry drop down oxygen masks. The seats were 17" wide like a DC-9/MD-81 series compared to 18"-19" on a A320. Most Russian airliners have a large compartment to hang those great Russian overcoats.

Photo:airliners.net
The real OK-UCE of Czech Airlines

The Russian transport collection soaking in the morning sun. The search for the Tu-114, Tu-124, IL-62, Tu-134 and An-225 continues. A few of these are available in the tiny 1:500 scale which I prefer not to go for but occasionally making an exception if in Indian colours. Long live scale model collectors. We have nothing to lose but our cabinet space :-)

Clockwise from top - Tupolev Tu-154M Czech Airlines 1:200, Antonov An-124 Volga Dnepr 1:400, Ilyushin IL-76 IAF 1:500 and Ilyushin IL-96 Aeroflot 1:400

Brings back memories. Many, many years ago (late 90s) I did a project in Yakutsk, Sakha Siberia. I flew back and forth from Moscow with one of these planes. In those days they still ran three classes, economy, business and first class. We used to fly first class, as it wasn’t that more expensive than economy. But it was first class the Russian way. There wasn’t much finesse to it and the food wasn’t particularly good either.

I always liked those turquoise/blue cockpits. I have seen them on many Russian planes and also helicopters. I find it very pleasing to the eye.

Jeroen

It most probably is this logo:


Congratulations on the new acquisition. Foxbat has the same Tu-154 I think. I was once told that a 1/200 An-225(which is huge) costs a fortune.

The look great together. The Gajraj stands out though, for obvious reasons:)

May your Russian collection grow :thumbs up I think most of these Russian models are Herpa which is a German manufacturer. Most American manufacturers do not make Russian planes.

I have the same Tu-154 and a IL-76 in the same size but different livery.

Yes you are correct again, you know more about my models than I do !:D


You can also notice the repair job on the pitot tube, which has been replaced by a part of a thin nail or pin after it broke.

HAL Kiran HJT-16 Mk II, Basic Jet Trainer; 1:36 scale

Model is about 12’ in length and in wing span

Custom made model from FDM to add to my series of Indian designed-Indian built aircraft. The major scale model makers don’t produce them so this is the next best option. With time I would like to add the HPT-32, HT-2 and Tejas LCA. One at a time as budgets permit. These models take about 3 months to put together including about 3 weeks on back & forth on the design, attachments, signage etc.

The HAL HJT-16 Kiran has thus far been the most successful Indian designed aircraft. A total of 190 were produced from 1968 to 1990. And it has served with the IAF from ~1968 to date. They are now being replaced by the Pilatus PC-7 Mk II. It was designed by Dr VM Ghatge who in the 1950s and 60s was to Indian aeronautics what President Dr APJ Kalam was to missiles in the 1980s and 90s.

Dr. Ghatge’s approach was to go step by step from the HT-2 primary trainer to the Kiran jet trainer to an advanced trainer and then attempt a light attack aircraft. Nehru preferred to aim for a supersonic jet fighter in one go and brought in Dr. Kurt Tank who developed the HF-24 Marut in the 1960s. While the Marut flew it was a tad too much to digest by a nation that had not even learnt how to design a scooter let alone a jet fighter. HAL struggled to iron out the kinks and the IAF played its role as the stand-off customer. This laid the ground for [in my view] an erroneous philosophy of aiming for the stars and landing on the barn roof. A sad tale which is the saga of the Tejas LCA. Dr Ghatge was right after all. The HT-2, also designed by Dr Ghatge, was India’s first ever indigenously designed aircraft and the second most successful after the Kiran! And mind you he was achieving this when we were learning how to assemble coal fired steam engines and sewing machines.

In the 1950s and 60s when we were amongst the poorest of countries we could successfully design and build trainers like the HT-2 and Kiran HJT-16 and today 50 to 60 years later as the 5th or 6th largest economy we go buy off the shelf because our public sector and DRDO cant design a replacement. That is only due to the bureaucracy and shabbiness of our Govt agencies that have tried to corner this part of industry for themselves.


Crew: 2; pupil and instructor
Length: 35’
Wingspan: 35’
Max. takeoff weight: ~4,250 kg
Powerplant: Rolls-Royce Orpheus turbojet flat rated to ~1700kgf
Maximum speed: ~700 km/h at sea level
Training Endurance: 1 hour 45 min
Weapons: 2 7.62mm machine guns for training; 2 x 68mm SNEB rocket pods + 2 x 500 lbs bombs


Kiran HJT-16


HJT stands for Hindustan Jet Trainer


Under side


More details of the underside & wings


On display


Cockpit


Kiran and the Rudra light attack chopper


Rudra, HF-24 and the Kiran


The real thing

Photo: Shashank Bhat
Surya Kiran Aerobatics team

It looks so good and real. May be if you post a pic of it with sky as the backdrop, it may actually look like an actual Kiran flying in the sky. Congratulations on this very proud and patriotic addition to your collection!!!

What's the serial no? Same as the Surya Kiran pic you posted - U2471?

Send these two pics to HAL, they will be might jealous:D.

On a serious note, it feels so good and I feel proud to see those models together. I am so happy for you that own those models. The hard work that you have put in getting the models detailed so minutely from FDM shows on the models. You must be and should be mighty proud of those one of a kind models.:thumbs up

Good idea. Will do. Thank you. Interestingly between 1951 and 1976 we designed & put into service 6 indigenous aircraft - (1) HT-2, Primary Trainer; (2) Pushpak/Krishak, Light Utility; (3) HF-24 Marut, jet fighter; (4) HJT-16 Kiran Basic Trainer; (5) Ajeet, Light fighter; (6) HPT-32 Deepak, Primary Trainer. And since then - only Dhruv/Rudra given that the Tejas LCA is still somewhat work in progress and Sitra & Saras did not make the cut - yet.

U-2469

Thank you very much Sandesh. The process of getting the design right itself took a month of communication. < now let me pretend it was toil & sweat for me>:uncontrol

Some more for your viewing and reading pleasure

Photo Source: History of Indian Aviation by Pushpinder Singh
Group Captain Suranjan Das, then India's top gun Test Pilot showing the first Kiran prototype on 4th September 1964 day of the first test flight

Photo Source: Group Captain Kapil Bhargava
Dr VM Ghatge (in suit) the father of the HT-2 and Kiran HJT-16

Photo Source: Bharat Rakshak
First Kiran prototype in the air on its first flight 4th September 1964. The buddle canopy and wing fences came later.


Toys for boys


Wing close-up


Tail close-up


Yippee-Dippee

Sandesh, Foxbat, Serious question for you guys. What should the next aircraft be - (a) Ajeet; or (b) Tejas; or (c) HT-2; or (d) HPT-32

Another unique one in your one of a kind collection :thumbs up
I especially like your write ups which are treasure troves of Indian Aviation history not found easily on the internet.

I would recommend a Ajeet next because it actually served the IAF for many years while the LCA is yet to see active service (hopefully soon). However what I really recommend is a 1:48 "Garuda" in Indian Air Force Colours clap:

I vote for all of them.

More than an Ajeet, i would urge you to gofor a Gnat. The Ajeet was more or less an improved Gnat with two additional pylons. The Gnat's history with the IAF begs for a dedicated model. A model with a Sabre killing Gnat serial number would be icing on the cake.

Still would love to see Tejas first from your list.