[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II::1:72 scale diecast:: Air Force 1 Models

.

A very nice addition to your collection, but I thought the Su-57 would be more your type

I was wondering how the air from the front air intakes reaches the engine at the back when the internal weapons bay are in the way ?

Originally Posted by skanchan95

Couple of coming soons from my side:
Attachment 1918823

Attachment 1918824

Judging from the colour it seems to be a F-22 or F-35 but the Russian star suggests otherwise.

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by Foxbat

Judging from the colour it seems to be a F-22 or F-35 but the Russian star suggests otherwise.

One is a western jet and the other one is Soviet. Livery and model wise, the western aircraft is very closely related to a model you have, while the Soviet one clashed with it in the skies of Iraq, Iran, Lebanon and Libya with hopelessly one sided results. Who are we?

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by skanchan95

One is a western jet and the other one is Soviet. Livery and model wise, the western aircraft is very closely related to a model you have, while the Soviet one clashed with it in the skies of Iraq, Iran, Lebanon and Libya with hopelessly one sided results. Who are we?

Tomcat or F-15 on one side and MiG-23 or MiG-25 on the other?? :-)

[Jeroen]

We were discussing the XB 70, Valkyrie, earlier. I mentioned I had seen, and been into, the only surviving one in the early 80s during a hitch hiking tour in the USA.

In those days all my photography was slides. Unfortunately, my whole collection was badly damaged by mildew and I had to throw them all out when we moved home two years ago. But I seem to recall I had made a few prints of some slides at the time.

So I went through my old photo albums and came across a few photographs. Quality of these images is poor, I used photo scan on my iPhone to digitise them.





For the life of me, I can not remember where this was. But I am pretty sure it was a museum next to what was at the time an active airforce base. Lots of B52’s flying in and out!

Anyway, in my album I also found a few photographs of models I made in the 70s. In those days I was a very keen model builder. Mainly planes and mainly 1;72 scale. I had also started photography as another hobby. I must have been trying (poorly) to combine the two

This is British F4 Phantom, naval version. Look at the very long wheel nose strut!
There used to be an American squadron based in the Netherlands too, Soesterberg. These, certainly in those days, were hugely impressive, very large fighters.



The F101 VooDoo has always been a favourite of mine. I always think it has a very special sort of elegance look to it. It was also the first model plane I used my then brand new model spray gun on. These days, model kit paint is vastly improved. Back in the days, painting silver with a brush was near impossible. So I bought one of the very early model spray guns.



This F105 Thunderchief comes with a bit of a story. The real planes comes with quite the story, being withdrawn from the Vietnames theatre due to high losses.

This model suffered some damage too. I was 15-16 at the time and all my models were driving my mum bonkers. I had forbidden her to clean them. Because she would damage them. For some reason one day, she had conveniently forgotten, or decided that no matter what, my room needed dusting. Anyway, she managed to drop the Thunderchief and step on its wing too!

After that I decided to inflict some more battle damage on it. I used to make little diorama’s as well. None have survived.



Another poor attempt combining photography with model making.



Jeroen

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Tomcat or F-15 on one side and MiG-23 or MiG-25 on the other?? :-)

Bingo!!! Tomcat and Flogger.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

We were discussing the XB 70, Valkyrie, earlier. I mentioned I had seen, and been into, the only surviving one in the early 80s during a hitch hiking tour in the USA.

This is British F4 Phantom, naval version. Look at the very long wheel nose strut!
This F105 Thunderchief comes with a bit of a story....

This model suffered some damage too. I was 15-16 at the time and all my models were driving my mum bonkers. I had forbidden her to clean them. Because she would damage them. For some reason one day, she had conveniently forgotten, or decided that no matter what, my room needed dusting. Anyway, she managed to drop the Thunderchief and step on its wing too!

After that I decided to inflict some more battle damage on it. I used to make little diorama’s as well. None have survived.

Thanks for those photos. Please share more of your models from earlier years. Those are very well painted models I must say. You could have made a living as an artist. As for your poor Thunderchief Mother's and Wife's seem to have a similar itchy finger where aircraft scale models go. All these years I kept all my models at my workplace and I had no shortage of space. Now they are all crammed into my apartment and even though they occupy only 1/5th the space of her walk-in wardrobe I am always fighting off dire threats with my special ECCM jammer pods

Originally Posted by skanchan95

Bingo!!! Tomcat and Flogger.

Phew!!!! <emoji wiping off sweat> After your new goodies are put up I have a new one coming.....

.....I was designed by Sir Sydney Camm; I broke the world speed record for aircraft in 1953; Flight Lieut Cooke flew me to fame in 1965. Guess.

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

After your new goodies are put up I have a new one coming.....

.....I was designed by Sir Sydney Camm; I broke the world speed record for aircraft in 1953; Flight Lieut Cooke flew me to fame in 1965. Guess.

Easy Peasy...Hawker Hunter. Can't wait to see it.

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Anyway, in my album I also found a few photographs of models I made in the 70s. In those days I was a very keen model builder. Mainly planes and mainly 1;72 scale. I had also started photography as another hobby. I must have been trying (poorly) to combine the two

This is British F4 Phantom, naval version. Look at the very long wheel nose strut!


This F105 Thunderchief comes with a bit of a story. The real planes comes with quite the story, being withdrawn from the Vietnames theatre due to high losses.

Those are some very nice model Do post more pictures if you have any. The Phantom looks really well put together with all those small decals.

I feel sorry for the F-105, but can relate to what you did to it. I had a Mig-29 model back in the 1990s which after suffering some damage after falling after being hung from the ceiling, was painted in bright "Test" colours

As for not letting your mom dust your models, I still do that for models left at home and made by me 15+ years ago

[V.Narayan]

Another one in the works. This time a 1:72 HobbyMaster of something I have waited a while for.

Guess who am I - My wings are made of nickel steel alloys. My engines at full after burners remained as efficient as those that came 15 years later while at subsonic cruise my F.E. sucked. In the '60s, '70s my name was a scare word with NATO.

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Another one in the works. This time a 1:72 HobbyMaster of something I have waited a while for.

Guess who am I - My wings are made of nickel steel alloys. My engines at full after burners remained as efficient as those that came 15 years later while at subsonic cruise my F.E. sucked. In the '60s, '70s my name was a scare word with NATO.

The Mighty Foxbat!!!!

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

T Please share more of your models from earlier years. .

Originally Posted by Foxbat

Do post more pictures if you have any. The Phantom looks really well put together with all those small decals.
)

thanks, but I do not think I have any more photographs. All gone I am afraid.
I believe the Phantom was just a regular Airfix kit 1:72. But in those days I would make many modification to these kits. I would buy additional, better decals, add details to the cockpit. (e.g. add the ejection seat handles).

My modelling days are gone though. I do like looking at these models. I am still interested in anything related to aviation, obviously. But I am still interested in seeing well made models and understanding how the builder went about it.

I must admit that I think certain aspects of model building have become easier. In particular the paints. One of my son’s is heavily into Warhammer. He does a superb job on the painting. I spend a few hours with him some time ago, helping out. Modern day model building paint is so much easier to work with than in my days. No surprise as we are talking 40-50 years difference!

We visited the Warhammer HQ and museum last year in the UK. A few plane piccies!





The paint work on these models is simply out of this world! Even if you are not into Warhammer, visiting them is a treat. My wife thoroughly enjoyed it and she doesn’t even begin to understand model building and or Warhammer.


Jeroen

[skanchan95]

1:72 Hobby Master MiG-23MS Flogger-E "1449" No.39 Sqdn Iraqi Air Force, 1981
The MiG-23MS (NATO Reporting Name : Flogger-E) was an export variant of the MiG-23M, as in the '70s the MiG-23M used by the Soviet Air Force was considered too advanced to be exported to Third World countries. The MiG-23MS could easily be differentiated from the MiG-23M, as the MiG-23MS had a smaller radar dome. It was otherwise similar to MiG-23M, but it had the S-21 standard weapon system, with a RP-22SM (NATO: "Jay Bird") radar in a smaller radome, and the IRST was removed. Unlike the MiG-23M, the MiG-23MS had no BVR capability, and the only air-to-air missiles it was capable of using were the R-3S (NATO: AA-2a "Atoll") and R-60 (NATO: AA-8 "Aphid") IR-guided missiles and the R-3R (NATO: AA-2d "Atoll") semi-active radar homing (SARH) missile. The avionics suite was very basic. This variant was produced between 1973 and 1978 and exported principally to North Africa and the Middle East.

The MiG-23 began its life in the early 1960s. Impressed by America's new F-4 Phantom, the Soviet military asked the MiG design bureau to design a successor to the MiG-21 Fishbed, according to Yefim Gordon and Keith Dexter, writers of an authoritative history of the MiG-23. The new fighter was to be capable of achieving Mach 2.2, have a longer range than the MiG-21 and have a short takeoff and landing (STOL) capability to operate from rough airstrips. In return, Soviet commanders were willing to accept a less maneuverable aircraft.

Iraq received 20 MiG-23MS version of a total more than 100 ordered. The delivery was cut back due to the disappointment of the aircraft in service. The downgraded radar and avionics made it no better than MiG-21. It was limited to only R-13 missiles, so it couldn't operate BVR. The MS were soon replaced with the advanced MF & ML version.
Iraqi MS examples were used in the fisrt half of the Iran-Iraq war. 8 were lost with the A few were shot down by Iranian Tomcats and MIM-23BN Hawk SAMs. They shot down 6 Iranian F-4D/Es, one F-5E and one AH-1, all in 1980.

The Israelis evaluated a MiG-23 handed to them by a Syrian defector, and concluded it had better acceleration than an F-16A. The Flogger is best characterized as a speeder rather than a dogfighter: in a NATO-Warsaw Pact war—the war that Soviet equipment was designed to fight—mass formations of MiG-23s would use their superb acceleration to zoom in, launch their air-to-air missiles and zoom away. MiG-23 fans also say that the aircraft exported to Soviet clients like Syria were “monkey models” lacking many capabilities that Soviet air force enjoyed, such as better radar and radar warning sensors.

General specifications for the MiG-23MS (NATO code name FLOGGER-E)
Country of Origin – Soviet Union
Manufacturer – Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau
Role – Fighter-Interceptor
Crew – 1 Pilot
First Flight – June 10, 1967

Dimensions
Length – 54 ft 8 ins (16.71 m) including nose probe
Height 15 ft 1 in (4.82 m)
Wingspan
Fully Swept – 26 ft 7 ins (7.78 m)
Fully Spread – 45 ft 8 ins (13.97 m)

Weight
Empty – 22,440 lbs (10,200 kg)
Maximum Take-Off – 39,160 lbs (17,800 kg)

Performance
Powerplant – 1 X Soyuz/Tumansky R-29-300 Afterburning Turbojet
Thrust – 28,600 lbs (13,000 kg)
Maximum Speed – 1,553 mph (2,500 kmh)
Service Ceiling – 60,680 ft (18,500 m)
Range – 1,211 miles (1,950 km)

Armament
1 X GSh-23L 23mm Two-Barrel Cannon w/200 Rounds
Maximum External Weapons Load – 6,600 lbs (3,000 kg)
Weapons Options
AAMs and ASMs
R-3 (AA-2 Atoll)
R-13R (AA-2-2 Atoll-C)
R-13M (AA-2-2 Atoll-D)
Unguided Rockets
S-5
S-8
S-24
Unguided Bombs
FAB-250
FAB-500
OFAB-100 Fragmentation Bombs
Cluster Bombs
ZAB-500 Napalm Bombs
UPK-23 250 Pods with a GSh-23L Cannon

Known MiG-23MS Operators - Algeria, Angola, Cuba, Iraq, Egypt,Libya, Syria, Sudan, Yemen.

[skanchan95]

FEAR THE BONES,BABY!!!

VF-84 "Jolly Rogers"
Callsign: VICTORY
1 July 1955 - 1 October 1995

Most Tomcat fans would immediately point to VF-84 as the most recognised Tomcat Squadron ever. The famed Jolly Rogers have always displayed some of the most recognizable squadron markings in the world in the form of sinister white skull-and-crossbones on all black tails, with gold bands wrapped around the tip of the tail fins, and black bands with gold chevrons (known as vagabonds strips from the F-8 Crusader days of VF-84) run down the sides of the forward fuselage.

Flying over nine different types of fighter aircraft in the past 63 years, the Skull and Crossbones have become the most recognized insignia in the world.The unit’s mascot is a set of skull and crossbones enclosed in a glass encasement that supposedly are the remains of Ensign Jack Ernie of VF-17. Ernie died during Okinawa invasion in World War II while fighting against two Japanese Zeroes with his Corsair losing engine oil. Before
crashing in his flaming aircraft he made two transmissions; “Skipper, I can’t get out!” followed by a short pause and then, “Remember me with the Jolly Rogers!” His family later presented the squadron with the set of skull and crossbones and asked the squadron to fulfill Ernie’s last wish: from that moment, “Passing of the bones” from the outgoing skipper to the incoming one was a time-honored Jolly Rogers tradition.

In 1975, the VF-84 Jolly Rogers transitioned to the F-14A Tomcat from the F-4B Phantom. Much before the movie Top Gun, there was a movie centered around the Tomcat called "The Final Countdown". In 1980 VF-84 participated in the motion picture The Final Countdown which propelled the skull and-crossbones-adorned F-14’s to international stardom. The movie featured a memorable scene involving two VF-84 Tomcats engaging two Japanese A6M Zeroes. In the mid-90s, VF-84 Tomcats made a memorable appearance in yet another motion picture--Executive Decision. Following VF-84’s decommissioning in October 1995, the decision was made to retire the “Club and Cloverleaf” insignia of the VF-103 “Sluggers” and have Fighting 103 adopt the Jolly Roger insignia and the Tactical callsign, “Victory”

1:72 Hobby Master F-14A Tomcat VF-84 "Jolly Rogers" USS Nimitz 1986
A diecast metal Tomcat in 1:72 scale was something I had been wanting for a long time, getting it in VF-84 markings was an additional bonus. Quality wise this is became my favourite model from my collection. the IAF Su-30 falls to second place because of JC's slightly inferior build quality.
Grumman F-14A Tomcat 160406 c/n 207 was assigned to VF-84 “Jolly Rogers” on December 30,1986 when the squadron sailed from Norfolk Virginia aboard the USS Nimitz. The deployment would entail a cruise to the Mediterranean then navigating Cape Horn on its way to a new home for the Nimitz in Bremerton, Washington. The deployment for the USS Nimitz lasted until July 1987. Off the coast of San Diego the aircraft aboard Nimitz, including VF-84 launched and returned to their home bases. On June 7, 1999 160406 was sent to AMARC for storage.

Specifications for the Grumman F-14A Tomcat
Role - Carrier-based multi-role strike fighter
First Flight – 1970
Last Production Year – F-14D July 20, 1992
Number All Variants Produced – 710
Crew - 2 (pilot and radar intercept officer).

Dimensions
Length 62 ft 8 inches
Wingspan (Swept) 38 ft 2.5 inches
Wingspan (Unswept) 64 ft 1.5 inches
Height 16 ft

Performance
Powerplants: 2 x P&W TF-30-P414A
Maximum Thrust :34,154 lbs
Maximum Speed :Mach 2.38
Ceiling : 50,000+ ft
Range : 1,730 nm

Weight
Empty : 40,104 pounds
Maximum : 72,000 pounds


Armament
1 x M61A1 Vulcan 20mm cannon

Maximum Weight – 13,000 lbs. Of Combined Ordnance
Air-Air Missiles
6 AIM-7 Sparrows
4 AIM-9 Sidewinder
6 AIM-54 Phoenix

Air-To-Ground
MK-82 (500 lbs.)
4 MK-83 (1,000 lbs.)
4 MK-84 (2,000 lbs.)
MK-20 cluster bombs
4 GBU-10 LGB
GBU-12 MK-82 LGB
4 GBU-16 MK-83 LGB
4 GBU-24 MK-84 LGB













The thing I loved about HM models - the kind of attention to detailing. Even the control stick & cockpit has been modelled, Something which other brands don't do. Notice how the crew models also get yellow VF-84 helmets.











Note the AAX-1 TCS(TV Camera Set) of the Tomcat on the chin that has been removed and replaced with an aerodynamic cover. The AAX-1 helped pilots visually identify and track aircraft, up to a range of 60 miles (97 km) for large aircraft. The Tomcat's AN/AWG-9 radar and the AAX-1 are linked, allowing the one detector to follow the direction of the other. A dual infrared/optical detection system was adopted on the later F-14D. The Tomcat had different chin pods installed, depending on the year and variant.



The much maligned P&W TF30-P-414A engine. The TF30 was found to be ill-adapted, underpowered to the demands of air combat and was prone to compressor stalls at high angle of attack (AOA) if the throttles were moved aggressively. Because of the Tomcat's widely spaced engine nacelles, compressor stalls at high AOA were especially dangerous because they tended to produce asymmetric thrust that could send the Tomcat into an upright or inverted spin, from which recovery was very difficult. The A+/B & D Tomcat models came with 2 x GE F-110-GE-400 engines. These engines solved the reliability problems and provided nearly 30% more thrust, achieving a 1:1 dry thrust to weight ratio with a low fuel load.






In its classic Fleet Defender missile loadout : 6 X AIM-54 Phoenix, 2XAIM-9 Sidewinder


An optional TARPS pod has also been provided, which can be mounted in place of 2 AIM-54s.


F-14A Tomcat 160406 c/n 207 , as seen in VF-84 markings


The same aircraft as 104 flying with VF-32 "Swordsmen"


The chief antagonists in quite a few air clashes over Libya, Iran/Iraq and to some extent in Lebanon and the first Gulf War. Both were conceived as high speed interceptors, one became highly successful, the other did not. I believe the Soviets marketed the MiG-23 as the single engined equivalent of the F-14, something which the Arab Air Forces fell for,as Iran had acquired the F-14A by then. India acquired the MiG-23MF as a knee jerk reaction to PAF acquiring the F-16A/B, which gave the IAF its first R-23R equipped BVR aircraft (though the effectiveness of the MiG-23's BVR capabilities and reliability remain questionable).




VF-84 Tomcats in the movie Executive Decision

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

VF-84 Tomcats dogfighting IJN Zeroes(T-6 Harvards) in the movie Final Countdown

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_pCeQzul24

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by skanchan95

1:72 Hobby Master MiG-23MS Flogger-E "1449" No.39 Sqdn Iraqi Air Force, 1981
The MiG-23MS (NATO Reporting Name : Flogger-E) was an export variant of the MiG-23M The avionics suite was very basic. This variant was produced between 1973 and 1978 and exported principally to North Africa and the Middle East.
The new fighter was to be capable of achieving Mach 2.2, have a longer range than the MiG-21 and have a short takeoff and landing (STOL) capability to operate from rough airstrips. In return, Soviet commanders were willing to accept a less maneuverable aircraft.

The Israelis evaluated a MiG-23 handed to them by a Syrian defector, and concluded it had better acceleration than an F-16A. The Flogger is best characterized as a speeder rather than a dogfighter

Originally Posted by skanchan95

[b]VF-84 "Jolly Rogers"

Most Tomcat fans would immediately point to VF-84 as the most recognised Tomcat Squadron ever. The famed Jolly Rogers have always displayed some of the most recognizable squadron markings in the world in the form of sinister white skull-and-crossbones on all black tails, with gold bands wrapped around the tip of the tail fins, and black bands with gold chevrons

The thing I loved about HM models - the kind of attention to detailing. Even the control stick & cockpit has been modelled, Something which other brands don't do. Notice how the crew models also get yellow VF-84 helmets.

India acquired the MiG-23MF as a knee jerk reaction to PAF acquiring the F-16A/B, which gave the IAF its first R-23R equipped BVR aircraft (though the effectiveness of the MiG-23's BVR capabilities and reliability remain questionable).

VF-84 Tomcats dogfighting IJN Zeroes(T-6 Harvards) in the movie Final Countdown

First a big warm congratulations to you Kanchan on bagging two superbly detailed, perfectly painted scale models. HobbyMaster really is the best especially for warplanes. I had my eye on that MiG-23 but kept putting off the buy decision as I have a much poorer Altaya model occupying precious space. Thank you for that detailed explanation of both aircraft especially the skull remains bit. Seems a bit macabre but it works for the squadron. I had no clue about this time warp film Final Countdown! But anything to do with a Tomcat can't keep Grumman Sandesh away :-) I agree the IAF did not do wise about buying the MiG-23 interceptor version and adding to our then already complex mix with all its maintenance and logistics challenges. I wish the budget spent on MiG-23 and MiG-29 in the 1980s was instead spent on license production of the Mirage 2000 which the French had offered very seriously.

After the GE engines the Tomcat really achieved its full potential.

You may know about this 1989 incident of the pilotless MiG-23 over Belgium.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_Belgium_MiG-23_crash

[V.Narayan]

Indian Airlines A320 :: InFlight200 1:200 scale, diecast
Well crafted, finely detailed, high quality painting. Depicts the short lived 'Indian' livery. Much better in detailing than comparable Gemini & even Herpa models.

The A320 needs no introduction to the well informed audience of this thread. I'll let the pictures do the talking. As my available space for showcasing these models starts to get tight I am inclined to buy only those which are of the highest quality ie avoid Altaya, Amercom, Oxford range of makers. On A320 I'd decided I'll wait till a Indian Airlines on came along and finally after three years it did.