[V.Narayan]

^^^^^^
Sandesh,

Thanks for posting these two together . The Hawkeye and the Tomcat are naturals together. Even I assumed the Hawkeye was the bigger of the two!! The F-14 was the first fighter built to the concept of mating two of the biggest possible engines to the biggest possible wing and making a big nimble high acceleration fighter as opposed to the then traditional thinking that nimbleness meant being small and light. Low wing loading and high thrust loading is what equals maneuverability not just lightness and smallness. Earlier lack of powerful enough engines led to the design approach of smallness and lightness equals maneuverability. The Gnat was the extreme end of that approach. Size gives an aircraft endurance and volume for avionics and designing in survivability. The Tomcat showed the way. Other aircraft built to this philosophy are the F-15, Su-27/30 and F-22 Raptor.

[mayankverma]

I live in Noida. Is there any aircraft model shop in Noida/Delhi/NCR?

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by mayankverma

I live in Noida. Is there any aircraft model shop in Noida/Delhi/NCR?

The only one I know of is Ram Chand & Sons in Connaught Place.

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

^^^^^^
Sandesh,

Thanks for posting these two together . The Hawkeye and the Tomcat are naturals together. Even I assumed the Hawkeye was the bigger of the two!! The F-14 was the first fighter built to the concept of mating two of the biggest possible engines to the biggest possible wing and making a big nimble high acceleration fighter as opposed to the then traditional thinking that nimbleness meant being small and light. Low wing loading and high thrust loading is what equals maneuverability not just lightness and smallness. Earlier lack of powerful enough engines led to the design approach of smallness and lightness equals maneuverability. The Gnat was the extreme end of that approach. Size gives an aircraft endurance and volume for avionics and designing in survivability. The Tomcat showed the way. Other aircraft built to this philosophy are the F-15, Su-27/30 and F-22 Raptor.

Yeah, there will never be a fighter like the Tomcat again. Tomcats Forever!!!!

Tempted a do a photoshoot of the Hawkeye with the rest of my 1/72 US Navy Jets - 2xF-14s, 2XF/A-18C, 2XF/A-18E.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by skanchan95

Yeah, there will never be a fighter like the Tomcat again. Tomcats Forever!!!!

Tempted a do a photoshoot of the Hawkeye with the rest of my 1/72 US Navy Jets - 2xF-14s, 2XF/A-18C, 2XF/A-18E.

Go for it. Go for it.

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Go for it. Go for it.

Will do.

1:200 Airbus A320-214(SL) Air India VT-EXE (Hogan)
VT-EXE stats
Status : Active
Registration : VT-EXE
Airline : Air India
Serial number : 6803
Type : 320-214 SL(Sharklets)
First flight date : 22/09/2015
Date of Delivery : 29/10/2015
Test registration F-WWBR
Engines : 2 x CFMI CFM56-5B4/P

VT-EXE was the last of the CFM56 powered A320 sharklets delivered to Air India (EXA to EXE). The next A320 - VT-EXF is CFM LEAP-1A powered A320neo.

At the time of writing this post, VT-EXE is flying as AI215 flying from Delhi to Kathmandu.



















Unlike the Indian Airlines A320 models by the same brand, this AI A320 model has spinning fan blades.


The real VT-EXE:

[Jeroen]

I know some of you are familiar with the aviation mega store in the Netherlands. I understood their international shipping rates are quite expensive.

Tonight I just got a mail from them about their upcoming Black Friday sale. Seems like some very steep discounts on some models. Who knows might be interesting even with high shipping charges

https://blackfriday.aviationmegastor...?switchlang=EN

Jeroen

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by skanchan95

Will do.

1:200 Airbus A320-214(SL) Air India VT-EXE (Hogan)
VT-EXE stats

Congratulations on one more in the bag. I guess you have quite a fleet of Air India's now.

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Congratulations on one more in the bag. I guess you have quite a fleet of Air India's now.

Thank you sir. The AI fleet grows to 8 and consists of
2 X B737-800 (AIX - VT- AXC & AXN)
1 X B777-300 VT-ALJ "Bihar"
1 X B777-200 VT-ALC "Assam"
1 X B787-8 VT-ANU "Star Alliance ivery"
1 X B747-400 VT-EVA "Agra"
1 X B747-200 VT-EBE "Emperor Shah Jahan"
1 X A320-200 VT-EXE

* Not counting the three Indian Airlines A320s.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Go for it. Go for it.

1 x F-14A VF-84 "Jolly Rogers"
1 X F-14B VF-143 "Pukin' Dogs"
1 X F/A-18A+ VFMA-115 "Silver Eagles" (USMC)
1 X F/A-18C VFA-192 "Golden Dragons"
3 X F/A-18E (VFA -27 "Royal Maces", VFA-81 "Sunliners", VFA-147 "Argonauts")
1 X E-2C VAW-126 "Seahawks"

CVW-95, SNS Sandesh Kanchan, NAS Mangalore

[skanchan95]

This is the view that I get to see most of the days from my office window at around 12:30 PM - an AI A320 climbing out, bound for Mumbai.



The other photos of the AI A320 model taken in Natural Light, - in-flight config.

[V.Narayan]

^^^^^^^^^
Sandesh, thank you for taking the trouble of posing your 8-aircraft strong USN squadron. It is amazing how much bigger the Super Hornet is to the original Hornet! The Americans are really quite adept and moulding and twisting aircraft around - Super Guppies come to mind. Great photos all of them - USN and Air India.

[libranof1987]

I have been a silent follower/admirer of this thread for a really long time and am very excited to contribute to it now! Courtesy Mr. Narayan who has been a terrific inspiration to start collecting.

I can't thank skanchan95 enough for all the advice and guidance in the buying and assembly process!

The Sukhoi SU30













The Spitfire





Them resting in the hangar!

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

I have been a silent follower/admirer of this thread for a really long time and am very excited to contribute to it now! Courtesy Mr. Narayan who has been a terrific inspiration to start collecting.

I can't thank skanchan95 enough for all the advice and guidance in the buying and assembly process!

The Sukhoi SU30

The Spitfire

Congratulations!! Welcome to this thread - the best kept secret on Team BHP. And you have started with the Queen of the skies the veritable Su-30MKI. Glad skanchan95 helped you out. He is a very helpful and generous person.

Su-30 ....Fantastic. What a lethal beauty. Even while on the tarmac its gait and stance is like that of a panther about to strike. Both the Su-30MKI and the Spitfire look great. Here's a cheer to many more. Get ready to drain your pocket.

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

^^^^^^^^^
Sandesh, thank you for taking the trouble of posing your 8-aircraft strong USN squadron. It is amazing how much bigger the Super Hornet is to the original Hornet!

Thank you Sir.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

The Americans are really quite adept and moulding and twisting aircraft around - Super Guppies come to mind.

That they most certainly are. Another great example that immediately comes to mind is the EA-6B Prowler, which of was derived from the A-6 Intruder.

Originally Posted by libranof1987

I have been a silent follower/admirer of this thread for a really long time and am very excited to contribute to it now! Courtesy Mr. Narayan who has been a terrific inspiration to start collecting.

Congratulations and the two are a great and thoughtful set of models to make your debut on the thread with. Both are excellently detailed models.

The two represent two distinct periods in our aviation history. The Spitfire was flying in the IAF/RIAF when our country became independent. Today, the Su-30 represents modern Indian Air Power. So the models with which you kick-started your collection are truly amazing in that sense.

The Indianization of the Spitfire or, more appropriately, the Spitfire-ization of the Indian/Royal Indian AF began in 1943 when Indian pilots like then Plt Offr (later Air Chief) Idris Latif were sent to the UK to convert on the Spitfire Mk V. The Indian Spitfire story began with the ferry in of a Mk IV PR version, on 05 October, 1942. While RIAF squadrons did not operate the Spitfire in Burma ops, they played a stellar role there and later after independence, pushing back Pakistani intruders in Kashmir in the first Kashmir War. Till their retirement in the early 60s, the IAF had operated many variants of the Spitfire. The Mk.XVIII & Mk.XIX variants of the Spitfire in IAF livery were perhaps the only Spitfires flying (or elsewhere in the world) at the time.

Till the Rafale deal was signed, the Su-30 was the last major fighter type acquisition by the IAF in the mid-90s(which now seems such a long time ago). While the original IAF Su-30K/MKs have been long gone and many of those ex-IAF machines are currently in service with the Angolan Air Force, the Su-30's ultimate evolution - the Su-30MKI continues to dominate Indian skies and will continue do so alongside Rafales in the coming decades. With that being said, I wish some day some model manufacturer makes an actual Su-30MKI.

Its is great there are three proud owners of the IAF Su-30 in this thread. Request you to share the Serial nos of your Su-30 because each of our Su-30 is numbered and unique. Mine is 051/600.

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by skanchan95

1:72 Northrop Grumman E-2C Hawkeye 164496, VAW-126 "Seahawks", USS Harry S. Truman, May 2011(Hobby Master)

Wow! Thats a beautifully detailed Hawkeye!
Thats a rare model, haven't seen it online anywhere.

I think a Tomcat with the wings completely unswept would probably have a wingspan bigger than the E-2C.
Some pictures from your 1/72 fleet will prove my hypothesis!

Regarding the F-14 vs Mig-23 incident, in my opinion it was just an act bullying
by the US. All the aircraft were in International airspace and without any declaration of war the F-14s shotdown the Migs. Libya can't stand up to the US, if those were Russian Mig-23s the F-14s wouldn't even think of doing that.

Originally Posted by skanchan95

The other photos of the AI A320 model taken in Natural Light, - in-flight config.]

Thats a very nice Hogan AI A320. I guess your A320 collection is up to 7-8 now?

I need to get one of those to complete my current Air India fleet.