[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by Foxbat

But one alternative what I use is after the decal is dry mix some fevicol glue in water and make it very dilute. Apply a layer of this over the dried decal which is already in place and let it dry using an earbud. This will act like a clear coat protection from fingers.

This is experience speaking!!!!Thank you for your valuable suggestions Foxbat. Much Appreciated.

Gleefully accepted and will try it on a couple of other serial numbers before trying it on the model itself.

Originally Posted by Foxbat

P.S. thats an interesting livery, Swiss Air Force Aerobatics team?

Yes, It is the Swiss Aerobatics Team- Patrouille Suisse ,operating the F-5E.

[Foxbat]

My latest project, any guesses what aircraft is it? The cockpit colour should be a good hint.

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by Foxbat

My latest project, any guesses what aircraft is it? The cockpit colour should be a good hint.

Su-27UB or Su-30 variant?

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by skanchan95

Su-27UB or Su-30 variant?

No but country of manufacturer is the same.

[skanchan95]

A twin seat MiG-29 variant?

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by skanchan95

A twin seat MiG-29 variant?

Nope, a hint is in my name. A few numbers up or down.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by Foxbat

Nope, a hint is in my name. A few numbers up or down.

Looks like a MiG-31 Foxhound. :-)

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Looks like a MiG-31 Foxhound. :-)

Correct Made, sold and shipped from mother Russia. As authentic as it gets with instructions in Russian and approval from the Russian Aircraft Corporation "MIG".

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by Foxbat

Correct Made, sold and shipped from mother Russia. As authentic as it gets with instructions in Russian and approval from the Russian Aircraft Corporation "MIG".

Attachment 2050547

Pure air dominance!!!!What an aircraft. A prize for this thread

[skanchan95]

1:72 Northrop F-5E Tiger II Patrouille Suisse 55th Anniversary, 2019 (Hobbymaster)
The F-5E Tiger II, a single-seat twin-engined supersonic fighter aircraft, was developed by Northrop Grumman, USA. The aircraft took its maiden flight on 11 August 1972 and entered into service in 1975. It is the upgraded version of the F-5A Freedom fighter aircraft developed by Northrop Grumman in early 1959.

The production of F-5A-21 began in 1970 by Northrop Grumman and at the same time the aircraft was renamed ‘F-5E Tiger II’. The avionics of the F-5E Tiger II are more sophisticated compared to the earlier version F-5A aircraft. It rolled out from production in 1987 and since then has undergone various upgrades to compete with changing combat environments.

The F-5E is powered by two General Electric J85-GE-21B turbojet engines.

A reconnaissance version, the RF-5E Tigereye, with a sensor package in the nose displacing the radar and one cannon, was also offered.

792 F-5Es, 146 F-5Fs and 12 RF-5Es were eventually built by Northrop. More were built under license overseas: Hundreds more were built under license in Switzerland,South Korea and Taiwan.

The F-5E proved to be a successful combat aircraft in service with U.S. allies, but had no combat service with the U.S. Air Force, though the F-5A with modifications, designated F-5C, was flown by the U.S. in Vietnam. The F-5E evolved into the single-engine F-5G, which was rebranded the F-20 Tigershark. It lost out on export sales to the F-16 in the 1980s.

Iranian AIr Force was probably the only air arm with whom teh F-5 saw major combat. IRIAF F-5s were heavily involved in combat against Iraq during teh Iran-Iraq War of the 80s, flying air-to-air and air-to-ground sorties. Iranian F-5s took part in air combat with Iraqi MiGs, Su-20/22, Mirage F-1 and Super Etendards. The exact combat record is not known with many differing claims from Iraqi, Iranian, Western, and Russian sources. There are reports that an IRIAF F-5E, piloted by Major Yadollah Javadpour, shot down a MiG-25 on 6 August 1983.Russian sources state that the first confirmed kill of a MiG-25 occurred in 1985.

During the first years of service, Iranian F-5 fighter aircraft had the advantage in missile technology, using advanced versions of the IR seeking Sidewinder, later lost with deliveries of new missiles and fighters to Iraq.

Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company currently produces three aircraft, the Azarakhsh, Saeqeh, and Kowsar, derived from the F-5.

Swiss AIr Force/Patrouille Suisse
The Swiss Air Force flies a total of 22 F-5E and four F-5F aircraft, down from a peak of 98 and 12 in 1981. They were chosen chiefly because of their excellent performance, suitability for the unique Swiss Air Force mission, and their relatively low maintenance cost per flight hour.

It had been expected these aircraft would be replaced by the Saab JAS 39 Gripen, but in May 2014, a referendum the Swiss people decided against the purchase of the Gripens.

For the foreseeable future, the Swiss Air Force will continue to fly its present F-5s. There are still plans by the Swiss Air Force and in the Swiss parliament to fly 18 F-5E and four F-5F models. This would also include the continued operation of the Patrouille Suisse, in F-5Es until 2018.

The Patrouille Suisse is an aerobatic team of the Swiss Air Force. The team flies six Northrop F-5E Tiger II fighter/bomber jets.

Specifications Northrop F-5E Tiger II
Crew: 1
Dimensions
Length - 47 ft 4.75 in (14.45 m)
Wingspan - 26 ft 8 in (8.13 m)
Height - 13 ft 4.5 in (4.08 m)

Powerplant
2 X General Electric J85-GE-21B turbojet
Dry thrust - 3,500 lbf (15.5 kN) per engine
Thrust with afterburner - 5,000 lbf (22.2 kN) per engine
Internal fuel - 677 US gal (2,563 L)
External fuel - 275 US gal (1,040 L) per tank in up to 3 tanks

Weight
Empty weight - 9,558 lb (4,349 kg)
Loaded weight - 15,745 lb (7,157 kg)
Max takeoff weight - 20,486 lb (9,312 kg)

Performance
Maximum speed - 917 kn (1,060 mph, 1,700 km/h, Mach 1.6)
Range - 760 nmi (870 mi, 1,405 km)
Ferry range - 2,010 nmi (2,310 mi, 3,700 km)
Service ceiling - 51,800 ft (15,800 m)
Rate of climb - 34,400 ft/min (175 m/s)

Armament
Guns – 2 X 20 mm (0.787 in) Pontiac M39A2 Revolver cannons in the nose, 280
rounds/gun
Hardpoints - 7 total (3 X wet): 2 X wing-tip AAM launch rails, 4 X under-wing and 1 X under-
fuselage pylon stations holding up to 7,000 pounds (3,200 kg) of payload.
Rockets
2 X LAU-61/LAU-68 rocket pods (each with 19 X / 7 X Hydra 70 mm rockets, respectively)
or
2 X LAU-5003 rocket pods (each with 19 X CRV7 70 mm rockets)
or
2 X LAU-10 rocket pods (each with 4 X Zuni 127 mm rockets)
or
2 X Matra rocket pods (each with 18 X SNEB 68 mm rockets)
Missiles:
Air-to-air missile:
4 X AIM-9 Sidewinders

Air-to-surface missile:
2 X AGM-65 Mavericks
Bombs: A variety of air-to-ground ordnance such as the Mark 80 series of unguided iron
bombs (including 3 kg and 14 kg practice bombs), CBU-24/49/52/58 cluster bomb
munitions, napalm bomb canisters and M129 Leaflet bomb and laser guided bombs of
Paveway family.
Others: up to 3 X 150/275 US gallon Sargent Fletcher drop tanks for ferry flight or extended
range/loitering time.

Avionics
Emerson Electric AN/APQ-153 radar on early batch of F-5E
Emerson Electric AN/APQ-159 radar on later production F-5E

Although I managed to ruin a couple of decals during application, I can't thank Foxbat enough for his advice on applying these water slide decals ( for the pilot names & aircraft serial numbers). I took some advice from a guy on the Hobbymaster FB page as well. It is relatively an easy job which I thought was tough. It requires a little bit of patience and steady hands - qualities which I lack .



































Reminds of you another aircraft from our immediate neighbourhood, doesn't it?


The location of pilot names in pictures vary from aircraft to aircraft some are right under the canopy, while in some they are under the windshield frame.

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by skanchan95

1:72 Northrop F-5E Tiger II Patrouille Suisse 55th Anniversary, 2019 (Hobbymaster)

There are reports that an IRIAF F-5E, piloted by Major Yadollah Javadpour, shot down a MiG-25 on 6 August 1983.

Great addition to your collection, the US competitor to the Mig-21. I wonder how it would have faired in combat had it come against Russian competitors of the F-16 and F-15 (Mig-29 and Su-27).

The Russians captured many F-5s in the Vietnam war and they were tested extensively by them:
https://duotechservices.com/video-sh...iet-markings-2

http://www.worldofindie.co.uk/?tag=f-5e



Regarding the F-5 vs Mig-25 claim in 1983 this is what an Iraqi veteran had to say:

"The encounter between the Mig-25PD and the Iranians occurred early in the day, and I do remember it was a Friday. The after action report of the Iraqi pilot mentioned that his RWR (type SPO-15) indicated that there was a lock-on by an AWG-9 (radar associated with F-14 aircraft) and then it indicated an AIM-54 Phoenix launch. The Iraqi pilot decided to make two reverses and then dive inside a valley. He was flying in the mountainous area located in Northeast Iran. The lights in his RWR went off and he decided to report that to the Iraqi GCI, before doing so he felt bullets striking the back of his aircraft. He immediately broke off and returned to Iraq.

Next day I went with a group of specialised Iraqi officers to inspect the Iraqi Mig-25PDS in Saddam's AB. We managed to have a fairly good look on the aircraft from all angles there was no indication whatsoever that the aircraft was hit by any missile. Then a ladder was brought and after taking off my boots I walked on the back of the Mig; counting holes and retrieving 2 or 3 bullets. Further analysis showed that it was 20mm ones from the guns of an F-5.

The radar of the Iranian F-5E was not working and this what made the Iraqi unaware of the Iranian aircraft presence. It is now quite clear that the Iranian missile missed the Mig-25PDS and that for unknown reason the Iranian F-14 pilot didn’t press his attack, or that he may have thought that he has shot down the Iraqi Mig. Why didn’t the Iranian F-5E use its AIM-9, this is another unanswered question."

[Foxbat]

The Mikoyan MiG-31 (Russian: Микоян МиГ-31; NATO reporting name: Foxhound) is a supersonic interceptor aircraft developed for use by the Soviet Air Forces. The aircraft was designed by the Mikoyan design bureau as a replacement for the earlier MiG-25 "Foxbat"; the MiG-31 is based on and shares design elements with the MiG-25. The MiG-31 has the distinction of being among the fastest combat jets in the world. It continues to be operated by the Russian Air Force and the Kazakhstan Air Force following the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The Russian Defence Ministry expects the MiG-31 to remain in service until 2030 or beyond and was confirmed in 2020 when an announcement was made to extend the service lifetime from 2,500 to 3,500 hours on the existing airframe.

Like its MiG-25 predecessor, the introduction of the MiG-31 was surrounded by early speculation and misinformation concerning its design and abilities. The West learned of the new interceptor from Lieutenant Viktor Belenko, a pilot who defected to Japan in 1976 with his MiG-25P. Belenko described an upcoming "Super Foxbat" with two seats and an ability to intercept cruise missiles.

1/72 Russian Air Force Mig-31 "Foxhound" Aka the "Super Foxbat" !









Four R-33 long range missiles under the belly and two R-40 missiles from the Mig-25 which are largest air-to-air missile in the world to ever go into production (100 kg is just the warhead).


The Real Mig-31 Number "31"


The MiG-31 was the world's first operational fighter with a passive electronically scanned array radar (PESA), the Zaslon S-800. Its maximum range against fighter-sized targets is approximately 200 km, and it can track up to 10 targets and simultaneously attack four of them with its Vympel R-33 missiles. The radar is matched with an infrared search and track (IRST) system in a retractable undernose fairing.

The MiG-31 was equipped with RK-RLDN and APD-518 digital secure datalinks. The RK-RLDN datalink is for communication with ground control centers. The APD-518 datalink enables a flight of four MiG-31 to automatically exchange radar-generated data within 200 km from each other. It also enables other aircraft with less sophisticated avionics, such as MiG-23,25,29/Su-15,27 to be directed to targets spotted by MiG-31 (a maximum of four (long-range) for each MiG-31 aircraft). The A-50 AEW aircraft and MiG-31 can automatically exchange aerial and terrestrial radar target designation,as well as air defense. The MiG-31 is equipped with ECM of radar and infrared ranges, and is capable of performing combat tasks.

Diagram shows how four Mig-31's can keep up to 1,000Km under control, and how the leader can pass information to friendly fighters.

[V.Narayan]

Heartiest congratulations Foxbat. What a beauty, what an august addition to your collection. This MiG-31 Foxhound is clearly the Queen bee of your fleet now. And to think you assembled it.

The MiG-31 - the last of the original MiGs from that all time famous bureau. It is interesting how they retained the air intakes and basic wing planform of the MiG-25. Imagine having engines that in dry thrust {93kN} were almost the same power as the MiG-25's reheat thrust {100kN}!!!! Imagine doing Mach 1.21 at low altitudes. This was the final shape of the Soviet/Russian need for a long range 'heavy' interceptor/air dominance aircraft.

For some of us no design bureau or OEM can match the magic of those three alphabets MiG.

You can't get away with just five photographs of the model. Yeh dil maange more

Originally Posted by Foxbat

The Mikoyan MiG-31 (Russian: Микоян МиГ-31; NATO reporting name: Foxhound) is a supersonic interceptor aircraft developed for use by the Soviet Air Forces.

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Heartiest congratulations Foxbat. What a beauty, what an august addition to your collection. This MiG-31 Foxhound is clearly the Queen bee of your fleet now. And to think you assembled it.

The MiG-31 - the last of the original MiGs from that all time famous bureau. It is interesting how they retained the air intakes and basic wing planform of the MiG-25. Imagine having engines that in dry thrust {93kN} were almost the same power as the MiG-25's reheat thrust {100kN}!!!! Imagine doing Mach 1.21 at low altitudes. This was the final shape of the Soviet/Russian need for a long range 'heavy' interceptor/air dominance aircraft.

For some of us no design bureau or OEM can match the magic of those three alphabets MiG.

You can't get away with just five photographs of the model. Yeh dil maange more

Thanks Narayan, definitely its the King or Queen of my collection. I have been skipping office work and getting up early on Sunday morning to finish it, my wife thinks I am unwell and can't sleep

I will take more pictures in a day or two (these were strategically taken from angles to cover up the mistakes I have done or some sloppy areas!).

I just came across this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samurra_Air_Battle

On 30 January 1991 two Iraqis Mig-25s ambushed 4 F-15s.

Result according to the Iraqis: 1 F-15 blown out of the sky by a R-40.

According to the US (they never lie) 1 F-15 damaged by an R-40 but it managed to return to base (wonder how it survived 100 kgs of High explosives! )

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

You can't get away with just five photographs of the model. Yeh dil maange more

Some more pics. The landing gear is really complex on the Mig-31 with two wheels on the rear main carriage but not on the same axel and on opposite sides. The assembly of these was really complex and I had to come up with a makeshift solution since I was concentrating on the painting details rather than the actual assembly.