[V.Narayan]

Messerschmitt Bf 110 :: Hobby Master, diecast:: 1:72

Model is about 6.5”long and has a wingspan of about 9”. The model itself is detailed but the stand sucks.

When the German Luftwaffe drew up the specifications in 1934 for a twin engine, cantilever all-metal monoplane it was one of the most modern & forward looking specs drawn up anywhere. The Bf 110 was the fore runner of the multi-role combat aircraft and conceptually was aimed at fulfilling a similar role. In some ways the later, and more successful, de Havilland Mosquito took the concept of the Bf110 to its natural apogee in WW2.

The Bf 110 was conceived as a long range fast twin engine fighter which at the same time could serve as a light fast bomber and direct ground support aircraft. It acquired a bad reputation in the Battle of Britain where maneuverability versus the Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane was concerned but other wise redeemed itself well in other theatres of that war. The Bf110 served as a fighter-bomber, as a night fighter and as a recce aircraft. It was the first purpose designed fighter-bomber in the world and also the first to have multi-purpose pylons that could carry bombs or tanks as needed. It was also one of the early aircraft to possess leading edge slats that aided in flight control authority in slow and low flying and in steep dives.

The Bf 110 could hit a top speed of 336 mph (297 knots) which was a good showing for 1936 when it first flew but eclipsed by the 400+mph that the Mosquito to flap away at. Armed typically with 2 x 20mm and 3 or 4 x 7.92mm guns and racks for a combined bomb load of 1350 kgs.

It was in the role as a night fighter, often armed with the surprisingly effective Schräge Musik upward-firing twin auto 20mm cannon offensive armament installation, that the Bf 110 and its pilots achieved their greatest successes. Luftwaffe night fighter ace Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer was the highest scorer in the Defence of the Reich campaign and ended the war with 121 aerial victories, virtually all of them achieved while flying examples of the Bf 110

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Messerschmitt Bf 110 :: Hobby Master, diecast:: 1:72


It was in the role as a night fighter, often armed with the surprisingly effective Schräge Musik upward-firing twin auto 20mm cannon offensive armament installation, that the Bf 110 and its pilots achieved their greatest successes. Luftwaffe night fighter ace Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer was the highest scorer in the Defence of the Reich campaign and ended the war with 121 aerial victories, virtually all of them achieved while flying examples of the Bf 110

Great addition your WWII Luftwaffe collection. The early night fighters had a peculiar array of antennas for the radars that made them look like huge insects in some ways. Here is an example that survives in the RAF museum in London.



BTW welcome back to the dark side, Reichsmarschall Göring sends his regards and encourages you to stay here

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by Foxbat

Great addition your WWII Luftwaffe collection.
BTW welcome back to the dark side, Reichsmarschall Göring sends his regards and encourages you to stay here

Comrade Foxbat, I wonder what is this....circled in black. Creeping in under an Allied bomber in the pitch blackness of night just 50 metres below are letting loose with 2 upward firing 20mm must have required enormous skill. In the night flying at 20,000 feet on a moonless night with no light from the ground (or sea) pitch black is a pitch black we don't encounter on land ever. My salute to those German airmen.

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Comrade Foxbat, I wonder what is this....circled in black. Creeping in under an Allied bomber in the pitch blackness of night just 50 metres below are letting loose with 2 upward firing 20mm must have required enormous skill. In the night flying at 20,000 feet on a moonless night with no light from the ground (or sea) pitch black is a pitch black we don't encounter on land ever. My salute to those German airmen.

Kamerad Narayan, I immediately left office work to address this urgent question of yours

Those are the attachments underneath the fuselage where a twin 20mm ventral gun pod could be fitted.



I also came across this interesting article from an imperialist propaganda website: How the Me-110 Became a Bomber’s Worst Nightmare https://www.historynet.com/how-the-m...-nightmare.htm

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Messerschmitt Bf 110 :: Hobby Master, diecast:: 1:72

Lovely model, sir. You have a great taste in the models you select for your collection. Congratulations.

What are those blue stickers on the tail fins? I suppose they are to mask the Nazi Swastika finflash?

[Foxbat]

1/72 Indian Air Force MiG-21bis of the No.45 Flying Daggers Squadron.
Flown by the CO Wing Commander Zaki, Serial C2210.












The real aircraft



According to Bharat Rakshak website this particular aircraft Serial C2210 was converted into an upgraded Mig-21 'Bison' later on.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by Foxbat

1/72 Indian Air Force MiG-21bis of the No.45 Flying Daggers Squadron.
Flown by the CO Wing Commander Zaki, Serial C2210.

The real aircraft

According to Bharat Rakshak website this particular aircraft Serial C2210 was converted into an upgraded Mig-21 'Bison' later on.

Congratulations big time on this most delightful acquisition. Not only a MiG-21 but one of the IAF to boot and actually a well known tail number. A true asset to your squadron....more like a wing now. . My bias at work here. I just find the MiG-21s design timeless. The whole world was going for tail-less deltas which gave the pros of great top speed and acceleration but with the cons of speed and manoeuverability bleeding off in a tight turn - Mirage III, Delta F-104, Delta F-106, Avro Vulcan, Mirage IV, Convair B-58 Hustler etc. And MiG brought in the tailed delta and in one go built the most manoeuverable fast jet in service. One brilliant American designer arrived independently at the same solution - Ed Heinemann who fathered the superlative Douglas Skyhawk A-4. To think that including the Chengdu J-7 about 14,000 of this aircraft were built is mind boggling. It remains the most produced supersonic jet fighter ever and the 2nd most produced jet aircraft of any kind ever produced {the first position going to the MiG-15 !!}

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Congratulations big time on this most delightful acquisition. Not only a MiG-21 but one of the IAF to boot and actually a well known tail number. A true asset to your squadron....more like a wing now. . My bias at work here. I just find the MiG-21s design timeless. The whole world was going for tail-less deltas which gave the pros of great top speed and acceleration but with the cons of speed and manoeuverability bleeding off in a tight turn - Mirage III, Delta F-104, Delta F-106, Avro Vulcan, Mirage IV, Convair B-58 Hustler etc. And MiG brought in the tailed delta and in one go built the most manoeuverable fast jet in service. One brilliant American designer arrived independently at the same solution - Ed Heinemann who fathered the superlative Douglas Skyhawk A-4. To think that including the Chengdu J-7 about 14,000 of this aircraft were built is mind boggling. It remains the most produced supersonic jet fighter ever and the 2nd most produced jet aircraft of any kind ever produced {the first position going to the MiG-15 !!}

Thanks Narayan. All that knowledge is begging to be shared, how about a detailed thread on the Fishbed like you have done for the Foxbat and others?
I checked there is one from 2009 on the forum but not very accurate or detailed like yours are


This is a plastic kit made in the Czech Republic bought from a eBay seller in small town in Poland. Quality of the kit was good but the decals are terrible. The parts don't have numbers on them and the instructions have the wrong part numbers for much of the assembly. To matters worse the kit came with nearly 2 versions of the same parts to make different versions of the Mig-21

Speaking of Chinese knockoffs, my Fishbed has met one:

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by Foxbat

1/72 Indian Air Force MiG-21bis of the No.45 Flying Daggers Squadron.
Flown by the CO Wing Commander Zaki, Serial C2210.

That's a work of art Foxbat!!! Its treat to see those pics. Nice Work.

No. 45 Squadron's MiG-21bis pilot Sqdn Ldr Prashant Bundela shot down a Pakistani Atlantique just after the Kargil War using an R-60 IRM. If only his Atlantique killing MiG-21bis's serial number was known.

There's a minor correction needed- the green in the finflash always points towards the cockpit in all IAF aircraft (MiG-25R & Canberra PR.57/67s were notable but puzzling exceptions).

Originally Posted by Foxbat

Speaking of Chinese knockoffs, my Fishbed has met one:

Had it been a J-7II, you could have used your superlative skills to repaint it in Pakistani colours and set up a diorama of your IAF MiG-21bis in position for a Fox 2 kill on the PAF J-7II/F-7P

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by skanchan95

That's a work of art Foxbat!!! Its treat to see those pics. Nice Work.


There's a minor correction needed- the green in the finflash always points towards the cockpit in all IAF aircraft (MiG-25R & Canberra PR.57/67s were notable but puzzling exceptions).

Thanks Skanchan, while researching on this colour scheme I came across one of the skins you had made for this particular squadron online 5 years ago:

https://combatace.com/files/file/157...-type-75-skin/

Great attention to detail , the finflash has been put on backwards as given in the instructions.


However it is impossible to correct now without ruining the decal.

[skanchan95]

1:400 Jet Airways Boeing 737 MAX 8 VT-JXA (JC Wings)
VT-JXA was the first Boeing 737 MAX 8 delivered to Jet Airways in June 2018. At the time Jet Airways ceased operations, they had seven MAX 8s in their fleet (JXA, JXB, JXC, JXD, JXE, JXF & JXG)

VT-JXA stats
Status : Stored (as 2-JXAX Celestial Aviation trading ltd.)
Registration : VT-JXA
Airline : Jet Airways
Serial number : 44861 LN : 6973
Type : 737-8MAX
First flight date : 01/06/2018
Date of Delivery : 23/06/2018
Engines : 2 x CFMI LEAP-1B









Boeing Experimental Flight test








The Original & it's Ultimate Evolution












1:400 Indian AIrliners in my collection






In flight








Brilliant detailing on the model - all the markings and antennas modeled.




The real VT-JXA


As I was taking photographs of the model, an Indigo A321NEO bound for Mumbai flew overhead. After 9W's demise, they captured Jet Airways passenger traffic from & to Mangalore and fly as many flights from Mangalore as Jet Airways did(to Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi & Chennai).

[V.Narayan]

Thanks Narayan. All that knowledge is begging to be shared, how about a detailed thread on the Fishbed like you have done for the Foxbat and others?

I'm lost about what next to write - 'IAF History in pictures' or 'MiG-21' or (when it is in full service) the 'Tejas' or maybe something else like the 'Indian Navy action in 1971' or 'IAF transport aircraft'. In aviation the interest on Team BHP is limited to a little bit of photos on fast combat aircraft.

Originally Posted by Foxbat

Speaking of Chinese knockoffs, my Fishbed has met one:

Another lovely acquisition I admire your patience with the assembly models. I have lost that art. Maybe I should revive it. But I'm too lazy and couldn't colour it like needed.

Originally Posted by skanchan95

1:400 Jet Airways Boeing 737 MAX 8 VT-JXA (JC Wings)
1:400 Indian AIrliners in my collection

Congratulations skanchan95. While your MAX is walking the ramp showing its paces and graces I'm oogling at the B373-200 in Indian Airline colours. I'm jealous. Where did you bag that one from? Your collection of Indian airlines' is quite formidable now.

Originally Posted by Foxbat

Kamerad Narayan, I immediately left office work to address this urgent question of yours
Those are the attachments underneath the fuselage where a twin 20mm ventral gun pod could be fitted.

Danke Comrade. Danke. The Me 110 did indeed shoot down 1400, IIRC, Allied bombers. While I respect the Allies their bombing campaign over both Germany & Japan was intentional & planned murder and intended to be so.

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by Foxbat

Thanks Skanchan, while researching on this colour scheme I came across one of the skins you had made for this particular squadron online 5 years ago:

Great attention to detail ,
.

Thank you. Yes, I loved painting 'skins' for IAF specific mods and ended up making skins for all IAF models that were ever made for the sim and MiG-21 skins and serial numbers were an area of special interest. It was a great learning experience for me because I ended up reading and researching so much for the IAF specific mods that were made for the sim. Great bunch of guys there on Combatace, many of whom I am proud to call as friends.

Originally Posted by Foxbat

However it is impossible to correct now without ruining the decal.

That is sad. It is minor blemish on what is a outstandingly well done model.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

I'm lost about what next to write - 'IAF History in pictures' or 'MiG-21' or (when it is in full service) the 'Tejas' or maybe something else like the 'Indian Navy action in 1971' or 'IAF transport aircraft'. In aviation the interest on Team BHP is limited to a little bit of photos on fast combat aircraft.

My vote and request would be for an article on MiG-21s in IAF service. It is a topic that is an encyclopedia in itself considering the gigantic numbers of MiG-21s operated by the IAF. Your writing skills and knowledge on the topic would make it a treat to read.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Congratulations skanchan95. While your MAX is walking the ramp showing its paces and graces I'm oogling at the B373-200 in Indian Airline colours. I'm jealous. Where did you bag that one from? Your collection of Indian airlines' is quite formidable .

Thank you sir. All of them were bought from DBJets. While the IC 737-200 is by Aeroclassics, the 9W 737MAX is from JC Wings. The JC Wings 737 max model is a notch above Aeroclassics 737 model in terms of quality, detailing and features.

[V.Narayan]

Supermarine Spitfire Mk XIX :: IAF :: Custom made 1:72 scale plastic

The aircraft enthusiast who needs an introduction to the Spitfire does not exist. It is one of the most well recognized names in all aircraft history. In the IAF the Spitfire fighter versions came into service only in 1947 after war surplus aircraft were sold by Britain at moderate prices. Earlier in WW2 we had photo reconnaissance versions. The IAF mainly operated the Rolls Royce Griffon powered, 5-blade propellor driven Mark XIV and Mark XVIII and the Photo Reconnaissance Mark XIX. We also had a few PR versions powered by the earlier Merlins. In all the Spitfire served in 15 squadrons of the IAF though at any point in time the peak strength was probably 8 to 9 squadrons. The aircraft served with the IAF from 1947 to 1959.

The Spitfire along with its chief rival the German Bf 109 and the Japanese Zero were the only fighter aircraft to remain in production through the entire duration of WW2. Reginald Smith’s outstanding designs greatest quality, characteristic of the top aeronautical designs, was its ability to scale up without losing its basic goodness of fighter like qualities. Over 1935 to 1948 the Spitfire Marks more than doubled in power and an increased all up weight by over 1.5X and top speed was improved from 360 mph to 454 mph {570 kmph to 713 kmph}.

The model below is the Mk XIX photo reconnaissance fighter version in colours used in the Kashmir conflict of 1948. It sports the original symbols of the IAF that were used briefly 1947 to 1950. The Mk 19 was the final and most competent PR version of all Spitfires with the ability to climb to 43,000 feet for PR duties and a top speed of ~450 mph which was adequate, in the propeller era, to outrun any enemy that managed to climb up to engage you.

I always wanted a Spitfire and what better than one in IAF colours. This creation of Basuroy has fulfilled that wish. Basu has an eye for detail and a skill for painting to perfection including the rough ‘used’ look. This one with the old Chakra roundels makes it a rare piece, or so I believe.

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Supermarine Spitfire Mk XIX :: IAF :: Custom made 1:72 scale plastic

Great addition to your IAF collection

10 years ago I saw this IAF Spitfire at the Air Force Museum in Palam, Delhi, not sure which version it was.



Hope the 1/48 Rafale is on its way and has not been intercepted by Indian Customs