[skanchan95]

नभः स्पृशं दीप्तम्





Got a stand for my Su-30 and it was time for a shoot against the clear blue sky.









Not an MKI but still....

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by skanchan95

1:72 Messerschmitt Bf109G6 Luftwaffe 1./JG 27, Emil Klade (Witty Wings)

Originally Posted by skanchan95

1:72 Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX Diecast Model RAF No.611 West Lancashire Sqdn, BS435, 1942 (Witty Wings)

Classics, all time classics, such gorgeous & immortal machines. Looks like you've bagged a lottery :-). The Spitfire vs Bf109 comparison is a fair one as given by you. From the Mark IX onwards the Spitfire moved ahead of the Bf 109G and then gap never closed because of the Bf109 structure not being able to absorb more power. What is not appreciated is that the Bf109 probably shot down more enemy aircraft than any other fighter in history - my educated guess. Something must be there about an aircraft 105 of whose pilots flew on to score over 100 victories each. The Spitfire on the other hand was an inspired genius of a design especially the wing which is why later Marks could top 450 mph ie 25% over the 360 mph of the early Marks and later Griffon powered ones pelted out 2000 hp almost twice the 1100 hp of the early RR Merlins.

Originally Posted by skanchan95

नभः स्पृशं दीप्तम्
Got a stand for my Su-30 and it was time for a shoot against the clear blue sky.

Beautiful photography. I am inspired to do some of my own!

You guys probably know this but the last Bf109s ever built were made by Spain in 1946-55. They needed to beef up their Air Force & they had been assembling the Bf109 during the war (for their own use) in fits and starts with Hispano engines from occupied France. Later they built the final versions ironically with the RR Merlins. The circle of life. Photo below of the HA-1109 as the Spaniards called their Bf109s - this is a flying vintage painted up in German colours.

[V.Narayan]

Sandesh, Foxbat, those photos of the Bf109 and Spitfire got be all woken up to do some shooting of my own on a unemployed Sunday.

So here is the WW2/ Piston fighter 1:72 collection.





Sometime back one of you had asked for a C-17 vs A400M photo. Today I had the time :-)




Though often compared these aircraft belong to two completely different size categories with the C-17 having a MTOW of 265 tonnes and a Max Payload of 77 tonnes versus the A400M's 141 tonnes and 37 tonnes respectively.

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Classics, all time classics, such gorgeous & immortal machines. Looks like you've bagged a lottery :-).
Beautiful photography. I am inspired to do some of my own!

Thank you.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

You guys probably know this but the last Bf109s ever built were made by Spain in 1946-55. They needed to beef up their Air Force & they had been assembling the Bf109 during the war (for their own use) in fits and starts with Hispano engines from occupied France. Later they built the final versions ironically with the RR Merlins. The circle of life. Photo below of the HA-1109 as the Spaniards called their Bf109s - this is a flying vintage painted up in German colours.

If you've seen the movie Battle of Britain, you would have noticed that the Bf109s used in the movie looked funny. They were actually the Spanish-built ones that you have posted in your post above.

When the movie was being made, no original Bf109s were available. In order for the aircraft to better represent a 1940s Bf109, fake cannon barrels were added to the wings and fake machine guns were added to the upper engine cowling. Tailplane struts were also added, and the rounded wingtips were removed. The movie production company was fortunate in that as they started their search for available German fighters the Spanish air force had just retired their entire fleet of Spanish built Bf109s. A large pile of scrapped Bf109s was purchased at auction, and 19 aircraft were reconstructed from the salvage to be used in the movie.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Sandesh, Foxbat, those photos of the Bf109 and Spitfire got be all woken up to do some shooting of my own on a unemployed Sunday.

So here is the WW2/ Piston fighter 1:72 collection.

They look great together and it is a very nice assortment of fighters to own. I guess you forgot to add your Hawker Typhoon. You just have to add a Spitfire to your collection, considering the legends you have in your collection.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Sometime back one of you had asked for a C-17 vs A400M photo. Today I had the time :-)

Though often compared these aircraft belong to two completely different size categories with the C-17 having a MTOW of 265 tonnes and a Max Payload of 77 tonnes versus the A400M's 141 tonnes and 37 tonnes respectively.

Thank you for the photos. It is good to notice the difference in size between the two looking at the model photos.

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by Foxbat

Thats a very striking livery, I think it is supposed to simulate Russian aircraft. The details on the weapons is great. I think this is the 2nd F-16 in your collection with a bold livery.

Yes...the second F-16C. The other one is a Turkish Air Force Block 40 F-16CG "Solo Turk" demo aircraft.

Originally Posted by Foxbat

Thats a very detailed model for the price Would be nice to post your 1/100 collection of Hornets, Phantoms and Eagles.

Here is my 1/100 Fighter collection. I broke the Fulcrum's nose antenna and lost it.












The Super Hornet & the Tomcat - The Super Hornet replaced the F-14D Super Tomcat.






The Phantoms - Cold Robin Old MiG killing SCAT XXVII F-4C & JASDF RF-4E

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Vought Corsair II A-7 :: Medium carrier borne attack aircraft, US Navy :: 1:72 JC Wings

Another rather rare and interesting one in your collection . I see you prefer to get the not so common aircraft models (the mainstream F-14, F/A-18s).

Also whatever happened to the North American RA-5 Vigilante you had ordered?

1/72 Supermarine Spitfire MK Vb YQ-X

Aircraft History: First flight 11th July 1941, then onto 12 Maintenance Unit 16th July 1941. W3458 was delivered to 616 Squadron on 23rd July 1941. It failed to return from operations over Northern France on 9th August 1941.
Pilot: Squadron Leader LH Buck Casson












The World War II collection so far. The Zero despite being a plastic model is more detailed than the other two diecast models.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by Foxbat

Another rather rare and interesting one in your collection . I see you prefer to get the not so common aircraft models (the mainstream F-14, F/A-18s).

yeh sab budhape ke neeshani hainThese are all signs of them greying cells, hair & beard!

Also whatever happened to the North American RA-5 Vigilante you had ordered?

It has become a guest of the Indian Customs Dept somewhere. My attempts to locate it have failed. C'est la vie. Such is life.

1/72 Supermarine Spitfire MK Vb YQ-X
The World War II collection so far. The Zero despite being a plastic model is more detailed than the other two diecast models.

Congratulations on the Spitfire. Welcome to the world of World War II :-). I am sure there are many more to come. I used to have not one but two 1:48 Spitfires. And I managed to lose both over the many years. Losing one can be called an error. But two - man that needs practice & perfection. Can you imagine. Above all else the magic of the Spitfire was in its elliptical wing. You need a Bf109, FW190, Me110, Yak-9 :-)

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by Foxbat

1/72 Supermarine Spitfire MK Vb YQ-X

Good looking Spitfire. Amercom brand is it?

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

It has become a guest of the Indian Customs Dept somewhere. My attempts to locate it have failed. C'est la vie. Such is life.

Bad Luck. And the Su-24?
This is my greatest fear buying models from abroad. Models getting damaged purposely/due to mishandling or worse, stolen by corrupt fellows in the infamous Customs!!! I have heard of tales where models from a lot inside sealed cartons have gone missing at Customs. Frustratingly, there is nothing one can do about it.

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by skanchan95

Good looking Spitfire. Amercom brand is it?

Bad Luck. And the Su-24?
This is my greatest fear buying models from abroad. Models getting damaged purposely/due to mishandling or worse, stolen by corrupt fellows in the infamous Customs!!! I have heard of tales where models from a lot inside sealed cartons have gone missing at Customs. Frustratingly, there is nothing one can do about it.

Yes its Amercom. The EasyModels Zero is plastic but more detailed. I have never lost any models in customs (although they have been delayed a few times when ordering from Germany and China) but I have not bought anything more than $50-60 including shipping.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by skanchan95

Bad Luck. And the Su-24?

Aaah! the Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer.
I purchased it for a kings ransom from a model maker titled Calibre. Very high quality detailing - way beyond JC Wings and HobbyMaster even - but - but - but - they get 0/10 for interface. So I need to find the time to chisel away the parts first and then piece it together with or without glue. My product review here :-
https://www.aircraftmodelstore.co.uk...ellow-15-1-72/

[V.Narayan]

Lockheed F-16 :: 1:72 HobbyMaster :: Mix of diecast & hard plastic
Wing span just under 6 inches; Length ~ 8 inches; movable tail planes; high quality finish and detailing; appendages fit perfectly without glue

Sandesh, Foxbat, both of you have inspired me to go for the American modern day fighters - Corsair II, Viking and now the F-16. :-) Who says habits can't change in old age. Sometimes I wonder if any one else other than the three of us even reads this thread!! there is little I can write on the F-16 that you guys don't know already. When it burst onto the public media in 1975 it looked as futuristic as the Northrop Grumman B-2 Flying Wing looks today.

One of the killer advantages that fly by wire and the F-16s flight control computer brought in was the ability to bring in continuously variable camber to the wing ie modify the shape of the wing, to suit the stage of flight. In earlier aircraft this was done manually with a delay of one or two seconds. One of the photos below from an old book explains this with illustrations.









This B&W photo is my very first photo of the General Dynamics YF-16 (as it was then known) from 1975. Imagine if the pilot here was 36 years old in this photo he would be touching 80 today. And the F-16 is still in production. It has overtaken the MiG-21s record for longest production run of a jet fighter and may now become the jet fighter to stay longest in front line service.




The F-16 with its elder brother the Japanese F-2 - you can see the larger wing and much larger LERX (Leading Edge Root Extension) of the F-2.

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

[b]Sometimes I wonder if any one else other than the three of us even reads this thread!!

Really?!

One question from my side - any models which some of the more interesting mechanical stuff. Like say the landing gear (actually how it is retracted) of say the SUs with bogie wheels?

Regards
Sutripta

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Lockheed F-16 :: 1:72 HobbyMaster :: Mix of diecast & hard plastic

Beautiful model Sir. Congratulations. Thank you for the F-2 and F-16 photo. One can clearly see the difference between the two cousins. That stand looks more like JC Wings/ Witty Wings than Hobby Master.

I think your F-16 is a MiG killer from the first Gulf War, based on the green star kill mark under the port side of the cockpit. So, this makes it an even more nicer acquisition.


EDIT : It is indeed a MiG killer from the first Gulf War. 1st Lt. Craig "Trigger" Stevenson flying F-16C block 30 #86-0262(call sign Devil 01) from the 23rd FS shot down an Iraqi MiG-23 with an AMRAAM that was challenging the no fly zone over Iraq on January 17th, 1993. This kill was the second ever kill using an AMRAAM missile.

[skanchan95]

1:200 Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules Aeronautica Militare <Italian Air Force> MM62186 “46-51”, 2nd Air Squadron, 46th Air Brigade (Hogan)
The Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. The C-130J is a comprehensive update of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, with new engines, flight deck, and other systems. The Hercules family has the longest continuous production run of any military aircraft in history. During more than 60 years of service, the family has participated in military, civilian, and humanitarian aid operations. The Hercules has outlived several planned successor designs, most notably the Advanced Medium STOL Transport contestants. As of February 2018, 400 C-130J aircraft have been delivered to 17 nations.

The C-130J is the newest version of the Hercules and the only model still in production. Externally similar to the classic Hercules in general appearance, the J-model features considerably updated technology. These differences include new Rolls-Royce AE 2100 D3 turboprop engines with Dowty R391 composite scimitar propellers, digital avionics (including head-up displays (HUDs) for each pilot), and reduced crew requirements. These changes have improved performance over its C-130E/H predecessors, such as 40% greater range, 21% higher maximum speed, and 41% shorter takeoff distance. The J-model is available in a standard-length or stretched -30 variant.

The Indian Air Force operates the stretched C-130J-30 version and has 11 aircraft in service with two IAF squadrons - No.77 "Veiled Vipers" & No. 87 "Raiding Raptors".

About C-130J MMI62186 46-51
In order to celebrate the 75,000 flight hours with the C-130J, the 46th Brigata Aerea(Air Brigade) of the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force) painted C-130J serialled MM62186 “46-51” with celebrative markings and tricoloured stripes. The Italian Air Force's 2nd Squadron operates the C-130J , while the 50th squadron operates the stretched C-130J-30 and Italy has a 22 C-130J/J-30s in operation.












The Model












Just above the main landing gears , "Non Male" has been painted which means "Not Bad" in Italian.










My C-130 Fleet - 1 X Turkish C-130E, 1 X USAF C-130H, 1 X RAAF C-130H, 1 X ItAF C-130J






Primary and most visible difference between the C-130J & the older C-130H variant - number of blades on each engine propellor. On the C-130H, there are four blades on each propeller. On the C-130J, there are six blades. The “J” is also faster. It’s top speed is 417 mph, up from 366 in the “H.” And it can hold more weight (164,000 pounds vs 155,000 pounds) and travel farther (2,000+ miles vs 1,208 miles at “maximum normal payload”).

Inside, the differences are more clear. The C-130H requires a minimum crew of five, with two pilots, a navigator, engineer and loadmaster. The more modern C-130J needs only three crew members, two pilots and a loadmaster.

Inside the planes, you could fit 6 pallets, 92 combat troops or 64 paratroopers in the C-130H. Or 8 pallets, 128 combat troops or 92 paratroopers in the C-130J.

[skanchan95]

Added two Su-27UB Flankers to my 1:200 Hogan Fighter collection to compliment the 1:200 IAF Su-30MK I had acquired years ago.

The Su-27UB is the combat capable operational conversion trainer variant of the Su-27 Flanker (Russian for "Uchebno Boevoy" - "Combat Trainer", NATO designation 'Flanker-C') twin-seat trainer, with the pilots seated in tandem.

The early IAF Flanker variants(K/MK) were actually re-packaged version of the Su-27UB.

1:200 Sukhoi Su-27UBK Flanker-C PLAAF 6th Regiment -2nd Division, Suixi Air Base, Guangzhou,China Airframe#30/16330 (Hogan)














1:200 Sukhoi Su-27UB Flanker-C Vietnamese Peoples Air Force 370th Air Division, Phan Rang Air Base, Ninh Thuan Province, Vietnam Airframe#8521 (Hogan)













Typical Early Flanker Missile load 4 X R-73 IR homing AA-11 Archers on the two outer most wing pylons, 2 X R-27T IR homing AA-10 Alamo-B on the inner most wing pylons, 4 X R-27R Semi-Active Radar homing AA-10 Alamo-A on the fuselage weapon pylons



I wish they had painted IAF markings on this as this was the same paint scheme painted on early IAF Flankers.
The IAF Su-30MK Flanker - Hogan 1:200 Scale










The three Hogan Flankers Together