Kh-20 (AS-3) Kangaroo Cruise Missile Colors

[Dave C.]

I have the A-model Kh-20 (X-20M,AS-3) Kangaroo kit. The painting colors for the exterior are very confusing. Were the missiles painted overall green like the wheel hubs on Soviet A/C or natural aluminum? It also instructs you to paint the intake cone in green. If the missile is overall natural metal, should this intake cone be painted green?

Edited June 11, 2012 by Dave C.

[Flankerman]

I photographed this Kh-20 at Ryazan in 2005.......

..... and this one at Engels in 2007.....

Both are non-operational in museums, but it looks like they have not been touched since being 'retired'.

Ken

[general melchett]

Hi Dave,

I built one of these a while back...great kit and quite a size ! As Ken photos point out they were left natural metal overall with a 'Russian green' nose cone. I went with the red covers as I liked the contrast.

Hope this helps,

Melchie...

[Madam I'm Adam]

Super coolio....can you tell us something about them?

Cheers

Adam

[Flankerman]

Super coolio....can you tell us something about them?

Cheers

Adam

According to Yefim Gordon's "Soviet/Russian Aircraft Weapons since WWII".....

The Kh-20 is derived from the airframe of the unsuccessful Mikoyan I-7 interceptor. It was powered by the Lyul'ka AL-7F-13 short-life axial-flow turbojet featuring a fixed-area supersonic Lavat nozzle - the later Kh-20M has an AL-7FK engine with a subsonic fixed-area converging nozzle.

The missile is carried (by the Tu-95K) on a BD-206 hydraulically actuated centreline pylon and is semi-recessed in the fuselage.

More details on Wiki

The B&W photos in the above book show the missile in what appears to be a pale grey colour overall with a darker radome - the colour photos at the back show the same missile I photographed at Ryazan - but it appears to have had a lick of paint applied - in pale grey - it isn't as faded as my pics.

Ken