Antti_K

Hello Colin, at least the antenna appeared on Mk.XIIs and PR.XIXs. An interesting detail is that the antenna wasn't located on the airplane center line. It was slightly off to Port side on Mk.XIIs. It wasn't on the center line in PR.XIX either. Cheers, Antti

That's exactly what I've read from a French aviation magazine (Ailes Francaises). There was an article about GR II/33 and some photos and profiles of the Lightnings. Cheers, Antti

Yes, they were black and few examples also had that vertical white band painted on them. Finnish AF only re-painted the instrument panels if reconnaissance equipment was installed (a weird combination of British Vinten cameras, French sighting system and Finnish electronics packed into Soviet built napalm tank). Then only the affected parts of the IPs were painted with a colour resembling Dark Sea Grey. Turquoise was never used on F -models; only in BIS. Cheers, Antti

You are welcome Lee There is actually one genuine Brewster Buffalo (a wreck; on loan from Pensacola) and a fully restored Finnish prototype called "Humu". It was a desperate attempt to save metal and so wooden wings were designed and attached to a Buffalo fuselage. The original Wright Cyclone engine was replaced with a Soviet built M-62 radial engine. The prototype wasn't very promising and it was let to rotten until the 70s when a group of volunteers restored it completely. The Buffalo is a Winter War veteran although it carries the Continuation War paint scheme when it was shot down. That Blenheim (which is the only surviving Blenheim in the World) was built under license here in Finland and it entered service in 1944. Cheers, Antti

Hello Lee, a light or medium blue-grey was used on those that served with Finnish Air Force. Humbrol 87 would be my starting point. Humbrol 77 and 96 are both far too dark. The instrument panel was flat black but everything else (including the seat) was blue-grey. And lots of bright red knobs, levers and placards. Here you can have a virtual 360 view in one of Finnish MiG's cockpit. It is in original condition. https://ilmavoimamuseo.fi/virtualmuseum/ Choose the MiG-21 cockpit view from the left (number 22) Cheers, Antti

This really is a masterpiece. Excellent painting and finishing. One detail caught my eye: did Me-163 really have navigation lights? Cheers, Antti

Hello David, No 2 Squadron used that "dark" colour also on some of their PR.XIXs. I remember seeing a colour photo showing either black or very dark blue. Cheer, Antti

Finnish Air Force operated Drakens for over three decades. Good enough excuse, wouldn't you say

I nearly fell in to that trap myself and had to check that with real airplane. There shouldn't be a clear step. The tail cone is slightly wider than the rear fuselage on later models with bigger afterburner. Sand the front end of the tail cone carefully to make a smoothly curved joint. This is one of the very few photos that show how the tail cone gets wider: https://www.ilmailumuseot.fi/tuotteet.html?id=20172/264248 Note how the light reflects from the tail cone. Cheers, Antti

Hello guys, the Airfix kit is pretty good despite its age. If one wishes to improve it, then one should: - correct the fuselage spine as it should rise more steeply just behind the canopy - move the fin antenna on top of the fuselage backwards - shorten the main landing gear legs. Otherwise the model won't sit correctly nose up - drill the bolts away from the main wheels - remove the raised panel lines and replace them with carved ones (as Draken is very "clean" aircraft) - create proper air intakes to avoid the the see through effect - create deeper jet pipe - add small details (cockpit, T-shaped temperature probe, spear-shaped antenna on top of the fuselage, landing lights, details for the gear legs etc. Cheers, Antti

I would say go for the Hasegawa kit which is also available in Revell boxing. Cheers, Antti

Hello guys, I purchased an eBook for Kindle and it certainly is worth the price. It was nice to see so many so far unpublished photos of the Whirlwinds. Another interesting thing are the pilot's biographies. Cheers, Antti

Excellent point Giampiero. And it is not that difficult conversion, if one chooses to model the reconnaissance version. In the 90s the VVS tactics was to send a single SU-24MR (or a MiG-25RB) to check the target and then the main force arrived over the target after some 20-25 minutes. The attack plan was to use the strength of the whole regiment (some 45 to 50 planes). I was surprised to see that they still used the same (30+ years old) tactics in Ukraine just one month ago. Cheers, Antti

Hello Lee, you are most welcome. At least the dark brown- dark green- pale blue example (Bort number 92) in Blimpyboy's photos is/was a Kubinka based export version that was used for training foreign customers. VVS have their Fencers in Grey/white camouflage. Unfortunately I'm not familiar with ICM's MiG, so I can't tell whether the bombs and pylons/adapters are OK as such. Blimpyboy's photos show that slightly different pylon adapters were carried in the 1980s than in the 1990s (as in my model). I wonder what's wrong with the photos, as I can see them normally... Villagephotos has been "weird" lately. Hopefully the problem goes away. I chose a 67.BAP plane as they were the closest to Finland. In a time of war they would have been over Helsinki in just minutes. And Fencers have excellent attack suites. They will hit if they wish so. During the 1980s Fencer Cs were also based at Amari Air Base in Estonia. Only some 100 kilometers away from Helsinki. Cheers, Antti

Hello Lee, as you said, the paint colours were and are standard: medium blue grey and white. There is however some possibilities as Fencers (both C and D) carried three slightly different paint schemes over the years. Photos show that Fencer Ds had originally the whole nose right up to the windshield painted white. Later only the radome and top of the nose were white. Both the wing and elevator leading edges were originally painted white and only a narrow band of white was seen on upper surfaces. This "band" got broader over the years and finally it was removed completely giving all grey upper surfaces. During the final years of USSR the planes were often touched up with locally mixed paint giving a rather patchy appearance. The planes were usually parked in the open and the colours faded considerably. You can see red stars that were turned into brown. Some Fencer Cs that participated at the war in Afghanistan carried crudely applied personal insignia. Normally no such markings were carried. FS36320 is a perfect match for the grey. Remember to weather your Fencer properly. Especially the undersides were very dirty between the ventral fins. On paper Fencers have huge payloads, but in reality the most common combat load was -and is- four 500 kg FAB-500 free falling bombs. Mockups of various "smart" weapons have been shown in airshows but only some of them were actually developed into operational weapons. FAB-500s are usually carried under the fuselage and on outer wing pylons. I downloaded a copy of a weapon sells catalogue from the Russian manufacturer's website to get accurate measurements for the bombs, but I guess it isn't available anymore. The best possible reference is this: https://www.amazon.com/Sukhoi-Fencer-Aerofax-Yefim-Gordon/dp/1857802020 It gives you a highly detailed information about the structures, equipment, manufacturing, units and lots and lots of photos. With the help of this book you can get all antennas, weapons, paint schemes and markings right. Highly recommended! Here is some photos of my Trumpeter 1/48 scale (the best kit on the market). It isn't perfect, if you wish an accurate model but the corrections are easy. For example Trumpeter has created an imaginary surface detailing for the rear fuselage. Fill the wrong ones and scribe new panels using photos as a guide. This applies to both sides. The wing root "glove wasn't convincing, so I replaced it completely with scratch built items. A small piece of Plasticard was applied to the fin's leading edge to create a proper step. A new infra red censor was built of Plasticard, as the kit part was out of shape and too small. The fuselage spine was badly out of shape in this example, so thick Plasticard and Milliput were required. Note also those plastic strips around the air to air refueling probe recess. They are yet waiting for some work to turn into proper details. A scratch built anti flash curtain was added on top of the glare shield. Both the leading edge slats and flaps were wrong. So I filled the holes and original panel lines and created new ones. My model depicts a 67.BAP Su-24M based at Siiverska Air Base close to Sankt Peterburg during the 1990s. "Blue 44"'s construction number is 0415301 and it is currently based at Montsegorsk Air Base close to Murmansk. The model is painted by brush using Humbrol enamels. Wing pylons are a cross between kit parts and scratch building. You don't get correct parts from the box, if you wish to create this most common war load of four FAB-500 bombs. Note the Cyrillic script (Za tedja Ljobumaja = to you my love) on the bomb. I got the idea from a social media photo posted by a 67.BAP armourer while participating in a live weapons exercise at Astrakhan ranges. If you follow the instructions step by step, you will have the wings spread and everything down. As I wanted movable wings, all flaps, slats and spoilers had to be attached in the closed position. The fit wasn't great. It was also "mandatory" to finish the wings completely before joining the fuselage halves. I planned a mechanism for turning the wing pylons along the wings, but they are too thin. So in my model the wing pylons are permanently fixed in the high speed flight position. Note also that the red stars point forwards when the wings are swept back. Note all the oil and hydraulic fluid streaks between the ventral fins. Fencers belonging to training units were kept clean and in fresh paint but those belonging to operational units were dirty and well weathered. Note also the bomb load. HTH, Cheers, Antti

Hello D, did I understand your request correctly: you are looking for pictures that show how film magazines were inserted into the cameras that already are in the plane's nose? I guess you could also add an Airman inserting film into the magazine using a special bag that resembles a long sleeved blouse. Cheers, Antti

Hello Dennis, I'm very interested to see your Mk.XII build, as I made a conversion joining Eduard Mk.VIII and the nose of an Airfix PR.XIX. My Mk.XII is currently at the paint shop. Cheers, Antti

I'm not 100% certain but I think the fences had something to do with the larger weapon pylons used on C -model and export Ds. Such things can cause severe problems with stability. For example MiG-21 which had one of the best aerodynamics ever, became a beast with the center line pylon attached. Everything was pretty smooth if you carried something, but carry an empty CL pylon and the plane wouldn't fly straight. The very same phenomenon occurred with our Learjet 24 equipped for special missions; with an empty center line pylon (even though a small one) the plane was wandering from side to side. Cheers, Antti

Hello Neil, my current project is a Mk.XII. It has been one of the easiest conversions I've ever made. Because the Eduard kit is so good I'm planning also a Mk.XIV in SEAC markings. One small detail for you, as Mk.XII and Seafire Mk.XV are closely related if I may: The torque caused a violent swing to Starboard during take-off runs as Griffon rotated counter-clockwise. Therefore the pilot had to apply left rudder. To ease the take-offs a lower oleo pressure was used on Port landing gear. So I cut a small length of the oleo away. I don't know whether similar measures were used on Seafire Mk.XVs. Cheers, Antti

Hello Neil, by just looking at the photo you posted I would say Sky. I'm curious: which kit are you going to build? I'm just finishing my 1/48 scale Spitfire conversion (Eduard Mk.VIII and Airfix PR.XIX). Cheers, Antti

Hello Anthony, stunning work with the NLG bay! I think there is no need for further detailing as all those extra pipes, leads and hoses would actually hide the fact that you've done excellent work detailing the area. I ended up with the same solution with that panel under the nose. Finally I added a piece of Plasticard and only then I was able to move forward. Already waiting for a report about the cockpits Cheers, Antti

And were they actually boards? A canvas "flag" sounds much easier to handle. Cheers, Antti

Hello Tom & Co., The wing fences were a feature of the earlier marks (like SU-24C) and the original export version of SU-24D. They weren't attached into those Ds destined for VVS. The export version had also different attack and avionics suite, so check all references carefully if you choose to model one of these. Cheers, Antti

Hello Tom, I built mine when the kit was first released "some" years ago. Fencer D has high payload on paper (8.000 kg IIRC) but in reality that severely restricts the aircraft's range. Most common war load is four 500 kilogram FAB (Fugasnaja Aviatsija Bomba). Most of the smart weapons seen at air shows are mock-ups and VVS units concentrates on dropping iron bombs when they go for their "Red Flag" exercises into the Live Weapons Range at Astrakhan. It looks like 60 % of the Trumpeter kit's part frames are for weapons. Despite the huge number of weapons provided you can't build the most common load of four FAB-500s. Those two bombs(!) in the box are also pretty bad examples of FAB-500s. You need to fix them and build the other two out of scratch. Also the adapters for these bombs are out of shape. An interesting subject would be one the Fencer Ds equipped with the modernized attack suite and avionics. The avionics upgrade package was designed and built by a government company Gefest i T. Their logo is painted on those Fencers carrying the new avionics pack. I haven't checked whether this logo is already available as after market. When I was building my model those planes were mainly based at Russian Air Force Academy at Lipetsk. Note that the "Chemodans" (as SU-24s are called in Russia) based at Lipetsk are kept in fresh paint and clean. Most operational units have now re-painted their SU-24s but normally they are pretty dirty. Especially on the undersides. I finished my model as "Blue 44" of 67.BAP based at Siiverska Air Base south-west of St Peterburg. The unit moved to Montsegorsk AB near Murmansk some years ago. Cheers, Antti

Hello guys, the first highway-bases were first built in Finland in the 1960s. Since then they have been used by MiG-21s, SAAB Drakens, DC-3s, BAe Hawks, Fouga Magisters, F/A-18s and even Il-28s. All this has been possible thanks to a through planning well in advance. This means that "an air base" was fully planned at the same time with the road. Electricity supply, fuel storage, communications lines, dispersal areas, ammunition storage areas and so on. For example a fully equipped ATC is built in a container that can be delivered to the site by a lorry. Then simply open the hatches covering the power and comm. lines and you are ready for the first take-off. And all the time everything has to be camouflaged and hidden from view. An addition introduced with F/A-18s was the cable arresting system into highway air bases. Hornet's engines are designed for smooth surfaces and therefore a special brush and vacuuming systems were designed and built. Finnish Air Force has written off several GE F-404 engines when they've ingested a single bristle from a cleaning machine. Snow removal is an important item in countries like Finland and Sweden. And it takes hundreds of men and women to protect a single airbase all the time. I would say that an air force can utilize highway strips only if these have been prepared for the task. Without all the supporting equipment and staff it is impossible to operate a flight of fighters from a temporary base. MiGs, Drakens and Il-28s weren't especially sensitive to "dirty" surfaces. Here is a very nice video showing a modern highway air base in Finland: https://www.facebook.com/Ilmavoimat/videos/baana-20-hosion-maantietukikohta/927732964303116/ And here's an older example showing Drakens in action. At 0:22 Senior Lieutenant Hannes Bjurström is seen as a simulator instructor. I worked together with "Bjusa" in Finnair. Scenes from a highway base at 01:40 and on: As you can see, it takes a lot of preparation, equipment and staff to efficiently run one flight out of an highway airbase. I think that the Ukrainians may use highway strips in emergency, but if there is no prepared infrastructure that's all they can do. Highway strips can also be used as emergency runways (for take-offs only) if the runway in an air base is bombed and there is a taxiway between these two. It also takes extra training for pilots as you tend to be late with flare out. On final it always seems that you are hopelessly high but that's just an illusion. The road is narrow when compared to proper runways. And the trees are tall and very close. Cheers, Antti