Diego

- Another thing not mentionned here is that the RF-4C had the "straight" ("navy style") underwing pylons, the RF-4E having curved ( "air force") pylons, like the F-4E. - Indeed , Spain operated different RF-4Cs, some with curved noses and some with rounded ones. - The first spanish batch was painted in SEA colors, later, former ANG birds wore Europe One and Hill Grey schemes. The Ejercito del Aire RF-4C fleet was later repainted in a light grey/medium grey air scheme and received israeli made refuelling probes. RF-4C 12-54 wearing the special "night and day" black/gold scheme has a squared nose. BTW: Hi-Decal's RF-4C/E sheet has been recently reprinted and is fully available again. Greetings Diego

Tim, Great to see you have the rudder stripes. As on the available shots of the camouflaged FAR Sea Furys there aren't visible codes on the fuselage, I would suggest you to use only small black markings "FAR" and "541" on the tail. Yellow markings were only applied during a certain period of time to the Sea Fury at "Museo Playa Girón" and, unfortunately, THD simply recreated the museum example that, as you have cetainly seen, has been repainted many times with highly inaccurate markings... The poor T-33 at the museum was also left in NMF, the codes changing from 703 to 701 (that was lost before the Bay of Pigs invasion)...and there are shots of 703 wearing the same camo as the Furies during the Girón battle. It seems that RLM82 could be indeed a very good choice As the underside of the planes seems more shiny than the light spots on the uppersurfaces, this seems to confirm that the matt grass green mottles were applied on the uppersurfaces only leaving the undersides in semi-gloss RAF green. Greetings Diego

The few operational FAR (Fuerza Aérea Revolucionaria) Sea Furies, as well as the last surviving T-33As, have been dispersed and camouflaged in dark green with grass green mottling after the first bombing attacks effected by the invading FAL (Fuerza Aérea de Liberación) B-26s on April 15th, 1961, two days before the actual Bay of Pigs invasion (April 17th) , and took part in the combats in this scheme. It is very probable that the mottling has been applied on the uppersurfaces of the aircraft only, the undersurfaces remaining in the original dark green color. (The T-33As, originally in NMF, were repainted in dark green/grass green on the uppersurfaces with light blue undersides). On April 17th, Enrique Carreras, flying Sea Fury "FAR 541", sunk the Brigada 2506 transport ship "USS Houston" using rockets. On April 19th, Carreras shot down a FAL B-26 flying the Sea Fury, and, later the same day, he was credited with another B-26, this time shot down when flying a T-33A. National markings were not applied - only the Cuban flag on the rudder, and "FAR" and small serials on the tail. Greetings Diego

F-4D 66-0271 Kansas ANG - double MiG killer (2 x Bailey & Feinstein) - (not my photo) A double MiG killer from Vietnam, this Phantom received special markings and the name "SCAT" during the visit of Brig. Gen Robin Olds in 1986 that flew 66-0271 on this occasion: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/HD48025 https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/HD72055 F-4D 65-0801 Texas ANG: another MiG killer from the a.m. sheet (1 x Ritchie & Petit) - (not my photo) and F-4D 66-7751, Florida AF Reserve, wearing the very attractive "Flipper" scheme following the Europe One wrap-around pattern, but replacing the greens with mid grey and pale grey - (not my photo) Note the dark green triple ejector rack (TER) on the inboard pylon : All there F-4Ds are "standard" aircraft, i.e. without the "Herpes"nose antennae mods. Greetings Diego

Hi Folks, Just to make the things a bit more precise, the upcoming sheets will include markings for the following Hunters: FGA.9 - Iraq - double Vautour killer, with kill markings ('67), F.6 - Jordan - Mirage killer, with kill marking ('66), F.6 with recce nose - Jordan - double Mirage killer ('67), FGA.9 - Oman with dark grey uppersurface camo ('79), FR.10 - Oman with dark grey/grey camo and mission markings from Dhofar conflict ('79), FGA.9 - Somalia in desert camo, armed with Soviet R3S Atoll missiles ('83), FGA.9 - Chile in desert scheme ('75), FGA.9 - Chile in Ghost grey camo ('75), T.7 - Chile in desert scheme ('82) Most of these schemes were never covered previously in decal form, or, if covered, then -unfortunately- with many errors. We have also concentrated on schemes not covered by Xtradecals in their "Hunters in international service" sheets. Greetings Diego Hi-Decal

Speaking about "Israeli" Sabres: 10 years later, IAI Bedek serviced Iranian Air Force (IIAF) F-86F Sabres, applying a very attractive Asia Minor ( sand-brown-green) camo. Greetings Diego

Simply gorgeous Colors, camo and weathering spot on! Can't wait to see it in company of your F-84G... and a TT T-33A (I will send you all necessary data sa soon as these will be ready) Greetings Diego

Indeed

Simple gorgeous...as always Please don't forget the lower area of the rear fuselage, as well as part of the fuselage under the wings was painted with a matt aluminum protection paint. Greetings Diego

Would an IIAF T-33 target tug with orange uppersurfaces be interesting ? Just asking as I'm working on a sheet for the Iranian T-birds right now ... followed by IIAF F/RF-5As. Anyway, please don't hesitate to ask in case you would have questions re IIAF etc. Greetings Diego

Algerian Su-7 were dielivered in NMF. The "Nile" camouflage has been applied after their arrival to Egypt. The switching between olive/black green - grey green and sand was not unusual. Severeal Egyptian MiG-21MFs and MiG-17Fs could be seen in the very same camo with sand color applied in meandering bands between olive green and grey green fields. The colors were not of high quality and faded quickly under the desert sun. Beautiful work on your Fitter, Jurek - congratulations! You got the faded black green color spot on! Greetings Diego

Hello Reini, great work on the Sabre!!!! Just read on your Alijet tread that you are using bombs from the Academy Sabre. As the IIAF F-86F were fighter bombers, they were equipped with an additional pylon used for bombs, napalm and unguided rocket pods during their late career ( i.e. when camouflaged). If you have the Academy kit, you could use the bomb pylons on the Iranian bird as they were practically always installed. There is even a film showing a simulated napalm attack performed by Iranian Sabres during the U.S.-Iranian Delawar maneuver in front of foreign delegations. Here a similarly equipped USAF bird: https://modelingmadness.com/scott/korean/f86ff.jpg Greetings Diego

What can be said Reini... Honestly speaking, this model doesn't look like a Phantom - This is simply a small, shrunken Phantom Phantastic work on this one! Can't wait to see a family shot of your whole IIAF collection !!! Sincere congratulations for this work of art. Greetings Diego

Approx. FS colors for this scheme are: - cream FS33523 / FS33793, ( approx H85, but more yellow) - grass green FS24187 (semi gloss), ( approx. H6) - olive green FS 34087, ( approx H304) - light blue FS35550 undersides. Decals for the only one Su-27P delivered to Angola (red C110) and the lone Su-27UB (red I100) are available from Hi-Decal in both 1/72nd and 1/48th scales, a.o. here: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/HD48022B https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/HD72050B Greetings Diego

Great progress on the Sabre Please only remember that external fuel tanks were never camouflaged in IIAF ( and later IEAF) service and remained in NMF. Greetings Diego

Many thanks for these informations! Good to know this detail!!! This means that a.o. PhAF "Dragon" also had this modification

Splendid work on the Sabre! There is however a small modification that needs to be done: Please don't forget to remove / sand down the intake visible on the rear right fuselage side (visible on the photo of the primed aircraft) typical for the F-86F-40 version. The Iranian Sabres were F-25 and F-30 aircraft updated with the longer F-40 wing, without this intake. As all Hasegawa Sabres have the same fuselage parts, this operation needs to be done anytime you want to build a non JASDF aircraft. Re: nose wheel - you're right : IIAF sabres had both styles. The nose wheel visible on the photo was a late solution, and the Philippine Sabres had also the same wheel (painted in yellow primer). The IIAF sabres had this element in NMF/aluminium. Interestingly, it seems that late T-33 Shooting Stars had the same nose wheel (like Hellenic A.F. aircraft) and I hoped to find a solution searching for T-33 accessories, but till now there is no aftermarket available ( only spoked wheels) Greetings Diego

Ooh! Simply gorgeous!!!!! Many thanks for posting this shot From the first look, I would say it's a freshly applied Asia Minor scheme, that follows the prescribed manufacturer's (North American) pattern. - On b/w shots of a/c wearing the IDF/AF 3 color desert scheme, the Israeli "pale stone" looks quasi like white with practically no contrast with the pale blue underside, but here we can see a pale grey underside and a darker sand color. - Also the green looks like a normal "US Dark Green" and not like the Israeli "Pale green" color. Another note for the modeller: The inner faces of the undercarriage doors are still in aluminium color. Once again a really big thank you for sharing this phantastic picture! Greetings Diego

Thanks for your kind comments Unfortunately I haven't seen any IAI Sabre shots, but it would be very interesting to compare them with the IIAF birds "in service"... re ETAF, there were several Sabre batches delivered to Ethiopia: the NMF ones ( that also served in Congo) - delivered from the US and the camouflaged ones, all of these being 2nd hand, ex IIAF examples delivered in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when the IIAF started to replace them with F-5s. Speaking about Iranian F-86s, there were of course also ex Luftwaffe Sabres Mk6, brought by Iran, when the IIAF was already flying F-5s. These were never intended for the IIAF but were destined since the beginning as military assistance for Pakistan. However, few of them received roughly painted iranian roundels for deception pourposes on their Luftwaffe camo, but without any serials. Greetings Diego

Well, regarding IIAF ( and later IEAF) F-86F camo, it was definitively Asia Minor, using Federal Standard colors. Around 1965 all Iranian combat aircraft received this standard scheme - in this case the main Iranian fighters: F-5A/B as well as F-86Fs now used in the fighter-bomber role. I can confirm it, as we had access to the ex-Ethiopian AF F-86Fs that have been recovered in Asmara in relatively good condition, still painted in the former Iranian camo, dismantled, transported to NZ for restoration - then rebuild ( unfortunately as USAF Korean War birds) and now sold to Russia. This gave us the possibility to recreate the Etiopian markings with 100% accuracy. We also had the North American official Asia Minor camo scheme for F-86Fs ( that we also send to Leon of IAR) was, compared with existing photos, also permitted to recreate the "Iranian" pattern pretty exactly. The IAI work on Iranian Sabres was done accurately following Iranian instructions and the Asia Minor colors applied were of high quality, as they weathered only slightly after years of use under the hot tropical sun. Anyway, IIAF aircraft before the revolution were always mantained in pristine conditions. Even in the 1960s, to apply "Israeli" colors on Iranian aircraft hasn't been considered as a "wise step" for obvious reasons and, even if offical, the work at IAI has been done without any publicity. Re: museum Sabres: Of course, as it happens often, museum aircraft were repainted with colors that are only "roughly similar" to the original ones...unfortunately. Another note regarding IIAF Sabres: During 1963 the fleet was upgraded with AIM-9 rails, thus becoming the first Iranian missile armed interceptors. The Congo veterans were also updated after they returned home ( then of course flying without the UN markings). As later the new F-5s took over this role, the Sidewinder rails were removed and the Sabres switched to the fighter-bomber role ( receiving their camouflage). Re: F-84G - these never got any camo in IIAF service and F-5A/B got their camo in Iran. I hope that this will help a bit! greetings Diego Hi-Decal

More colorful Polish, German, Ukrainian and Soviet Fitters: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/HD48010 https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/HD48011 Another sheet ( Poland, Syria, Iraq, Angola + stencilling for desert schemes) is already in the pipeline. Greetings Diego

Hi-Decal did these markings for the "REDUX" kit in 1/48 - in fact for both squadrons transferred to Israel (red stripped and green stripped F-84Fs with Stars of David or French roundels). In case of interest please let me know by PM. Greetings Diego

As it has been already said, all depends from the version that you would like to build: - "vanilia" F-4Es carried AIM-7 and AIM-9 AAMs. - F-4E 2020 Terminators are used mainly as bombers, but with an AIM-9 capability ( AIM-7 capability was deleted and the missiles retired from service) - F-4ETM Lightnings were used in the air defence role with AIM-9 only ( AIM-7 capability was deleted ) - Several RF-4ETM recce Phantoms ( equipped with slatted wings and rounded noses) can also carry AIM-9 for self defence (the former Luftwaffe birds, identified by their rectangular noses, don't have this capability) Greetings Diego

In the meantime, there are more data available concerning the Iranian RF-4Es: - There were indeed 2 RF-4Cs loaned to the IIAF for training - that left the country after arrival of the first RF-4es. - Also there were several "white tail" RF-4Es used for "Dark Gene" recce flights over the USSR ( one of them was rammed by a MiG-21, the Iranian pilot and the US "instructor" being captured an later exchanged against a Soviet satellite film box) - these birds flew with IIAF markings, but without serial or codes and the surviving aircraft left the country before the revolution. - The "genuine" IIAF ( later IRIAF) RF-4Es were supplied in 4 batches. Aircraft from the first batch ( 2-6501 till 2-6504) had squared noses, the following ones had rounded noses. - The third Iranian RF-4E 2-6503 was shot down over Yemen in the mid 1970s. Interestingly, the other 3 birds from the first batch survived till today, together with 2-6510 and 2-6516 ( the last Iranian RF-4E delivered) Greetings Diego

The original Hi-Decal sheet for Iranian and NSAWC Agressor Tomcats in 1/48th scale, including Asia Minor, blue & grey (3-6041) , experimental blue & sand ( 3-6022) schemes and markings for one of the most successful IRIAF Tomcats,3-6020, credited with at least 10 kills during the Iran-Iraq war and also used in the Bombcat configuration, can be used on the new Tamiya gem. Greetings Diego