Search the Community

Good morning all and Happy New Year! Having expressed my apologies to Patrice @TEMPESTMK5, I am moving this build from the Mirage III/5 STGB to WIP. Family circumstances have led me to excel in my usual lateness and meaning that I barely started this one. She will get done eventually, albeit at a slow pace. 2025 will hopefully be a Mirage year, with three in my plan (yea, I know you’ll believe it if you see it!) and the merest essence of Mustang at some point. So, here is the state of play now …… Martin

I went yesterday to the Museo Nacional de Aeronáutica in Buenos Aires. It was cloudy and began to rain as soon as I got there. The visit was worth it, because I was able to see the two restored IAI Dagger C-432 and the Douglas A-4C C-322. Grupo de Restauraciones Aeronáuticas started restoring the A-4C months after the Argentina vuela 2022 (which took place in the platform of the museum). Here are the photos of the restored plane in its Malvinas/Falklands colours, with a bonus photo of the plane in its post war scheme. Post war scheme: Restored scheme: Bonus question: Why are the engines removed when the aircraft are sent to museums?

Calcas del Sur, a fairly new decal maker from Argentina, has released decal sets in 1:72 and 1:48 for the Hasegawa/Hobbycraft A-4M. There're options for several A-4ARs plus a single OA-4AR. Prices are 900 ARS for the 1:72 set and 1100 ARS for the 1:48 set. You can contact Calcas del Sur through Facebook's Messenger or Instagram.

Hi guys! Long time no see. I think my last post here was in late 2022/early 2023. Here's my most recent completion, Hasegawa's A-4E PT21 as the FAA Douglas A-4C C-322. Colours used were Revell Aqua 371 Satin Light Grey, 66 Olive Grey, 15 Matt Yellow and 76 Light Grey. Decals came from an Aerocalcas sheet. These decals are thin and prone to sticking (you can see the IV Air Brigade decal on the right side crooked because of that).

Because the Kinetic Pucará's price has gone way off my reach (175$), I decided to buy the low cost option for 25$ from Kosmosur 3d in 1:48 and Aerocalcas decals. The model came bagged, with three smaller bags inside the bigger one. Three fuselage halves, props, wheels, cockpit, underwing stores, engine nacelles, gear struts, and a vacuformed canopy. Dry fit showed a very nice fit so far. As per usual Kosmosur job, the assembly of the fuselage is a but joint, so I used epoxy instead of CA to glue the halves. I don't wish to press harder that I should and break the seams and fuselage. One thing I did to modify the nacelles was ro remove the prop shaft, they were too big for the mounting hole at the back of the prop. Here you can see the first photo, the aircraft with the flaps in the retracted position. A 60 gramme weight can also be seen inside the cockpit opening, so no pilot for this one. I wanted to raise the quality of this kit a bit, so I scored the flaps panel lines until I could remove them from the wing. These were then reglued in the extended position with epoxi and secured with some CA. Vallejo's Plastic Putty was used to improve the union. The dark grey is there to check the filled seams of the fuselage. Here's a photo of the decal sheet I'll be using. It's from Aerocalcas, and comes with options for one high visibiliy plane, and a low viz one. I plan on using the hight visibility option. As you can see, A-511, Tomba's aircraft is included. I don't know if I'll be using that one, of the Mauritanian scheme in sand and brown.

I came across news of a new tool, 1:48, I.A.e 33 Pulqui 2 from a new model maker in Argentina. The company is called High Valley Models (HVM), and this is their first (and hopefully not last) resin kit. HVM is based in Neuquén, Argentina. The kit comes in six bags and the parts are moulded in a light grey resin. There're six marking options from Calcas del Sur, five prototypes and what I think will be a what if operational machine had the Pulqui 2 taken off. Instructions are Hasegawa style (foldable) and are in colour. Estimated price is of 14000ARS (roughly 89GBP). I don't know if they ship outside Argentina. If I dare and don't get sidetracked by buying anothet German plane, this may be my first full resin kit. So far, the only Pulqui 2 in 1:48 was from Kosmosur 3D. The kit (I have 2) is very basic (no wheel well details, no cockpit detail, and has the issue of the 3D printed surface). https://www.scalemates.com/kits/hvm-1-ia-33-pulqui-ii--1428880

In an effort to improve their aircraft collection, the MNA's most recent restoration effort has focused on the combat battered Douglas A-4C Skyhawk. The below photo, pre-restoration, was taken by me in 2021. The camouflage here appears to be off-white/light grey and the green version of olive drab. Coded C-322, the aircraft was assigned to the IVth Air Brigade in 1976, and assigned to the Vth Air Brigade in 1983. AMILARG shows no record of this aircraft participating in the South Atlantic War of 1982. This photo was taken from the MNA's Facebook page. Unlike C-322, the restored aircraft will carry full 1982 ID bands. The camouflage was also changed to off-white/light grey with the brown version of olive drab. The aircraft is still storaged. I'll post a photo showing the finished restoration once it's published in the MNA's Facebook page.

The Dagger reached the finish line yesterdy. Y gluing the canopy. Now I'll save for a new 1:32 Bf 109G-10.

I've finished building Tamiya's 1:48 Meteor F.1 i used an Aerocalcas decal set dedicated for the Meteor F.4 and modified the numerals to make this plane as Meteor F.1 C-104.

After smashing my head against a stove an hour ago, I decided to buy the 1:48 Gloster Meteor F.1 from Tamiya and an Aerocalcas set for the Classic Airframes Meteor 4. The idea is to argentinise the Tamiya kit and make up a story of why a Meteor F.1 wound up in the Fuerza Aérea Argentina when we received 100 F-4s in the immediate post war. I was supposed to get the decals today, but the seller (who kindly drove to my house to give them to me) made a mistake and brought the wrong ones, so I'll have to wait a bit more to get them (maybe this Saturday/Sunday). I'll be picking up the kit this Saturday from Hobbies Morón. Here's the boxart (from the internet). Luckily Tamiya, thinking on us modellers, has included a nose weight to help with nose sitting. Hope to see you guys join me on the build!

Earlier this month I went to the Argentina Vuela 2022 at BAM Morón. The air show lasted between 13 and 14 August of this year. There were several aircraft in exhibition, plus an air show performed by the Fuerza Aérea Argentina. Here are the photos of said show: Beechcraft 200 1-F-43: Beechcraft T-45 Mentor(s): Battle worn Douglas A-4C: Bristol 170 Mk.I LV-AYC (TC-330): C-130H: Austral Líneas Aéreas MD-81 LV-WFN (MD-81 with the most flown hours in the world): Avro Lincoln B-004. Currently the MNA is gathering money to carry out a restoration of the aircraft: S-2T Turbo Tracker 2-AS-23: Westland Sea King 43 SAAB 340 TC-32: Beechcraft B-45 Mentors of the Escuadrilla Histórica: Mirage IIIEA I-007: Drone with the A-4AR C-927 in the background: Mig 15UTI LV-X216: EMB 314 Tucano:

Hello guys, I'm proud to present my third Mirage in 1:48. This is the Italeri Nesher/Dagger, which itself is a rebox of the old ESCI kit from the 80s. That being said, it's certainly a product of its time regarding fit, cockpit detail and panel lines. However, it's a really buildable kit if you pay attention and test fit multiple times before gluing the parts. Cockpit detail was just a tub and instrument panel with decals for the instruments. Panel lines were raised on the fuselage and a mix of recessed and raised panel lines on the wings. The model was painted with Revell Aqua acrylics by brush. Decals came from the kit. Also, some of you may remember my topic on the Cold War jets forum asking for the measurements for the extended triangle of the Italeri Mirage IIIC in 1:32. I'm proud to say I got it moulded for me. So expect a Mirage IIIEA from Italeri in 1:32 in the distant future.

Hello guys, I bought a second 3D Pulqui 2 with the intention of showing it in a presentation I'll be giving at uni this Friday. The colour scheme is from Calcas del Sur's decal sheet, showing a possible scheme had the Pulqui 2 entered service with the FAA instead of the F-86F-40s ex USAF. Bottom photo shows the Ta 183, where you can see just how similar both aircraft were. Both were designed by Kurt Tank, the 183 at Focke Wulf, and the Pulqui at Instituto Aerotècnico. Colours used were Revell Aqua 05 White, 87 Dark Earth, 40 Black Green and 79 Grey Blue. Though not as detailed as mainstream models (this plane is very basic, only landing gear, wheels, pilot and two fuselage halves), 3D printing is good when you can't find a model of an ususual subject in any scale. Hopefully a local resin manufacturer will tackle the Pulqui 2 in 48th some time. However, since the kit is relatively cheap, I'll be buying a third one and paint it as the fifth prototype. This one was painted white with a red horizontal stabilizer and red cheatlines.

Handbrake! latin America@War #28 (9781915070722) Dassault Super Étendard Fighter-bombers in the Falklands/Malvinas War 1982 Helion & Co. In 1982 the incumbent Argentinian Junta invaded the Falkland Isles as a distraction from their domestic woes, which triggered a conclusive action from the British Government of the time, dispatching a Task Force across the Atlantic to the isles, which resulted in the two countries fighting a limited war in anything but name. Many good people died on both sides, and although the British side of the battle has been well-documented over the years, less has been written about the Argentinians who fought there. This book aims to correct that to a certain extent, telling the story from point of view of some of the Argentinian pilots that undertook operations over 300 miles of open sea and perilously close to the Arctic Circle, where a ditching meant almost certain death without a lot of luck. The focus of the book is on the handful of French-made Dassault Super Étendards that Argentina’s Air Force were flying at the time the conflict occurred, using a small quantity of French designed Exocet missiles to devastating effect on the British fleet. The book is A4 portrait format with a perfect-bound card cover wrapped around 98 pages of glossy paper that is mostly printed in colour. The cover has a medallion at the top right stating that it’s full colour throughout, which is correct as far as the source material goes. A few of the photos were taken in black and white, so there’s not an awful lot you can do about that if we’re being sensible about it. The contents are broken down as follows: A Brief Preface Foreword The Dassault-Breguet Aviation Super Étendard and the Exocet missile The Second Naval Fighter and Attack Squadron of the Argentine Navy is reborn From the beginning of 1982 to the first half of April: Drums of war in the South Atlantic First half of April: How to destroy a missile-defended target First half of April: Defending against missile attack Second half of April: Deploying South 30th April – 1st May: The First Clashes 2nd – 4th May: The sinking of HMS Sheffield 5th – 8th May: Exodus 9th – 23rd May: Changing Tactics 24th – 26th May: The Sinking of SS Atlantic Conveyor 27th – 31st May: The last attack on the Task Force 1st June to the end of the war: Withdrawal to Espora 14th June 1982 onwards: The post-war period References & sources About the Authors It is written by Mariano Sciaroni and Alejandro Amendolara, both of whom are Argentinian by birth, and have had access to the records of the relevant squadrons and departments, and gives a detailed breakdown of the various missions that the Naval Aviation Command, the Second Naval Fighter and Attack Squadron, with ten pilots flying four aircraft (with another for spares) and with access to only five missiles in total. Given their poor equipment levels they made the most of it in pursuit of their goal, which was either invasion or defence of their own land, depending on your point of view, which is an aspect that the book immediately distances itself from, seeking only to document the proceedings without political commentary. It’s very difficult to keep all national sentiment out of it however, and speaking as a British person there’s still a reasonable amount of feeling left this side of the Atlantic from some quarters, so it's only natural that there should be some on the other side of the sea. Spanish speaking countries call the islands the Malvinas, while English speakers tend to use the name Falklands. There’s no use arguing about that however, as French people call England Angleterre all the time. It is what it is. Conclusion If you go into reading this volume without any nationalistic jingoism, it is an interesting read. While there are tons of fascinating photos, there’s also a lot of reading to be done on the various missions from a practical point of view. Well worth a read. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hello guys, I have completed this Skyhawk E from Hobbycraft as a what if from the Armada Argentina. My country negotiated with Israel the sale of 16 A-4Es in 1982, but the US didn't allow the transaction to go through, so the aircraft remained in Israel. The money was never recovered. This attempt at rearming the Armada is known as Operación Goliat. The model was entirely brush painted with Revell Aqua acrylics, and decalled with Condor Decals's set 48032.

Hello guys, I was able to finish the Pulqui 2 last weekend. Here it is with the mainstream Academy Ta 183. Both are in 1:48.

The Pulqui 2, an aircraft designed by Kurt Tank based on the plans for the Ta 183, was planned at the end of 1947 for the projected Argentinian fighter designated I.A.e 33. Tank and Argentinian engineer Norberto Morchio competed to present the designs to the Fuerza Aèrea Argentina. Once both plans were finished, it was decided that both designers should work together for the project. The Pulqui 2 first flew in 1950, with 5 prototypes being produced before the coup d'etat that removed Peròn from power. After the coup, the Pulqui 2 project was left without supporters, with Tank abandoning Argentina and heading to India. 5 Pulqui 2s were manufactured, with only one surviving to this day. The aircraft is preserved at the MNA in Buenos Aires. Kosmosur 3D is a manufacturer of 3D models from Argentina. The owner, Eduardo, has produced several models in 72nd and 48th scale. Among these, is the Pulqui 2. The model features the typical texture of 3D printed models, which I'm not a fan of. I read you coule remove that texture with nail polishet without acetone, but I had no luck when trying that. The plane is divided in 10 parts: Rear and forward fuselage, three wheel wells, three wheels, a vacuform canopy and a pilot. The pilot wasn't glued to the floor of the cockpit, so I removed him and added some weight to avoid the aircraft being a tail sitter. The first thing I did was to glue the fuselage together, which I did by using epoxy glue instead of the more fragile CA. The landing gear comes molded with the wheel wells. The vacuformed canopy, my first ever canopy in this material, was carefully removed from the cockpit opening and placed inside a bag with the other small pieces. The kit came with decals from Calcas del Sur with options for three prototypes and a single what if with the scheme of the Sabre F-40. I don't have much modelling time since I've started university this March, so progress will be slow.

An Me 262 in Argentinian colours. I debated myself whether to use the Tamiya Me 262 for this what if, or go the realistic route and paint the plane as Adolf Galland's machine. The what if won. Also, coming up is my birthday! So I have to choose between two (or three) planes. Decisions decisions.

I had a decal sheet from Aerocalcas that I had bought in 2020, hoping I'd be able to use them on the new tool Airfix Dakota Mk.IV. However, I kept postponing the purchase of that kit, and it went out of stock. Fast forward to December 2021, I'd found that Hobbies Morón had the Italeri Dakota Mk.III and, after thinking I wouldn't be able to travel abroad to places such as Hannants or Mirax Hobbies (Chile), I decided to buy it. The Italeri kit is actually an ESCI mold, I don't know what that means, but I thought it'd be useful to state it. The kit has deep recessed panel lines, and the plastic is on the hard side. The parts have detail, but they're on the unimpressive side (though nothing can be seen through the cabin/cockpit windows). Fit for the most part was pretty good, however, the wings had some visible gaps that even to me were too much, so I filled them with CA. The fuselage join was filled (or I attempted to fill) by pressing the fuselage halves and making the melted plastic ooze from the area. I then scrapped away the hardened glue with my knife. Decals from Aerocalcas were very thin. I had one moment where the air on the bench turned purple, and that was when trying to add a decal that refused to leave off my finger. The decas didn't need any Microsol to set onto the panel lines, but I brushed some just to be sure. Once they were dry, I applied two coats of Revell's matt varnish and added the remaining parts. Paints used were all from the Revell Aqua range.

The story so far: In order to keep it as at least a neutral country, the Third Reich offered Argentina a batch of 10 brand new Bf 109F-4s. These aircraft were numbered from I-101 to I-110. In order to improve the aircraft's performance, the Argentinian Air Force asked Messerschmitt to leave the 109s in bare metal, the only areas receiving some sort of "camouflage" being the fabric covered control surfaces. The Argentinian flag was painted in the rudder. The 10 aircraft were then given to the newly created Grupo 5 de Caza (5th Fighter Group) based at the Moròn Air Base in Buenos Aires. After the war, the ten 109s were scrapped. No remains were left. Footnote: This is a what if story, don't do as the Argentinian modellers did by believing it. Grupo 5 de Caza was also based at Villa Reynolds (San Luís, Argentina), and was established in 1966. They used the A-4 Skyhawks. I was inspired to make this what if after seeing a profile of an Fw 190A-4 in bare metal and with Argentinian colours. The kit chosen for this was the Weekend Edition of the Eduard 1:48 Bf 109F-4. Some fit issues, the instrument panel had to be trimmed so the fuselage halves could close properly. And the forward parts of the wheelwells needed to be sanded down so the upper wings could mate with the lower wings. Decals came from my spares box.

Had Argentina officially sided with the Axis during 1942/43, which aircraft would the FAA had used: Bf 109F-4 or Fw 190A-2 (1942)/Fw 190A-5 (1943). Don't want a political discussion in the comments, just want to know which aircraft could have been used by Argentina.

I held a poll this 24 asking whether Argentina would have used the Bf 109F-4 or the Fw 190A-2/3 had it joined the Axis officially during WW2. The 109 won, so I placed the order yesterday for the Eduard Weekend Edition Bf 109F-4 in 48th scale, and today made the payment for the kit. Knowing Dukel Hobbies, the model should arrive this week (hopefully). I've already decided to paint the aircraft in a natural metal finish scheme, with the antiglare panel being the remainder of the RLM 74/75 camouflage. The rudder will carry the Argentinian flag. Numerals will be I-110 (I for Interceptor), with the emblem of G5C in the nose, and maybe the addition of "Fuerza Aérea Argentina" below the G5C's emblem. The decals are from Condor Decals sheet for the Mirage IIIEA/CJ in 48th. The poll: Image of the kit contents: Inspiration for my 109: Emblem of the G5C: Stay tuned for more progress!

I finally decided to get the old Special Hobby Pucará. I originally had built this kit when it had been reboxed by Airfix in 2008. I was 12, and I can't remember the way it looked. Now that I'm 13 years older and with much more experience, I went ahead and bough the kit. Included are resin parts for the seats, exhausts and the propeller hubs, photoetch parts, and a small film sheet for the instrument panel. Special Hobby included decals for Uruguayan and Venezuelan machines, but I'll be using the ones provided by Dukel Hobbies. Now I'm facing the dilemma of buying the single colour (Revell 75 Stone Grey) I need for a camouflaged machine, or just go for the NMF plane. Box: Sprue shot 1: Sprue shot 2: Instruction sheet: Decals from Dukel Hobbies: Full colour painting guide (one scheme is shown, the other two are under the first sheet).

Hi guys! Here's my next project, Italeri's Mirage IIIE with aftermarket decals to paint it as an Argentinian machine. The decals I'll be using are Condor Decals 48054. The Italeri kit comes with the extended fairing for the empennage as a not for use piece, but I'll use it to make this kit as a IIIEA. I'll be painting this aircraft as I-007. I'll also be my first three coloured camouflage aircraft. Paints to be used will be RLM 79, 71 and 70 for the upper surfaces, and white for the lower surfaces. I'll be picking up the kit this Friday, so pics of the contents will be posted on Friday's afternoon. Photo of the real machine. As you can see, it doesn't have the yellow rudder shown in the profile of the decal sheet.

Hello guys, while I wait for the last parts of my 109 to dry, I decided to take the first photos of my first 3D printed model: Kosmosur 3D's A-4B in 1:72. The model came with decals from Calcas del Sur for a bare metal or camouflaged aircraft. Here's a photo of the model. More photos soon. The brown patch was painted by me to test if the paint would stick to the surface.