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Hello fellow modellers, I fill some gaps in the presentation of my finished models. As we know, nice late Corsair kits of U5, U7 versions are still missing on the market and we can take only Italeri/Revell moulds. Due to the quality, I didn´t take care to assemble it so much, but concentrated on some major modifications to achieve a match with the U-5N version. I gave some comments in my ongoing thread HERE The finished model represents one of the most popular Corsairs in my opinion. This is Major Fernando Enriquez Soto's FAH-609 from the so-called "soccer war" between Honduras and El Salvador. In 1969, it was the last ever aerial combat between piston-engined aircraft and Fernando Soto achieved two Salvadoran FG-1Ds and one Mustang kills, whose silhouettes are marked under the cockpit on both sides. I draw and printed the decals a long time ago and thus used them. They are now the content of some aftermarket decals, but I would advise caution in the choice, as the machine had two appearances. One from 1969 after the war and the other so-called "museum marking" as the machine is part of the Honduran Military Museum and appears to have been put into flying condition. The best distinguishing features of these appearances are the reversed silhouettes of the kills under the cockpit and the number 09 located only on the right side of the undercarriage cover.
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I am honoured to have been asked to support - in the little way that I can - the restoration of the two preserved SMB2s that sit at La Ceiba air base in Honduras. Fellow BMer, Alex - to whom, I have given my two early SMB2 and Sabre 4 builds, has asked me to help with the colour scheme of the further of the two shown in this image. It will be in the SEA camouflage initially used by Honduras. I am very happy to do it and will publish a more comprehensive set of images as the work progreses. Martin
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- Super Mystere B2
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Hi all, After some stop-start work on her, I finally finished my latest Sabre. As you can see, she is depicted as a Sabre 4 of the Fuerza Aerea Hondurena. The based kit is Fujimi which I have modified in a simple way by removing the top fuselage intake, deleting a few of the odd access points and adding (by cheating with a decal) the small inlet on the fuselage sides. She was simple to build as always. The paints are Humbrol standard 116/117/118/28. I included a Pavla cockpit set but with the MB Mk10 seat that they used. The decals are a mix of Aztec (triangle and flag) and home printing (serials and weapons block). They didn't have any stencils, to my amazement, so nothing else was added. She was finished in Matt Cote after a dirty up with some Flory. I hope you like her. oh, and I just realised that I haven't installed the jet pipe!! Martin
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Hello all! The latest build just rolled out of the paint shop in the form of one of my favourite 1950s/60s jets, the Dassault Super Mystere B2. As you can see, she is one of the conversions undertaken by our Middle Eastern neighbours, Israel. After the Israelis had retired these machines the Fuerza Aerea Hondurena (Honduran Air Force), the “FAH”, received 16 of these machines during 1976-77 as part of deal covering 16 aircraft, parts and engines. Once in country they were allocated serials in the range FAH 2001 to FAH 2016 and were operated from La Ceiba air base. Their initial operation was supported by the Israelis but quickly the Hondurans grasped the nettle and took on the operation completely. They saw action in the Nicaragua-Honduras conflict against the contras - Operación Danto ‘88 - https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operaci%C3%B3n_Danto_88&prev=search&pto=aue - and latterly were used on border patrol work, often intercepting drug running aircraft overflying the country. During their service, which was long, four aircraft were lost in accidents. During the mid-1980s they underwent maintenance in Texas, USA and thereafter they adopted the light blue and grey colour scheme that they carried until the end of their days. At the end most were placed in open storage but two survive as preserved machines in Honduras, one (FAH 2016) is in the Museo del Aire (Air Force Museum) in Tegucigalpa while the second (FAH 2003) is still at La Ceiba. Both have lost their genuine FAH colours. This particular machine is FAH 2002 and she is modelled to represent her early in her FAH career. The main difference over time was the addition of new and differing antennae on the fin. She is, as you can see, marked in the standard US camouflage of the day. The weapons fit is based on the following image: This consisted of two Shafrirs and two LAU-68 rocket pods, plus the integral DEFA cannons. You can see in some images, though, that they also carried bombs (Israeli and Mk82) and even the Israeli MER. However,Alex @sosa_1991 whose father was a pilot and instructor on these aircraft, has told me that they never used the MERs operationally. From the following photo you can see, though, this machine did, at least, carry them at least once albeit with practice rounds. In fact, an image exists showing this same aircraft at an air show with 4 x MERs fully loaded with bombs! The SMB could carry a large payload but I reckon this might have pushed her limits if it had been tried in the air! These are my two reference images: Alex has been very supportive of this build, guiding me with information from his father and with images. In return my first FAH Super Mystere build (an Azur) was shipped, via Miami, to Alex in Honduras where she now sits as part of his father’s air force memorabilia display. Thanks for all your help, Alex! 😊 This model is built using the Special Hobby kit (72345) as a base. A great, very detailed kit. My only criticism in its production is the slight mismatch in moulding that has resulted in many edges that need to be sanded and cleaned up. In engineering terms it would have benefited from having a different arrangement for the tail empennage. As a result, I had to butcher it a bit to get the drooped “hydraulics off” tailplane. Being more pedantic it would have been good to have separate speed brakes as these Israeli machines always had the brakes extended while on the ground – mandated. That aside she is a beauty! What did I do/use? Well: 1. Kit – Special Hobby Dassault Super Mystere B2 “Sa’ar” 1/72 (Kit No. 72345) 2. Aftermarket/extras – The Shafrirs came from the Brassin set (672 217). The LAU-68 D/As came from the Special Hobby AH-1Q kit and the Speedbrakes are partly from the Eduard PE set (73 683). See my WIP for more on this. The seat is Aires and as close as I could find in the aftermarket. 3. Decals – I am grateful, as always for the drawing expertise of @Giorgio N who drew up these decals as well as a full set for the remaining fleet plus the entire FAH Sabre 4 fleet. We then got these printed by Arctic Decals by suggestion from @Moa, to who I also extend my thanks. In addition I used kit stencils and some White stencils from the Microscale camouflaged F-4 set. 4. Paints – As I do often, I used the excellent Colourcoats on this build. However, having expended one tin of FS2622 I discovered that the next was a different shade of grey. For decalling and weathering protection I used Humbrol Glosscote. The model finished in Humbrol Mattcote. 5. Washes and Weathering – Flory dark dirt wash plus Tamiya Weathering Powders and a Prismacolor Silver pencil. I hope you like her. I do, although I lost my enthusiasm for a while! Martin
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Hi all, Being encouraged by the recent kit release and a new-found generous local contact I have decided to kick-off a WIP of the above kit, setting this post as my placeholder. I had previously built a model of the subject (see below) but now, with the seemingly more accurate kit, I intend a second attempt. Over the next few days I'll set out some images of the sprues etc, although they are fairly well known now (I think). As I described in the above RFI, the machine was used as part of Operation Danto '88. This time round I have better evidence of the weapons load configuration and will make the most of what's available in the kit, and by drawing in other items from the aftermarket scene that are applicable. There isnt much yet but I think there is what I need. I haven't yet seen a build thread for this kit on BM (only an RFI) so it will be a voyage of discovery for me. The SMB2 is one of my all time favourite jets of the time. I have two more on the shelf ready to go at some point as French machines! Making use of the variety of underwing tanks etc that come with the kit. I'll be back soon with more ..... Martin
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Super Mystere B2 "Sa'ar" - Latin style
RidgeRunner posted a topic in Ready for Inspection - Aircraft
Finally I got my latest build finished. I had been running her along side the FJ-4 Fury that I posted recently. She is a Super Mystere B2 “Sa’ar” as operated by the Fuerza Aerea Hondurena from La Ceiba air base. This machine, with others, took part in Operacion Danto ’88 against the Sandinistas when they crossed the Honduras-Nicaragua border to chase the Contras. It was a fairly large scale US-FAH operation. She is the latest in a line of models I’ve built that depict South or Central American operators and, in fact, follows on from a Honduran Sabre that I completed a few months ago. She has taken three months or so, on and off. I am a bit slow. It is the AZ kit – an easy build. Of course, my start of this kit has spurred Special Hobby to announce a new moulding! Hey ho, I was too far down the line by the time that news came out. So what did I do to her? Well: Added the wired ducting along the port side with Plastruct half-moon rod Added a UHF aerial to the fin and another ahead of the cockpit Added the pressure sensor under the rear fuselage with Plastruct .8mm round rod Added the small bullet fairing at the rear of the fin I removed the moulded plate on the fin where the elevons/tailplane were to be fixed and made two new plates from plastic card and hinged the tailplane on a rod through the fin. The tailplane always sat tilted backwards when at rest. Made plastic card weapons pylons Used Heller Etendard wing tanks Inserted cannons using Plastruct .8mm round rod Cut the canopy so that I could mount it open. The supporting fairing was made using rectangular section plastic rod Installed a MB seat as the Hondurans had (a Mk5, or as close as I could find) Used stencilling from Isrdecals I opted not to cut out the NACA inlets and instead used home printed decals. Serials and flag from the kit, although the flag isn’t entirely accurate (no stars). Printed the Armament panel on the port nose I think that was it ;). The paint scheme is standard US two-greens/tan and underside of grey. All Humbrol enamels (116/117/118/28) I painted a number of subtle stains in the various colours by simply adding a spot of a darker shade to each and painted them on using a fine brush. The rear section has two distinct darker tan patches where the squadron marks were removed. I then dirtied her up with Flory Dirt and finished with a matt cote. I hope you like her. Martin …. Next is a C-Model Super Sabre to keep my Sabre line going. I have an Obscureco wing and fin set to incorporate after I’ve figured out the Aires cockpit set and jet pipe set J . She’s going to be a Turk based on an Esci kit! -
Hi all, Do any of you French experts, or wise owls of a Latin persuasion, know if the SMB2s operated by Honduras ever carried the 1285Ltr wing tanks, i.e. of the type used on the Mirage and Kfir? I'd really appreciate your thoughts. So far I have only found them with the smaller thanks in online images. Thanks in advance. Martin
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Hi all, I sent a direct message to Armando and he has not been able to help (this time) so I am putting my question out to the forum in case anyone knows. I am about to apply the final varnish cost to my Honduran Canadair Sabre and my dilemma is that apart from the serials, flag, emergency triangle and weapons block, I can see no stencilling on any images of he these machines on line. Does anyone out there know whether they had any? If they didn't it is strange as they must have needed some for servicing and maintenance? Any ideas? My Sabre can sit in the hangar until I'm a bit more certain about this! Thanks. Martin
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Hi all, This is my entry for the group build, my first group build as well. I will be using the Airfix new tool F-86 for this one as it happens to be the right version for what I want. The following are the usual box and contents shots. Fortunately the Hondurans didn't exactly cover their aircraft with markings, which is good as I don't have any! I will be using spare decals from other projects or masking and painting. Any comments and help are always welcome. Thanks for looking. Craig.
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Hi all, Here are a few pictures of my finished entry for the Lesser Built Air Forces group build for those of you who are not following this group build (you really should be as there are some cracking builds on there). This is Airfix's 1/72 Sabre built as a Mk4 operated by the Honduran Air Force in the 1980's. This kit was a joy to build and I will definitely do another. The markings were cobbled together from the spares tin. There is a build and more pictures in the group build section but I don't know how to do the linky thing. Hope you like her. All comments and criticisms are welcome. Craig.