Jump to content

Search the Community

Showing results for tags 'Saab'.

  • Search By Tags

    Type tags separated by commas.
  • Search By Author

Content Type


Calendars

  • Community Calendar
  • Group Builds
  • Model Show Calendar

Forums

  • Forum Functionality & Forum Software Help and Support
    • FAQs
    • Help & Support for Forum Issues
    • New Members
  • Aircraft Modelling
    • Military Aircraft Modelling Discussion by Era
    • Civil Aircraft Modelling Discussion by Era
    • Work in Progress - Aircraft
    • Ready for Inspection - Aircraft
    • Aircraft Related Subjects
  • AFV Modelling (armour, military vehicles & artillery)
    • Armour Discussion by Era
    • Work in Progress - Armour
    • Ready for Inspection - Armour
    • Armour Related Subjects
    • large Scale AFVs (1:16 and above)
  • Maritime Modelling (Ships and subs)
    • Maritime Discussion by era
    • Work in Progress - Maritime
    • Ready for Inspection - Maritime
  • Vehicle Modelling (non-military)
    • Vehicle Discussion
    • Work In Progress - Vehicles
    • Ready For Inspection - Vehicles
  • Science Fiction & RealSpace
    • Science Fiction Discussion
    • RealSpace Discussion
    • Work In Progress - SF & RealSpace
    • Ready for Inspection - SF & RealSpace
  • Figure Modelling
    • Figure Discussion
    • Figure Work In Progress
    • Figure Ready for Inspection
  • Dioramas, Vignettes & Scenery
    • Diorama Chat
    • Work In Progress - Dioramas
    • Ready For Inspection - Dioramas
  • Reviews, News & Walkarounds
    • Reviews
    • Current News
    • Build Articles
    • Tips & Tricks
    • Walkarounds
  • Modelling using 3D Printing
    • 3D Printing Basics
    • 3D Printing Chat
    • 3D Makerspace
  • Modelling
    • Group Builds
    • The Rumourmonger
    • Manufacturer News
    • Other Modelling Genres
    • Britmodeller Yearbooks
    • Tools & Tips
  • General Discussion
    • Chat
    • Shows
    • Photography
    • Members' Wishlists
  • Shops, manufacturers & vendors
    • Aerocraft Models
    • Air-craft.net
    • Amarket Model
    • A.M.U.R. Reaver
    • Atlantic Models
    • Beacon Models
    • BlackMike Models
    • Bring-It!
    • Copper State Models
    • Freightdog Models
    • Hannants
    • fantasy Printshop
    • Fonthill Media
    • HMH Publications
    • Hobby Paint'n'Stuff
    • Hypersonic Models
    • Iliad Design
    • Hobby Colours & Accessories
    • KLP Publishing
    • L'Arsenal 2.0
    • Kingkit
    • MikroMir
    • Model Designs
    • Modellingtools.co.uk
    • Maketar Paint Masks
    • Marmaduke Press Decals
    • Parkes682Decals
    • Paulus Victor Decals
    • Red Roo Models
    • RES/KIT
    • Sovereign Hobbies
    • Special Hobby
    • Test Valley Models
    • Tiger Hobbies
    • Ultimate Modelling Products
    • Videoaviation Italy
    • Wingleader Publications
  • Archive
    • 2007 Group Builds
    • 2008 Group Builds
    • 2009 Group Builds
    • 2010 Group Builds
    • 2011 Group Builds
    • 2012 Group Builds
    • 2013 Group Builds

Find results in...

Find results that contain...


Date Created

  • Start

    End


Last Updated

  • Start

    End


Filter by number of...

Joined

  • Start

    End


Group


AIM


MSN


Website URL


ICQ


Yahoo


Jabber


Skype


Location


Interests

  1. Special Hobby working on SAAB VIGGEN scaled down to 1/72 metal mould made with 3D CAD-CAM CNC technology like Vampire, Gnat, Mirage etc.
  2. I managed to finish a for me unusual object. Not that a Viggen is unusual to me but finish something in 48 scale is. I was awarded an Tarangus JA 37 Viggen at a model show back in 2015 and I finally finished it. I built it as one of the AJ 37 prototypes used in the Fighter Viggen development. I managed to bring it to a model show but it didn't come it home with me. Some pics from the build
  3. I managed to finish a 1/48 scale Tarangus JA 37 Viggen. I decided to backdate it to a AJ 37 prototype used in the JA 37 development. I had to remove part of the air intakes and replace it with parts from the Esci/Airfix Viggen. Canards was modified. More Airfix parts to the rescue. A mix of AJ and JA Viggen. Later in it's career it was used in test for the Gripen radar so a nose from the Italeri Gripen was added. The finished plane:
  4. While building the Revell JAS 39C Gripen in the GB, I was inspired to restart on some shelf queens as well. First a conversion of the Italeri JAS 39A kit in to the second protoype. The second prototype had an analogue instrument setup for the tests so I had made a new instrument panel for it. When I left the build years ago I was planning for the parachute installation (at least what I think it is). I have glued a piece of sprue and some plastic pieces to stabilize it while building. This is the the configuration for the spin tests. I wanted to build the equipment as it will alter the look of the plane.
  5. Special Hobby reissue expected in May 2023 - ref. SH72480 - Saab J/A-21R Source: https://www.specialhobby.net/2023/03/sh72480-saab-ja-21r-first-swedish-made.html Box art V.P.
  6. A 1/48th Saab 105/Sk.60! More infos here: http://www.ipmsstock...=1172&hilit=105 announced by a new US model company, Pilot Replicas: http://www.pilot-replicas.com Source: http://www.cybermode..._replicas.shtml This is the third reported Mirage IIIE/5 family and derivatives project in 1/48th after those already in quick progress from High Planes/PJ Production and MustHave. And don't forget the new tool Kfir from a Chinese undetermined source announced on ARC forum: http://s362974870.on...howtopic=253907 To be followed. V.P.
  7. I was set on building a SAAB plane for this GB but was not sure if I should do a Tunnan or perhaps a Lansen. When I found that the camera pod was included in the Revell kit I went for that instead. But it seems that Revell mirrored the bottom part of the wings. Fill, remove and rebuild. Well it's a start.
  8. Hi fellow modellers Here I present italeri’s 1:48 JAS 39 Gripen (2638) in Czech Air Force Tiger Markings Well I started this kit sometime back in 2019/2020 and very nearly had it finished but had a disaster when I noticed the paint had cracked mainly on both upper wings (1st picture) so it has sat on my shelf of doom ever since. I decided that I wanted to get it rectified and finished so back on the bench it went at the start of the new year and after sanding both upper wings back to plastic then re-spraying and painting up the rest of the parts that wasn’t finished when I started this kit. I certainly can’t say I enjoyed this build but I do like to challenge myself which doesn’t always pay off but hay-ho that’s modelling I suppose. not my best build by a long way the tiger markings on the fuel tanks came from a couple of model alliance decals arctic tigers sheets intended for use on F-18’s so these are not technically correct. aftermarket used . CMK resin Cockpit including FOD guards (4148) Maestro Models conversions resin fuel tanks (K4806) Maestro models photo etched Ladder (MMP4806) Model-CZ decals (MCZA4807) Paints used MR hobby aqueous and Tamiya Acrylics thanks for looking happy modelling
  9. So... Saturday I went to my local dealer in order to spend some money returned by the taxman earlier this year. High on the wish list and already out of the box and on the bench in my fantasies was (IS) the Tarangus 1/48 Lansen. Boy was I surprised when I got home with the (not so recent any more) Fly 1/32 Tunnan instead! Here is daddy's new toy: And here is Lucky with his new toy: Now let me tell you - I had been warned! Not about this kit in particular but I am still struggling with the 1/32 Hurricanes 32012 & 32017. I knew that since the release in February there has been very little traffic on the subject. @Homebee ZIP Nada Nulli Which is never a good sign. So what's the deal? Sheer size of the fuselage is impressive: But mold quality is so so: That is the afterburner ring behind all flash and those two V shaped things are parts for the front wheel assembly. This is in 1/32, surely we could have been offered resin part and some PE parts for better presentation? The intake is a two part assembly split along the length: That is going to be very difficult to clean and smoothen to acceptable standard. Exhaust is the same. Resin parts: Some are very nice, here the seat: And the cockpit tub: Not really sure how to approach that part, I am considering cutting it in two parts along the middle to allow painting of those very nicely detailed sidewalls. But hey, some of the hawk eyed among you may have already noticed a problem: All of the bigger parts are in the same bag as the VERY tiny bits on the runners above and are off course nocked off, here the debris: The little white pill is for my blood pressure, will probably need to increase the dose slightly. So - I guess this is to some extent to be expected but there are some serious flaws that are just unnecessary. Anyone out there who can share some experience and/or some handy tips and tricks? They would sure come in handy. Lucky - now deeply concerned: Anyway - it is going to be a challenge. Stay sane and Happy Modelling Zack
  10. I am among the happy few to get one of the first small batch of this 10-year awaited little gem. And I can tell you, it was worth waiting for! The kit arrives in a very sturdy box - another box to protect it when sending it by mail is almost unneccesary. The boxart shows an early SK 60A from the mid-70s aerobatics team "Parisgruppen" with the SwAF Pilot School, "Krigsflygskolan", badge on the fin. The kit is molded in the same type of style as the other Pilot Replicas releases, a light grey, pretty hard plastic. The box contains six sprues including one clear. A few parts have a little flash, but nothing that bothers: The canopy is a little thick, but crystal-clear. The cockpit has nice molded sidewalls: Panel lines and rivets are crisp and very nice: The seats have nice details and molded seatbelts, which I guess will be loved by some, not by others. A photo-etch fret is also included. The decal sheet is - as always in PR releases - of excellent quality. It is designed by Moose Republic Decals and printed by Cartograf. It contains markings for four individuals, two NMF and two in the two-tone "Draken"-camouflage, one from the 70s and one from the 80s. The "broken" roundel is for an alternative with a bulge on the upper part of the wing. Just one is needed, but two examples are provided, so you can fail once. I have seen it on a model, and it looks great. However, I doubt that I dare to chose that alternative... The instruction sheet is very nice, with plenty of colour instructions. I will start building this ASAP, I hope to post dry-fitting pictures soon. As mentioned in the Rumourmonger section, this will be available at Pilot Replicas webpage www.pilot-replicas.com in about three weeks.
  11. Hi folk's , Couldn't resist the special scheme on the box top.so another proposed build.
  12. I read a magazine and got inspired to bring out a Lansen from the stash. This mean that the most of the other builds are on hold for a while. I will add details from the Maestro set to it. One evenings work gave this.
  13. I am trying to finish some dead projects and restarted on a pair from the Nordic GB back in 2020. I was going for an out of the box build of a J 29E but then I started to scribe the raised panel lines. It was a rather quick job getting something that look like an aircraft. In a box I found an etch set from Maestro that I decided to use. I needed to find the remaining parts for the old build an to my surprise I found a complete kit in the box so I thought that I could just as well build it too. It will be the photo recce S 29C. I had a second set of etch and put it to use. I was thinking of make this as an early machine without the "saw tooth" wings so I needed to convert the wings. I started by cutting the wings before assembling them. After gluing them together and mounted on the fuselage we got this. Then I needed to the get the sight for the camera that goes to the left side of the front . I I built it and drilled the small holes before everything died in November 2020. Now it is October 2022 and I was looking at pictures of the early reccetunnan without the saw-tooth wing to see if I had decals for it. To my surprise I found that it didn't have the camera sight or the small windows. Aaaargh. The holes has been filled and the damage from removing the camera sight has been repaired.
  14. Here is another group build that died. It started in the Nordic GB back in 2020. A S 29C and a J 29E is what is possible to build out of the box but I wanted the J 29F that had an afterburner. The part that needs to be changed in the fuselage I take from the Matchbox kit. I messed up cutting the parts so there are a big gap to fill. I might use the cockpit floor from a Matchbox as well as it is more correct than the Heller tub. I have filled the mess I made with plastic card and putty. The new cockpit has also been started. I found an etch set in the box that might come to use. This has to be my last afterburner conversion. It's my third 29F so it is starting to get boring. On to the wingtip lamps. I drilled a small hole in clear sprue, filled the holes with clear green and clear red to simulate the light bulbs. Then I glued them to the wings to sand them to the right shape. It is starting to look like plane. I adapted some Airfix Draken pylons to fit.
  15. I managed to finish the fighter version of the SAAB 21 as well. It is the early version of the propeller variant the J 21A-1. I finished it as a plane from the second (blue) division of the F9 wing from Gothenburg. 1/72 scale kit from Heller with decals from Moose Republic.
  16. I finally managed to finish it. Heller kit, rocket rails from Special hobby and a 500 kg mine bomb from Maestro Models. This is the attack version. Red K from the F6 wing in Karlsborg. Decals from Moose Republic
  17. Hello britmodellers, Here is - finally - my interpretation of Saab's J 29F Tunnan based Pilot Replica's 1/48 kit. OOB and airbrushed (PE seatbelts were part of the boxing) except I didn't add the PE cockpit mirrors (nice but I kept marring the clear parts with gloss clear to fix them) and replaced the rear wingtip lights (nothing wrong with these) with a blob of clear paint and gloss to try that method for self-made lights. I didn't use the decals for the dayglo and yellow, they were painted. The build starded as part of the Nordic II 2021 GB. I'd like to thank Rich @trickyrich for the abovesaid GB, as well as Enzo @Enzo Matrix and Mike @Mike for repeatedly moving the build thread over the very long time it took me to finish it. Also, my thanks to @pilot-replicas for the relacement parts (guess who is clumsy enough to overturn the CA bottle on a subassembly when placing nose weights....). This was a pleasurable build of a very good kit. The NMF and weathering were a different experience. Not disappointed, even rather pleased with the result, considering it was my first sludge wash to do panel lines and weathering. I learned some lessons for next time. Here is the build thread: Many sincere thanks to all those who gave support during the build, for the build itself and some dire life circumstances that interfered. I wanted something not too shiny and finally it came out with maybe a quite too scruffy look. Well, pics better tell the truth: Thanks for watching. I hope you'll like it. Have fun yourselves and a nice day (modelling or doing whatever else you enjoy). Cheers. Pat.
  18. Original Heller catalogue number: 261 (80261). This is a placeholder for my first build in this GB. Heller had a thing for Saab aircraft. This is the same Heller-Humbrol boxing what I built back in the day, I picked it up on the cheap last year, second-hand: No decals, but I still have the "alternative" markings from the first time I built the kit (it has markings for two aircraft). That just leaves roundels, for which I'll scrounge something from the spares.
  19. Saab AJ-37 Viggen "Strike Fighter" (SH48216) 1:48 Special Hobby The Viggen was Sweden's later Cold War fighter that took over from the equally unusual Saab Draken, as part of their long-standing preference for ploughing their own way through modernising their Flygvapnet, the Swedish Air Force. It began service in the early 1970s with the AJ variant, which was primarily a ground attack aircraft that could also perform the fighter role if necessary. It was slightly shorter than the later JA, with a slightly different cockpit arrangement and a less powerful engine. Over a hundred were built, with roughly half of them converted to AJS standard at the end of the 90s with improved avionics and software. The last of these upgraded AJs were taken out of service in 2005, with the similarly home-grown Gripen taking over its roles. The Kit This is Special Hobby's boxing of the kit in co-operation with Tarangus. The kit arrives in a large box adorned with a painting of an early NMF Viggen. Inside there are eight sprues in grey styrene, one in clear, a sheet of Photo-Etch (PE) nickel-plated brass, decal sheet and aninstruction booklet in the box, with the colour profiles and decal guides printed in colour on the inner back pages. This boxing includes the extra sprue which was tooled for later boxings of the kit. Construction begins with the front fuselage, and the cockpit in particular. The ejection seat, which is a Raketstol 37, is made from two parts for the outer shell, and has the head-cushion moulded in, so you will need to deal with the seam there before you install the single piece cushion in the lower half and the head-box top above it. The ejection gun and lateral supports are inserted in the hollow back of the chair, a full set of PE belts and harnesses are provided. The cockpit tub is one piece with integrated side consoled that have raised detail moulded in, to which you add the rudder pedals, control column and the main instrument panel. The panel has what looks like an MFD in the middle, but it was in fact an old-fashioned CRT screen, which was quite advanced at the time in an aircraft. PE is provided for the instrument panel and side consoles. Another two small levers are added to the right side console to finish off the cockpit nicely. The front fuselage is split horizontally, and has moulded-in recesses into which the sidewall detail parts are placed before the cockpit tub is added from below. Before the front fuselage can be closed up however, the intake trunking must be built up. The two trunks are moulded together and split top and bottom to ensure correct line-up, being held apart with bracing struts and outer flanges that hold them neatly within the fuselage. A bulkhead with twin oval openings covers the rear end. The nose gear bay is added, a front bulkhead to close off the nose behind the radome is installed over the front of that. The upper fuselage with the spine moulded in is then sat on top and glued in place, at which point you will need to ensure a good fit between the two halves, an important part at this point is to drill out the holes in the lower section for the bely pylons if needed. The rear fuselage splits vertically to allow a realistic rendition of the area-rule curving fuselage that surrounds the Volvo motor. In order to join the halves, you need to build the engine's rear, which is made from just two parts, but has superb detail incorporated. The main part is a wide tube with the rear engine face and afterburner ring moulded-in with stunning sharpness, plus ribbing along the length of the exhaust, and fluted edges that are commendably thin. The reverser section is added next, which is again a single part that mates with the lip in three points, leaving three large gaps for the reversed engine gases to exit. The thrust-reversing petals are each separate, and can be posed either fully open for normal running, closed for "reversing", or with the bottom two open and the top one drooping down due to the bleed-off of hydraulic pressure following engine shut-down. The latter will be the most normally seen on a parked aircraft, but you at least have options now! The tail cone fits over the petals, and the completed (and painted) assembly is trapped between the aft fuselage halves, and then mated with the forward half. Most of the upper join will be hidden by the spine of the front fuselage, which is always a boon to the modeller. Work then moves to the large cranked "double-delta" wings, starting with adding the well detailed shallow main gear bays to the single piece lower wing. A few holes are drilled for additional flap-actuator fairings (IIRC, this additional actuator wasn't present on early variants), and fuselage then the two upper wing halves are added, butting up against each other. Plenty of test fitting should ensure the best joint, but don't forget that wing-fairings are often not the best fitting, so check your references, and if it looks right, leave the lid on the putty. The flying surfaces are moulded integrally, so other than adding the aforementioned flap fairings and a pair of small wingtip lights on each wing, that's them done. At the front end of the fuselage, your Viggen will be looking a little blunt until you add the two part nose cone, which is split vertically, and the engine intakes, which have been cleverly designed to take up only one part each. These are slim and delicate, but if you want to achieve better scale accuracy, you might consider slimming the lips down a little more, such are the limits of styrene injection moulding. The small aerodynamic bracing struts that fit between the inner edge of the intake and the fuselage are separate parts, and are shown in both the installed position and as part of the exploded construction diagram to assist with correct placement. A scrap diagram from the front would have helped further, but instead check your references, as there are plenty of head-on pics out there. The two canards are installed later on a pair of attachment lugs, and each one is a single piece, with moulded-in flaps and a single vortex generator on the top of the winglet. I would have preferred the flaps separate, as the aircraft looks good with them down, and they often taxi in with them down after using them to improve lift on landings, as well as on take-off. The big vertical fin is separate, and has an insert on the port spine to cater for other earlier variants down the line. Various auxiliary intakes and exhausts are added down the fuselage and spine into recesses, and the small T-shaped air-brakes are added forward of the reverser outlets on each side, with another two under the fuselage. The gear bays have been nicely detailed from the box, and with the addition of the landing gear should suffice for most modellers' needs. The nose gear leg fits into a recess in the rear of the bay, and has a separate strut and oleo-scissor link. The bay doors each have hinge-points and a separate retractor link, and there are two clear landing light parts added inside the bay, angled slightly down. The main gear bays are each single parts, but have been detailed sufficiently with moulded-in shapes to give a good impression. The inner main doors are usually closed on the ground anyway, so most of it will be hidden. The Viggen was unusual in having a pair of inline wheels on a horizontal leg, which rotated around the end of the main leg, offering better rough-field performance. This has been replicated faithfully using eleven parts for each leg and its retraction mechanism, plus another two for the stub-axles that hold the two-part wheels in place. The wheels are nice, but they're not the strongest part of the kit, and could bear replacing with some aftermarket if they come around. The same could be said of the twin nose-wheels, which are each single parts, but all would be improved by the addition of a flat-spot to simulate the aircraft's weight, so if you're keeping them, get your sanding sticks out. The outer bay doors are captive to the gear leg, and have hinge points to give them a good chance of remaining in place during handling or travel to shows. Under the fuselage there are different options for the centreline pylon and other parts depending on your chosen decal option so consult the instructions carefully on this. A large centre line tank is provided because all fighters are always short of fuel. The tank is made of two halves split vertically, and has four separate stabilising fins that fit into slots in the body. Sadly for anyone wishing to load up their Viggen from the box contents, there are no weapons available in the kit. A forward bay and Ram Air Turbine are included if you want to model this open. The last act involves the canopy, which can be posed open or closed using the same two parts. The windscreen will need fairing in for a little extra realism, and the canopy can be fitted open or closed by inserting the hinge tabs in at the appropriate angle. A clear HUD glass is also provided for the coaming, which is incidentally moulded into the fuselage halves, so will need the seam hiding before you paint. PE Canopy mirrors are provided for the main frame. Markings There are three decal options in this boxing, two in NMF finish and the last in the famous splinter scheme. From the box you can build one of the following: 37023/7-23 / 418 - Wing F7, Satena, Seen at the Paris Air Show in 1973. Aircraft was Zapped by RNLAF personnel of 323 Sqn at Leeuwarden on the way back to Sweden (NMF). 37029/7-29, Wing F7, Satena July 1975 Still showing markings applied for an airshow in Germany in 1973 (NMF) 37035/6-35, Wing F6, Karlsborg, 1984 (Splinter camo). Conclusion It's good to see Special Hobby continuing to work on their kits after initial release, and the end result is well worth the effort. The best Viggen in 1:48 available by miles. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  20. SAAB AJ-37 Viggen "Strike Fighter" (SH72378) 1:72 Special Hobby The Viggen is a rugged fighter/interceptor that was designed to fulfil a need during the deep Cold War to defend Swedish airspace in the event of an incursion by the Soviet Bloc, and to continue the fight from hidden bases near roadways, which the aircraft could use as makeshift landing strips. It was to replace both the Lansen and Draken, and did so extremely well, endearing itself to aviation enthusiasts as it did so due to its unusual double-delta/canard configuration. It was fitted with a single Volvo license built P&W JT8D with an afterburner to give it the performance needed to propel this large aircraft fast enough to accomplish short take-offs. Short landings were made possible by the inclusion of a set of large thrust reversing petals that dropped into the exhaust trunking and expelled the gases forward from slots in the side of the fuselage. The initial AJ37 variant was declared operational in 1972, and required the addition of a trainer variant, dubbed the SK37, which had an additional cockpit placed high above the original, displacing some fuel tankage in the process. The final JA37 variant was brought into service in 1980 with new computer systems, improved radar and engine, as well as other systems and the strength of the airframe, which already utilised titanium to reduce weight. The FS version (Spaning Foto) replaced the radar with cameras in the nose. Additional provision was made for recce pods. They were introduced in 1973 with 28 aircraft being built. They were later upgraded to AJSF-37 before being decommissioned in 1998. This means the Swedish Air Force lost a dedicated Photo Recon Asset at this time. The last of the operational Viggens (Thunderbolt) were retired in 2005, replaced by the impressive JAS39 Gripen (Griffon). A number of Viggens are on display in museums – notably Newark in the UK, but the Swedes have retained one in flying condition that can sometimes be seen at British airshows along with a Draken, Lansen and even the Tunnan. If only every country was conscientious in preservation of its aviation history. The Kit The main tooling that this kit originated from is the collaborative effort between Special Hobby and Tarangus in 2018, which has been re-issued a few times over the past few years. In the box you get six sprues of grey styrene, one of clear parts, a sheet of decals and a glossy colour printed instruction booklet with integrated colour and markings guide at the rear. The tooling is one of the best I have seen in 1/72 there is plenty of detail with well defined but not overly deep panel lines. The only negative part on the tooling are sink marks on the top of the flaps due to the moulded on flap actuators on the underside of the mouldiing. These will be easily filled though, or can be shaded in for weathering back from the flap hinges. Construction starts shockingly enough in the cockpit. The four part ejection seat is built up followed by the cockpit tub. Instrument panel, rudder pedals, control column, and throttles are all added, the tub can then be placed inside the upper front fuselage; the ejection seat is then added in from the top. We then move to the lower front fuselage, the housing for the APU is built in. The front gear well as well can be glued in at this point. The upper and lower front fuselages can then be joined together around the full length intake trunking. The engine face is then put on the back of the intake trunking thus finishing this part of the build. Next up is the rear fuselage. and wings. First off the upper and lower wings are joined together. Above this the engine exhaust and the Viggen's unique thrust reverser are assembled and placed inside the two part (left & right) upper rear fuselage parts. These in effect only form the top two thirds of the read fuselage as they then join to the top of the main wing assembly. Its worth noting the thrust reverser can be modelled open or closed. The front and rear fuselage sections can then be joined. At the front the nose is made up and added. Once the nose is on the rather nice one part engine intakes are added. Towards the rear the vertical tail is put on. Various antenna, intakes and fairings are then added to both the upper and lower surfaces of the Viggen. On the underside the undercarriage is then built up and installed with the aircraft's unique twin tandem main wheels going into wells which are on the indie of the main wing parts. The main gear doors are added. Flipping back to the top the front control canards go on. We then flip back to the underside for the air brakes, To finish of the centre line fuel tank is added followed by the clear parts. Markings The glossy decal sheet looks to be printed in house, looks sharp and is in register. There are three decal options available from the decal sheet, which are split between NMF & splinter camouflage. From the box you can build the following; 37023/7-23 / 418 - Wing F7, Satena, Seen at the Paris Air Show in 1973. Aircraft was Zapped by RNLAF personnel of 323 Sqn at Leeuwarden on the way back to Sweden (NMF). 37029/7-29, Wing F7, Satenas July 1975 Still showing markings applied for an airshow in Germany in 1973 (NMF) 37035/6-35, Wing F6, Karlsborg, 1984 (Splinter camo). Conclusion The Viggen is a huge, impressive-looking Cold War warrior that has the unique Swedish look to it Detail is good, with excellent decals into the bargain makes this a must-have as far as I'm concerned. If you like Viggens then make sure you get one. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  21. Hi All, One new jet added into my collection! And this is the one I wanted to add for quite a long time because it's Swedish, it's from early jet age, it has centrifugal engine, and it's a twin-boomer. So win-win-win for me J21R was not super successful or super numerous aircraft. Neither it had a super long career. However this stands among those first generation jets that opened jet age for pilots and engineers in their native countries. I have a soft point to that era of aviation so very glad I now added this jet to the collection. I had a thread in WIP section on this project so there are some insights on construction. In general I did not find construction process too challenging. Even alignment of booms was not complex. Decent Czech short run with only reasonable dry-fitting required, nice perks in the box such as resin wheels, rich PE fret. In fact this can be called an OOB build as only contents from SH box were used except for manually added pitot tube (the kit's one was super-thick) and also an antenna on the starboard wing made with fishing line. Paints used for the scheme are Hobby Color H309 for green and H53 for grey. The scheme I used is for F7 Såtenas wing circa 1953-54. As far as I understand this was a fighter-bomber wing and J21Rs of that wing would normally be armed with gun pods or rockets which was making them A21R really. J21R is definitely not the most ordinarily looking aircraft. And honestly I was not perceiving this as 'beatuful'... But after putting this on wheels and placing it on the shelf - WOW! It is actually a very appealing bird! Look at these a little more 'artistic' photoes: And finally there are some group shots. With another Swede in my collection: ...with it's British stablemate ...and full collection of twin-boomers from my cabinet Hope you liked it! Kind regards, Dennis
  22. SF-37E Viggen "Swedish Eyes" (SH72390) 1:72 Special Hobby The Viggen is a rugged fighter/interceptor that was designed to fulfil a need during the deep Cold War to defend Swedish airspace in the event of an incursion by the Soviet Bloc, and to continue the fight from hidden bases near roadways, which the aircraft could use as makeshift landing strips. It was to replace both the Lansen and Draken, and did so extremely well, endearing itself to aviation enthusiasts as it did so due to its unusual double-delta/canard configuration. It was fitted with a single Volvo license built P&W JT8D with an afterburner to give it the performance needed to propel this large aircraft fast enough to accomplish short take-offs. Short landings were made possible by the inclusion of a set of large thrust reversing petals that dropped into the exhaust trunking and expelled the gases forward from slots in the side of the fuselage. The initial AJ37 variant was declared operational in 1972, and required the addition of a trainer variant, dubbed the SK37, which had an additional cockpit placed high above the original, displacing some fuel tankage in the process. The final JA37 variant was brought into service in 1980 with new computer systems, improved radar and engine, as well as other systems and the strength of the airframe, which already utilised titanium to reduce weight. The FS version (Spaning Foto) replaced the radar with cameras in the nose. Additional provision was made for recce pods. They were introduced in 1973 with 28 aircraft being built. They were later upgraded to AJSF-37 beofre being decomissioned in 1998. This means the Swedish Air Force lost a dedicated Photo Recon Asset at this time. The last of the operational Viggens (Thunderbolt) were retired in 2005, replaced by the impressive JAS39 Gripen (Griffon). A number of Viggens are on display in museums – notably Newark in the UK, but the Swedes have retained one in flying condition that can sometimes be seen at British airshows along with a Draken, Lansen and even the Tunnan. If only every country was conscientious in preservation of its aviation history. The Kit The main tooling that this kit originated from is the collaborative effort between Special Hobby and Tarangus in 2018, which has been re-issued a few times over the past two years . This is the first major additional tooling from them, and thanks to their efforts, we now have decent Viggens available. This is the first SF boxing from Special Hobby. In the box you get seven sprues of grey styrene, one of clear parts, a small resin part, a sheet of decals and a glossy colour printed instruction booklet with integrated colour and markings guide at the rear. The tooling is one of the best I have seen in 1/72 there is plenty of detail with well defined but not overly deep panel lines. The only negative part on the tooling are sink marks on the top of the flaps due to the moulded on flap actuators on the underside of the mouldiing. These will be easily filled though, or can be shaded in for weathering back from the flap hinges. It should be noted that while this boxing shares many parts from other boxing of the Viggen only the recce nose is included in the kit so other versions are not possible (as some modellers get really upset over this). Construction starts shockingly enough in the cockpit. The four part ejection seat is built up followed by the cockpit tub. Instrument panel, rudder pedals, control column, and throttles are all added, the tub can then be placed inside the upper front fuselage; the ejection seat is then added in from the top. We then move to the lower front fuselage. Here the aperture for the side looking camera is cut out (dont worry its well marked on the parts), and camera parts can then be added. Next the housing for the APU is built in. The front gear well as well can be glued in at this point. The upper and lower front fuselages can then be joined together around the full length intake trunking. The engine face is then put on the back of the intake trunking thus finishing this part of the build. Next up is the rear fuselage. and wings. First off the upper and lower wings are joined together. Above this the engine exhaust and the Viggen's unique thrust reverser are assembled and placed inside the two part (left & right) upper rear fuselage parts. These in effect only form the top two thirds of the read fuselage as they then join to the top of the main wing assembly. Its worth noting the thrust reverser can be modelled open or closed. The front and rear fuselage sections can then be joined. At the front the recce nose is made up and added with all the camera windows in clear parts. There are no cameras supplied for the nose so its either a case of scratch building or just giving the inside a coat of matt black. Once the nose is on the rather nice one part engine intakes are added. Towards the rear the vertical tail is put on. Various antenna, intakes and fairings are then added to both the upper and lower surfaces of the Viggen. On the underside the undercarriage is then built up and installed with the aircraft's unique twin tandem main wheels going into wells which are on the indie of the main wing parts. The main gear doors are added. Flipping back to the top the front control canards go on. We then flip back to the underside for the air brakes, To finish of the centre line fuel tank is added followed by the clear parts. Markings The glossy decal sheet is printed by Eduard and looks sharp and in register. There are three decal options available from the decal sheet, which are split between grey, splinter camouflage., and a special scheme. SF-37 Viggen 37950/21-48 1st Division, Wing F21 based at Lulea. Featuring a large wolfs head with the Lappish wording for Lonely Wolf on the aircraft. SF-37 Viggen 37960/10-52 1st Division, Wing F10, based at Angleholm. In the famous splinter camo with rare large whit %" on the upper sings. SF-37 Viggen 37957/21-56 1st Division Wing F21 based at Lulea. In the later 2 tone grey scheme. This aircraft was retired to the Czech Air Force Museum Kbely. The easy option is the grey ones, but the most impressive the splinter pattern; the special scheme will require some skill as the blue fades out toward the front. Conclusion The Viggen is a huge, impressive-looking Cold War warrior that has the unique Swedish look to it Detail is good, with excellent decals into the bargain makes this a must-have as far as I'm concerned. If you like Viggens then make sure you get one. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  23. SK-37E Stör-Viggen Electronic Warfare Aggressor (SH48150) 1:48 Special Hobby The Viggen is a rugged fighter/interceptor that was designed to fulfil a need during the deep Cold War to defend Swedish airspace in the event of an incursion by the Soviet Bloc, and to continue the fight from hidden bases near roadways, which the aircraft could use as makeshift landing strips. It was to replace both the Lansen and Draken, and did so extremely well, endearing itself to aviation enthusiasts as it did so due to its unusual double-delta/canard configuration. It was fitted with a single Volvo license built P&W JT8D with an afterburner to give it the performance needed to propel this large aircraft fast enough to accomplish short take-offs. Short landings were made possible by the inclusion of a set of large thrust reversing petals that dropped into the exhaust trunking and expelled the gases forward from slots in the side of the fuselage. The initial AJ37 variant was declared operational in 1972, and required the addition of a trainer variant, dubbed the SK37, which had an additional cockpit placed high above the original, displacing some fuel tankage in the process. The final JA37 variant was brought into service in 1980 with new computer systems, improved radar and engine, as well as other systems and the strength of the airframe, which already utilised titanium to reduce weight. The SK-37E was developed from a group of 10 airframes that were converted from trainers to Electronic Warfare trainers in the late 1990s, but were phased out after a relatively short service life in 2007. The last of the operational Viggens (Thunderbolt) were retired in 2005, replaced by the impressive JAS39 Gripen (Griffon). A number of Viggens are on display in museums – notably Newark in the UK, but the Swedes have retained one in flying condition that can sometimes be seen at British airshows along with a Draken, Lansen and even the Tunnan. If only every country was conscientious in preservation of its aviation history. The Kit The main tooling that this kit originated from is the collaborative effort between Special Hobby and Tarangus in 2014, which has been re-issued a few times over the years in single-seat guise, either with new decals or additional parts to represent other variants. This is the first major additional tooling from them, and thanks to their efforts, we now have a genuine 2-seater with no scratch-building involved. Marvellous! I do love the Viggen, in case you didn't know. The new parts include a new fuselage insert that replaces the single-seat part, which is also still on the sprues due to being surrounded by common parts. Another cockpit tub and instrument panel are also on the sprue, with appropriate glazing parts included on a small clear sprue. In the box you get nine sprues of grey styrene, two of clear parts, a fret of pre-painted Photo-Etch (PE) brass that has also been nickel-plates, a sheet of decals and a glossy colour printed instruction booklet with integrated colour and markings guide at the rear. The original tooling has been picked over ad infinitum in the intervening years, and although it has a few minor issues, they're by no means a deal breaker, and when you consider the alternatives… well there are none in this scale if you want two seats! With one seat, you have the ancient Airfix ESCI mould that is a blank canvas with some serious shape issues and almost no detail out of the box. The inclusion of Photo-Etch parts in the box is great news, even though the moulded-in cockpit detail is good, you can always improve on it with resin or PE. Even removing my rose tinted Viggen love spectacles, I'm still very happy with what's in the box. Construction begins with the ejection seats, which you build two of (unsurprisingly), and here there are a few small PE parts and a set of painted PE seatbelts for the crew, plus the anti-flail projections from the sides of the seat box. The two cockpit tubs are identical in terms of detail, but have slightly different shapes due to their location in the fuselage, and build up with either the moulded-in console detail, or the PE replacements, which are also pre-painted, for which you have to scrape and sand off the moulded-in detail. The same applies to the instrument panels, only they have a substantially different structure, due to the rear seat being the Electronic Warfare equipment, with a large projection at the top of the panel, and a limited set of dials due to a lack of available real-estate. The control columns and rudder pedals are fitted in both tubs, with PE replacements for the rudder pedals if you remove some of the detail from the originals. Before the cockpits are installed, the interior of the fuselage insert is painted and sidewall detail is attached to the pilot's (front) station, with a short blast screen fitted to the front of the rear aperture. The cockpits in their fuselage part are then set to the side while the lower nose is prepared with the nose gear bay, the APU bay installed, and the intake trunks with front engine face is built up from the split trunking that separates horizontally, joining just in front of the engine against a bulkhead, with the engine face buried deep in the fuselage, and probably only just visible. Whether you hide the seams between the two halves of the trunking is entirely up to you, but after the first kink very little will be seen. If you're a bit obsessive about that sort of thing, someone has already done a resin replacement set anyway. The trunking is applied to the bottom fuselage half, and the upper fuselage with cockpits is fixed to the top, with a bulkhead inserted at the nose end for structural strength. Attention turns to the rear fuselage, which must have the substantial exhaust trunk, thrust reversing petals and rear engine face built up and painted first. The first section is a single part with the engine and burner ring moulded-in, to which you fit another ring that holds the three thrust-reversing petals, the top-most of which is usually seen drooped into the airway on a parked aircraft due to the bleed-away of hydraulic pressure. They can be posed open or closed, and the instructions mention the droop perhaps a little late in the process. A scrap diagram shows the correct orientation of the burner in the fuselage, and with the reversers installer the exterior cowling is added at the rear. This forms the aft section of the fuselage once it is integrated in the rear fuselage, which closes up around it and is then mated to the front section, with the full-width wing lowers also added to the underside after the main gear bays are inserted. The upper wings are separate parts, as is the tail fin, of which there are quite a number of variants on the sprues, so be sure to choose the correct one. The nose cone is built from two parts and added, while the intakes are each a single part, which has a strut added to brace them against the fuselage side. Clear nav lights are fitted outboard of the last sweep change and on the wing tips, and another is added to the spine, with a small insert near the tail glued into place at the same time. You now have an almost complete airframe, so by now you'll realise that the Viggen was no small aircraft. The landing gear is built up from a number of parts that give a good account of the detail there, with separate oleo-scissors and retraction struts, separate wheels, bay doors and their retraction mechanisms, and those large rough-field ready main gear legs that seem to have struts all over the place. The main wheels are made from two halves each, and the complete assemblies are added to the bays in great detail on the instructions, shown with the captive main bay door added at this point. The inner bay doors have their jacks too, and the completed main gear area is shown in another diagram to confirm everything's position in situ. The inner bay doors can be shown retracted by cutting off the attachment lugs, so check your references and decide which pose you'd prefer. The small air-brakes on the underside are added closed, but you can leave them open, but you would need to add some extra detail so it's best to leave them closed as they would be that way on the ground for much of the time unless you buy the resin detail set. You Viggen wouldn't look much like a Christmas tree without the canards up front, and these have separate flaps to the rear like the real thing, which can be posed at an angle, or in line with airflow at your whim. Whilst you're still looking at the underside, some intakes, centre pylons and additional fuel tanks are added, with little else needed, as this variant wasn't flown as a fighter-bomber. On the topside, a number of vents, intakes, more airbrakes and aerials finish off the topside, and the APU is fitted to the open bay, captive to the door. Unless you are planning on modelling your Viggen in flight, you will want this dangling freely in the breeze, as it would deploy automatically on the ground. The canopies are the last parts of the saga, and of course there are now three parts; the fixed windscreen and two openers, which can be posed open or closed. A pair of rear-view mirrors are supplied on the PE sheet for the windscreen, as is a PE HUD frame, which you'll need to add your own acetate to, although you are at least given the sizing in another scrap diagram. At the bottom of that final page of instructions, you can find a small advert for the resin aftermarket sets available from their CMK brand, which includes M/70 rocket pods, ejection seats, thrust reverser petals, air-brakes and their bays, as well as resin wheels. They all look VERY tempting. Markings There are four decal options available from the decal sheet, which are split equally between grey and splinter camouflage. Decals are by Cartograf, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. The profiles on the first page of the decal instructions throw a little confusion on the subject, as the red lightning bolt on the tail of red 73 has been left off. SK-37E Viggen 21-73 (37811) 1 Div./Wing F21 Lulea-Kallax 2005 SK-37E Viggen FC-09 (37809) Försökcentralen (Centre of Experimental Research) Malmen Airbase 2005-7 SK-37E Viggen 4-70 (37807) TIS/TK Grupp (Type Conversion /Electronic Warfare Group), Wing F4, Östersund 2004 SK-37E Viggen 4-74 (37811) TIS/TK Grupp Wing F4 Östersund 2000 The easy options are the grey ones, but the most impressive are the splinter patterns, which I believe you can obtain masks for from a company somewhere. I have an old set knocking about, but as they're for a single-seater, I'll be painting this one grey. There's still lots of opportunity for weathering, as the aircraft were often see needing a good wash, with plenty of patina to whet your appetite for painting and weathering effects. You might have noticed that option A has a panel on the spine that has clearly been taken from a splinter camouflaged aircraft, and hasn't yet been repainted. Conclusion The Viggen is a huge, impressive-looking Cold War warrior that has a special place in my heart. The new 2-seater kit fills my need that has been previously unsatisfied for many years. Detail is good, the inclusion of a large sheet of PE and excellent decals into the bargain makes this a must-have as far as I'm concerned. If you like Viggens too, then make sure you get one. Very very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  24. SAAB B-5 Swedish Dive Bomber 1:72 Special Hobby (72421) The SAAB B-5 was a licence built Douglas Model A8-1, which in turn was a Northrop A-17, developed for the export market. This was a land-based light bomber, developed in the 1930s for the US Army Air Force. Similar in layout to the Vought Vindicator naval aircraft, the A-17 was an unrelated development, despite being powered by the same Pratt and Whitney Twin Wasp Junior radial engine. It was capable of a maximum speed of just over 200mph, had a range of 650 miles and could carry up to 1,200lb of bombs in its internal bay or on hard points under the wings. Although the A-17 was not produced in any great numbers it was exported to a surprising number of countries, including Argentina, Iraq, Norway and Sweden. Douglas built 2 for Sweden and then 94 were built by SAAB. These served until 1944 when they were replaced in thee Dove Bomber role by the SAAB 17. The Kit The handsome Northrop A-17 hasn't been all that well supported by model companies over the years. Rareplanes issued a vacuum formed kit back in the 1970s, and that was your lot until the injection-moulded MPM kit was released in 2002. The kit has been released multiple times since then, with this new version being the latest from Special Hobby. There are two sprues of plastic parts, an injection canopy with vac form additions, a bag of resin parts, additional resin skis and two sheets of PE . The long cockpit is reasonably detailed, being made up of thirteen parts. The pilot's compartment is comprised of a floor, two-part seat, rear bulkhead, instrument panel and control column, while the rear compartment is made up from a radio set, ammunition container, rear gun ring; and seat. The insides of the fuselage halves feature some basic sidewall details, which leaves a pretty favourable overall impression. A set of photo etched harnesses would finish things off nicely if you happen to have some to hand. Once the cockpit has been assembled and painted, the fuselage halves can be joined. The lower centre section of the wing is next. You may want to fit this part before the glue dries on the fuselage halves just to make sure everything lines up properly. The upper wings and the outer sections of the lower wings can be fitted next. Ailerons are moulded in place, as are the elevators on the tail planes, although the stretched fabric details are pretty nice. The engine is moulded as a single resin piece with additional resin parts finished with a resin cowl. This fits onto a resin mount. For the Swedish version the main canopy will need to have the pilots section removed and replaced with the new vac form section. It would have been good if this was produced in plastic though. As with the real thing, the undercarriage is relatively simple but decent enough. The main wheels have spats, or can be replaced with the nice resi skis in this boxing. Complicated resin bomb racks need to be made up for under the wing centre section, thankfully a jig is included to get everything lined up correctly. It is a shame no bombs are included or the racks. Final details include a four-part propeller, pitot tube, radio aerial mast and resin exhaust pipe. Decals Three options are provided on the decal sheet, these look to have been made in house, they look to be in register with no issues.: B-5B 7030 N.4 Flygflotilj 4, Winter 1943/44 B-5B, Flygflotilj 6, 1943 B-5B 7017 Flygflotilj 21, Winter 1944 Conclusion This is a nice enough little kit which possesses a reasonable amount of detail and which should be an enjoyable and satisfying model to build. My only gripes are that some of the panel lines look a bit crude and having a canopy of injection and vac form parts may pose a challenge. . All the same, this kit can be recommended, which is handy if you're in the market for a 1:72 SAAB B-5 as there isn't much else to choose from. Review sample courtesy of
  25. Broplan is to release a 1/72nd SAAB GlobalEye vacuform kit - ref. MS-218 Source: https://www.aviationmegastore.com/saab-global-eye-ms-218-broplan-ms-218-aircraft-scale-modelling/product/?action=prodinfo&art=173113 V.P.
×
×
  • Create New...