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Found 17 results

  1. 1/48 Avia S-199 (post war Bf 109) is planed for next two or three years. source: http://modelforum.cz/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=95280&start=4005#p1897662 downscale to 1/72 is planed too (like all Eduard projects) but more years in future.
  2. After reading Steven Pressfield's book "The Lion's Gate: On the Front Lines of the Six Day War" I was excited about the idea of reproducing this photo in a diorama: It is a Super Sherman firing at the Lion's Gate during the Battle of Jerusalem in the Six Day War. I couldn't find any more information about the markings for this tank. On tanks-encyclopedia.com it says it is an M-50 Degem bet based on an M4A1 hull. Also the lateral cartridge ejection hatch is open and the commander’s cupola is of ‘round’ type. I can identify the HVVS suspension and the markings of a W inside a square, on the right fender. I came here to ask for help from my colleagues, who have great knowledge of the subject. Thank you in advance for any assistance. Greetings from Brazil!
  3. Hi all, been very unproductive recently so to try and turn things around I've recently bought AK's Israeli Air Force paint sets for modern and early aircraft. I love Israeli paint schemes and they've used a nice variety of aircraft, so what better way to get back into building! I'm starting with 2 special hobby kits, their Vautour IIN and Meteor F.8 kits in 1/72 I also have a Revell 1/48 Spitfire Mk.IX on the way and have picked up some Techmod decals for Israeli Spits (this will be my first go at a spitfire too) For the benefit of anyone passing through, I'm currently working on: Hasegawa 1/48 A-4M(N) Ayit Tamiya Beaufighter And in the stash: Special Hobby 1/72 Vautour Kinetic 1/48 F-16C Barak Italeri 1/48 F-4E Phantom Italeri 1/48 RF-4E Phantom x2 Revell 1/32 Spitfire Mk.IX Italeri 1/48 AH-1F Cobra Hobby2000 1/72 TA-4J GWH 1/72 F-15I Ra'am Eduard 1/48 Velvetta Spitfire Mk.IX
  4. Mirage IIICJ (SH72352) 1:72 Special Hobby The Dassault Mirage III is one of the most recognisable aircraft to emerge from the Dassault Aviation stable in post war France with its distinctive delta wings and sharply pointed nose. The Mirage III grew out of French government studies for a light weight all weather interceptor able to reach an altitude 18,000 meters (59,500+ ft) in six minutes and able to reach Mach 1.3 in level flight. The tail less delta combined the wing with an area ruled Coke bottle-shaped fuselage to achieve such speed, minimising buffeting and other compressibility related issues that had plagued early supersonic designs. The Mirage IIIC would remain in French service from 1961 until 1988, and the largest export customer for the Mirage III was Israel, operating the Mirage IIICJ that had less advanced avionics and some aspects of the design removed or simplified. Nevertheless, Israel found these aircraft and weapons systems more than a match for anything her neighbours were able to field during the Six-Day and Yom Kippur wars, with the aircraft being a resounding success in combat with Syrian, Jordanian and Egyptian aircraft, many of which were of Soviet origin. Israel then sold some of these aircraft to Argentina when they had been replaced by more modern designs. The Kit This is a new tool by Special Hobby of this Dassault success story, and it shows. There is fine detail to be seen throughout all the sprues, including a crystal-clear canopy sprue, and a well-printed sheet of decals. The kit arrives in a modest top-opening box, and inside are five sprues in grey styrene, a small clear sprue in a Ziploc bag, a decal sheet in a resealable bag, and an A5 instruction booklet printed in colour on glossy paper. An insert within the booklet shows additional details for assembly of the wing, so bear that in mind when you get there. Construction begins with the cockpit, which consists of a tub with separate front and rear bulkheads that has the side consoles moulded-in, to which the rudder pedals, control column, instrument panel with decal, and the coaming with a clear HUD unit attached to the top. The exhaust is made up from three sections to obtain detail, with a two-part lip, and a single section representing the rear of the engine that has a bulkhead moulded-in to secure it within the fuselage. The intake bullet fairings have a small insert added to each one, and the nose gear bay is glued to an insert that forms the lower surface of the nose, after which you can begin to close up the fuselage, adding a two-part outer fairing to the exhaust before putting the trunk and cockpit between the two halves, adding the nose gear insert below once the halves are together. A choice of tail fins is supplied, as is a choice of bullet fairings for within the intakes either side of the cockpit. Once you have chosen, the outer fairing can be glued over it to complete the intake trunking. The lower wings are moulded as a single part that incorporates the underside of the fuselage, needing a few fairings removing before you can proceed. The main bays are added to the inside and the bays are painted along with the roof details that are moulded into the upper sides of the wings, which are separate parts. Flying surface actuators and a rectangular insert are fitted as the wing is joined to the fuselage, and a circular light is inserted into a hole in the bottom of the nose, leaving you with a very Mirage-shaped model that just needs the fine details and some paint to finish it. The nose gear is built from an A-frame to which the two halves of the yoke are added along with a rectangular bay door and the one-part wheel. The main gear struts are each one part with two-part wheels, and are attached within their bays with the addition of a retraction strut and bay doors on the outer and inner edges. The nose leg has a long retraction jack and another rectangular door, plus a third that sits on the side of the bay with a retraction jack projecting into the bay. A number of antennae, pitot probe in the nose and other small parts are dotted around the airframe, and the last act is to insert the ejection seat, which is made from five parts, and is covered by the fixed windscreen and pivoting canopy, which can be fixed in place in the raised or lowered position. A diagram shows the weapons locations for your ease, and many of these are included in the box, as follows: 2 x AIM-9D Sidewinder A2A Missile 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder A2A Missile 2 x Shafrir 2 A2A Missile 2 x Shafrir 1 A2A Missile 2 x Twin 250KG bombs on a shared pylon 1 x Matra R530 A2A Missile 1 x 880L Fuel Tank for the centreline 2 x 625L Fuel Tank 2 x 1300L Fuel Tank 2 x 500L Fuel Tank Each one is provided with a pylon and/or adapter rail, with separate perpendicular fins on many of the missiles, and the 500L fuel tanks. Markings There are four decal options included on the sheet, and you are provided with a four-view page for each one, complete with colour call-outs in Gunze Aqueous and lacquer. From the box you can build one of the following: 52, No.101 Sqn., First Fighter Sqn.m Hatzor Air Force base, Israeli Air Force, 1967 745, No.117 Sqn., First Jet Sqn., Ramat David Air Force base, Israeli Air Force, 1967 60, No.117 Sqn., First Jet Sqn., Ramat David Air Force Base, Israeli Air Force, 1967 784, No.119 Sqn., Bat Sqn., Tel Nof Air Force base, Israeli Air Force, 1966 The decals are printed in the Czech Republic, and are printed with good register, colour density and sharpness, with a thin gloss carrier film over the printed areas. Looking at the carrier film I suspect that they are printed by Eduard, and have tested my theory once I’d scanned them for the review. Applying Tamiya tape over any of the decals resulted in the carrier film coming free with no resistance, which is exactly how Eduard decals behave. Why am I mentioning this on a Special Hobby review? As of 2021, the carrier film from Eduard decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier-free, making the decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the film. It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view, and having now tested them on my recent F4F-3 Wildcat, I’m a fan. Conclusion A very well-detailed and crisply moulded new tooling of this important French fighter in Israeli service that should sell well. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  5. Hi all, here comes the Valom 1/72 Dassault Ouragan in Israeli markings. The kit is a typical short-run kit. The fit was not perfect and some filling and sanding was needed, but the surface detail is quiet nice with well-defined, sharp panel lines. The kit actually comes covered with fine rivets which I filled with Mr. Surfacer since I don't like the effect. This is certainly a matter of taste. I was less satisfied with the tricky assembly of the cockpit and intake area especially because the instructions are very vague with regard to the exact position of the parts. The only things I modified were the underwing pylons which were changed to the configuration used at the very end of the Ouragan's career. I used the kit's decals with some additions from the spare box. In the background on some of the photos, you can see the Ouragan's younger brother, the Super Mystère. To add some interest, the Super Mystère is in the old camouflage and the Ouragan in the newer post-1967 scheme. All comments welcome!
  6. So-called 'Droids' on modern IDF armour... Obviously, I'd like to know what they do and how they work, but everything I've read suggests that, unsurprisingly, the Israelis are keeping that info under wraps - and I don't blame them. I'm fairly sure they're a different system from the 'Trophy' active defence system. I assume, from the look of the thing and its positioning, that the Droid is the 'visible' component of some sort of 360° warning/surveillance system. Leaving all that speculation aside, there are conversion sets aplenty available from the likes of Legend and E.T. Model. I have seen a few photos of vehicles carrying them - an Achzarit, a Merkava 2D, a Merkava 4, a Nagmachon 'Doghouse'. What other vehicles carry them? And are there photos anywhere on the www - either they are really rare, or my Google-fu has failed me? They're a really cool object, but I don't want to fit one to a model and then find I shouldn't have!
  7. IDF Armour Modelling (9781838045838) MA Publications Ever since the state of Israel was created after WWII, they have been using cast-off and hand-me-down equipment for their defence forces, utilising their ingenuity to prolong the service life of vehicles that should have been retired long ago. A lot of Israeli equipment was provided by the US, but they have never been afraid of pressing captured armour into service, often after substantial modification to suit their needs. Through the years they have begun to be more self-sufficient from the US and other countries, producing more of their own indigenous products, such as the Merkava range of tanks that is now on its fourth iteration. They have also made inroads into weapons manufacturing in both the armour and air warfare arenas, which has put them alongside some of the best in their respective industries and opened up markets for their products. Whilst you may not be familiar with the name MA Publications, you’ll surely know some of their magazines, such as Model Aircraft Monthly, Scale Aviation Modeller International, and Scale Military Modeller International. This book is perfect-bound A4+ portrait formatted, with 80 pages of genuine content within, covering a substantial 21 builds of various types of armour, some using conversion sets, in great detail. It is printed in full colour on glossy paper with masses of large photos throughout, accompanied by a lot of text to keep you busily reading, while assimilating a whole raft of modelling techniques, some of which you might have heard of, others you might not. The book begins with an index of the builds so that you can flip to any particular build if you’re so minded, after which there is a brief two-page history of the IDF (Israeli Defence Force) with some interesting photos of various types mixed in. Then the builds begin, in the following order: Isherman – Jerusalem Chariot, Dragon M51 (Andy Renshaw) Desert Whip – Sho’t Kal Gimel with Explosive Reactive Armour, AFV Club (Matt Edwards) Battlefield Engineering – Academy M113 with Mr Modellbau, Friul & Eduard accessories (Jan-Willem Fischer) Urban Stinger – Academy M163A/1 Vulcan SPAAG with Legend conversion (Keith Forsyth) Up-Gunned Workhorse – Cyber Hobby M50 Super Sherman (Jan-Willem Fischer) Urban Monster – Tiger Models Nagmachon with Doghouse (David Francis) Blazer Armour – Magach 6B Gal Batash, Academy M60 with Legend conversion (Rob Andrews) Israeli Re-Engineering – Tamiya Tiran 5 (Keith Forsyth) Magach Magic – Academy Magach 7C Gimel (Matt Edwards) Ramming Hit – Magach 6B Gal Batash, Italeri M60 with Legend conversion (Keith Forsyth) Desert Lightning – Legend Productions Merkava IIIB Baz (Keith Forsyth) Nagmachon – Clearance Under Fire – AFV Club kit with Legend conversion (Keith Forsyth) Merkava 3D – Meng Model built with Blast Models, Legend & Model Miniature Upgrades (Maxime Levesque) Desert Chariot – Hobby Boss Merkava IV (Ray Deakin) Clearing the Way – Academy Merkava III with Mine-Rollers (Rick Saucier) Battlefield Support – Meng Model Achzarit (Keith Forsyth) Ultimate M113 Zelda – Academy M113 with HK Models conversion (Lee Hoe Yen) Yom Kippur Warrior – Tamiya M113 with Eduard and Model Kasten accessories (Patrick Brown) Modular Armour – Magach 7C – Academy M60 with Legend conversion (Keith Forsyth) Kasman – Urban Protection – Blast Models Kit with Friul tracks (Jan-Willem Fischer) Access All Areas – AFV Club M109A2 Doher with Black Dog, Real Model & Friul upgrades (Keith Forsyth) Each build spans several pages and has good sized pictures so that you can see the detail well enough to be useful. The builds use a variety of techniques to achieve their effects, so if you’re still learning (aren’t we all?) then you might pick up some new things to try, and even if you think the schemes depicted are over- or under-done, your next model can use a modulation of those techniques to achieve the effect that you want. It’s nice to see the use of older kits with a variable quantity of aftermarket, as well as some unusual conversions from various companies. Conclusion The disparate and home-made, sometimes Heath-Robinson appearance of some Israeli armour makes for interesting viewing, and while it doesn’t necessarily appeal to everyone, it does to many, and in recent years there has been a big increase in available kits as well as conversions, many of which you can see in this book. We can all learn a little bit more about the IDF and their wide range of AFVs that have been devised for some very specific purposes at times. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  8. After the bombing of the Air Force, the Israeli army immediately entered Lebanon. A new Merkava tank was parked on a small basketball court. The tank crews chatted in the shadow of the tank and waited for the next order. After a while, two children came, and the red boy pointed at the basketball stand and yelled at the tank crew: "This is our basketball court!!!” The little boy behind him clung to his "weapons" - an steel stick, trying to show a strong look. The older soldiers were not worried about this. He was still sweating with a handkerchief, while the other was curiously watching the two little boys do the next step. Finally, the young soldiers responded loudly: " go away!!!!!” 1/35 diorama Merkava mk1 In the process of making this Merkava, I have been thinking about how to make a diorama. I have always disliked the scene of fighting, so I decided to make this non-combat scene but also the scene of conflict between the two sides. I chose children because only children can get close to Israeli soldiers. I didn't hesitate too much in the choice of location, I loved sports when I was a child, but I was very thin,our basketball court was often occupied by adults. At the beginning, I planned to build a football field, but then I thought that the football goal frame was not tall enough, so I changed to a basketball court. The forward-facing basket was in front of the tank and seemed to be blocking the advancement of the tank. The steel stick in the hands of the children contrasted with the huge new tank, just like 20 years ago when I was standing next to a strong adult on the court.... Thanks for watching and thanks to Google Translate. Shi Zheng END
  9. When building an Israeli P-51D Mustang I noticed that the insignias, the David Star was much further forward on the fuselage compared to insignia's on US, RAF and Swedish P-51D's. And in this position some of those insignias also partly covered the fuelcap on the left side of the fuselage just under the canopy. https://pixels.com/featured/iaf-first-p-51d-mustang-amos-dor.html It's not easy to find pictures on natural metal Israeli P-51D's. Those I have found is from the delivery from Sweden. And those first insignias covered the Swedish insignias. I have Sky's Decals decal set for the first fighter. But there are no pictures on fuelcaps etc. Cheers / André Ps. Is there any who has experiences with Sky's Decals? I had rather big problems concerning those decals, Micro Sol and Tamiya semi gloss clear. They cracked...
  10. I'm looking at building Baz 957 during Operation Wooden Leg in October 1985. I've done a bit of research to answer most of my questions, but still have a couple question. 1) When were chaff/flare dispensers fitted to Israeli F-15s? I haven't found a clear enough photo of the belly of any Israeli F-15 dated before about 2000 to show one way or the other. I ran across a reference that the USAF started adding ALE-45 dispensers in 1985. But, Israel has done it's own thing with EW and self protection systems, so they might have ordered chaff/flare dispensers from the start or fitted them on delivery. Almost all photos I've found online are of the Improved Baz which didn't reach squadrons start until the late '90s. Question still holds for when they first appeared, but I found a photo in the IsraDecal book showing the belly of one of the Wooden Leg planes that with a magnify glass I could make out what look like dispensers forward of the gear doors. 3) Were the cockpits originally black like the Improved Baz or grey like USAF fighters? I've got the IsraDecal Baz book, so I've seen it's cockpit photos. Those are all Improved Baz where standardizing the cockpit was one of the design goals and I can't trust it for 20 years prior. I'm curious if anyone knows how the planes were originally ordered. Anyone got a photo of a pre-AUP cockpit? 4) I'm assuming a joystick of some sort was added to the right side console of the rear cockpit for GB-15 guidance, was there an additional TV screen installed as well? Some other stuff people may find useful: Operation Wooden Leg planes: BAZ Block Serial Notes 450 F-15D-27-MC 80-0131 RTB with GBU-15 had Double Tail insignia inboard side of tails. 455 F-15D-27-MC 80-0132 957 F-15D-28-MC 80-0133 1983 Survived mid-air with Skyhawk (4 kills by Oct 1985) 970 F-15D-28-MC 80-0135 Wingman to Flight Lead 223 F-15D-35-MC 83-0063 Flight Lead (aircraft lost 4/1/87) 280 F-15D-35-MC 83-0064 840 F-15C-29-MC 80-0129 530 F-15C-36-MC 83-0057 F-15D load: CFT's fitted Left Side GBU-15 no sparrows or sidewinders (rails removed) Centerline: AN/AXQ-14 Data Link Pod Right Side: Fuel Tank, 2xAIM-7F (grey bodies), 2xAIM-9L (grey bodies) F-15C load: CFT's fitted; 4xAIM-7F; 4xAIM-9L; MER with 6x500lb bombs on centerline. Spearhead Squadron red wedge markings were not applied to inside of tails until 1991. Several photos from the day of Wooden Leg show either blank inside tails or 450 with the Double Tail squadron markings. Squadron and national markings were painted over for the op, so all you need are standard F-15 stencils and some tail numbers for most planes. From a photo dated 1987 of 223 in Osprey's Israeli F-15 Eagle Units in Combat showing Escapac IC-7 seats with the arming lever clearly visible in the disarm position on the headrest, assume that all Baz still equipped with Escapac seats until at least 1987. The fleet was changed to ACES II in the '90s but photos are scarce. Any AUP plane should have ACES II. Great Wall's F-15B/D Baz kit doesn't have CFTs or turkey feathers, so I'm going to use Hasegawa's F-15E Demonstrator that has the right CFTs and engine nozzles included. Baz 113 represents F-15B 73-0113 that was transferred from the USAF to Israel in 1992 (Peace Fox V), went through AUP in 2001. Probably had ACES seat retrofitted while in USAF service and wasn't retrofitted with Escapac on transfer to Israel, but it's anyone's guess. Couldn't find a USAF history on this plane. Baz 704 represents F-15B 76-1524 1 of 2 F-15B built new as part of original Israeli F-15 order (Peace Fox I). 2 kills as 704. Number changed to 404 in the mid '80s and has it's gun port faired over at some point. No current Baz numbered 704. All other Baz 7XX planes are F-15Ds from Peace Fox IV with 90-???? serials. All current photos show the gun faired and are the only F-15C/D Baz's I've seen with rounded RWR fairing on both tail booms. All other F-15C/D had pointing tail booms like original F-15A/B. Sources: The Sword of David: The Isreali Air Force at War Osprey Israeli F-15 Eagle Units in Combat IsraDecal F-15 Baz airliners.net
  11. IAI Kfir C2/C7 Kinetic Models 1:48 History The Israel Aircraft Industries Kfir ("Lion Cub") is an Israeli-built all-weather, multirole combat aircraft based on a modified French Dassault Mirage 5 airframe, with Israeli avionics and an Israeli-made version of the General Electric J79 turbojet engine. Two powerplants were initially selected for trials, the General Electric J79 turbojet and the Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan. In the end, the J79 was selected, not least because it was the same engine used on the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, which the Israelis began to acquire from the United States in 1969, along with a license to produce the J79 themselves. The J79 was clearly superior to the original French Atar 09, providing a dry thrust of 49 kN (11,000 lb) and an afterburning thrust of 83.4 kN (18,750 lb). In order to accommodate the new powerplant on the Mirage III's airframe, and to deliver the added cooling required by the J79, the aircraft's rear fuselage was slightly shortened and widened, its air intakes were enlarged, and a large air inlet was installed at the base of the vertical stabilizer, so as to supply the extra cooling needed for the afterburner. The engine itself was encased in a titanium heat shield. A two-seat Mirage IIIBJ fitted with the GE J79 made its first flight in September 1970, and was soon followed by a re-engined Nesher, which flew in September 1971. The Kfir entered service with the IAF in 1975, the first units being assigned to the 101st "First Fighter" Squadron. Over the following years, several other squadrons were also equipped with the new aircraft. The role of the Kfir as the IAF's primary air superiority asset was short-lived, as the first F-15 Eagle fighters from the United States were delivered to Israel in 1976. The Kfirs first recorded combat action took place on November 9, 1977, during an Israeli air strike on a training camp at Tel Azia, in Lebanon. The only air victory claimed by a Kfir during its service with the IAF occurred on June 27, 1979 when a Kfir C.2 shot down a Syrian MiG-21. By the time of the Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon in 1982 (Operation Peace for Galilee) the IAF was able to use both its F-15s and F-16s for air superiority roles, leaving the Kfirs to carry out unescorted strike missions. Shortly afterwards, all IAF C.2s began to be upgraded to the C.7 version, with enhanced weight performance, making the Kfir more suitable to its new fighter-bomber role. During the second half of the 1990s, the Kfirs were withdrawn from active duty in the IAF, after almost twenty years of continuous service. The Model The kit, contained in the usual attractive box with an artists representation of the aircraft in dramatic pose of dropping a LGB and dispensing flares. Inside the kit is on seven sprues of light grey styrene, one sprue of clear styrene and two small sprues of a greeny-blue styrene. There is a nice double sided A4 colour chart and painting guide as well as a medium sized decal sheet. The parts are all very well moulded with fine recessed panel lines, fasteners, and raised areas, such as strengthening plates, where required. There is no sign of flash on any of the parts and only a very few moulding pips. The styrene appears to be on the soft side and any ejection pin marks aren’t on the visible sides of parts. The clear parts are very clear, although there does seem to be some distortion on the curving top surface of the main canopy. Initial impression is that this a nice looking kit and from completed examples on Britmodeller does in fact build into an excellent model. Construction starts with the ejection seat. Now there are two in the kit, one for the C2 and one for the C7. Each seat is made of five parts, the seat squab and backrest, two sides, head box top and ejection handle. Unfortunately there are no straps or belts provided so the modeller will have to either scratch build or buy an aftermarket set. There are also a number of sub-assemblies shown to be built on the first page of the instructions; these include the HUD, which is made up of three clear parts, an auxiliary air duct, and cockpit rear bulkhead, on which two electronics boxes are fitted. The cockpit is made up of the cockpit tub, moulded as a single part, the ejection seat, optional instrument panels, depending on which mark is being modelled, two rudder pedals and the joystick. The detail on the cockpit tub is a little soft and really could do with extra detailing, as do the instrument panels, although some very careful painting may bring out the moulded detail on these. The next stage is to make some more sub-assemblies, which include the undercarriage, nosewheel bay, intake ducts, tail flare dispenser, exhaust nozzle, the alternative noses and the LGB illuminator pod. The nose wheel is built up with the oleo, scissor link, landing lights, wheel hub and two tyre parts, whilst the main undercarriage components are made up of the oleo and similar three piece wheel arrangement as the nose wheel. The nosewheel bay is a three piece affair with the roof, moulded with front and rear bulkheads and the two side pieces. The detail moulded on these parts look pretty good and will be enhanced with some careful painting and weathering. The alternative noses, whilst having different parts look very similar and the completed assemblies only differ by what looks like an auxiliary intake/outlet duct. The engine exhaust is built with just two parts with the exhaust fan moulded complete with the exhaust duct, which looks like it will quite awkward to paint effectively, onto which the exhaust nozzle is attached. The sub-assemblies for the intake ducts, cockpit, nosewheel bay, and cockpit rear bulkhead are then fitted to one of the fuselage halves, and then the fuselage can be closed up. The nose and external parts of the intakes can then be attached. Two holes need to be opened up on either side of the spine for additional parts fitted later in the build. Moving onto the wings, these are made up of a single piece lower wing and two upper wing sections. Onto the completed wing the flaps, (flaperons?), can be constructed either up or down using different parts for the actuator fairings. The four airbrakes are then attached, two above and two below in either retracted or deployed positions. The wing is then attached to the fuselage along with the two cannon troughs, canards, engine nozzle, the engine fan disk, fitted the now joined intake ducts, the windscreen and canopy, although this should really be left off until the end of the build if being posed open as it will surely be knocked off. To the underside of the aircraft several sensors, probes, outlets and aerials are fitted, as are the optional panels aft of the nosecone, one with a laser guidance pod and one without. The undercarriage is then completed. Each main leg has an actuator and the two outer doors attached, whilst the nose leg has its actuator and the front bay door fitted. The main bays also have the large inner doors glued into place, through research there doesn’t seem to be a definitive position for these when the aircraft is shutdown. Some pictures show them open whilst on some aircraft they’re closed, so it’s really up to the modeller how they should position them. What Kinetic do well is provide the modeller with plenty of weapons to hang off their completed aircraft, and this kit is no different. Apart from three different types of drop tanks the kit provides the following:- • Two Griffin LGBs • Seven Mk82 bombs with retard tails. • Seven CBU-20 cluster bombs • Two Python AAM There are of course the requisite pylons for these weapons to be hung off, in addition to a Multiple Ejection Rack, (MER) for the centre line station on the C2 version. Not all weapons can be used for both versions. Decals There are in fact two decal sheets, the main, large one, and a small additional one. This small sheet is for one aircrafts numbers, the Hebrew equivalent and a decal for the flare dispenser. The decals, by Cartograph are up to their usual high standard, being very thin, glossy with a fine carrier film. The register appears to be very good as is the opacity. They should settle down with the modellers’ solutions of choice. There are national markings and stencils for one aircraft and insignia and identification numbers for the following:- • Kfir C2 number 805, The Valley squadron, Ramat-David AF Base 1983 • Kfir C2 number 861, The Valley squadron, Ramat-David AF Base 1985 • Kfir C7 number 553, Venus, The Arava Guardians, Hatzor AF Base 1988 • Kfir C7 number 539, Venus, The Arava Guardians, Hatzor AF Base 1992 • Kfir C7 number 521, Pluto, The Arava Guardians, Hatzor AF Base 1994 Conclusion This is another great looking kit of a really good looking aircraft from Kinetic. Yes the detail could be improved in the cockpit and the main undercarriage bays, but it will build into a good looking model straight from the box. Highly recommended In association with
  12. Air Combat During Arab-Israeli Wars ISBN : 9788365437495 Kagero via Casemate UK The state of Israel was forged through conflict and seems to have been in a constant state of conflict with its neighbours ever since. This books looks at these conflicts through the use of Air Power which has no doubt helped considerably since the days of buying old WWII fighters to the new aircraft supplied by their major ally the USA. The book is softbound a little less than A4 size with 104 pages. It is illustrated throughout by many photographs and colour plates of the aircraft involved. Te first half of the book concentrates on on the beginnings of aviation in what was then Palestine and the develops from there including Air Combat in 1948, Development of the Israeli Air Force, Testing of Captured MiGs, and he relationship between Israel and Poland. Before the War LOT was instrumental in providing air services to the then Palestine. In addition Poland supplied aircraft to Israel in 1948. In latter years Polish aircraft have taken part in jont exercises in Israel, and Israeli F-15s have visited Poland where they flew over Auschwitz. It has since emerged that in 1997 the Polish "lent" 3 MiG-29s to the Israeli Air Force Test centre for evaluation due these aircraft being used by counties around Israel. The second part of the book concentrates on air combat since 1956 including; The Suez Crisis The Six Day War The Yom Kippur War Bekaa Valley (1982) Conclusion If you're interested in these conflicts, this is an interesting book on an interesting subject that should give you some hours of entertainment, and remain on hand as a reference for the modeller or historian. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  13. Hi folks, I am newly returned to the hobby, after a number of years away. Until now I have always modelled British armour - most from WW2 and the first Gulf War. But I fancy a change. I have always been interested in the Israeli Defence Force, and their unique methods of acquisition and engineering of their AFVs, so as to end up with vehicles which suit their particular needs, and 'supply chain'. So, I'm starting out with Meng's Achzarit Early HAPC. It's a very interesting vehicle, and a typical Israeli 'product' - old Russian tank, plus a lot of ingenuity and components acquired from all over the place resulting in a unique kind of vehicle. I'm intending to build it pretty much 'out of the box' - without going into a lot of detail about why, I need to keep life simple. So, the beginnings... I've got a copy of the 'Desert Eagle Publishing' book on the vehicle, and access to lots of images on the interwebby thing - hopefully that'll suffice for research materials! I've started at the beginning, as stated in the instruction sheet - though, knowing me, I'll probably find a 'better way' and deviate significantly. But wheels are usually a good place to start. The sprockets and idlers went together fine. Road wheels 'A' (four off), not so much - two of the 'blind' holes (part B6) are far too shallow to fit the poly-caps as moulded, though two are fine. I'm away on holiday, so only have access to a limited selection of my tools... This is a lathe job and, unsurprisingly, I didn't bring that with me! So road wheels 'A' will have to wait a few days... I wonder why none of the on-line reviews (and build logs) I've read haven't run into the same issue. Ah well, onwards and upwards, now for road wheels 'B'. Cheers, Phil
  14. The old Hobbycraft Avia makes into a decent model, even if it's starting to get a bit old. I added the SC 50 bomb rack with bombs out of another model as the kit gives you a drop tank, which is inaccurate. I also replaced the 20mm barrels with those from a Hasegawa Bf 109, as the kit supplied ones were far too thick. Decals came from Aeromaster, as I've had previous negative experiences with Hobbycraft decals, however, the fuselage band and the fin flash decals were not even close to fitting, so these were masked and painted. It really is time for a new mold 1/48 Avia.
  15. Evening, so here is my build of the isreali MBT Merkava Mk.III. The Merkava is the a series of israeli MBT developed since 1973. The first Model MK.I was introduced in the IDF 1978. The current version is the Mk.IV being intriduced in 2003. All variants have in common that the engine was moved to the front to add more protection againts RPGs inlike most other modern MBT where it's in the rear, and due to the space in the rear through the missing engine, was used to add an rear compartment so that the tank can transport infantry, ammunition, a stretcher ("tankbulance"), or goods like e.g. a watertank. Another difference to other MBT is thatit is also equipt with mortar in the turret. I build the 1/72 Revell kit of the Merkava MK.III. Ibuild about a month ago and the fit was pretty good; I build it OOB and painted it with Revell colors (matched by eye; I think the tone looks pretty good though it should be a little brighter ) I weathered it with pastel chalks grinded to a dust So here are the pics: IMG_2124 by nivelnnamkcurts, auf Flickr IMG_2125 by nivelnnamkcurts, auf Flickr IMG_2126 by nivelnnamkcurts, auf Flickr IMG_2127 by nivelnnamkcurts, auf Flickr IMG_2123 by nivelnnamkcurts, auf Flickr IMG_2128 by nivelnnamkcurts, auf Flickr close up of the chains on the rear turret, used as protection against RPGs IMG_2144 by nivelnnamkcurts, auf Flickr and the obligatory comparsion to a 1€ coin and an 1/72 esci figure (all pictures were taken with my phone as my camera has some focus problems , so they're all a bit grainy) so that was it, hope you like it comments an critics are welcome Regards Levin Edit: to sgt. Squarehead - I didn't found a way to "trim down" the shine on the bare metal surfaces, except repainting, what I haven't done yet
  16. Hi all. Here are some pics of my latest build, it's Airfix's old (but still good) CH-53 built as an S-65 of the IDF/AF as she would have been seen in her early service life around the 1970 mark, they were delivered in the late 60's in this attractive scheme and re-painted in the more boring scheme they wear today in the 80's. The kit is straight from the box but with the addition of decals from Print Scale. Makes an interesting bedfellow for my recent Iranian RH-53! Anyway here are some pic's, there are more in the build log here:- http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234997643-airfix-172-ch-53s-65-double-build-iran-and-israel/ Thanks for looking, and all comments and criticisms are gratefully received. Thanks for looking. Cheers. Craig.
  17. Time to state my intentions with regard to this Group Build. The plan is to build two of the good old Airfix CH-53 kits at the same time, the reasoning being that they are both the same colour on the inside and should build up the same hopefully meaning that it won't take much more time than building one (and it helps to thin the stash a bit!). Anyway here are pictures of the two different boxings I will be using for the build. And the insides of the box to prove that they have not been started yet. As you can see the parts are still safely wrapped up in their plastic bags. I have another one of these in the stash (I know I know) which has been opened and I must say it is my prefered option for an early twin engined CH-53 as it is accurate in outline and in good old Airfix fashion is festooned with raised (but not too prominent) rivets, and guess what? So is the real thing! These beauties are not exactly built for speed and, like most helicopters, have lots of raised rivets (in my mind a real issue with Airfix's new Sea King/Commando kits as the real things are covered with them as depicted beautifully by Revell on their kits). We will have a closer look at these during the build process, which will be pretty much OOTB as there is a time limit and the ramps will be shut, therefore limiting what is visible. On to the colour schemes and decals. I will be using Print Scales two new sheets for the aircraft, which look superb, and I will be building one aircraft from each sheet, here is a picture of the decal sheets. As you can see there are plenty of other very nice options on these sheets (at least one UK based HH-53 will be built later) but as I said I am going to build the Iranian Navy one and the Israeli one, here is a picture of the Iranian aircraft from the instruction sheet. As I said the other option I'm going to build is going to be Israeli and this comes in the older attractive 3 tone (cafe-au-lait) colour scheme. I would like to build one of the 2 aircraft which were used for Operation Rooster 53 (whoever chose the operation name must have been smoking something "unusual") when they were used to "borrow" a complete Egyptian P-12 radar system to uncover it's secrets. I am not sure of the serial numbers of the 2 aircraft involved but here is the decal sheets option. Well that's it! It might take me a couple of weeks to get started as I have the small matter of a couple of 1/48 P-47's to complete for another GB. Thanks for looking in and I look forward to all of your inputs during my build, as well as watching yours! Craig.
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