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Sea Typhoon FRS1...DONE


Dermo245

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"Wiith limited modifications, Typhoon would be capable of carrier operations across the full range of environmental conditions, and would have comparable take-off and landing performance to equivalent multi-role naval aircraft. This would allow Typhoon's exceptional operational capability to be employed in the naval domain".

Eurofighter Consortium; 2011.

Back story to follow....

Edited by Dermo245
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Cracking concept Dermo. Sure I've seen discussion of this being attributed to the Eurofighter consortium elsewhere but can't for the life of me recall where... Anyway, welcome to the GB & I'm looking forward to your interpretation of how it'll be done, you got a kit prepared for the fun?

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With ongoing delays in the development of the Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant of the F-35 due to weight and software issues, the UK Government invoked a clause in the contract, thereby enabling F-35 partner (and member of the Eurofighter Consortium), BAE, the opportunity to investigate other concurrent development options so as to ensure a fully operational CATOBAR (Catapult Assisted Take Off/Arrested Recovery) or STOBAR (Short take off/Arreseted Recovery) fighter, reconnaisance and strike aircraft for the Royal Navy by 2014.

Options considered included the Sukhoi Su-33, the Dasssault Sea Rafale M, the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet and the newly developed JAS Sea Gripen in production for Sweden's new Malmo class of medium carriers. With the Eurofigher just entering service with RAF XI Squadron, BAE engineers wondered whether the long tradition of adapting land-based fighters for Royal Navy service - the Hurricane;Spitfire and Harrier to name but three - might be feasible for the Eurofighter.

Measurements revealed that the aircraft would fit on deck and in hangars without the need for wing folds and that the excellent low speed maneuverability and flight control systems would be ideal for carrier operations. However, a number of further modifications would be required. These were identified as;

- Some strengthening and corrosion protection of the airframe for carrier ops

- Inclusion of an arrestor hook for on-board recovery

- Addition of conformal fuel tanks to increase range

- Thrust vectoring engine nozzles to assist with take off and landings

- Uprated main landing gear including double-wheel nose gear

- Uprated avionics for strike and reconnaissance duties

- Upgraded FLIR, sensors and camera to increase the pilot's view past the canards on approach and landing

A series of three development aircraft were fitted with these upgrades to allow for testing on land, at sea and in the air. Following an extensive and successful sea trial, the Sea Typhoon FRS1 was officially accepted into service on 30 December 2013, ahead of the in-service launch of 2014. Both Fleet Air Arm pilots and the Royal Navy were extremely happy with the new aircraft and export orders are already at advanced stages of negotiation with Australia, Brazil and India.

That's the backstory - will start the build hopefully tomorrow night!

Thanks for looking.

Dermot

Edited by Dermo245
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Cool, looking forward to seeing your progress soon, great use of the earlier kit. Plenty marking options in the decal sheet as well if you plan on using it.

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One thing, Boeing manufacture the F/A-18E/F, not Lockheed Martin like you stated in the backstory :lol:

Cheers Dave and sorted!

Some sprue pics as promised. This shows the age of this kit (1994)

ItaleriEurofighterBoxback.jpg

Contents

ItaleriEurofighter-contents.jpg

Raised cockpit detail

ItaleriEurofighter-cockpit.jpg

Not bad recessed panel lines...

ItaleriEurofighterpanels2.jpg

ItaleriEurofighter-panels1.jpg

Hope to start on the cockpit this weekend.

Thanks for reading.

Dermot

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  • 3 weeks later...

Finally got some work done on this one. Cockpit done and pilot added. Jeez, the camera sure shows up every issue in there!

IMG_3114.jpg

Got the fuselage joined up. The airbrake internals is moulded as an insert and also includes the fuselage spine, so it covers that seam from above. Nice touch.

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And having thought about it, I decided to try the conformal fuel tanks on the fuselage as envisaged on the naval version. Each is a half of a fuel tank from an F-18 glued on...

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And as they look now. Still need to blend them in further but I think they work..

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Thanks for looking!

All the best,

Dermot

Edited by Dermo245
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  • 2 weeks later...

Quick update on this one. Joined the upper wings to the one piece lower wings and then the fuselage - nasty seam to be filled there and the CFTs really get in the way!

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And with the nose added, she's starting to look like a jet now. Bit of work needed to fix the nose join too.

ItaleriEurofighter172Preprimer.jpg

Off for a coat of primer and that's my lot for this evening!

Thanks for reading.

Dermot out.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Just a quick update - finally got some paint on the Sea Typhoon. Halfords plastic primer followed by brush painted Medium Sea Grey all over.

Also started working on the WHIF loadout courtesy of Hasegawa's weapon sets and the spares box......I know they're Hellfires, not Brimstones... :confused:

DBF9D9CE-F34B-43BA-9B84-4F0DE6834F83-1263-00000166C8297FFB.jpg

Hope to start the decals and panel line wash work this weekend.

Thanks for visiting.

Dermot

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Always great to get paint on a model, seems to suddenly take a leap forward in progress, look forward to seeing her with the decals on.

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  • 2 weeks later...

And in the home straight with this one. Spare decals from 899 NAS for this naval Typhoon. The tail insgnia would probably be bigger on the real thing (this is lifted from a SHAR obviously but like how it turned out). Added some LGBs symbols on the nose but decided not to go too far with stencils....is it too clean looking?

Wash, weathering and matt coat to go, plus landing gear and loadout and that wil be it.

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She's not the most exciting of What-if builds but am really enjoying it.

Thanks for reading and have a restive Festive!!

All the best,

Dermot

Edited by Dermo245
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So on the home stretch with this one and should make the GB deadline hopefully.

After decals and a coat of Future, the Sea Typhoon got the Pro Modellers wash treatment. Might be a little overdone but I figure naval operations is a tough environment, especially if you're on round the clock ops as was the case with these, enforcing a no fly zone...more on that later. Once that was done, she got a matt coat and just have some minor paint touchups to go.

Italeri172NavalEurofighter2.jpg

Italeri172NavalEurofighter.jpg

The keen-eyed among you will notice a little 'busty' nose art...I figured the crews liked their Sea Typhoons that much (and their enhanced conformal tanks) that a little nose art would be appropriate.

Just ordinance, upgraded nose gear, canopy and arrestor hook to add and we're there!

As always, thanks for reading.

Dermot

Edited by Dermo245
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So after some quality hours at the bench last night, she's done in time!

A little rough in places (to my eye anyway) and I think the Revell kit might have turned out a better result. But still happy with my first What-If and that makes 7 completed builds for this year which is my best ever. Thanks to Col and Dan for hosting what's been a fun GB and can't wait for the next one!

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Thanks for everyone's comments and will post some more pics and backstory in the Gallery.

All the best,

Dermot

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Dermot,

I like the finished model a lot although I'm not sure I buy the BAES sales pitch regarding this option.

I'm currently trying to work out how the nose gear retracts into the bay . . .

regards,

Martin

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