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Italeri 1/72 MB326 Impala Mk 1 and Mk 2 (SAAF)


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I have recently arrived back from a 5 week course in Toulouse and now can chill and get down to some modelling again.

Before I left for France,I had completed a quick 3 day build of a couple of Impalas, but didn't get the opportunity to photograph and post them up here. Well here they are.... I hope you enjoy. The Impala (5 Sqn, AFB Durban, SAAF) was the first jet aircraft that I flew and as such I am particularly close to these individuals. Shortly I will be focusing on the larger 1/48 scale versions that these were the practice for.

The Mk1 was painted using Alclad II and the Mk2 painted with Tamiya acrylics. They were a fun build and went together well with minimal filler and sanding. The only issue was re-scribing the raised panel lines but it was good practice and only time consuming. I found it far easier to scribe the panel lines before building the kit.

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Mark

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Very respectable indeed, I do like the natural metal finish and the access steps of the two seater. Your base sets the pair of very well. Thanks for sharing your pics.

Colin

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Magnificent builds both - and many memories of seeing these overhead.

Which decals did you use? Is That "Loopvlag" I am seeing?

Makes me want to rush right out and copy these.

Cheers,

Mike

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Two lovely models, very nicely finished and presented. Thanks for sharing them with us.

Zhizhou

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Magnificent builds both - and many memories of seeing these overhead.

Which decals did you use? Is That "Loopvlag" I am seeing?

Makes me want to rush right out and copy these.

Cheers,

Mike

Thanks for the comments Mike. Yes it is 'loopvlag' ... I haven't seen that for ages now. The decals were part kit and part spares box from the Mk1 and a set that I ordered from MAVDECALS (mavdecals.co.za). I may have a few left over. Drop me a pm with specifics and I will have a look see what I have left.

Mark

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Lovely work. This kit has been sitting in my local hobby shop for about a year now. Have never given the kit a second look. May have to pick it up the next time I am in. If it turns out half as good as your work I will be pleased as punch.

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Brilliant stuff Mark - well worth the wait !

You've nailed the nmf finish and the camo version looks pretty much spot-on too.

Looking forward to seeing the 48th scale versions appearing here soon - they'll keep motivating me to try harder !

mike

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Lovely work. This kit has been sitting in my local hobby shop for about a year now. Have never given the kit a second look. May have to pick it up the next time I am in. If it turns out half as good as your work I will be pleased as punch.

Thanks for the comments. I say ..... Go for it! Its a great little quick build, tarts up well and gets you out of the rut when you get bogged down with some of the bigger builds :badmood: Best yet it takes up little display space when finished :winkgrin:

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Brilliant stuff Mark - well worth the wait !

You've nailed the nmf finish and the camo version looks pretty much spot-on too.

Looking forward to seeing the 48th scale versions appearing here soon - they'll keep motivating me to try harder !

mike

Thanks for the encouragement Mike. I have been slowly getting my head around this nmf and feeling confident now .... so starting the larger one in the very near future ... (these two have definitely 'wet the appetite'). From the state of your DC-8's and the other silver birds in your fleet, I don't think you need much motivation at all.

Mark

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Very nice, Mark; the Impala has been a favourite of mine since seeing them as a kid. While you have indeed obtained a very tidy natural metal finish on the Mk1, I hope you won't mind some constructive criticism: the Impala Mk1 was finished in silver paint that had a satin sheen with almost no variation in tone, as in the photo of the real thing. They certainly didn't look either metallic or reflective.

Jon

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Very nice, Mark; the Impala has been a favourite of mine since seeing them as a kid. While you have indeed obtained a very tidy natural metal finish on the Mk1, I hope you won't mind some constructive criticism: the Impala Mk1 was finished in silver paint that had a satin sheen with almost no variation in tone, as in the photo of the real thing. They certainly didn't look either metallic or reflective.

Jon

I don't mind at all and thanks for the helpful comments Jon. I fully agree with you regarding the satin finish on the Imp Mk1 (I can remember that from when I flew them in the mid-late 70's in Durban). The actual model in the display cabinet looks far more toned down than the finish in the photographs-and it certainly will do once the dust starts to settle lol ... the flash and lighting exaggerates the sheen in the photographs. Still I am going to give it another coat to dull it down a little more and hopefully that should do the trick. Should have got it right by the time I get to the 1/48 scale.

Mark

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You flew them? Wow, I only ever gazed up at them, and pestered my dad to take me to Lanseria where we could watch Mk2s. Mind you, apart from wishing I could have flown F-4s (despite knowing now that my temperament doesn't suit the flying style!), I never wanted to be a jet boy anyway! There's a lot to be said for stopping before you land...

I definitely bow to greater knowledge of the subject! I used MAV decals on my 1/48 Mk1 in the Training Types GB, though I did manage to write off some of the decals so the finished result isn't entirely accurate.

Jon

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Thanks for the comments Mike. Yes it is 'loopvlag' ... I haven't seen that for ages now. The decals were part kit and part spares box from the Mk1 and a set that I ordered from MAVDECALS (mavdecals.co.za). I may have a few left over. Drop me a pm with specifics and I will have a look see what I have left.

Mark

That is such an exceptionally generous offer Mark - I don't even have the kits yet though, so I won't raid your stash at this point. I do order from MavDecals - Zane is always very helpful.

I'd be satisfied with mine ending up just half as great as yours.

Mike

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  • 2 years later...

Excellent work on these tiny models Mark! They look really good. Must have been quite the experience piloting them! There are now only 1 Impala Mk.I (of the 151 aircraft operated by the SAAF for 39 years!) in flying condition in South Africa.

 

Just FYI regarding the "Loopvlag" decals... The Italeri/ESCI decals actually reads "LOOPVLAC", which is wrong. It should read "LOOPVLAK" which is Afrikaans for walkway. I didn't know that the MAV decals are also wrong. Not that hard to correct though if you have a printer and decal paper.

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