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Help with Indian Su-7BMK - Completed!


RidgeRunner

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Hi all,

I'm in the middle of a build of the Modelsvit Su-7BMK in 1/72 and I plan for it to be in the later Indian "Hunter" style scheme. However, most if not all of the photos of these machine are unclear about the underside colours. I'm told that Lt grey is appropriate but some shots appear to simply show the grey of the upper camo extending underneath. Does anyone know the truth? Thanks a lot.

Martin

Edited by RidgeRunner
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AFAIK, the upper sides were actually painted in Light Admiralty Grey, which is quite blue. Lower sides either in some very light grey or left in natural metall.

Except for a 40-years old artwork, never saw the paint from the upper side being extended to lower sides.

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I've just had a look through Famous Russian Aircraft : Sukhoi SU-7 / SU-17 by Yefim Gordon and Dmitriy Komissarov. Plenty of photo's of Indian SU-7 including some profiles. Camo schemes seem to vary considerably, some have some silver undersides, some have top side camo applied over natural metal and some green / brown / grey aircraft have the grey extending to the undersides.

Some also seem to use a PRU blue type colour in place of grey.

Hope this helps

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....Plenty of photo's of Indian SU-7 including some profiles. Camo schemes seem to vary considerably, some have some silver undersides, some have top side camo applied over natural metal and some green / brown / grey aircraft have the grey extending to the undersides.

Some also seem to use a PRU blue type colour in place of grey.

Hope this helps

Yup, plenty of photos and no useful explanation (as usually)...

Anyway: that is so because all Indian Su-7s were delivered in natural metall overall. Most were hastily camouflaged during the 1971 War with Pakistan. There was no standard camouflage pattern at the time and no varnish was used; technicians used whatever colours were available, from black or sand, via brick red to various shades of grey, green or brown. Of course, local weather and intensive operations did their too and before soon the fleet looked like a flock of mustangs... (EDIT: a flock of very dirty mustangs.)

But, RR asked about the 'later, "Hunter style" camo scheme', and this certainly had its top base colour not extended to lower sides and undersurfaces (but applied on varnish).

Edited by Tom Cooper
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  • 1 month later...

Well, I got there in the end!

 

The detail is that I used a Modelsvit Su-7BMK kit and chose to adopt "B790" of 222 squadron as featured in a number of images when lined-up at Hindon AFS, near Delhi in the 1980s. This was just about the end of their career in India.

 

The paints are Humbrol Enamel - 165 Grey, 163 Green and 96 Brown, primarily. The first two are satin but easily varnished to Matt. I made the serials on the tail and the miniscule one on the nose using clear decal film on my printer. The national decals were from Bright Star Sheet No.1. I used the kit stencils which, despite being Russian, give the right impression. The radome, wheels and tail tip are in Humbrol 3 Gloss.

The radome was Quickboost resin as are all of the scoops. The pitots came from Master (from a MIG-21F and MIG-17) although I build my own vanes for the nose probe. The guns are also from the MIG-17 set. I added the IFF aerials under the nose and tail by making them from bristles from my garden broom!

The belly PTB-600 tanks are curious. They are shown in a number of images with blue and natural metal finish. So, for variety, I painted them this way.

All Indian Su-7s were dirty and scruffy sop I used a lot of black and burnt umber watercolour, mixed with water and soap, to add staining all over. I then chipped away on some edges to show metal through, particularly on the port side of the cockpit where the free-moving ladder always scratched the paint.

 

That's about it!

 

I hope you like her!! I do!!

 

Martin

 

su7finished1crop

 

 

brit1

 

 

Edited by RidgeRunner
Moved from PB to Flickr
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  • 8 months later...
  • 4 years later...
3 hours ago, Hobo said:

Very nice build. What is the title of the book in that photo? Looks very interesting.

Hi mate,

 

it is this:

 

Su7build4


My current Su-7 build:

 

 

Martin

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