Saab J 32B/E Lansen, Hobbyboss 1/48

[Bjorn]

Although there are a number of mistakes, Hobbyboss have obviously studied the original closely. Many details are very well captured. For instance these small ribs behind the air intake shield:

On the other hand, the interior of the intake is just about 1 cm... Intake consists of three parts, all of them with excellent fit. I have also given the intakes a more Lansen-like shape (not perfect, that would have demanded a lot of surgery, but this is close enough for me) and opened the air outlet just behind the intake, giving it some interior:

The Lansen main wheel well is one of the busiest in the world, with myriads of details. Hobbyboss gives us a simplified edition, which invites to some detailing:

You can spend the rest of the year detailing this area, but this was enough for my ambitions with this build.

The air brake wells are empty, so at least a little bit of detailing was necessary.

Edited April 27, 2016 by Bjorn

[Bergwall]

Great build Björn!

I don't know if this is the really right place for this post but since I found some Saab drawings on the HD I could not resist compare them with the new kit. Thanks to Thord Jonsson in Östersund for the drawings from the SFI (Särskild Flygplaninstruktion).

A few more pictures at:

http://s236.photobucket.com/user/bergwall/library/J%2032B%20Lansen%20Drawings

Comparision:

It appears like they have extended the very aft "tip" of the fuselage to match the total length of the a/c which includes the horizontal stabilizers!

The diameter of the radome at the "bottom" section towards the fuselage is ~22 mm on the HB kit and the drawing meassures ~20 mm.

The angles of the wing appear to be very close to reality, but the wing tips are slightly off as well as the aileron which is to wide/long. Note where the flap ends.

This is much better than the expectations I had on this kit! Sorry for the somewhat poor picture quality.

I'm looking forward to see more of this build as well!

Edited April 28, 2016 by Bergwall

[Bjorn]

Very interesting, it seems that most of my assumptions are right. I have measured the noses and Tarangus one is about 2 mm smaller, which would mean that it is spot on. The same is for the wings and wingtiås, the difference compared to the drawing is very similar to the difference compared to Tarangus.

On the other hand, there are some differences in total length (except from the too-long rear part), and it seems as if Hobbyboss are right here. Do you have the Tarangus kit? It would be interesting to see it compared to these drawings.

[Bjorn]

You could say that cockpit is not a copy, but a bit inspired of the real thing. At a first glance it certainly looks like a Lansen cockpit, but when you look twice, you will see that almost nothing is spot on. Positive is that sidewalls is included (and yes, they should be shorter than the total sidewall). Instructions states that all should be black, which is totally wrong. Like all Swedish subjects except from Viggen and Gripen, the interior is a mix of different shades of green.

Decals are included only for the front cockpit. Decals are also included for the sidewalls, but these are useless.

It would take too long to list all errors, but for most builders this will be enough - at least with a closed canopy. The control stick is included (and is one of few parts that are almost spot on), I just forgot it. On the other hand it is placed too close to the instrument panel.

Compared to Tarangus (almost perfect - the rear part of the sidewalls of the aft cockpit should be rounded) Lansen cockpit. In fact, the whole cockpit is too big, the instrument panels are much larger than Tarangus.

Seats are just like the rest of the cockpit. They look good, but compared to the real thing - or Tarangus excellent seats - the errors are quite visible. The headrest is included, this is just the seat part.

Edited May 2, 2016 by Bjorn

[Christer A]

The more I see about the Hobbyboss Lansen, the more I want to pick up a Tarangus one instead...

Nice work on it anyway Björn!

[exdraken]

interesting observations!

I guess I will build the Tarangus one I already have before thinking of buying the Hobby Boss kit!

[Bjorn]

Well, as I pointed out before, Tarangus is better if you want an exact replica. However, Hobbyboss is much easier to build, and is - except from the cockpit - in fact better in many details. And cockpit actually looks better when the body halves are assembled. Having build about 1/3 of the model I already feel that I could build another one.

So my advice is, build Tarangus. But build Hobbyboss too. Because the only thing that is better than a Lansen (apart from a Draken, of course) is two Lansens.

[Prowler]

This is a real Lansen - Love!

[Bjorn]

Some surgery are needed. As Robert pointed out above, the aft tip of the fuselage is about 5 mm too long. To get a perfect fix, the whole rear part of the body including the stabilizers, had to be re-built. So I tried a far more simple method to make it look like a Lansen. At first, I cut the rear part of the tip (left, original to the right):

Then I cut about 5 mm and glued the tip to the fuselage:

Then, the fuselage halves and exhaust pipe were assembled:

Finally, I filled the gap between the tips with plasticard and putty and sanded to the right shape. There is also a little light (or something) at the end of the tip. From above, it is still too thick, but from the side, it looks right.

Next challenge was the nose. It shoult be more pointed, and the nose cone is about 3 mm too long. First some putty on the panel lines:

Then lots of sanding, to achieve a more Lansen-like appearance:

Then I scribed new panel lines, making the nose cone about 3 mm shorter.

I also sanded away some panel lines, locks (?) to the panel on the top side of the nose. But this was only positive, since Hobbyboss have made these on both sides - it should only be on the left side. These were - more accurately - replaced with thin stripes of plastic and then sanded down a bit.

The air brake wells got some detailing, not much will be seen, but this is better than having them completely empty:

And here we are now. Apart from these adjustments (which took less than one hour), this is a really nice build. So far I have not been using putty at all (apart from the nose cone). The belly tank and the small fins on the front side of the wings fits so good, that I can leave them until after painting - avoiding lots of masking. The small rectangular fins show that this will be a J 32E used for electronic warfare. Lots of loads for this version are supplied in the box.

Compare this to my dry-fit picture. At least to me, the nose (which IMO is the main problem with this kit) looks far better now, making this issue much easier to fix than I expected:

Edited May 9, 2016 by Bjorn

[exdraken]

very nice and effective update!

[Tim T]

The nose looks a lot better now. Excellent work.

[Bjorn]

Some more progress... Or rather: Pretty much progress:

Most of the kit assembled and primed:

The small fins on the inner part of the wings have the wrong shape. They look like this:

...but they need some trimming to look like this:

(Which of course is easier if you do it before gluing them in place... )

Since the model is better than expected, I decided to spend some money on aftermarket stuff. New seats, air brakes and decals were bought from Maestro:

Why new air brakes? They are included in the kit. Well, here is the answer. Top: Maestro 1/48. Middle: Hobbyboss 1/48. Low: Maestro 1/72...

The upper air brakes are better, but still too small:

Edited August 16, 2016 by Bjorn

[Bjorn]

The progress above was made earlier this summer. Then I started a number of other projects (a J 21, a Su-9 and a Citroën HY van), which all were finished and delayed this one. But last week I started painting. This will be a heavily faded bird, one of the last Lansens in service. So the blue/green camouflage should be almost turquise/green. A horrible colour mix, but a challenge to paint.

I started with the underside. First some pre-shade:

Then a number of layers of a mix of Gunze 307 and Tamiya Ocean Grey, followed by some post-shading:

Then I painted the unpainted area below the engine with Vallejo White Aluminium mixed with white (this area looks more light grey than aluminium on the real thing). I also painted the wheel wells and the belly tank.

Then the fun started! I started with the "blue", a mix of Tamiya Sea Blue, RAF Dark Green 2 and Gunze Emerald Green:

I mixed the above mix with Gunze H338 light grey and, after that, with black, and started pre-shading:

After that, I gave it a thin layer of the original mix with some H338 light grey, and repeated the process until I was satisfied. Then it was time for some masking:

The base for the green was Gunze Olive Drab (H52) mixed with a little Tamiya RAF Green 2 with a little Gunze light grey (H338). The painting process was similar to the blue. Some areas that were re-painted on the original were painted with the Olive Drab/Green mix (without light grey). In fact, even some blue areas were re-painted with the green!

The dayglow areas and un-painted wing edges were painted and the whole model was given a coat of Johnsons clear/pledge. One great advantage is that the small wing edge fins have great fit, which makes it possible to leave them until after painting - which makes masking much easier.

The wheel wells were painted and weathered:

Then it was time for the photo-etch challenge! The left sheet is the one from the box with the too-small airbrakes and 32(!) "fins" for the chaff dispensers.

After a couple of sweaty hours, everything was assembled:

[exdraken]

wow!!!

that is truly an update!

Edited August 16, 2016 by exdraken

[Christer A]

Dang!

Those colours are spot on for a beat-up Lansen!

Most impressoive.

And I'm finally warming to the idea that this kit isn't too bad afterall

[Antti_K]

Stunning paintwork Björn! Especially the faded Mörkblå (Dark Blue) looks very good. It seems that you are building a late J32E "Störlansen", right? Which aircraft this will be?

BR,

Antti

[Bjorn]

Stunning paintwork Björn! Especially the faded Mörkblå (Dark Blue) looks very good. It seems that you are building a late J32E "Störlansen", right? Which aircraft this will be?

BR,

Antti

Thanks! Yes, that is correct, this will be a J 32E electronic warfare aircraft. In fact - I doubt that Hobbyboss is aware of this - is J 32E the only version that can be built OOB - although the decals are completely wrong for this. I thougt Lansen was odd enough - but they have chosen almost the most odd version of them all.

I will build 32512, F 16 - 03. And here it is with decals:

Most of the decals are from Maestro Models Lansen sheet (se earlier in this thread), but some are also from my decal spares box.

The chaff dispensers and other pods are also - almost - finished. Next is landing gears and a coat of matt varnish.

I also decided to replace the aft instrument panel, which is wrong for a J 32E. Originally I thought that I should not bother about it, but... You know...

[exdraken]

fantastic work!

looking forward to seeing the canopy attached!

[Antti_K]

Hello Björn,

Looking great! I noticed the rear instrument panel earlier (the wrong one) but thought that it's too late to "upset" You by mentioning it. It's great you replaced it

I modified the Tarangus A32A to an early J32E (32510, F 13-02) a couple of years ago. In June 1980 "Störlansens" didn't carry external aerials and only one Petrus and Rämsfällare.

Waiting to see this completed.

BR,

Antti

[flarpen]

Hej Björn
Funny that you're building s/n 32512.

I made the same airframe earlier in its life as a J 32B (F21-12). And I plan to make it as a J 32E as you but marked F3-03 or F13-03.

A pic of my J 32B. (hope you don't mind me posting it here. I'll remove it if you want)

/Johan

Edited August 21, 2016 by flarpen

[Bjorn]

That is right - I have completely forgotten that! Thanks for reminding me! And don't remove it, the more people that gets the opportunity to see the best Lansen ever built, the better.

As you know - but maybe interesting for others - is that this aircraft now is on display at Aeroseum Museum, Gothenburg. But sadly, it was re-painted all green during the last years of its career - it was much more enjoyable when it was heavily weathered.

Edited August 22, 2016 by Bjorn

[general melchett]

Hey Bjorn, great job so far, such a beast of an aircraft. I'm out in Gothenburg at the moment and plan to take in the Aeromuseum on Thursday, also managed to take many photos of the aircraft as we've been spoiled with Lansens over past week with the two examples at Malmen and one at the Svedinos Flygmuseum. I'll be picking up the Tarangus J32A at the Gothenberg show on Saturday for a good price but was wondering also about the HB kit. With a station visit to F7 Wing and the Historic Flight on Monday should be able to get up (and into) a few more ! Thanks for the comparison and keep up the good work.....

Edited August 30, 2016 by general melchett

[flarpen]

Hey Bjorn, great job so far, such a beast of an aircraft. I'm out in Gothenburg at the moment and plan to take in the Aeromuseum on Thursday, also managed to take many photos of the aircraft as we've been spoiled with Lansens over past week with the two examples at Malmen and one at the Svedinos Flygmuseum. I'll be picking up the Tarangus J32A at the Gothenberg show on Saturday for a good price but was wondering also about the HB kit. With a station visit to F7 Wing and the Historic Flight on Monday should be able to get up (and into) a few more ! Thanks for the comparison and keep up the good work.....

General, you are I Gothenburg for AIM?

Will be great to meet IRL.

[general melchett]

Hi Johan, yes, it'll be good to see you there. I'm staying with my good friend Jan Forsgren this week, looks like there will be quite a few of us from Britmodeller at the show...looking forward to seeing everyone for a good chat, (will you be bringing your Lansen ?)...

[Bjorn]

Hey Bjorn, great job so far, such a beast of an aircraft. I'm out in Gothenburg at the moment and plan to take in the Aeromuseum on Thursday, also managed to take many photos of the aircraft as we've been spoiled with Lansens over past week with the two examples at Malmen and one at the Svedinos Flygmuseum. I'll be picking up the Tarangus J32A at the Gothenberg show on Saturday for a good price but was wondering also about the HB kit. With a station visit to F7 Wing and the Historic Flight on Monday should be able to get up (and into) a few more ! Thanks for the comparison and keep up the good work.....

I will be at AIM, and so will the HB Lansen (I hope, it is almost finished). I hope to see you there!

In brief, this is my opinion on the HB Lansen (I will post a full report in the RFI section when the model is finished):

The kit seems to pay more attention to details than to the aircraft in general. Many details are excellent, such as the exhaust, landing gears, landing gear doors (brilliant!) and more. Fit is also excellent, it is very easy to build and almost no filler is required. And unlike HB's Tunnan, size is correct.

If you build the kit OOB, you will get the J 32E electronic warfare version. To create the more common J 32B fighter, some minor adjustments (removing antennas) have to be made. The load included is great, and captures the EW pods almost perfect (just one remark, see below).

The kit also has some major errors. Some of them are almost impossible to fix perfect:

-The rear part (above the exhaust) is too long and too thick. This can be fixed easily in a way that makes 95% of all viewers to think that it is OK, but demands extreme surgery to fix perfectly.,

-The area on both sides of the front part of the fin has wrong shape.

-Cockpit is far too large(!) However, if you can live with that, it still is very similar to a Lansen cockpit.

-Wingtips (also stabilizers) have a slightly wrong-shaped angle - probably only discovered by us Lansen rivet-counters...

-Air brakes are a too small - but still it is great that they are included!

-The rear part of chaff dispensers should be a bit thicker than the rest of the pod - but they aren't.

-The part behind the cockpit have wrong shape, the rear part of it should be wider (and not drip-shaped)

-Decals are crap

Then there are a numbers of small errors that are easier to fix:

-Lansen had only one pitot tube, the kit supplies two.

-The shape of the air intakes is a little wrong, but this can be adjusted to 95% perfection with a knife and some sanding

Overall shape is good. Panel lines are great, and (almost) correct everywhere. The nose is too big, but this can be adjusted to, let's say 75% perfection, (see this thread) through some sanding.

Finally, there is something strange with the canopy. It just doesn't look right when it is closed. I really can't say what the problem is, it looks good when you look at it alone. Therefore, I decided to display it with open canopy.

So (almost) after finishing it, my first opinion remains: Apart from the decals, this is a good kit for most people that want to build a replica of this great aircraft. It is way easier to build than Tarangus Lansen. But still, since some errors are almost impossible to adjust, those who want a 100% perfect Lansen still only have one choice: Tarangus. This kit also has its issues, but these are possible to fix.

As I mentioned above, I am almost finished. Here is a mobile picture that also includes Tarangus Bulldog as a bonus. My ambition is to finish it to AIM too.

Edited August 31, 2016 by Bjorn