JAS-39A Gripen, Italeri 1/48th

[Mark V]

Here are a couple of photos of my Italeri 1/48th Saab JAS-39A Gripen.  I haven't been spending much time on it lately, maybe a few minutes every couple of days painting something on the seat or the cockpit.  Finally got to where I could put the big parts together.  I'll add a little filler along some of the seams, but overall it went together pretty well.  Easier than the Revell Eurofighter Typhoon. 

 

I plan on painting it up as a Swedish line jet with kit decals.  Planned on straight out of the box but the long nose pitot is broken on the sprue, so I'll replace it with a blunted needle or something.  Hopefully the one on the vertical tail will survive.  I'll probably tape a piece of index card folded over it to try to protect it.  I really don't want to spend the money on the brass pitot tubes and the AOA probe.

 

 

The intakes look like there are big seams open, but it's bleed over of the black paint at the aft of the intake under the part.  It's really a good fit.

 

 

In the background is my G.I. Joe Astrolocker from about 1969 or so.  It's been my model supply storage box since college.  That's when I put the ROTC sticker on it.

 

 

The exhaust areas aft of the cockpit look uneven.  I think it's a combination of paint on the inside and the angle of the photo.  They are lined up closer on the model.

 

 

 

 

[exdraken]

Looking good so far!

For the pitot, you could upgrade the plastic with mtal ones, Master models is very recommedable !