PeterB Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 (edited) As the last of my builds for the KUTA GB is about finished and my Tunnan is reaching the decal stage, I thought I would make a start on my Lansen. The Heller kit was first released in 1982 according to Scalemates, and offers 2 versions - The A or Attack one and the C recce one. I will be building the A version pretty much OOB though I will add the Maestro belly tank and have paid out for some Moose Republic decals as the kit ones are slightly out of register, and if the Tunnan decs are anything to go by they could be a problem as they are rather thick. Heller do not provide any pylons or weapons so I am thinking about adding something. In my Putnum book on Saab I see that the Lansen could carry the Rb 04 anti shipping missiles and I happen to have a pair left from my Airfix prototype Viggen kit. If anybody has any pictures of a Lansen carrying this missile I would love to see them as the ones I have are a bit vague in terms of pylon shape and location. Also, the Viggen kit instructions showed the missiles in a black and white paint scheme but I have also seen what appear to be all white ones - anybody know what colour they were in service use. Cheers Pete PS - I seem to have a spare clear recce lower nose in the box if anybody needs one. Edited January 22, 2020 by PeterB 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 (edited) This stuff is for the 1/48 version but could serve as basis https://www.maestromodels.com/rb04c-d-robot-med-lavett-for-saab-a32-lansen.html Here's also a good writeup of all the things that goes BANG https://www.ipmsstockholm.se/home/bevapningsalternativ-for-a32a-lansen/ White or light grey seems to be the correct guess for Rb04 Edited January 22, 2020 by Christer A 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted January 22, 2020 Author Share Posted January 22, 2020 Thanks Christer, That will be a great help. Just as a matter of interest, any idea what the small triangular fins" are that stick out of the top of the wing near the fuselage - the kit does include them. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 Unfortunately, I do no know what those fins do actually. Maybe @flarpen knows? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flarpen Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 1 minute ago, Christer A said: Unfortunately, I do no know what those fins do actually. Maybe @flarpen knows? 😋 When i doubt, ask flarpen? 😀 Those "fins" are antennas, I can't say for what system at the moment though. They used to serve a secondary role as a place for the crew to hang their flight helmets before and after missions. 2 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 1 minute ago, flarpen said: 😋 When i doubt, ask flarpen? 😀 Those "fins" are antennas, I can't say for what system at the moment though. They used to serve a secondary role as a place for the crew to hang their flight helmets before and after missions. Well, you are much more knowledgeable about this stuff than me so... Which you just proved 😋 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 Very nice choice Pete and I'll be tuning into this thread as well to see how things turn out. Now that we are talking all things Lansens.. can I ask what are the two rectangular 'fins' fitted to the underside and are just outboard of the nose wheel doors? Looks like Heller's box art does not show them, however I believe that these are also provided in the base Heller kit. Cheers and best of luck.. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted January 23, 2020 Author Share Posted January 23, 2020 Hi Dave, Thanks for that and well spotted. Yes they are included in the kit and I have no idea what they are for but I assume they are either aerials or else some sort of aerodynamic device to improve the airflow. Perhaps our "Nordic" colleagues could enlighten us? Splendid though it is at first sight, the box art is rather suspect. It shows the plane covered in large rivets which are not actually present in the kit, and it also shows the optional ventral drop tank which is also not included. I know very little about the Lansen other than what is in my Putnams Saab book, but like the Tunnan it was quite an impressive machine for the period, and in general appearance reminds me of an enlarged Hunter, which entered service at about the same time. Compared with the manufacturers in the UK, Saab had by comparison I would suggest, relatively little experience of building planes during WWII and yet they managed to produce what seem to be far better designs during the immediate post war period that we in the UK did. Perhaps it was due to the more immediate threat from their close neighbours in Russia, or maybe we suffered from a certain inertia and kept on producing variants of existing designs and were reluctant to innovate. The Tunnan, Lansen, and Draken and maybe the Viggen were certainly several years ahead of British designs to my mind, though they were based on different criteria, such as short field performance including take off from roads in the latter case, hence the canards and thrust reverser. As ever, more rambling commentary, background etc as I build the kit. Pete 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 welcome along Pete with build #2, and I really like this one. I actually quite like this aircraft and must add it to my "to be built" list.....gosh that one is starting to get huge! The model looks to be quite a nice one by the photo, she'll look great with those 2 Robot's under the wings. Well good luck with build #2, should be another straightforward one for you. Look forward to seeing this one in the gallery as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flarpen Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 4 hours ago, PeterB said: Hi Dave, Thanks for that and well spotted. Yes they are included in the kit and I have no idea what they are for but I assume they are either aerials or else some sort of aerodynamic device to improve the airflow. Perhaps our "Nordic" colleagues could enlighten us? 5 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said: Very nice choice Pete and I'll be tuning into this thread as well to see how things turn out. Now that we are talking all things Lansens.. can I ask what are the two rectangular 'fins' fitted to the underside and are just outboard of the nose wheel doors? Looks like Heller's box art does not show them, however I believe that these are also provided in the base Heller kit. Those are deflector plates for the spent cartridges from the guns, to keep them from being sucked into the engine intakes. /Johan 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 Thanks so much Johan @flarpen.. that makes perfect sense. I would suspect that they would not have been applied to the S32C version. Am I right in also thinking that these plates were initially smaller when the Lansen first entered service but were made larger some time thereafter? Cheers and many thanks.. Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flarpen Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 1 minute ago, Rabbit Leader said: Thanks so much Johan @flarpen.. that makes perfect sense. I would suspect that they would not have been applied to the S32C version. Am I right in also thinking that these plates were initially smaller when the Lansen first entered service but were made larger some time thereafter? Cheers and many thanks.. Dave Yes, correct on both cases. Also, J 32B fighter version did not have them (different design with bigger guns) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marlin Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 16 hours ago, PeterB said: Also, the Viggen kit instructions showed the missiles in a black and white paint scheme but I have also seen what appear to be all white ones - anybody know what colour they were in service use. Cheers Pete Hi Pete. Here's a link to my Lansen build from the Maritime Patrol and Coast Command GB from 2018. I used Maestro's Rb04's on them and the instructions says all over FS16440 for live missles and all over white for dummy missiles. And the dummy missiles didn't have the "nose probes" as I've put on mine. HTH /Bosse 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flarpen Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 Here they are in black and white with grey parts fitted to the aircraft displayed in the airforce museum. Not sure how correct this would be for an in service A 32A used Rb 04 though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted January 23, 2020 Author Share Posted January 23, 2020 (edited) Hi Bosse, Thanks for that - a lovely build and most helpful. Hi Flarpen, Interesting picture. I had thought the actual pylon was quite long, though shorter than the "rail" attached to it for the missile - this one looks much shorter than I expected. Later - I have seen a pic of the rails provided with the 1/48 Maestro set and can see what is happening - a pair of short pylons, one at the front and one at the back - that explains it! Pete Edited January 23, 2020 by PeterB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 The Rb04 Missile is a 600kg missile where atleast 270kg is the warhead. It has quite hefty attachment lugs towards the pylon, and does not shoot of the rail but is dropped like bomb. Then the rocket motor kicks in and drives the missile for another 30km or so towards the target a few meters above the baltic sea (soviet troop carriers/transport were the primary targets). During the last phase it climbs above the ship, and detonates above in, sending a huge pressure wave downwards to crack the ship like an egg. No exploding on impact like an Exocet. It was removed from inventory in 1997 and it's replacment Rb15f is a lot meaner. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted January 23, 2020 Author Share Posted January 23, 2020 (edited) Heller give the cockpit colours as mostly Hu64 light grey, with the seat cushions and headrest in Hu91 Black/Green. I am happy with the seats but in his build Bosse seems to have painted his interior and wheel wells in a sort of metallic bluish green - bit greener that the Japanese WWII cockpit colour H63 from Mr Hobby. As he clearly knows more about Lansens than me I guess that is correct for the J32 A? Incidentally I have sort of decided to go with the Hu116 "faded" look but the acrylic version is out of stock both at the manufacturer (Airfix/Humbrol) and Hannants. Looks like my LMS has some so I will be paying him a visit. In fact, looking at the colour pics I am tempted to try something even lighter, perhaps Mr Hobby H304 OD FS34087, either on its own or perhaps mixed with something darker such as Tamiya XF61 - I will paint some "chips" and we will see. The kit instructions actually say to use Hu85 Light Olive on top and a 50/50 mix of Hu56 Aluminium and Hu64 light grey underneath on the camo J32 C. As I recall the old Airfix Viggen came with two types of large missile, the Rb 04 and another slightly smaller one - not sure what they were but I suspect Rb 05 which seems to be a Swedish equivalent to a Maverick? I don't believe that they were used on the Lansen but could of course be wrong. Pete Edited January 23, 2020 by PeterB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 Here is a walkaround for A32A Lansen, that includes cockpit pictures. http://www.plasticwarfare.se/2012/01/saab-a32a-walkaround/ Green is very much in focus here, but also bare metal! A very very matt aluminium like here in the navigators 'pit http://plasticwarfare.se/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/DSC8666.jpg Actually, the aluminium parts are mostly the air intake! As for the wheel wells, I do think that Bosse painted them aluminium, it's just that the flash is adding a blue tint. What is your comment @Marlin ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted January 23, 2020 Author Share Posted January 23, 2020 Thanks - so ther Hu64 grey was in fact a dull light alluminium, and the green is not far away from RAF cockpit grey/green perhaps. A great help. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 So not only have you picked this kit of a seriously cool aircraft you're also planning to hang a pair of seriously cool F Off Big Missiles under it? Fantastic! 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhantomBigStu Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 I had no idea of this kits existence, I shall not only be watching along I shall be trying to track down one for myself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted January 24, 2020 Share Posted January 24, 2020 7 hours ago, PhantomBigStu said: I shall be trying to track down one for myself Heller (or whoever own them these days) have not long re-released this Lansen kit with a nice new decal sheet. I’d recommend you try to find this latest style box Stu, unless you happen to find an older one for a good price. Cheers.. Dave 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marlin Posted January 24, 2020 Share Posted January 24, 2020 9 hours ago, Christer A said: As for the wheel wells, I do think that Bosse painted them aluminium, it's just that the flash is adding a blue tint. What is your comment @Marlin ? Hi All. Thats correct Christer. I used a matt aluminium colour in the wheelbays on this build. /Bosse 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flarpen Posted January 24, 2020 Share Posted January 24, 2020 (edited) Hi If you looking for some build inspiration maybe this could help, it's my tarangus 1/48 J 32B build. Altough different in many respects to the A 32A, wheel well and cockpit colours are mostly the same as is landing gear colours. And a WIP (only in Swedish) http://www.ipmsstockholm.se/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3276 Edited January 24, 2020 by flarpen 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted January 24, 2020 Share Posted January 24, 2020 1 hour ago, flarpen said: it's my tarangus 1/48 J 32B build. Bravo @flarpen... bravo! What a lovely bit of modelling and there's some very interesting items to view with this build. Were the green coloured undercarriage legs standard for all marks as far as you know? I've seen Lansen nose legs painted green however did not know the mains were also painted the same colour. Cheers and thanks.. Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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