Tobruk 2017 - LNA aligned SF260 & MiG-21

[Tim R-T-C]

 

So my second entry into the GB is from the Second Lybian Civil War, which was largely between the Government of National Accord based in Tripoli and the Lybian National Army based in the East including Tobruk (although other actors including ISIL forces were involved).

 

I will be building one of the grey camouflaged, hawk nosed MiG-21MFs from the Eduard kit. Their recent bagging includes decals for F03, the first of the Fishbeds acquired by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar's forces to be repainted, presumably to differentiate it from the more traditional yellow and brown schemes of the GNA aligned Air Forces.

 

This will be joined by an SF260 Warrior from the newly released Heroes Models resin kit, which includes decals for #461, which was sadly destroyed in a crash in May 2017.

 

I will also be including some figures and vehicles for the vignette.

[Pauly Boy]

Great choices!! Will be following with great interest! This is what the GB is about...Africa!

 Paul

[Col.]

This is sounding like a great project Tim

[Tim R-T-C]

Thanks for the nice comments.

 

 

Made a start yesterday, painting the interior in lovely Soviet colours, I faded the vibrant blue green slightly.

 

Today I fitted the decals that really bring out the interior - I will probably have the canopy open for this one.

 

Buttoned up the fuselage and on with the paintwork. Seems easy enough with just two shades of grey, no alternative underside colour, but the wrapped camouflage is completely nutty and I've tried my closest to follow what appears to be a completely random scheme.

[Col.]

Good progress again Tim and nice work. That scheme is a bit mad but well done completing it on such a small canvas

[Tim R-T-C]

Time to try some resin

 

[BKirwan]

ah...........whiskey and resin the thinking mans choice.  

[Tim R-T-C]

8 hours ago, BKirwan said:

ah...........whiskey and resin the thinking mans choice.  

 

Well I finished one but not the other 😏

[Col.]

While I am enjoying your progress with the MiG I really want to see how the SF260 goes

[Tim R-T-C]

On 4/3/2021 at 9:09 AM, Col. said:

While I am enjoying your progress with the MiG I really want to see how the SF260 goes

 

Thanks. Well it took a while due to getting easily distracted by other projects and wanting a day when I had the room to myself before cutting and sanding the resin, but I have now made a start.

 

 

It has since received a spray with resin primer, so now onto interpretation of the colour scheme which dates back to prewar Lybia but varies in every photo!

 

[Tim R-T-C]

The Warrior has now had a basing of grey, work on the camo during the week.

 

I spent today on the support vehicles. These are Hilux-esque trucks 3d printed from Butlers Printed Models.

 

They come with a great selection of Technicals fittings including AA guns and BMP turrets, I've got the Type 63 rocket launcher and ZSU 23-2 going on here.

 

The design is good but sadly the 3d printer they use leaves very pronounced stirations and flash around the wheel wells in particular that even a hard attack with metal files struggled to clean up. So I've got it as good as I could and hopefully I will be able to hide it with rust and dust.

 

For the Type 63 I added extra driver protection armour from some of the removed 3D print supports, however after laying out the vignette this one might get bumped for space.

 

[Tim R-T-C]

Now with more grime

 

[RidgeRunner]

@Tim R-T-C I have some shots I took at Mitiga. Here's one:

 

 

Martin

 

[Tim R-T-C]

5 hours ago, RidgeRunner said:

@Tim R-T-C I have some shots I took at Mitiga. Here's one:

 

 

Martin

 

 

Thanks really helpful. Although it seems to show the base colour as more cream than grey which is what I have gone for. But then it is a different airframe.

[RidgeRunner]

1 hour ago, Tim R-T-C said:

But then it is a different airframe.

Of the many that were at Mitiga they were all the same colours, Tim 

[Tim R-T-C]

9 hours ago, RidgeRunner said:

Of the many that were at Mitiga they were all the same colours, Tim 

 

Thanks, useful to know.

 

I've managed to find a pic of the particular airframe for which decals are provided - which unfortunately is well documented because it met an unfortunate end - and it certainly does look more like a soft grey than light sand.

 

Even with modern cameras we can still debate colour schemes 😏

 

Either way I think mine looks a bit stark with ghost grey, so I'll probably overpaint with something.

 

[RidgeRunner]

Yep, it looks much the same. Are you an enamels user? If so Colourcoats have a green that matches  

[Tim R-T-C]

On 5/19/2021 at 10:50 AM, RidgeRunner said:

Yep, it looks much the same. Are you an enamels user? If so Colourcoats have a green that matches  

 

Thanks, no I usually stick to acrylics.

 

I've sanded and reprimed the airframe so starting again, probably with a buff for the base colour.

[Col.]

So not only are you teasing me with the SF-260 but also a fleet of 'technicals' as well!  

[Tim R-T-C]

 

Planes finished up today, fitted the MiG with resin rocket pods.

 

I think the colours look more accurate now on the 260. Used Iraqi sand as a base.

 

Just need to paint up a canvas and find some figures...

Edited June 2, 2021 by Tim R-T-C

[Col.]

Both are looking great Tim  

[Tim R-T-C]

 

Time to make a base...

[Tim R-T-C]

Lets call this done

 

 

 

[Col.]

Nice result Tim. The base is a great addition and shows this project to great effect

[exdraken]

Fantastic modelling!

This flag base could even have a real life pendant as well...

Considering all the other crazy stuff going on in Lybia...