RNZAF 'Kaitiaki' - What If build

[Ian]

Kit - Hobbyboss AMX A11 / Ghibli

Paint - Tamiya acrylics

Decals - Gekko Graphics & Kit

Extras - Brengun LAU-131 pods, Revell Iris-T AAM's, 'unknown' resin designator pod. Scratchbuilt radar nose & RWR.

 

AMX Kaitiaki (Defender)

2 Sqn

Afghanistan 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ok, I know that there's often been some erm... 'resistance' to What If modelling in the past and that used to bother me, but I'm too middle-aged to care nowadays so here's my plastic model of an aircraft that doesn't actually exist in this form and let's move-on.

 

I cannot prove it, but I've had this idea bubbling since before we decided to move to NZ in 2012, the fact that we did move here, simply made the the idea even more real, just a case of when not if I was going to do it. The kit is not great, but I couldn't find a Kinetic kit at a reasonable (to me) price, so you work with what you have, right ?. I made three or four experiments with old drop-tank noses and putty to get the radar nose but ended-up by using the kit nose that I'd removed and changing the length and rear contours with plastic card discs - odd isn't it how sometimes it's the simplest 'fixes' that solve the problem. The RWR pod at the bottom of the fin is plastic card and an old Sparrow missile head cut and shaped to how I wanted it to look. I did think about adding some 'warts' to the ECM bar at the top of the fin and may still do this in the future.

 

The designator pod is an anonymous resin one was in a kit I bought off eBay a few years back, I cut down an old pylon from something I couldn't Identify from the spares box as HB doesn't provide one in the kit - strangely tho' it does provide FOUR droptanks for some reason. The LAU-131's were an indulgence, but they aren't expensive and were exactly what I needed for the 'Armed Recce' / FAC feel I was aiming for.

 

For the paint scheme, I tried as hard as I could to NOT think about [other] contemporary aircraft and just go-my-own-way, now that It's done, it does seem to owe a lot to the CAF & RAAF Hawk 127 scheme, (again) I cannot prove it, but that is entirely coincidental. I've used Tamiya Ocean Grey & Medium Sea Grey with a lot of post-shading and XF-24 Dark Grey for the radome, RWR and fin tip.

 

I have a whole back-story to go with the build but I'm not going to bore folks here with all of that. It's 'just a model' as mein Frau says, it was a great fun project that had a few hiccups along the way, but was definitely a shed-load of fun... pretty sure that's what the hobby is supposed to be about, right ? - Feel free to make any comments, ask any questions or hurl any abuse. All the best from NZ.

 

 

Ian.

[Bandsaw Steve]

Very nice. I always thought the AMX should have been a contender for the RNZAF.

[LDSModeller]

Hi Ian,

 

Very nice

 

Wouldn't be the first time the RNZAF flew Italian designed Jet Aircraft

 

Thanks for sharing your build/model with us

 

Regards

 

Alan

[stevehnz]

Nice one Ian, I sure like it & like @Bandsaw Steve above, I used to think these would have been great Skyhawk replacements, until Aunty Helen made sure we didn't need a Skyhawk replacement.

Steve.

[BerndM]

Beautiful build and a great looking scheme.

I like "what iffs"

[Abandoned Project]

Very nice. The paint reminds me of the Japanese F-16s.

What this...

12 hours ago, Ian said:

I have a whole back-story to go with the build but I'm not going to bore folks here with all of that.

Half the fun of a What-if is the backstory! Tell us everything!

[Tempestwulf]

Loving it, great idea.

[SAT69]

That's some great work you've done!

[Gary Brantley]

I love it!    Both the model and the concept; well done indeed!  

[GiampieroSilvestri]

Very nice!

I would like to see them fly in foreign airforce markings and not to think about that Italy will probably demolish the AMX when they are retired.

 

Saluti

 

Giampiero

[ForestFan]

I think this is fab, yes it’s what-if but a plausible one. Nicely done 

[Wulfman]

Great looking build, I love a good whif !

 

Wulfman