ESCI F-5A, 341st Sq., Hellenic Air Force...Eλληνικὴ Βασιλικὴ Ἀεροπορία...

[John Masters]

 

 

As promised...sort of...I won't be building my friend's uncle's aircraft which is all blue/grey and flown during Cyprus in the 70s.  I'll build this one instead...It will most likely have the same SEA camo it wore when it was purchased by the Americans after 1965.  The colour index for the profile doesn't seem right.  It calls for USN Grey in areas as well as white as part of the camo, mixed in with Olive Drab and Tan.  I'l have to find a better profile.

 

 

Nice looking sprue...

 

 

Great looking decals...

 

 

Let's hope they don't disintegrate!  It's an old kit...

 

Also, a nice link for the 341st...

 

https://www.haf.gr/en/structure/htaf/111-combat-wing/341-squadron/

 

I'll jump in presently.

 

--John

 

 

 

 

 

 

[modelling minion]

Welcome to the GB John, especially as you are bringing us a Greek F-5A!

I agree with you about the painting instructions, that doesn't sound right at all. Greek F-5's wore a great variety of schemes in their service life with everything from ex Jordanian aircraft in their original (very worn) desert colours to the Aegean blue scheme so you have plenty to choose from mate.

 

🇺🇦

[jackroadkill]

I'm looking forward to seeing what this one turns out like.  So many choices for F-5s in terms of schemes, from the sublime to the ridiculous, and all of them interesting and intriguing.

[Robert Stuart]

Great to see you here, John.
Not sure what you'll come up with – beyond a Greek F-5, but I have hopes for your build.

[John Masters]

5 hours ago, Robert Stuart said:

Not sure what you'll come up with – beyond a Greek F-5, but I have hopes for your build.

Thanks Robert.  I would like to find out the origin of this particular aircraft, then I can figure out the scheme.  If it is one of the Jordanian F-5 then I'll look and see.  I found an image of the exact aircraft on display at an airbase here and it is grey and looks...hmmm...like an airbase static display.  

 

 

5 hours ago, jackroadkill said:

I'm looking forward to seeing what this one turns out like.

Thanks Jack.  Me too!

 

[RidgeRunner]

Excellent, John! Anything Greek suits me

 

Martin

 

[RidgeRunner]

3 minutes ago, RidgeRunner said:

Excellent, John! Anything Greek suits me

 

Martin

 

I should also say that anything Turkish also gets me interested

[modelling minion]

10 minutes ago, RidgeRunner said:

I should also say that anything Turkish also gets me interested

Very diplomatic Martin, ever considered a job with the UN?😁

 

🇺🇦

[RidgeRunner]

Just now, modelling minion said:

Very diplomatic Martin, ever considered a job with the UN?😁

 

🇺🇦

Diplomatic? Moi???  I'm not known for it around here, mate

 

[modelling minion]

Just now, RidgeRunner said:

Diplomatic? Moi???  I'm not known for it around here, mate

 

That makes two of us then!

 

🇺🇦

[81-er]

This sounds like another interesting build, John, I'll pull up a pew for this 

 

James

[John Masters]

1 hour ago, RidgeRunner said:

Excellent, John! Anything Greek suits me

Thanks!  

 

1 hour ago, RidgeRunner said:

I should also say that anything Turkish also gets me interested

Well, at least the cards are stacked evenly...😆

 

41 minutes ago, 81-er said:

I'll pull up a pew for this 

 

The pressure is on then!  I have a feeling this was an American F-5.  The Jordanian F-5 were not purchased by Greece until '75...And I am suddenly leaning towards the SE Mediterranean Blue/Grey...

[John Masters]

I knew I had this decal sheet.  This means I can pretty much build any Hellenic F-5A I choose.

 

 

And after looking at some of these images that I found online at the Airliners website and other sources not my own, I am inclined to lean in the Grey/Blue Aegean look.

Man...these things show their wear and tear.  

 

 

 

 

This could be a fun paint job.  Definitely lots of pre-shading and thin, thin, coats of paint.  Maybe even darker blues and greys in some areas.

 

And I started in last night...

 

 

 

Medium Grey primer will do well for the cockpit interior with some areas being black.  

 

--John

[Robert Stuart]

1 hour ago, John Masters said:

This could be a fun paint job.

Certainly looks interesting, going to watch and learn.
 

[RidgeRunner]

Excellent, John. The Icarus decals are great. I have them for the F-84G, F-84F and T-33. You can pick out something great from that! :). 

[John Masters]

1 hour ago, RidgeRunner said:

The Icarus decals are great. I have them for the F-84G, F-84F and T-33. You can pick out something great from that! :). 

Had the Thunderjet decals as well.  I passed on what I didn't use to another modeller here.  A fine Athenian Company is Icarus...

[Wings unlevel]

4 hours ago, John Masters said:

This could be a fun paint job.  Definitely lots of pre-shading and thin, thin, coats of paint.  Maybe even darker blues and greys in some areas.

Fortune favours the brave! Great subject choice, this will look terrific!

[modelling minion]

That looks to be a really nice sheet John, I wonder if they do it in 1/48?

I like your choice of the Aegean scheme, especially a very worn and weathered one.

I notice from the pictures of your start on the build that you have fitted the chaff/flare dispensers on the side of the rear fuselage and I don't think they were fitted to aircraft in the Aegean scheme, although I may be wrong or they may have been fitted towards the end of their career.

 

🇺🇦

[81-er]

Excellent choice on the scheme, you're going to be able to really go to town with the weathering on this one! 

 

James

[John Masters]

3 hours ago, modelling minion said:

I notice from the pictures of your start on the build that you have fitted the chaff/flare dispensers on the side of the rear fuselage and I don't think they were fitted to aircraft in the Aegean scheme, although I may be wrong or they may have been fitted towards the end of their career.

 

Dammit. To remove them now would damage the fuselage too much and I would basically bin the kit.  I wish people wouldn't tell me this stuff after the fact.  

 

I build on.  It's just a model.  Just a hobby.  

[modelling minion]

15 minutes ago, John Masters said:

I build on.  It's just a model.  Just a hobby.

Absolutely John, you carry on mate.

Sorry to have been a pain.

 

🇺🇦

[John Masters]

5 hours ago, modelling minion said:

Absolutely John, you carry on mate.

Sorry to have been a pain.

All forgiven.  I can be overly sensitive at times. 🙂

[John Masters]

I may have to change the title of the thread once I decide on decals and so forth.  The cockpit assembly is going along and I have also assembled some smaller pieces.  I hope to have the main fuselage, etc...all buttoned up by this evening.  I also removed the flare dispensers that I had attached.  

 

 

The cockpit pieces look good.  I used the suppled decals and discovered they are very fragile, probably due to age.  I'll end up using the Icarus sheet for the remainder to avoid any mishap.

 

 

--John

 

 

 

 

[stevehnz]

Looks good John, I'll be keen to see where you go with this, that Icarus sheet has plenty of scope & for me, the ex Jordanian ones would be a given, but whatever you choose, I'll be watching.

Steve.

[John Masters]

33 minutes ago, stevehnz said:

the ex Jordanian ones would be a given

Thanks Steve.  I have two kits.  I think that will be the second.