1/72 decals for Meteor-armed RAF QRA Typhoons?

[Procopius]

Hullo all,

 

Most of the sheets for Typhoons out there appear to be for the colourful display or anniversary aircraft, but does anyone know of a 1/72 sheet that has markings for a recent-ish (2018 or later) Typhoon on QRA duties? Much obliged for any help you can provide.

[Navy Bird]

Scalemates show 18 decal sheets for 1:72 Typhoons of the RAF. Any of these have what you're looking for?

 

https://www.scalemates.com/search.php?fkSECTION[]=Kits&q=Eurofighter+Typhoon+eurofight*&fkTYPENAME[]="Decals"&fkSCALENORMALISED[]="1:00072"&fkORGANISATION[]="Royal Air Force (1918-now)"

 

Cheers,

Bill

[Procopius]

14 hours ago, Navy Bird said:

Scalemates show 18 decal sheets for 1:72 Typhoons of the RAF. Any of these have what you're looking for?

 

https://www.scalemates.com/search.php?fkSECTION[]=Kits&q=Eurofighter+Typhoon+eurofight*&fkTYPENAME[]="Decals"&fkSCALENORMALISED[]="1:00072"&fkORGANISATION[]="Royal Air Force (1918-now)"

 

Cheers,

Bill

Thanks Bill! My baby-addled brain didn't even think of using Scalemates. It looks like the "British Military Air Arms Update Set 1" from Air-Graphics might be my only shot -- they have ZJ924 of IX(B) Squadron in 2019, after the Meteor's IOC date, and she seems to still be in the same markings as of this spring. Barring any uniquely British economies ("Well, actually, we only have four Meteors, and we gave them all to XI(F) because we liked the squadron flash more"), I think that's my bird.

[David W]

 Not sure what kit you are using but I used the Hasegawa aim-120 decals on mine as the bands supplied for the kits Meteors are too thin. 

Pig to fit due to the meteors complex shape but worth the effort. 

 

 

[Procopius]

On 10/24/2022 at 11:43 AM, David W said:

 Not sure what kit you are using but I used the Hasegawa aim-120 decals on mine as the bands supplied for the kits Meteors are too thin. 

Pig to fit due to the meteors complex shape but worth the effort. 

 

 

I was indeed going to use the Hase kit. Thank you!

[David W]

I should mention there was a fair bit of trimming involved, think I used two separate/cut decals per brown band and they really took some work to adhere to the missiles air intakes. The bands are also not meant to join between the intakes as on the real thing. 

The black decals at front of missile were also sourced from the kit decal sheet and trimmed to size. 

More time spent on them than I’d have liked! 😅

Note the different configuration of the missiles front to rear, intakes facing inwards/outwards. 

 

 

Dave 

[David W]

Also just realised you’re after the QRA aircraft markings rather than the meteors. I misread your heading! 🤦🏼‍♂️

 

Dave 

[Richard E]

A couple of thoughts for you:

 

The RAF's QRA Typhoons frequently only operate with ASRAAM short range missiles, not Meteor - this might be because of the need to visually identify any suspect aircraft, not to engage it from beyond visual range using the reach that Meteor would provide.

 

9 minutes ago, David W said:

just realised you’re after the QRA aircraft markings rather than the meteors.

 

Sadly many of the RAF's Typhoons now fly without squadron markings, just national markings and serials.

 

However, suggesting a similar "interesting" scheme:

 

The RAF's Typhoon force have been operating air policing missions over Eastern Europe since the invasion of Ukraine, it looks like their standard weapons fit is four Meteor, two ASRAAM, underwing tanks and a LITENING Pod on the centreline pylon: Some pictures here. 

[Terry1954]

Nice looking Typhoon @David W

 

So can we look forward to a Typhoon from you at some point Edward?

 

Terry

[Procopius]

7 hours ago, David W said:

Also just realised you’re after the QRA aircraft markings rather than the meteors. I misread your heading! 🤦🏼‍♂️

 

Dave 

 

Still useful!

 

7 hours ago, Richard E said:

 

Sadly many of the RAF's Typhoons now fly without squadron markings, just national markings and serials.

 

Yes, and you'd think there'd be more decal options for some of the ZK-serialled aircraft, but no dice! Almost everything out there is for display aircraft or F.2s.

 

5 hours ago, Terry1954 said:

So can we look forward to a Typhoon from you at some point Edward?

 

You can certainly look forward to me buying stuff to do one, blathering endlessly about it, and dying of a stress-induced heart attack thanks to the awful family I've constructed for myself, but know this: I will be glad to go.

[David W]

I plan to build another one without squadron markings and have the xtradecal post war serial letters and numbers in both black and white. 

Will dig them out and see how they match up with the Hasegawa serial numbers size wise. 

 

https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/X72157?result-token=SjNFe

 

https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/X72158?result-token=SjNFe

 

Dave

[Ralph]

On 19/10/2022 at 14:46, Procopius said:

Thanks Bill! My baby-addled brain didn't even think of using Scalemates. It looks like the "British Military Air Arms Update Set 1" from Air-Graphics might be my only shot -- they have ZJ924 of IX(B) Squadron in 2019, after the Meteor's IOC date, and she seems to still be in the same markings as of this spring. Barring any uniquely British economies ("Well, actually, we only have four Meteors, and we gave them all to XI(F) because we liked the squadron flash more"), I think that's my bird.

Hallo Edward,

Hate to put a crimp on the old plans but ZJ924 is a Tranche 1 airframe, which don't carry the Meteor. You can make up current meteor carrying typhoons but nearly all of them are unmarked-you'll need the white RAF fin serials from the xtradecal sheet noted earlier. By hacking about with Xtradecal squadron sheets you could get to a squadron marked ZK serialled machine (which do carry Meteor) -check your references but they won't have the pilots names. I am surprised that Xtradecal haven't done an update sheet for RAF machines/recent export aircraft...and a resin upgrade for the Tranche 3 CFT fuselage bulges from Quickboist or similar.

Anyway, am about to finish a Hasegawa Typhoon done up as ZK344, ine of the Typhoons which conducted the first Storm Shadow mission a year ago. Its a top kit...hope you enjoy yours! I'll post pics in RFI in due course. HTH, Ralph 

Edited October 29, 2022 by Ralph

[Procopius]

8 hours ago, Ralph said:

Hallo Edward,

Hate to put a crimp on the old plans but ZJ924 is a Tranche 1 airframe, which don't carry the Meteor. You can make up current meteor carrying typhoons but nearly all of them are unmarked-you'll need the white RAF fin serials from the xtradecal sheet noted earlier. By hacking about with Xtradecal squadron sheets you could get to a squadron marked ZK serialled machine (which do carry Meteor) -check your references but they won't have the pilots names. I am surprised that Xtradecal haven't done an update sheet for RAF machines/recent export aircraft...and a resin upgrade for the Tranche 3 CFT fuselage bulges from Quickboist or similar.

Anyway, am about to finish a Hasegawa Typhoon done up as ZK344, ine of the Typhoons which conducted the first Storm Shadow mission a year ago. Its a top kit...hope you enjoy yours! I'll post pics in RFI in due course. HTH, Ralph 

Oh my goodness, thank you, Ralph! I really enjoyed it the last time I built one. Quite peeved there's no "modern" Typhoon options out there for the lazy.

[Ralph]

14 hours ago, Procopius said:

Oh my goodness, thank you, Ralph! I really enjoyed it the last time I built one. Quite peeved there's no "modern" Typhoon options out there for the lazy.

Evening Edward, for what it's worth a quick shot of the typhoon I am currently doing....specifically the white fin serial 'last three' that you can do courtesy of the generic RAF numbers/letters in white by Xtradecals...just the job.

Ralph

 

[Des]

Not sure if recent events have changed things but during the Phantom , Tornado and early Typhoon years if there were more than one operational squadron at a station involved then these rotated Q every few weeks as did the aircraft assigned which were not always from the squadron holding the alert.

 

Previously published accounts over the years were that Q1 and Q2 were prepped for scramble Q3 and Q4 on hand to replace them and thereafter other aircraft would be generated by the squadron holding alert with help from other based units if requested so at busy periods such as uninvited guests snooping around during the larger maritime exercises there could be a bit of turnround.

 

While wall-to-wall missiles were the case with the F-4 and F.3 on QRA in the UK this was not always the case in later years with the Typhoon which had been seen with lighter loads although that might have changed because of events to the east this year.

 

Squadron markings are still carried by some aircraft and if that is your goal then best bet might be to decide what markings are out there from older decal releases , look for press release photos of live Q missions (e.g. https://www.defenceimagery.mod.uk/ or the Facebook pages of RAF Lossiemouth or Coningsby) to check the missile fit and then cobble together serial and tail code from existing or generic sheets.