New 1/48 Airfix GR.1 into French Jaguar A?

[Flyingdutchman]

Posted this into the cold war section instead of modern, if it needs to be moved (mod's) please do so :).

 

I've seen now various in progress builds, Youtube videos and I've studied the manual via Scalemates. From what I see in the manual is that an early GR.1 without the LRMTS in the nose can be build. Step 22 and version A shows this.

Main question is would it be possible to build a French Jaguar A from this brand new Airfix release?

 

I've come up with these differences myself but I'm happy to hear any of your suggestions on what not to forget in the build:

 

1) The early Jaguar GR.1 nose has a similar shape to the French Jaguar A. The only difference to that is that the French had some sort of IR-thingy under the nose. The French didn't have the chisel as the British had with the LRMTS.

 

This would be doable with some scratch building. 

 

2) Another exterior difference I can see is a single antenna on the air scope behind the cockpit (French version) versus the two fin antenna on the GR.1.

3) Another difference is the tail RWR antenna in the tail which is not fitted on the French A.

4) Difference on the tail is the small probe/tube fitted to the French A and not to the British GR.1.

 

Looking forward to your (expert) opinions on this possible conversion to a French Jaguar A

 

Cheers, Evert

 

 

[iainpeden]

There’s a brief post on p27 of the Jaguar thread in rumourmonger. Sounds like it’s very possible with the exception of pylons and ordnance. Did they use the same fuel tanks?

Are decals available?

[GiampieroSilvestri]

Berna decals makes decal sheets for French Jaguar.

 

Saluti

 

Giampiero

Edited April 15 by GiampieroSilvestri

[Hook]

32 minutes ago, Flyingdutchman said:

Another difference is the tail RWR antenna in the tail which is not fitted on the French A.

Looking at the Britmodeller review, there's a RWR-free vertical tail on runner B. 

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[FalkeEins]

 

This might be helpful. An extract from the film "Les ailes de la gloire" - ECPA-D 1998. A brief overview of the first French combat sortie of Desert Storm, flown by twelve Jaguars of the 11th escadre de chasse EC 2/11 Vosges against the heavily defended Kuwaiti base of Al Jaber on 17 January 1991. Includes cockpit footage showing all the dials in French!

 

 

 

 

[Julien]

The French jag has a different cockpit, different pylons and the MK.4 ejection seat.

[Darth Vader]

Kittyhawk did a french Jag in 48

[stever219]

1 hour ago, Darth Vader said:

Kittyhawk did a french Jag in 48

I haven't tried building one of those, but I believe that they're red in tooth and claw if you can find one.

[AV O]

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234918491-a-day-at-the-museum/

 

More about the UK Jaguar :

http://www2.capitole-kit-club.fr/walkarounds/jaguk/

 

More about the  FAF Jaguar :

http://www2.capitole-kit-club.fr/walkarounds/jaguar a/

Edited April 15 by AV O

[MarcB]

The cannons were also different (DEFA for the French, Aden for the British); the undernose laser rangefinder was a retrofit, the early French Jag's didn't have it.

 

MB

[RMP2]

The cockpit and pylons along with ordnance are the biggest problems/differences to deal with.

Heller produced an A version of the old Airfix plastic, it's a bit ropey and of it's age. The KH version is better but also work.

 

I suspect Airfix will be releasing a French A version soonish, maybe easiest is to wait for that.

Orrrr.... post a Wanted ad for unused surplus French A pylons etc from the KH RAF version if you don't want to wait. The PE cockpit for the KH A was easier to find too, it might fit the new Airfix.

 

Or... just wait a bit.

[Flyingdutchman]

Thanks for all your good replies and suggestions!

 

@iainpeden I will check that topic .

@GiampieroSilvestri yes I saw that and Berna decals are also a joy to work with.

@Hook well spotted, I missed that one, which makes it even more easy to do one.

@FalkeEins it looks like you tried to embed a Youtube video but it isn't showing.

@AV O especially the French walk around is helpful, much appreciated.

@RMP2 didn't know about the pylons, will check with l'arsenal who specialises in French aviation orientated resin aftermarket.

 

 

[tempestfan]

10 hours ago, MarcB said:

The cannons were also different (DEFA for the French, Aden for the British); the undernose laser rangefinder was a retrofit, the early French Jag's didn't have it.

 

MB

But does this result in any externally  visible difference? Both were evolutions of the same basic German cannon anyway, if I'm not mistaken.

10 hours ago, RMP2 said:

Heller produced an A version of the old Airfix plastic, it's a bit ropey and of it's age. The KH version is better but also work.

 

I suspect Airfix will be releasing a French A version soonish, maybe easiest is to wait for that.

Orrrr.... post a Wanted ad for unused surplus French A pylons etc from the KH RAF version if you don't want to wait. The PE cockpit for the KH A was easier to find too, it might fit the new Airfix.

 

Or... just wait a bit.

There is no "old Airfix plastic", it's a Humbrol mould apparently always owned by Heller (otherwise it would be with Hornby), and the GR.1 and A were tooled and I'm pretty sure also released concurrently under Airfix and Heller brands. The GR. 1 was reboxed by Revell not that long ago, but I don't recall the A being available as anything else than Heller. I agree it would be logical for Airfix to have a French boxing as they already have most of the parts required .

[RMP2]

2 minutes ago, tempestfan said:

But does this result in any externally  visible difference? Both were evolutions of the same basic German cannon anyway, if I'm not mistaken.

There is no "old Airfix plastic", it's a Humbrol mould apparently always owned by Heller (otherwise it would be with Hornby), and the GR.1 and A were tooled and I'm pretty sure also released concurrently under Airfix and Heller brands. The GR. 1 was reboxed by Revell not that long ago, but I don't recall the A being available as anything else than Heller. I agree it would be logical for Airfix to have a French boxing as they already have most of the parts required .

 

The muzzle shrouds and vents are different for the A version. The bumps below the RAF guns are absent on the A model.

 

The plastic for the Heller A is identical to the old Aifix aside from the model specific parts.

[GiampieroSilvestri]

Here is a link that includes the instructions of the Heller Jaguar A.

 

https://www.super-hobby.de/products/Jaguar-A.html

 

Saluti

 

Giampiero

[Antoine]

19 hours ago, Flyingdutchman said:

1) The early Jaguar GR.1 nose has a similar shape to the French Jaguar A. The only difference to that is that the French had some sort of IR-thingy under the nose. The French didn't have the chisel as the British had with the LRMTS.

 

Hi Evert,

 

First thing first, being a Frenchman does not makes me a Jaguar expert!

 

Then,

 

The IR thingy you write about is in fact a Laser thingy, the TAV-38, a laser range finder mounted starting with A81. There could have been some retrofit, but I didn't checked yet (I will, I promise!).

There was also an Omera 40 camera in a vertical mount positionned in the nose. for all A.

 

 

A small gift, a video on the Jag E at the Conservatoire de l'air et de l'espace d'Aquitaine, were André speak about "his" aircraft

 (André took part in the raid on Wadi Doum in 1986).

 

 

 

And the webpage of 11EC

[Flyingdutchman]

Thanks @Antoine, much appreciated.

 

Now I have to dig up my old and rusty French vocabulary to understand what André says 😅

[Antoine]

1 hour ago, Flyingdutchman said:

Thanks @Antoine, much appreciated.

 

Now I have to dig up my old and rusty French vocabulary to understand what André says 😅

 

De rien, Evert,

Do not hesitate to ask for something you don't understand, as I'm afraid you won't be helped by the automatic translation.

I've asked André to tell the producer to release a translated version, and even offered my services, but I've heard no more about it.

[MarcB]

and ij you need some nice close-ups of the exhausts 😄

 

 

 

MB

[Troffa]

8 hours ago, MarcB said:

and ij you need some nice close-ups of the exhausts 😄

 

MB

 

 

My word those chaps certainly earned their Centimes on that dull Mercredi Matin!   Some very impressive close formation work!

 

I had a look on the video hosting site and it appears that they were a Armee de l'Air Display team known as "Raffin-Mike" and I really wish I'd seen them live, as I was around when they were. Great Video!

 

Marc, thanks so much for posting!

 

 

[bentwaters81tfw]

 

They did a memorable display once in France, where they performed an opposition pass, would pull hard, cross over away from the crowd and pass again over the runway.

One airfield had a large earthen mound and they would go around the back of this for the cross over. One pilot suddenly found himself in his parachute. The crossing aircraft put a ventral fin through his canopy and pulled the ejection handle. 🪂

[Bozothenutter]

On 4/16/2025 at 9:10 PM, Antoine said:

 

De rien, Evert,

Do not hesitate to ask for something you don't understand, as I'm afraid you won't be helped by the automatic translation.

I've asked André to tell the producer to release a translated version, and even offered my services, but I've heard no more about it.

This....auto translate is terrible!

I'm a member of a few french FB groups, and the translation reads like someone having a stroke!

[Antoine]

1 hour ago, Bozothenutter said:

This....auto translate is terrible!

I'm a member of a few french FB groups, and the translation reads like someone having a stroke!

 

Welcome to the AI world!

 

[Selwyn]

On 4/15/2025 at 10:23 PM, MarcB said:

The cannons were also different (DEFA for the French, Aden for the British); the undernose laser rangefinder was a retrofit, the early French Jag's didn't have it.

 

MB

both the  ADEN AND DEFA were derived from the German MG213 cannon. they were very similar to look at but the feed mechanisms were different  although the 30mm ammunition was actually interchangeable between the two types. One type of feed required  a bulge on the aircraft and the barrels were different,  I think the DEFA had a blast suppressor on the end but the ADEN didn't, so the barrel openings were a bit different.

[Julien]

Some good pics of the DEFA Cannon and ammunition fitted into the F.1 in our walkaround. Never found out about the green glass? inserts in the ammo as to what they were for?