1/72 Italeri Dassault Rafale Aéronavale

Hey everyone,

I can see that visitors to my blog has gone up significantly in the past little while so I am glad to see everyone enjoying what I have to say. Or maybe you just like the pictures, either way, thank you for visiting, it is what keeps me posting.

Today I will be doing something out of the ordinary and making a post about a non-North American (or communist) fighter. This has to be one of my best models I have done since I first got back into modeling in grade 10 when I received a CF-100 Canuck from a friend of mine. So please enjoy this post as there will be many more like it to follow.

1/72 Italeri Dassault Rafale Aéronavale

 This is the latest aircraft of the French Navy and could quite possibly be Canada's next fighter, this is the Dassault Rafale, an advanced semi-stealth ship based fighter.

Before I built this fighter I was completely skeptical about it and actually didn't want to build it or have it in my collection. But after I finished it I realized I had done more to make this plane complete than any American fighter I had made before it.

 I put the antennas on it, and even the stupid little decals where one slip of the finger and it could be gone forever. But somehow this turned out to be in the top 10 of the best models I have ever built.

It was a while ago that I built this baby, but I can't say I remember it being too hard to construct. I used the darker IJN Grey over all, Neutral Grey on the cockpit window while the inside is Flat Black. The engines are Gun Metal with Gloss Black on the inside. The missiles are Gloss White.

 I don't know much about this aircraft besides the fact it is French in name and construction. Most European aircraft are made in multiple countries but the Rafale is the first to be built entirely in one country. The most important combat role this aircraft participated in was the no-fly zone above Libya in 2011.

Despite only being in one mission, this aircraft is still young and has the potential to serve for decades before its eventual retirement.

This aircraft has been entered into the contest by the RCAF to find a suitable replacement for the CF-188 Hornet along with the F35, F/A-18E/F, and the JAS 29 Grippon amongst others.


General characteristics

• Crew: 1–2
• Length: 15.27 m (50.1 ft)
• Wingspan: 10.80 m (35.4 ft)
• Height: 5.34 m (17.5 ft)
• Wing area: 45.7 m² (492 ft²)
• Empty weight:
  
  • C: 9,500 kilograms (21,000 lb)
  • B: 9,770 kilograms (21,500 lb)
  • M: 10,196 kilograms (22,480 lb)
• Loaded weight: 14,016 kg (30,900 lb)
• Max. takeoff weight: 24,500 kg (C/D), 22,200 kg (M) (54,000 lb)
• Powerplant: 2 × Snecma M88-2 turbofans
  • Dry thrust: 50.04 kN (11,250 lbf) each
  • Thrust with afterburner: 75.62 kN (17,000 lbf) each
• Fuel capacity: 4,700 kg (10,000 lb) internal

Performance

• Maximum speed:
  
  • High altitude: Mach 1.8+ (2,130+ km/h, 1,050+ knots)
  • Low altitude: Mach 1.1+ (1,390 km/h, 750 knots)
• Range: 3,700+ km (2,000+ nmi)
• Combat radius: 1,852+ km (1,000+ nmi) on penetration mission
• Service ceiling: 16,800 m (55,000 ft)
• Rate of climb: 304.8+ m/s (60,000+ ft/min)
• Wing loading: 306 kg/m² (62.8 lb/ft²)
• Thrust/weight: 0.988 (100% fuel, 2 EM A2A missile, 2 IR A2A missile) version M

Armament

• Guns: 1× 30 mm (1.18 in) GIAT 30/719B autocannon with 125 rounds
• Hardpoints: 14 for Air Force versions (Rafale B/C), 13 for Navy version (Rafale M) with a capacity of 9,500 kg (21,000 lb) external fuel and ordnance and provisions to carry combinations of:
  
  • Missiles:
    
    • MBDA MICA IR or EM or Magic II and
    • MBDA Meteor air-to-air mssiles in the future
  • Air-to-ground:
    • MBDA Apache or
    • Storm Shadow-SCALP EG or
    • AASM-Hammer or
    • GBU-12 Paveway II or
    • AS-30L
  • Air-to-surface:
    • AM 39-Exocet
  • Deterrence:
    • ASMP-A nuclear missile
  • Other:
    
    • Thales Damocles targeting pod
    • RECO NG (New Generation) reconnaissance pod
    • up to 5 drop tanks
    • The Rafale can also carry a buddy-buddy refuelling po
    
    

Avionics

• Thales RBE2 radar
• Thales SPECTRA electronic warfare system.
• Thales/SAGEM-OSF Optronique Secteur Frontal infra-red search and track system.

(info from Wikipedia)