Season 3 Premier 1/72 Academy Super-Etandard French Naval Aviation

Hello everyone,

I would like to welcome you all back to the new season of my model posts. This season will promise some interesting aircraft and surface assets and may even include some ships. I have decided to build tanks, high mobility and artillery models in 1/35 because the bigger the models the more detail, plus some models aren't provided in 1/72 such as the Canadian LAV-III

1/72 Academy Super-Etandard French Naval Aviation

 You may be asking yourself why I decided to write about a French aircraft instead of something Canadian. Well, for the premier post I wanted to write about something I am really proud of and to really wow you guys. So I decided to write about this aircraft because it turned out very well in my opinion.

So here is my 1/72 Super Étendard belonging to French Naval Aviation... or the French navy's air force division.

I believe this aircraft turned out very very well. I used my air-brush to paint the entire exterior which is how the camo turned out so well.



The over all colour is Neutral Grey while the camo is Field Grey. The interior is Flat Black while the targeting screen is Clear Green. The exhaust is Metallic Grey and the missiles are White.

This plane was easy to assemble and since my air brush decided to work with me so painting was easy too.

The Super Étendard is made by Dassault and Breguet which are two large French defense companies. The aircraft was first introduced in 1978 and is due to be phased out in the next decade or so by the Dassault Rafale.

France has used this aircraft in many different conflicts, most recently Kosovo, Afghanistan and Libya.


The Rafale was also operated by Iraq and saw action during the gulf war. Most of these were either destroyed or captured when pilots attempted to flee the American invasion in 2003.

Argentina used the aircraft during the Falklands war and was responsible for sinking the HMS-Sheffield and the HMS-Atlantic Conveyor.
General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 14.31 m (45 ft 11½ in)
• Wingspan: 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
• Height: 3.86 m (12 ft 8 in)
• Wing area: 28.4 m² (306.7 ft²)
• Empty weight: 6,500 kg (14,330 lb)
• Max. takeoff weight: 12,000 kg (26,455 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × SNECMA Atar 8K-50 turbojet, 49.0 kN (11,025 lbf)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 1,000 km/h (637 knots, 733 mph) at low level
• Range: 1,820 km (983 nmi, 1,130 mi)
• Combat radius: 850 km (460 nmi, 530 mi)with one AM39 Exocet missile one wing pylon and one drop tank on opposite pylon, hi-lo-hi profile
• Service ceiling: 13,700 m (44,900 ft)
• Rate of climb: 100 m/s (19,700 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 423 kg/m² (86.3 lb/ft²)
• Thrust/weight: 0.42

Armament

• Guns: 2× 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA 552 cannons with 125 rounds per gun
• Hardpoints: 4× underwing and 2× under-fuselage with a capacity of 2,100 kg (4,600 lb) maximum
• Rockets: 4× Matra rocket pods with 18× SNEB 68 mm rockets each
• Missiles:
  
  • 1× AM-39 Exocet Anti-shipping missile or
  • 1× Air-Sol Moyenne Portée nuclear armed missile or
  • 2× AS-30L or
  • 2× Matra Magic Air-to-air missile
• Bombs: Conventional unguided or laser-guided bombs, provision for 1 × AN-52 free-fall nuclear bomb, provision for "buddy" air refuelling pod

 Info from Wikipedia and images from google

Season 2 finale 1/72 Canadian Surface Assault Vehicles

Hey everyone,

As you may have figured out by this post, the problem in the previous one has finally been resolved by me reinstalling firefox. You may be rolling your eyes saying that I should use chrome or IE. First of all, Internet Explorer is the worst web browser out there, and I have tried using chrome but I can't get used to it no matter how long I try to keep with it.

Anyways, after a long period of not writting, here is the finale from season 2. Season 3 will start early to show how sorry I am :)

enjoy

1/72 surface assault vehicles of the Canadian Forces

I decided to do a post about some of Canada's ground assets. If you are anything like me, than you know that no military collection is really well rounded if only one aspect is created. I.E. air force only or navy only, etc. It would be like have a train set without any of that fabulous scenery. I tell you, sometimes I wish I was into trains but they don't really do it for me.

Anyways, here is a post about the Canadian vehicles I have built over the years including one that exists but not as Canadian military. Enjoy

1/72 Trumpeter LAV-25/Coyote Reconnaissance Vehicle

First of is one of Canada's primary recon vehicles, the Coyote. As my heading suggests, it is based off the American Marine corps LAV-25, which is in turn based off of the Swiss MOWAG Piranha.

The main difference between the Coyote and the LAV-25 is that the rear compartment is taken up entirely of communication gear with room for one operator. The LAV-25 can carry force recon marines of the US Marine corps.

 This baby is armed with a single 25mm bushmaster canon that can really pack a punch, as well as several smoke grenade dispensers to help the vehicle get away from danger.

Specifications
Weight	14.4 t (15.9 short tons)
Length	6.39 m (21.0 ft)
Width	2.50 m (8.2 ft)
Height	2.69 m (8.8 ft)
Crew	4 (driver, commander, gunner, surveillance suite operator)
Main armament	1 × M242 25mm chain gun
Secondary armament	1 × C6 7.62mm machine gun (coaxial) 1 × C6 7.62mm machine gun (pintle) 8 × grenade launchers (2 × cluster of 4)
Engine	Detroit Diesel 6V53T 275hp
Suspension	8×8 wheeled, 4× drive
Operational range	660 km
Speed	120 km/h

 

1/72 Revell Leopard 2A5 main battle tank

This is Canada's main battle tank. Most people probably didn't know Canada had tanks, which is silly because every large country has tanks, it's just harder to see these ones than, say, an M1A1 Abrams.

Not to bag on the Abrams, which kicks ass on a lot of levels, but the Leopard 2A5 is considered the worlds best tank thanks to a combination of top notch weapon systems, suspension, engine and radio equipment. Canada acquired these in 2007 to replace the older model Leopard 2A4 version we have had for a long time.

If you ever get the chance to see a Leopard (or any tank for that matter) participate in a joint military demonstration, don't pass it up as it will blow your mind.

But the one thing we don't know about the tank is truly how effective it is against other tanks as Canada has only had them deployed in Afghanistan and the Taliban does not have armored assets. That is one thing that probably makes the Abrams better, the fact the Abrams has gone up against Soviet tanks in the form of Iraqi Armor.

Specifications
Weight	2A6: 62.3 tonnes (61.3 long tons; 68.7 short tons)
Length	2A6: 9.97 m (393 in) (gun forward)
Width	2A6: 3.75 m (148 in)
Height	2A6: 3.0 m (120 in)
Crew	4
Armour	2A6: 3rd generation composite; including high-hardness steel, tungsten and plastic filler with ceramic component.
Main armament	1× 120 mm Rheinmetall L55 smoothbore gun (42 rounds)
Secondary armament	2× 7.62 mm MG3A1 (4,750 rounds)
Engine	MTU MB 873 Ka-501 liquid-cooled V-12 Twin-turbo diesel engine 1,500 PS (1,479 hp, 1,103 kW) at 2,600 rpm
Power/weight	24.1 PS/t (17.7 kW/t)
Transmission	Renk HSWL 354
Suspension	Torsion bar suspension
Fuel capacity	1,200 litres (264 imperial gallons; 317 US gallons)
Operational range	550 km (340 mi) (internal fuel)
Speed	72 km/h (45 mph)

 1/72 Revell Warrior MCV

 Last is a vehicle Canada doesn't have but could possibly as it looks to replace its aging LAV-III's. The warrior is the UK's primary troop personnel carrier, similar in design to the American Bradley fighting vehicle.

I think it would be cool if Canada had something like this so it could do search and destroy missions with a higher accuracy of success and less personnel loss due to mines and the like.

Specifications
Weight	25.4 tonnes
Length	6.3 m (20 ft 8 in)
Width	3.03 m (9 ft 11 in)
Height	2.8 m (9 ft 2 in)
Crew	3 (commander, gunner, driver) + 7 troops
Armour	Aluminium & Appliqué
Main armament	30 mm L21A1 RARDEN cannon (current) 40 mm CTA International CT40 cannon (future upgrade)
Secondary armament	L94A1 coaxial 7.62 mm chain gun 7.62 mm machine gun
Engine	Perkins V-8 Condor Diesel 550 hp (410 kW)
Power/weight	23 hp/t
Suspension	torsion bar
Operational range	410 miles (660 km)
Speed	46 mph (75 km/h)

 So there you have it, the Season 2 finale. I know it wasn't anything like the season 1 ender with the long post about the C130, but do not worry. I promise Season three will be better, with more Canadian stuff, but a hell of a lot more stuff from the international community.



(Info from Wikipedia)

Sorry for the inactivity

sorry about not posting the big season ender, but I got too overwhelmed before heading out west and was unable to post. And now, for whatever reason, the 'make a new post' is very tiny so I can't really see what I am doing when I have pictures up. I hope it gets fixed soon so I can stop dissapointing

1/72 Hobbycraft F2H-3 Banshee Royal Canadian Navy

Hey everyone,

well, only one more post (not including this one) until the season finale. I think you will really like it as it is not like the other posts I have made thus far. I may even do two posts tomorrow if I am feeling like it. Either way, I will tell you this about the finale and the final few posts of this season... the subject of each post is Canadian.

1/72 Hobbycraft F2H-3 Banshee Royal Canadian Navy

 This plane was kind of a bastard. I bought it from a shop on eBay but when it arrived it only had decals, the instructions and basically no pieces (nothing useful anyways).

I received a full refund as the model was factory sealed and I used the refund to buy another, except that it is technically American with the RCN decals from the "broken" one.

 Like most other Hobbycraft kits I have made, there are no complaints from me. It was an easy build with no flaws. I did have to use elastics to keep the thing together, but no other snags. As promised this aircraft is half air-brushed. The top I used the remainder of my lighter IJN Grey.

 The bottom is Medium Grey and is what I airbrushed. It doesn't look too different than using a spray can, except that Airbrushing is way easier to control and it doesn't show brush lines.
The engine exhaust is a mix of Metallic Grey and Chrome Silver to make a lighter engine look. The cockpit is Black with a Neutral Grey seat.

As this was airbrushed I will give you a few tips if you are also considering an airbrush:
1. Don't get frustrated. The paint will always look blotchy on the first go and will require a second or third coat before it looks pro.
2. Never ever leave the pain in the brush if you aren't using it. The pain will dry and become a huge pain in the ass to clean.
3. At the end of the day, disassemble your brush and soak it in a mixture of airbrush cleaning solution and water overnight. This will keep all the open parts open and free of clogging so it doesn't take forever to finish the model.
4. Tap, tape tape. This is an obvious one for any kind of painting, but it is easier to get away with no tape when using a simple brush. I don't usually have the windshield or any clear parts on the models until after it is painted, but make sure to tape the windows if you do or else you will have assembled the cockpit for nothing.

 OK. The F2H-3 was the first and only jet-fighter ever operated by the Royal Canadian Navy. It was a high speed interceptor aircraft and fairly advanced for its time. It served the Navy from '53 to '62. The RCN even used the aircraft with an aerobatic team but the aircraft was never painted in any special colours, it was just whatever aircraft was within the radius of an airshow.


General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 48 ft 2 in (14.68 m)
• Wingspan: 41 ft 9 in (12.73 m)
• Height: 14 ft 6 in (4.42 m)
• Wing area: 294 ft² (27.3 m²)
• Empty weight: 13,183 lb (5,980 kg)
• Loaded weight: 21,013 lb (9,531 kg)
• Max. takeoff weight: 25,214 lb (11,437 kg)
• Powerplant: 2 × Westinghouse J34-WE-34 turbojets, 3,250 lbf (14.5 kN) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 580 mph (504 kn, 933 km/h) at sea level
• Cruise speed: 461 mph
• Range: 1,716 mi (1,492 nmi, 2,760 km)
• Service ceiling: 46,600 ft (14,205 m)
• Rate of climb: 6,000 ft/min (30 m/s) from sea level

Armament

• Guns: 4 × 20 mm (0.79 in) Colt Mk 16 cannon, 220 rounds/gun (upper pair), 250 rounds/gun (lower pair)
• Rockets:
  
  • 8 × 60 lb High Explosive rockets or
  • 6 × 500 lb bombs and 2 × 60 lb H.E. rockets
• Missiles: 2 × AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles (in RCN service)

info from wikipedia and Canadian Forces website

1/72 KP Models MiG 15 Korean Peoples Air Force/Soviet Air Force

hey guys,

Sorry about the late post but it has been a busy day, but I will post this and another later today after work is over. Enjoy this rare aircraft find haha.

1/72 KP Models MiG 15 Korean Peoples Air Force/Soviet Air Force

 This one was a hard find for me, even on eBay. I wasn't willing to pay more than $20 for a model like this, but I think it came out great despite silver not coming out too good.

 The aircraft was pretty easy to build, just a seat in two fuselage pieces with wings and elevators.
One thing that did piss me off was putting the front part of the engine.

It didn't fit right so I constantly had to shave and shave and shave the plastic until it finally fit. The aircraft is overall Silver, with a Red nose and a Black exhaust port. The cockpit is Neutral Grey

 Ok, fact file time. The MiG-15 was one of top aircraft of its time and was comparable to the F-86 Sabre. In fact, both of these aircraft first met in Korea.

The MiG-15 was first used to harass UN aircraft flying missions over Korea. The UN responded with the F-86. Both aircraft did well in battle, the F86 was faster and more maneuverable. It could fly the speed of sound relatively well.

 The Mig-15 had a higher fire power and was piloted by the Soviet Unions best pilots.

Air Forces all over the world operated this aircraft and some still do as it is reliable.

 

General characteristics

• Crew: One
• Length: 11.26 m (36 ft 11½ in)
• Wingspan: 9.63 m (31 ft 7 in)
• Height: 3.80 m (12 ft 5½ in)
• Wing area: 22.6 m² (243.3 ft²)
• Empty weight: 3,919 kg (8,640 lb)
• Loaded weight: 5,350 kg (11,770 lb)
• Max. takeoff weight: 6,069 kg (13,375 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Klimov VK-1F afterburning turbojet
  • Dry thrust: 22.5 kN (5,046 lbf)
  • Thrust with afterburner: 33.8 kN (7,423 lbf)
  
  

Performance

• Maximum speed: 1,145 km/h (618 knots, 711 mph) at 3,000 m (10,000 ft)
• Range: 2,060 km (1,111 nmi, 1,280 mi) with drop tanks
• Service ceiling: 16,600 m (54,450 ft)
• Rate of climb: 65 m/s (12,800 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 237 kg/m² (48 lb/ft²)
• Thrust/weight: 0.63

Armament

• 1x 37 mm Nudelman N-37 cannon (40 rounds total)
• 2x 23 mm Nudelman-Rikhter NR-23 cannons (80 rounds per gun, 160 rounds total)
• Up to 500 kg (1,100 lb) of external stores on two pylons, including 100 kg (220 lb) and 250 kg (550 lb) bombs, unguided rockets or external fuel tanks.

(some versions equipped with 3x NR-23 cannons and 2x K-13 missiles)

(All info from Wikipedia and documentaries about the Korean War)

 

1/72 Italeri F19 USAF

Hey everyone,

Hope things are going well with your models. Anyways, here is a new post about probably the rarest aircraft I have ever built.

1/72 Italeri F19 USAF

 This one was really cool and easy to build. Not really too much to say about this one in terms of building because it was pretty easy.

The overall colour is NATO Grey, the interior is Flat Black with a Clear Green targeting screen. The missiles are White

 The F19 was/is a suspected top secret aircraft that may have been/is in production or testing. The reason many think it exists is because of the name scheme for fighters.

It has progressed from F1 in order all the way up to F22, and not including F13 for superstitious reasons. But there is also no aircraft named F19 in the USAF.

 So this has led to speculation that it may be top secret. Italeri tried to make it seem interesting by saying when the aircraft model was released it created an uproar in the American senate.

Total BS, but whatever floats their boat haha.

Anyhow, this one is a cool one in my collection and I use it as if it really exists.

1/72 Trumpeter Shijiazhuang Y-5 PLAAF

Good morning world,

Hope all is well and the battles in your model world aren't too tough for the good guys haha. Monday's post is coming together well and you should be satisfied with it.

So here is another "Exotic" model for you to take a gander at.

1/72 Trumpeter Shijiazhuang Y-5 PLAAF

 Due to a lot of possible spelling mistakes I will just call this aircraft by its original name, Antonov AN 2.

This aircraft was a pain in the ass to build as the wings were too high so I had to use weights to lower them and allow the support struts to connect.

 I don't think this model had the interior section but getting the fuselage to stay together was still tough so I used elastic bands like usual.

Overall the aircraft is NATO Green with a Light Grey underbelly. The interior is Neutral Gray with Red cockpit seats and a Flat Black control panel, wheels, and propeller. The engine is Gun Metal while the propeller tips are Flat Yellow.

 This aircraft is nearly 100 years old yet it is still widely used by civilians for crop dusting and bush flying in the outback parts of the former Soviet states. The AN2 was originally developed as a transport to provide lifelines to remote locations in Russia.

China first received their aircraft in the 60's and still operates them in many military roles including medivac, troop transport and combat drops. I was surprised when I saw that the PLAAF still uses them but with a rugged design and reliability as well as flight upgrades it isn't too big of a surprise. I suspect this aircraft will be part of the PLAAF well into their hundredth year as it is hard to replace a reliable Ukrainian design.

General characteristics

• Crew: 1–2
• Capacity: 12 passengers
• Length: 12.4 m (40 ft 8 in)
• Wingspan:
  
  • Upper wing: 18.2 m (59 ft 8 in)
  • Lower wing: 14.2 m (46 ft 9 in)
• Height: 4.1 m (13 ft)
• Wing area: 71.52 m² (769.8 ft²)
• Empty weight: 3,300 kg (7,300 lb)
• Loaded weight: 5,500 kg (12,000 lb)
• Useful load: 2,140 kg (4,700 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Shvetsov ASh-62IR 9-cylinder supercharged radial engine, 750 kW (1,000 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 258 km/h (139 kn, 160 mph)
• Cruise speed: 190 km/h (100 kn, 120 mph)
• Stall speed: ~50 km/h (26 knots, 30 mph)
• Range: 845 km (456 nmi, 525 mi)
• Service ceiling: 4,500 m (14,750 ft)
• Rate of climb: 3.5 m/s (700 ft/min)
• Power/mass: 0.136 kW/kg (0.083 hp/lb)

(All info from Wikipedia and the instruction sheet)