Author Topic: Wings of Zen  (Read 23680 times)

Offline DFZ

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Wings of Zen
« on: December 14, 2015, 02:49:57 AM »
Whasssuuuup! 8)

This is were i'll post my finished models. I don't have much to show for my 2 years back into modeling, as i'm a slow builder, and not a very good one... But i don't care, i enjoy it anyway! ;D I also have to warn you that my photos aren't very good, all i have at the moment is my iphone so don't expect much. And maybe, those of you who go to Whatifmodelers.com, have probably seen one or 2 of them...
All of my stuff is 1/72 scale as i don't have room for all the models i wanna build in 1/72, let alone in 1/48... :(
My first "Whif" was started back in 2013, and it's now been entered in the "Clear your bench15/16" GB, the F-16W.
I'll be posting the progress on that on in the respective GB thread until it's finished.

The 1st finished whif would be a very slight one, just a different scheme, in fact, it's absence. It was supposed to be a 2 tone green camo but i really wanted a BMF Fishbed... Oh, i was forgetting the drop tanks location, those were only carried on the outboard pylons, i believe. I just didn't know better at the time and thought that was the right configuration for them. :P
I took new photos today as the old ones were even worse...

MIG-21 Fishbed - Model: ZTS Plastyk

March 1977, somewhere over Siberia... ;D




Next was to be an F-16, Block50 version, with some of the Block 60's features and a new MATV nozzle, derived from the one tested on the F-16VISTA/MATV. This was to be a specific air defense variant, going back to the LWF philosophy, Lockheed-Martin engineers decided to go back to the light weight landing gear, and using the drop tanks for quick weight and drag reduction in case of WVR combat, but with provisions to also use the CFTs, if needed. With an adapted GE F135 engine, AN/APG-83 SABR AESA radar and a few other electronic upgrades, this should be quite an able Viper to protect the Portugueses skies. Acquired by the PoAF through the Peace Atlantis III treaty.

F-16C Block50+ ADCUP (Air Defense Combat Upgrade Program) - Model: Italeri

Seen here just before disappearing in the clouds...  ;)



3rd what-if, the F-5PM TigerIII was a modernized F-5E TigerII, through a deal involving Embraer, Raytheon and the OGMAS, the Portuguese aeronautical technology industries. Up-to-date radar and weapons systems for the small jet, bought back in the 70's 2 years after the end of the Dictatorship regime.

F-5PM TigerIII - Model - Hobbyboss






The 4th whif would start my alternative history from the beginning of WW2, when the Treaty of Windsor was reactivated by Churchill.
But this model is from a later war period, the P-51D was operated by the Portuguese pilots since the middle of 1944.
The scheme is the one used after the war, back in Portugal, operating under the new Portuguese Air Force. I say new because in the real world PoAF was only established in 1952, in my timeline it was created just after the war, with Portugal joining Nato from it's onset in 1949.

P-51D Mustang in PoAF service - Model - Airfix





These 4 models were all hand-brushed with the hairy stick, i'm just now about to finish my first model painted with an airbrush, and i sure like the result...
If all goes well, i'll soon have another one or two to join this gallery.
Thanks for looking!  :)

Zen
« Last Edit: February 16, 2018, 01:43:17 AM by DFZ »
"Stick and stones may brake some bones but a 3,57's gonna blow your damn head off!"

Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #1 on: December 14, 2015, 04:53:54 AM »
Those are some mighty fine models, Zen!

I really like how that metal finish came out on your MiG 21. That baby certainly looks every bit the business!

I'm especially fond of your Portuguese aircraft, the F-5 in particular. The camo on that bird is excellent and really sets off those great Portuguese markings nicely!

Brian da Basher

Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #2 on: December 14, 2015, 05:56:39 AM »
Those are some mighty fine models, Zen!

I really like how that metal finish came out on your MiG 21. That baby certainly looks every bit the business!

I'm especially fond of your Portuguese aircraft, the F-5 in particular. The camo on that bird is excellent and really sets off those great Portuguese markings nicely!

Brian da Basher

I thank you, very glad you like them! :icon_alabanza: :)
"Stick and stones may brake some bones but a 3,57's gonna blow your damn head off!"

Offline elmayerle

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #3 on: December 14, 2015, 08:34:45 AM »
Very nice work there and some attractive models as a result.  I like the rationales behind them, too.

having purchased the F-5E, would Portugal follow that with the F-20?

Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #4 on: December 14, 2015, 09:41:33 AM »
Very nice work there and some attractive models as a result.  I like the rationales behind them, too.

having purchased the F-5E, would Portugal follow that with the F-20?


First of all, thank you!  :)
About the F-20, i believe so, it would've been a very probable choice, instead of the Corsairs. If the PoAF had already bought F-5s in the early 1970s, they wouldn't need to buy the A-7s in 80/81 to replace the very old F-86Fs. I guess they would've either bought more F-5s, or waited for the F-20 til 1985. I'm planning to build the Hasegawa kit i've got in the stash as a modernized F-20 in the same camo i used on the F-5, following that type of scenario.
A fellow Portuguese modeler called Jaime Vinha has built a pretty cool one in PoAF markings in 2014, check it out.
http://forum.modelismo-na.net/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=24095&hilit=Tigershark .

Zen
"Stick and stones may brake some bones but a 3,57's gonna blow your damn head off!"

Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #5 on: January 20, 2016, 09:05:34 AM »
Ok, another finished whif... :icon_beer:

F-16W - 422nd Test and Evaluation squadron, Nellis AFB, 2010



The F-16W was the 1st of a few redesigns of the old Viper.
After the US government dropped the F-35 back in 2001, the US Air force would still be well provisioned with the F-22 Raptor, but that would leave the other services with a problem.
By cancelling the F-35, the DoD decides to ask manufacturers for new upgrade programs that could enhance survivability and performance in various aspects of the existing 4th Gen fighters like the F-15, -16 and -18. All the kits had to be able to be retrofitted to existing in-service aircraft.



Eventually, the F-15 would have the newest version called F-15SE, and the Hornet would become the Super Hornet. But the changes would be further developed as the world's financial situation was becoming more and more unstable, Nato partners would probably be out of money to invest in completely new aircraft in the near future, so the cheaper alternatives seemed like a much wiser choice.
The changes began with the engine, the  Pratt&Whitney F119 would be retrofitted to the F-16 airframe, which didn't pose a big problem as the 119's dimensions are very similar to the P&W F100 and GE F110. The 2D TVC nozzle is integrated into the engine, and also added weight to the engine choice as it would greatly improve maneuverability and lower the IR signature.



Taking the F-22's experience, and using some other design features that were supposed to be a part of the F-35, Lockheed decides to stick to the F-16 basic airframe and develop add-on kits that could address any short comings the original design had.
These kits would be developed throughout several years since mid 2002. The F-16W was the first aircraft to be built for testing of some of the major changes to the Viper, but an even bigger redesign would come around 2009, when the wings and tails were changed.
There were 2 versions of Packs to be developed, air-to-air and air-to-ground. The air to ground kit design would result in the AF-16A, of which the prototype was presented to the public in the 2012 Singapore air show.
The wings and stabs had become bigger, with a redesigned profile, using the F-22's wing profile, but adapting it to match the load capacity the old wing had, so instead of having only two wing pylon stations like the Raptor, it would have 3 hardpoints underneath the wing, and the traditional wingtip missile launcher as on the original Viper wing. The F-35's tail section design would be used when the decision was made to give the Viper twin tails.



The DSI intake, after the successful test series back in 1996, on an F-16C block30, would be adopted for these upgrade kits as it reduced weight and RCS.
The undercarriage section was also redesigned, as the length of the aircraft would be increased by the new horizontal tails. The option to try a Hornet type landing gear to give the fighter a higher ground clearance, but that meant an extensive study of how to fit a kit of the new bigger landing gears bays setup. Going with a CFT type of design, the bays would be moved down and aft, to give it an even bigger clearance of the tail on high AoA landings. This also brought out the old idea of having the F-16 on carriers, something that would become much easier to consider with the new gear.
Another old idea that re-emerged was the landing gear door-mounted missiles. The missiles would now be place on the sides of the enlarged landing gear bays, much like the F-15 or even the F-18's fuselage mounted missiles, giving the F-16 another 2 weapon stations.
Block 60 features as the IRST in front of the cockpit and Forward looking sensors on the sides of the cockpit.



Concerning radar cross section, the DSI, the twin tails, planform alignment of most angles, a new type of radar absorbing paint that was developed in 2009, along with the new RAM coating material applied on the whole aircraft and pylons, would help reduce the Viper's RCS to the size of a small car, with full external load. A big difference to the house-sized RCS of the original Vipers.
After all the changes were ground-tested and approved, the 1st prototype flew in 2010 at Nellis Air Force base, and kept being flown by the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron throughout the year.
Pics depict the F-16W in live weapons testing... 8)







Thanks for looking! :)
« Last Edit: February 16, 2018, 01:53:55 AM by DFZ »
"Stick and stones may brake some bones but a 3,57's gonna blow your damn head off!"

Offline The Big Gimper

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #6 on: January 20, 2016, 10:03:31 AM »
Tres Bien!!!!  :)
Work in progress ::

I am giving up listing them. They all end up on the shelf of procrastination anyways.

User and abuser of Bothans...

Offline taiidantomcat

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #7 on: January 20, 2016, 11:33:11 AM »
Great seeing all your projects here!! Fabulous body of work  :) (The viper is still just knocking my socks off!!)
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Offline Kerick

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #8 on: January 20, 2016, 11:57:38 AM »
Love the Whisky Viper! I'm looking forward to the F-20!

Offline Tophe

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #9 on: January 20, 2016, 12:07:49 PM »
 :-* The F-16W is very lovely, thanks for having created it!

Offline elmayerle

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #10 on: January 20, 2016, 12:43:31 PM »
The F-16W is very nice, but not as "out there" as the most extreme version pitched to the UAE.  That was basically a F-16XL but with the F-22's wing (it does fit well) and had considerable range.

Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #11 on: January 21, 2016, 11:40:48 AM »
 :icon_surprised: Guys, i can't thank you enough for your words, they mean a lot to me! I'm very happy that my modeling family likes my firstborn whif! It was the first one i started 2 and half years ago, so it was such a joy to get it finished like that, but even better to know you guys like it! :):icon_alabanza:  :icon_beer:

The F-16W is very nice, but not as "out there" as the most extreme version pitched to the UAE.  That was basically a F-16XL but with the F-22's wing (it does fit well) and had considerable range.

Yeah, i've seen that one here: http://www.f-16.net/f-16_versions_article10.html
A beauty indeed, i'd like to build one, just have to find a good deal for a Revell or Academy 1/72 Raptor. ;)

Again, i thank you all for your generous words!  :)

Zen
 :icon_meditation:
"Stick and stones may brake some bones but a 3,57's gonna blow your damn head off!"

Offline elmayerle

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #12 on: January 22, 2016, 07:03:03 AM »
Doing one in 1/144 and then considering using a YF-22 wing to do one in 1/72; it would be easier if there was an inexpensive and accurate 1/72 F-16XL available.  You need to start from that because it does have the same stretch and semi-conformal Sparrow/AMRAAM carriage as the F-16XL.  Want to do one using a diverter-less inlet and an l-o exhaust nozzle similar to that of the X-35.

Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #13 on: January 22, 2016, 11:04:41 AM »
Well, there's a correct conversion set from Japan, LoneStar resin parts, check it out: http://www.h4.dion.ne.jp/~lonestar/SALES.htm
I've bought both the single and twin seat XLs and 2 sets of DSIs. ;)

Zen
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"Stick and stones may brake some bones but a 3,57's gonna blow your damn head off!"

Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #14 on: March 15, 2016, 10:13:56 PM »
Ok, another whif left the bench...

"In 1952, with the creation of the new Portuguese Air Force, fighter jets were the first acquisitions since Salazar acknowledged its potential and possible effect that would have on the control capacity of the colonized territories. After the introduction of the F-86 jet and the Mig-15, pilots around the world knew these were the state-of-the-art aircraft of their day and obviously, interest rapidly started to grow among PoAF generals.
Since the agreement that would bring the F-86 to Portugal was still to come in 1957, the PoAF's Generals were told to first looked among its NATO allies in Europe. After being turned down by the European NATO countries due to his colonial policy, Salazar finally listened to his Air Force generals and gave them the green light to procure outside of NATO.
After tough negotiations, also due to Portugal being a colonial country, a deal was finally made with Saab and the Swedish Government, which resulted in 5 J 29B fighters delivered in 1953 and 15 in 1955, which would already be the F version, with a "dog tooth" on the leading edge of the wings and the afterburning engine DeHavilland Ghost.
In 1961, the Portuguese Colonial War begins in Angola and Salazar decided to display force to what he thought was only a minor terrorism wave, so 8 Sabres were dispatched to Guinea in August, 1961. The Tunnan was to remain in Portugal and not see service in the war because of the ever-growing pressure exerted by the United Nations.
In 1963, the first 5 model B fighters were extensively modernized up to the F standard and all the fighters were given the ability to fire Aim-9B Sidewinder missiles. The missiles were already available on the PoAF's arsenal because the F-86F Sabre already used them since 1962. The Tunnan was loved by both ground crews and pilots, and although both words mean the same, some affectionately called it "Pipa" but most preferred the more masculine name of "Barril", which obviously means barrel.
Both fighters were used together since the F-86 arrived in Portugal in 1958, up to the phase-out of the last 10 Tunnan in 1974. "








Hope you like it, thanks for looking! :)

Zen
 :icon_meditation:
« Last Edit: February 16, 2018, 01:58:17 AM by DFZ »
"Stick and stones may brake some bones but a 3,57's gonna blow your damn head off!"

Offline Volkodav

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #15 on: March 16, 2016, 02:03:37 PM »
Nice, old Matchbox Tunnan?

Offline Camthalion

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #16 on: March 16, 2016, 07:16:21 PM »
Nice work.

Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #17 on: March 16, 2016, 08:08:14 PM »
Thanks, guys!  :)

Nice, old Matchbox Tunnan?

Yup, it really was a nice surprise, i've read so many bad things about matchbox kits that i thought it would be a pig to put together, but i had no real problem with it.
It was also a bit of a nostalgic build as i'd destroyed one when i was 7 or 8 years old. ;D

Zen
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"Stick and stones may brake some bones but a 3,57's gonna blow your damn head off!"

Offline Kelmola

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #18 on: March 16, 2016, 09:41:49 PM »
Yup, it really was a nice surprise, i've read so many bad things about matchbox kits that i thought it would be a pig to put together, but i had no real problem with it.
A Matchbox kit is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you're going to get (unless you read the reviews not available back then, that is).

They did have their share of hilarious fails (not helped by the poor PTSD'd WW1 veteran digging trenches everywhere he could see) but some of their kits were remarkably accurate (at least for the time period) and for a while the only game in town for some subjects. Pretty much the only thing certain with their kit was that you would get a pilot figure to sit in the cockpit, but the detail level, weapons included, the shape of the kit, the accuracy of panel lines, etc. could be just about anything.

Of course, their tendency to include alternative parts for variants and/or decals for two or three (often even less common) schemes was a nice gentle push towards the world of whiffery ;)

Offline Volkodav

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #19 on: March 16, 2016, 10:14:52 PM »
Thanks, guys!  :)

Nice, old Matchbox Tunnan?

Yup, it really was a nice surprise, i've read so many bad things about matchbox kits that i thought it would be a pig to put together, but i had no real problem with it.
It was also a bit of a nostalgic build as i'd destroyed one when i was 7 or 8 years old. ;D

Zen
 :icon_meditation:

Built a Matchbox Tunnan back when I was at school (maybe even primary school), I remember painting it mostly white with midnight blue details in a very whiff scheme.  I recall being very pleased with it, also remember it didn't survive the day of the unsupervised toddler when a neighbour dropped in for a cup of coffee with my mother while I was at school, and her preschool son found his way into my room and retracted the under carriage on most of my collection.  When they eventually noticed him missing a search discovered him happily swooping various, now modified, aircraft around the room.  Ah the memories.

Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #20 on: March 18, 2016, 07:36:54 AM »
[A Matchbox kit is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you're going to get (unless you read the reviews not available back then, that is).

They did have their share of hilarious fails (not helped by the poor PTSD'd WW1 veteran digging trenches everywhere he could see) but some of their kits were remarkably accurate (at least for the time period) and for a while the only game in town for some subjects. Pretty much the only thing certain with their kit was that you would get a pilot figure to sit in the cockpit, but the detail level, weapons included, the shape of the kit, the accuracy of panel lines, etc. could be just about anything.

Of course, their tendency to include alternative parts for variants and/or decals for two or three (often even less common) schemes was a nice gentle push towards the world of whiffery ;)

Now i'm not sure if i ever had this kit back when i was a kid or just remember the box from the toy store, so i didn't know what to expect besides what was said in the couple of reviews i read on this one and on the Tarangus A/B version. The Tarangus is a much better kit,and i think it can easily be upgraded to an E/F, but the Matchbox was very cheap, cost me 12 Euros with postage from the UK included, the Tarangus is at least twice as much without postage. But after building this one, i think i'm gonna try the Tarangus kit.  :)

Built a Matchbox Tunnan back when I was at school (maybe even primary school), I remember painting it mostly white with midnight blue details in a very whiff scheme.  I recall being very pleased with it, also remember it didn't survive the day of the unsupervised toddler when a neighbour dropped in for a cup of coffee with my mother while I was at school, and her preschool son found his way into my room and retracted the under carriage on most of my collection.  When they eventually noticed him missing a search discovered him happily swooping various, now modified, aircraft around the room.  Ah the memories.

Ouch!! All of them...  :o When i was 12, had one ruined by a younger cousin who just wanted to see how many parts it had... ???
Him and my Aunt were staying with us for a few days, he got into my room when i was out riding my bmx... when i got home and saw a wing on the entrance hall and further ahead was the cockpit section... i recognized my poor Tomcat and ran into my room to find him already holding my Prowler in his hands... almost made him swallow one of the Tomcat's wings but my mom stopped me before any real harm was done... i ended up being punished and my cousin got ice cream...  ;D As mentioned above, not sure if i had this kit back then but i wanted to build it anyway and i'm also going to buy the other kits i remember having back then. I know i had an Italeri F-4S and F-14A, Hasegawa EA-6B and i'm almost certain i had an Esci/Ertl  F-16 Electric Fighter... I also have short blurry flashes of an A-4 but again, not sure... Guess i'll have to find those and build them for some time-travelling down the memory lane... ;D

Zen
 :icon_meditation:
"Stick and stones may brake some bones but a 3,57's gonna blow your damn head off!"

Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #21 on: March 20, 2016, 04:34:01 AM »
So, after 3 hours of decaling, a good coat of gloss varnish and another oner is almost ready to leave the bench! :)



Zen
 :icon_meditation:
"Stick and stones may brake some bones but a 3,57's gonna blow your damn head off!"

Offline Volkodav

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #22 on: March 20, 2016, 11:57:18 PM »
So, after 3 hours of decaling, a good coat of gloss varnish and another oner is almost ready to leave the bench! :)



Zen
 :icon_meditation:


That's well on the way to being a beauty!

Offline ysi_maniac

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #23 on: March 21, 2016, 05:56:57 AM »
Gorgeous, indeed! :) :) :) :)

Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #24 on: March 21, 2016, 08:07:51 AM »
Glad you like it, guys!  :)

Matte coat on and masks off!!  8)











All it's lacking is some "Boom Sticks"!! >:D

Zen
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"Stick and stones may brake some bones but a 3,57's gonna blow your damn head off!"

Offline taiidantomcat

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #25 on: March 21, 2016, 11:24:24 AM »
That looks great!!
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Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #26 on: March 21, 2016, 08:58:28 PM »
"Stick and stones may brake some bones but a 3,57's gonna blow your damn head off!"

Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #27 on: March 27, 2016, 07:46:49 AM »
PoAF Eurofighter Typhoon - 702 TFS "Escorpiġes" , BA11 Beja, 2016


"In 1983, the Eurofighter program was composed of 5 collaborating countries, but in 1985, the French government decided to pull out of the project and preferred to support the development of the Dassault Rafale. The management group was faced with the need to find another partner to share the costs of development and also divide the production benefits. Portugal was to become an official EU country in 1986, and was in urging for new job opportunities for it's people. The creation and development of new industries was promoted and a good share of European funds were directed to new industrial parks outside of mass-populated areas.
 The Portuguese Air Force Generals were the first to take advantage of the situation, seeing an opportunity to be part of the development of modern warfare equipment which would be a major boost to its forces in the end, were it would put them among the best equipped air forces of the world for some time. 
The idea of entering the Eurofighter program, which had just lost a partner, was taken to the government, which appreciated the idea that the weapons industry was something that could make a lot of difference in the Gross Domestic Product of a country.
Decision was made to go ahead with the idea and present the proposal to the management board of the participating countries.
After some debate, the 4 original partners inform the Portuguese government that the participation would be accepted if the production share was equivalent to the country's economy when compared to the other 4, thus meaning they would get the smallest share.
The PT government admitting it is only fair, accepts and becomes the 5th partner in the program in 1987.
After the rough ride on the negotiations table to divide the work shares, Portugal and Spain both get 6,5%, Italy gets 21%, while Germany and Britain each getting 33% of the shares.
Built in Portugal would be the flight surfaces, including rudder, canards, ailerons, flaps and also the airbrake. A few small engine components were also attributed to a Portuguese company, which also got to build some parts of electronic and hydraulic systems.

The first deliveries began taking place in 2003, but the PoAF would still wait until 2006 to receive it's first 12 of 48 aircraft, two being twin-seat trainers. The first 5 PoAF pilots got their training from 2005 to 2006 at the RAF Coningsby air base with the No. 17 Squadron.
For the reception and operation of the new type, the 702 TFS "Escorpiġes" was reactivated, after being disbanded since the end of the colonial war in Mozambique back in 1974, where it operated with the scorpion as name and symbol of their squadron.
Operating since 2006 at BA11 Beja air base, the PoAF Eurofighters would participate in various exercises around the world and see their first combat operations with the UN coalition in 2011 during the Libyan civil war."










Well, that's it for my airbrushing test subject, although it's not actually a "scheme", i'm actually pretty happy with the result.  :)
Sorry for the blurry pics, it was the best i could get... i really need to buy a camera...

Hope you like it and thanks for looking!  :)

Zen
 :icon_meditation:
« Last Edit: February 16, 2018, 02:03:53 AM by DFZ »
"Stick and stones may brake some bones but a 3,57's gonna blow your damn head off!"

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #28 on: March 28, 2016, 02:34:21 AM »
 :)
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #29 on: May 10, 2016, 07:37:50 AM »
"With the Battle of France in full swing, the U.K. and it's allies needed all the help they could get. With the early involvement of Portugal by the secret reactivation of the Windsor Treaty in May of 1940, some PoAF pilots soon found themselves going to England to help out the tired pilots of the RAF. Comprised of 22 pilots of the 1st FSW of Tancos's BA3, this help would be much appreciated by the the British pilots, as was the help of other voluntary pilots from other countries from Europe and around the globe.
As the war came to and end with the defeat of the Nazis, the return of troops to their nations began almost immediately and the Portuguese Expeditionary Forces was no exception so by the end of 1945, most of the troops were back home.
In early 1946, a major restructuring of all Portuguese armed forces began to bring all services up-to-date with the new technologies and tactics recently acquired, but the PoAF was already equipped with recent aircraft, most of them acquired during the war years, as it had been more directly involved in combat than any other Portuguese armed forces branch.
Aircraft such as the NA P-51 Mustang, Republic P-47 Thunderbolt , Hawker Hurricane and the Supermarine Spitfire, these aircraft were mostly of the latest models, as most of the older versions were almost completely replaced by the end of the war.
One of the best fighters the war brought forward was the mighty Thunderbolt and with such a weapon in their hands, PoAF war veteran pilots brought back their combat experience to the academy and the PoAF was never the same.
The 5th Fighter Squadron was formed in July, 1946 when the Portuguese National Air Guard, the GNA(Guarda Nacional Aérea) was established at BA2 at Ota, and flew the Jugs till their retirement in 1956.
The pilots of the 5th FS would soon travel to the U.S. to start training for the transition to the F-86F that was already being negotiated with the USAF."







Well, that's my 4th finished model this year and that matches my total output of 4 in 2015! On top of that, it's also my 4th whif of the year...  :)
It's the excellent Revell 1/72 P-47D-30, which had been in my stalled builds pile since i decided to halt the build and wait to finish it later after i got my modeling skills a bit more advanced. There are a lot of blunders but i'm happy with it, it was a fun build, no problems with most of the kit, except for the canopy which didn't fit well in the closed position, so i had to sand the canopy's bottom framing to get it to conform to the fuselage when closed.
Other than that, only my mistakes and lack of a decent fingertip set on my hands...  ;D
It also came out of the pile to be another build for my alternative PoAF since WWII, in which Portugal joined the Allies in the effort against the Nazis, since May of 1940.
Tried some paint chipping for the first time on the anti-glare panel, which is the only painted area on the fuselage and was a good test. I can see in the pics that i overdid it a bit but i don't think it's very bad, it's just bad... maybe next time! ;D
Also, the smoke stained areas didn't come out very well as the humbrol pigment just didn't wanna stick to the surface of the model. Another material that i have to properly learn how to use.

Hope you like this simple whif, thanks for looking!  :)

Zen
« Last Edit: February 16, 2018, 02:09:17 AM by DFZ »
"Stick and stones may brake some bones but a 3,57's gonna blow your damn head off!"

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #30 on: May 11, 2016, 03:15:51 AM »
Nice
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #31 on: May 11, 2016, 06:09:00 AM »
Your work is a wonder to behold, Zen! I'm particularly fond of your latest, that magnificent Portuguese P-47! You certainly don't see a Jug in those markings often and your skillful weathering really makes it believable!

Brian da Basher

P.S. I think I've built the same Revell kit, and I found it to be an excellent value for the money.

Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #32 on: May 11, 2016, 10:42:14 AM »
Nice

Your work is a wonder to behold, Zen! I'm particularly fond of your latest, that magnificent Portuguese P-47! You certainly don't see a Jug in those markings often and your skillful weathering really makes it believable!

Brian da Basher

P.S. I think I've built the same Revell kit, and I found it to be an excellent value for the money.

Thanks, guys! :)

Glad to know you like it, i consider it a half-whif cause the PoAF had the exact same model of the Jug, it's just the story, serial and kill markings that make it a whif.
Brian, re the weathering, your words are too kind, thank you, but i'm really not worthy, the pics may be misleading you... it really isn't a perfect job and i still have to learn how to do it properly. Specially, the smoke stains, they're better on the left side, the surface of the model was just too gloss to let the pigments settle down on some spots as i also had problems getting to adhere on the underside.
But it was a fun build, the kit is the "Ball's out" nose art box. #04155, is it the same you built?

Cheers!

Zen
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"Stick and stones may brake some bones but a 3,57's gonna blow your damn head off!"

Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #33 on: May 11, 2016, 05:48:50 PM »
<snip> the kit is the "Ball's out" nose art box. #04155, is it the same you built?

Cheers!

Zen
 :icon_meditation:


Looks like I was mistaken, mine was the P-47M kit#03984:



Turned it into an inline...



It was a lot of fun for the price of a Mickey D's breakfast!

Brian da Basher


Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #34 on: May 11, 2016, 06:38:17 PM »
Very nice!  :) What's that engine? Ever thought of a Merlin or a Griffon on the Jug? ;)
The kit is probably the same with different decals, i've read a few reviews of both and it seems to be the same.
But i would like to try the Tamiya's kit of this jug, already have the razorback kit and it's even better than this gem, although a bit more expensive.

Zen
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Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #35 on: May 15, 2016, 12:26:25 AM »
The engine was swiped from a 1/48 Testor's Curtiss R3C-2 float plane.

I like your thoughts on adding a Merlin or Griffin to the Jug.

I've got a real soft-spot for the P-47 razor back too. Will be most interested to see what you do with it!

Brian da Basher

Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #36 on: July 22, 2016, 10:18:14 PM »
Hi guys, i've been away for a while but have been busy, finished a few more..

"January, 1976. In the meetings held at Lajes AB in the Azores, the U.S. government and Navy representatives and their recently elected Portuguese counterparts reached an agreement, which stated that the U.S. would maintain it's occupation of the base for at least another 20 years. As part of the payment for the this renewed period, the Portuguese Navy Admirals were finally granted the full cooperation of U.S. nuclear carrier design teams to start working on the first Portuguese supercarrier.
The PoN had been operating the first 2 carriers built by the Portuguese naval industry(INP) since 1963. These were the conventional-powered Vasco da Gama class carriers, displacing around 33.000 tons each, with angled deck and CATOBAR design, similar to the French Clemenceau.
The PoN wanted a nuclear powered aircraft carrier for the XXI century to help maintain the role it had of watching the middle section of the Atlantic Ocean since the Nato conference held in Lisbon, in 1952. Also looking to the future in terms of newer aircraft, the Vasco da Gama class vessels were already starting to show their age and would soon need to be modernized with some up-to-date electronic systems and newer hydraulic catapult systems, and besides that, they should probably be retired around the year 2000.
The new carrier would be called "Infante D. Henrique", the one and only of it's class to be built. It would be very similar to the new USS Nimitz class carriers, and would operate a variety of new aircraft, which, obviously, also had to be acquired.
There wasn't much to worry about in making decisions as the American ships would be a very obvious example to follow by the Portuguese carrier.
After several budget cuts, delays with US tech teams being available to train and supervise the installation process of the main nuclear components and systems, the suspension of the program during 2 years and much debate about Portugal needing such a vessel, funding and technicians finally started coming through, and the keel of the "Infante D.Henrique" was laid down on the 15th of September, 1979. 3 years later, it was christened and launched at the Alcântara INP Docks on the Tejo estuary, in Lisbon.
After several delays in construction due to worker strikes and more budget cuts, after another 6 years for completion, the ship was ready for it's final acceptance trials with it's new air wing.
The new F-18C/D were among the chosen aircraft and, the also new Naval Fleet Squadron 300 "The Barbarians", were chosen to be the first to call the "Infante" their home at sea.







This is the 1/72 F-18B/D hobby boss kit that was started around 2 years ago...?  :roll:
Shamelessly stole the kit's decals for the VMFA(AW)-225 Vikings, and the fin flash and serial number from a Santa Cruz F-16A sheet, mixed and transformed into the fictitious NFS300, The Barbarians.  :twisted:
The crew is from a Revell U.S./Nato pilots set, drop tanks from the kit, aim-9s from Revell F-16 kit, aim-7s from Hasegawa air to air U.S. missile set, Mk.20 Rockeyes from Italeri F-16 kit and all the antennas were made out of styrene bits cut to shape. Paints and varnish are Tamiya acrylics, main color XF-24 don't know what's the name grey...  :-D Nose cone is XF-19 sky grey, nozzles are X-10 gun metal and X-11 silver.
I know, it's not much but, i managed to mess up what was actually a nice paint job, while gluing on the antennas and handling the model with painted fingers... Also managed to put too much glue when i closed up the canopy, but as it was masked, i only saw the excess glue on the inside today after unmasking...  :evil:
Oh, well... at least it's another one off the stalled builds pile and bench, and on to my display shelf... The 5th whif finished this year, out of 6 models.  :grin:
It's one from a bunch of builds i still want to include in my alternative history for the Portuguese military forces.
Next was one of my all time favorite fighters, the F-16XL, my first build of one of my "holy grail" kits.

7th model of the year, Monogram's 1/72 F-16XL in PoAF Service. :mrgreen:


"In 1986, the General Dynamics F-16XL was entered in the ETF competition against the F-15E from McDonnel-Douglas. The F-15E Strike Eagle was chosen to avoid closing the F-15 production line but the F-16XL would be kept in the backburner as there were several interested countries. Israel and the UAE were the first to chose the F-16XL over the standard F-16A/B.
The number of orders convinced the USAF and the US government to allow the exportation of the advanced fighter. The number of orders would grow over the following years, leading GD to sideline the standard F-16 design and keep producing the XL.
Portugal acquired it's first batch of 20 F-16XLs in 1994 through the "Peace Atlantis II" agreement but a second delivery would take place in the end of 1995, totaling 48 aircraft.
The first PoAF Squadron to transition from the A-7P to the Viper was the 201st FS Falcġes (Falcons), based at Monte Real BA5 air base.
In 2014, the last of the Portuguese XLs was updated with the MLU program, during which, the new radar absorbing "Have Glass V" paint was to be applied to the whole fuselage, including external hardware commonly used like the external fuel tanks and pylons, excluding the radome."







After these, i finished the Revell 1/72 Me-262, which was for my best mate's kid to play with so, no small parts like landing gear and the likes... He'd already tried to build it but couldn't so he asked me to do it. My first Luftwaffe WWII camo, freehand airbrushed mottling.






So, that brings the total of finished models this year, up to 8, already doubling the 4 i've finished last year! :icon_beer:
Thanks for dropping by!

Zen
 :icon_meditation:
« Last Edit: February 16, 2018, 02:23:51 AM by DFZ »
"Stick and stones may brake some bones but a 3,57's gonna blow your damn head off!"

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #37 on: July 23, 2016, 04:45:15 AM »
Nice work
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #38 on: July 23, 2016, 04:53:07 AM »
Love that Hornet with the very cool, colorful tail art!

Brian da Basher

Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #39 on: July 23, 2016, 09:50:41 AM »
Thanks, guys! Glad to know you like them! :)
Next one coming out is the single seat version of the Silent Eagle, which i'm hoping to finish this weekend.

Zen
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"Stick and stones may brake some bones but a 3,57's gonna blow your damn head off!"

Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #40 on: July 25, 2016, 10:08:52 AM »
And so, the F-15CSE is done, my 9th finished model of 2016! :icon_beer:
More pics and backstory tomorrow.

Zen
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« Last Edit: February 16, 2018, 02:24:43 AM by DFZ »
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Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #41 on: July 26, 2016, 09:15:38 AM »
"When the F/A-22A Raptor became operational, the Israeli Air Force was one of the first to ask for the new fighter to be exported, but it was a short-lived dream because the US government deemed the aircraft off limits for exportation. It was to be an American fighter only as the technology was top secret and there was no way the USAF would allow their best aircraft to be used by anyone else.
In early 2015, the IAF sends the US government, an order of 25 F-15SE airframes to equip 2 squadrons, surprising everyone, including Lockheed Martin.
The debate among IAF generals, about the purchase of more F-35s was heating up because of the supposed lack of maneuverability in a dogfight, this being a critical issue for the IAF, which, by having such a reputation of aerial combat masters, didn't wanna rely on the alleged ability to survive by having a higher situational awareness and better electronic countermeasures and stealth.
The IAF Generals wanted to have 2 squadrons of new F-15 fighters to replace the aging models, which are now well over 20 years old and all have a large number of flight hours. Also, there was a growing concern that the sovereignty of the Israeli state was becoming compromised with their neighbors' latest military acquisitions, so the air superiority would have to be a priority.



From when the order was submitted to the US, the new fighters, which were to be F-15SEs, but the IAF wanted single seat Silent Eagles, but Boeing wasn't very interested in reopening the single seat assembly line for only 25 airframes. They were "forced" to take the twin seat SE, which were to be equipped with indigenous hardware made by Elbit systems.



While the US congress decided if the sale would be allowed or not, the IAF generals asked Elbit engineers if they could use the Silent Eagles as an example to convert the old F-15C BAAZ/2000 airframes into Silent Eagles. "Yes and we can make it better than the original ones!" they said.
The generals scratched their heads but gave them the green light, for them, if it flew as good as the F-15C and had up-to-date avionics, it was fine.
The engineers at Elbit would only have to wait for the sale to be accepted. In a couple of months, the first 4 jets arrive at the Elbit hangars for the electronic systems installation. At the same time, the engineers made sure they got every bit of info they needed to convert the old airframes into "almost 5th gen" fighters...



Along with structural reinforcements, there would be a few new features used on the Eagle for the first time, like the internally-mounted IFTS sensor in front of the canopy, 2 powerful radar jammer pods on the wingtips, similar to the ones on the EF-18G Growler. This would make the Eagle much harder to detect when engaging aerial opponents, as it could reduce detection range by over 40% on enemy radar.



But the most striking external differences would be the SE 15ş canted vertical stabs, and the new intakes, which were redesigned and reconfigured with radar wave deflecting panels on the inside to hide the engines, with the leading edge angles aligned with the LE of the wings.



These new F-15s would be covered with a coat of a special formula of paint, supposedly created by Elbit systems. Although there were rumours that Israeli Mossad spies had infiltrated the Lockheed Martin's Forth Worth facilities and stolen the F-22 and 35's paint formulas, the Israeli government would deny these accusations and point fingers at the Chinese.
Even if it was derived from the stolen formulas, this coating was developed to be stronger, strong enough to resist the scorching heat of the desert and sand storms, and yet maintain it's radar absorbing properties for a reasonable period of time.



Redesignated by the IAF as the F-15CSE "בז שותק" or Skia Baz, the Shadow Falcon, these new fighters would be stationed with the 253rd squadron, the Negev, at Ramon air base, from the beginning of March, 2017. Joining the F-16I, this would become one of the best equipped squadrons, protecting the southwest region of the country."



List of important internal upgrades:
FAST packs, which held 4 amraams, carrying 2000 pounds of fuel, a new AESA radar similar to the Raytheon AN/APG-82(V)1 but with optimized air to air modes, new communications and data link system capable of integration with the future F-35I's MADL data link, electronic jammer pods with MILDS sensors, EADS sensors just below the cockpit canopy , the newly developed EL-100 IFTS sensor, with capabilities similar to the Pirate IRST of the Eurofighter Typhoon, placed in front of the canopy.
Python5 and the new I-Derby ER missiles with reduced front fins to fit into the missile bays on the FAST packs would make this a frightening adversary for quite a few more years."
« Last Edit: February 16, 2018, 02:28:25 AM by DFZ »
"Stick and stones may brake some bones but a 3,57's gonna blow your damn head off!"

Offline elmayerle

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #42 on: July 26, 2016, 10:34:44 AM »
That paint may have had sub-rosa assistance from Northrop-Grumman, who have experience with high-temp erosion of L-O coatings ('bput all I can say about that).  I suspect to reduce "down the intake" reflections, a simple vaned section, as used on the X-32 and intended for the F-32, would be the simplest approach.

Beautiful work on this one and the three previous models.

*grin* Can I persuade you to do a V-22 in Portuguese markings?  Perhaps flying COD support to the "Infante D. Henrique" as well as supporting other operations much as CV-22B's and MV-22B's do now?  If you do it in 1/72, I can only recommend the Hasegawa kit as an accurate replica of a production V-22B.

Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #43 on: July 26, 2016, 08:07:08 PM »
That paint may have had sub-rosa assistance from Northrop-Grumman, who have experience with high-temp erosion of L-O coatings ('bput all I can say about that).  I suspect to reduce "down the intake" reflections, a simple vaned section, as used on the X-32 and intended for the F-32, would be the simplest approach.

Beautiful work on this one and the three previous models.

*grin* Can I persuade you to do a V-22 in Portuguese markings?  Perhaps flying COD support to the "Infante D. Henrique" as well as supporting other operations much as CV-22B's and MV-22B's do now?  If you do it in 1/72, I can only recommend the Hasegawa kit as an accurate replica of a production V-22B.

Thank you, my friend!  :icon_alabanza:
Would be quite a scandal if it leaked out, wouldn't it? I think they'd still blame the Chinese... ;D
Re the intakes, well, i'm nothing close to an expert, if only... :-[ Thanks for mentioning that, it's good info for future projects!  ;) I've never had a chance to see the vanes inside of the X-32's intakes... any pics of that? Probably classified, right? In the ones i've found, there's nothing inside the intake, except for the cover it has on, at the Patuxent River naval air museum.
About the V-22B, i'd never thought of building that... Thanks for the idea! It would certainly be a very unexpected whif, especially by most Portuguese modelers!! You say the Hase kit, right? Gonna take a look to see if i can find a good deal... >:D

Zen
 :icon_meditation:

"Stick and stones may brake some bones but a 3,57's gonna blow your damn head off!"

Offline elmayerle

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #44 on: July 27, 2016, 12:00:33 AM »
About half-way down http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,2121.0/all.html there's a picture looking down the inlet of the X-32 that shows the blocker of radially-arranged vanes made of RAM.

yes, the Hase kit is the only good 1/72 production V-22 replica.

Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #45 on: July 27, 2016, 04:16:29 AM »
I really like your work on the burner cans and the bit of metal just forward of them. Compliments that dark color scheme wonderfully!

Brian da Basher

Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #46 on: July 27, 2016, 05:36:58 AM »
About half-way down http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,2121.0/all.html there's a picture looking down the inlet of the X-32 that shows the blocker of radially-arranged vanes made of RAM.

yes, the Hase kit is the only good 1/72 production V-22 replica.


Thanks, but i can't see most pics on that thread, could it be because i'm not registered on the forum?

I really like your work on the burner cans and the bit of metal just forward of them. Compliments that dark color scheme wonderfully!

Brian da Basher


Thank you, Brian! Glad you to know you like it!  :)
I have another one of these kits in the stash, i believe i'll be able to do a much better job on that one.  and i also wanna buy the twin seat kit from Italeri, IMHO, good value for money.

Zen
 :icon_meditation:

"Stick and stones may brake some bones but a 3,57's gonna blow your damn head off!"

Offline taiidantomcat

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #47 on: July 27, 2016, 08:52:30 AM »
F-15SE seems like a great and easy whif, but you really went  the extra mile with this scheme and the intakes! Cool idea with a single seater too, and I like the tail decals
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Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #48 on: July 27, 2016, 10:52:38 PM »
F-15SE seems like a great and easy whif, but you really went  the extra mile with this scheme and the intakes! Cool idea with a single seater too, and I like the tail decals

Thank you!  :) I did think of taking the easy way out, just canting the tails and use pylon station1&9, but i've always thought that the Eagle's intakes could look better, and with the stealth upgrade being done, why not? Planform alignment is one of the things that helps to deflect the radar waves, so i had to do it. Probably could be done in real life, just by reshaping the edges of the top and bottom parts, even with an angle grinder... ;D

Zen
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"Stick and stones may brake some bones but a 3,57's gonna blow your damn head off!"

Offline pigflyer

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #49 on: July 29, 2016, 04:02:54 AM »
Loving the lot, but the F5 & F15 are just superb. I really believe that a lot of money could be saved by building or rebuilding things like the eagle.
If it aint broke, don't fix it, maybe build more with mods like your F15CSE, and save on all sorts of costs.
Some things are just, right! Like the Dak or Canberra. The only replacement is another one of the same. :)
« Last Edit: July 29, 2016, 04:05:07 AM by pigflyer »
If I don't plan it, it can't go wrong!

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Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #50 on: August 08, 2016, 11:00:56 PM »
Loving the lot, but the F5 & F15 are just superb. I really believe that a lot of money could be saved by building or rebuilding things like the eagle.
If it aint broke, don't fix it, maybe build more with mods like your F15CSE, and save on all sorts of costs.
Some things are just, right! Like the Dak or Canberra. The only replacement is another one of the same. :)

Thank you, my friend! :)
Re the money saving, that's the alternate path i'm taking with this type of whif, it was the background i used for my F-16W. ;)
IMHO, the F-22 is the best fighter in service at the moment, and a good replacement for the Eagle, but it's not up to it's full potential. Imagine if the Raptor got a DAS sensor suite and a HMDS to go with it, combined with EOTS, IMHO, it would then be the ultimate fighter.
High costs are always an issue, but i think it's something inherent when developing new technology, and that's something that has to happen. But i guess it may depend on the point of view. Truth is, the F-22 and -35, are the first 5th gen fighters in service, and followers always benefit from the pioneer's experience and breakthroughs, right?
But still, all this is making me think of modernized Tomcats... :-*


Zen
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"Stick and stones may brake some bones but a 3,57's gonna blow your damn head off!"

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #51 on: August 09, 2016, 02:53:23 AM »

But still, all this is making me think of modernized Tomcats... :-*


You were saying:

All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #52 on: August 15, 2016, 09:05:49 AM »
Yes, sir! GTX, that's the stuff, although i want the air superiority variant... with TVC, redesigned fuselage, etc... ;)

Well, finished the Sabre, slight whif, the PoAF had a different scheme on their F-86Fs... ;)








Next, more fighters... >:D

Zen
 :icon_meditation:
« Last Edit: February 16, 2018, 02:34:09 AM by DFZ »
"Stick and stones may brake some bones but a 3,57's gonna blow your damn head off!"

Offline taiidantomcat

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #53 on: August 15, 2016, 10:08:05 AM »
Excellent F-86! Just love how those streamlined little sabres look.

Very excited about the trio at the bottom there too!  :)
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Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #54 on: August 15, 2016, 09:16:51 PM »
Thank you! :) The trio is already on the bench... ;)
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Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #55 on: February 16, 2018, 02:47:14 AM »
Well, hello again, everyone... It's been too long... been very busy with real world affairs but i'm still building as some of you may know...
Finished quite a few models since the F-15CSE...

PoAF F-80C
"In 1949, Portugal was invited to become one of the founding members of NATO and, as a consequence, restructuring and modernization of it's armed forces was to follow.
The Portuguese Air Force Generals were to choose the new aircraft to equip it's squadrons, and obviously they were interested in having jet aircraft in the PoAF, the chose the DeHavilland Vampire as trainer and the F-80C as the first jet fighter in Portuguese service.





Stationed at BA3 Tancos air base, the first squadron to transition from the Vampire to the F-80 was the newly formed 1st Fighter Squadron, called "Galgos", which is the symbol of the Base itself, and used on every aircraft of the squadron.





The F-80 flew with the PoAF from February, 1953, and were retired from active duty in 1959, although some were kept in flying condition and were later reactivated and deployed in the Colonial war theater of Guinea-Bissau in 1963, along with F-86E and F, received by the PoAF 5 years earlier. The war was short for PoAF's fighter jets because of pressure by NATO countries, who ordered the Portuguese government to retire the fighters, as it was equipment obtained under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program, and there wasn't any support for the Portuguese military action in it's colonies.





The F-80 was completely retired from service on the 15th of December, 1964, after it performed it's last flight over it's home base of Tancos. Although most of the 58 units were scrapped, about a dozen were stored and prepared to be taken to museums and to be placed on stands and become monuments in several locations around the country."

I've updated all the pics on this thread, they were on my Photobucket account, which i've closed down, so if you want to take a look at the previous models, most of the pics have been restored.
More to follow soon...

Zen
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« Last Edit: February 16, 2018, 02:48:46 AM by DFZ »
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Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #56 on: February 16, 2018, 03:00:56 AM »
F8F-2 Bearcat of the Portuguese Navy

"At the end of WWII, the US Navy had 9 Essex-class carriers being built, but of these, only six were to be completed, one was to be used as a template for future modernization programs on all Essex-class carriers, and the other 2 were to be cancelled.
Meanwhile, the Portuguese Admirals were very alert to the importance of the big aircraft carrier's role in winning the war in the Pacific, and with the Portuguese colonial territories in mind, presented a proposal to Salazar's dictator government. Salazar was obviously interested in the idea but, the Portuguese industrial capacity at the time didn't have the infrastructures to build such ships, so the Portuguese Navy had to go shopping...
After several months of meetings, an agreement was reached and the 2 carriers that were cancelled the US Navy, were to become PoN vessels.
Both ships were finished and delivered in 1947, the first to be christened NRP "Glorioso" and the second, NRP "Camġes".
These aircraft carriers would operate flight groups of 90 to 110 aircraft, including one of the best piston engine powered fighters of all time, the F8F Bearcat.
 The Portuguese pilots loved the Bearcat, but only had one little problem with the looks, they wanted to have a spinner on the prop so it would look a bit sleeker. The engineers at the State's Aeronautical Maintenance Workshops, or OGMAs as they're called in Portuguese, said that it would be an easy task and simply copied the shape of the PoAF's Spitfire Vb  and made it with 4 holes instead of 3. They also included a new canopy, with the same basic shape, but without the rear framing.
The Bearcat served with the PoN long after the first jets started being put into service, they were decommissioned from carrier fleet use in 1964, and continued serving as training aircraft at Naval Air Stations around the country. Some were later transferred to the New Guinea and Angolan colonies, for policing duties.









Zen
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"Stick and stones may brake some bones but a 3,57's gonna blow your damn head off!"

Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #57 on: February 16, 2018, 03:20:57 AM »
Harrier Gr.9 of the Portuguese Marines

"In 1998, the Portuguese Marine Corps were looking to replace the 24 Harrier GR.3 that they'd been operating since 1983, aboard the NRP "Bordalo", one of the 3 "Arade" class carriers, similar to the British "Invincible" class, with a displacement of 6,5 tons, and was built at Arsenal do Alfeite docks in Portugal, during the late 1970s.
The need to replace the GR.3 fleet was becoming evident as the airframes were coming to the end their expected lifespan and flight hours were becoming very costly, but the Marines were told to wait because it was still unknown if Portugal would get involved on the JSF program or not, but 2 years went by and the GR.3 had to be retired without an option, leaving the carrier air arms operating only helicopters during a full year.
A new aircraft would be needed very soon but, the slow development of the F-35 meant that an alternative had to be found. The obvious choice would be modern Harriers, but this time only 16 aircraft would be bought.
The 16 GR.7 would be delivered in 2 batches of 8, the first being delivered in 2001 and the second in late 2002.
All 16 airframes were upgraded to GR.9A standards in 2010, getting the 9A designation because they got the more powerful Pegasus Mk.107 engine.
The PoMC still operates their Harriers and will do so, at least, until 2025, year on which they're planning to transition to the Lockheed Martin F-35B."








Zen
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Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #58 on: February 16, 2018, 03:39:38 AM »
PoAF's Bf-109F-2

Quick whif of one of my first models back in 2013, what if Portugal and Spain joined the Axis in WWII?  ;)






Zen
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Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #59 on: February 16, 2018, 03:55:32 AM »
PoAF's F-16C/C(V) Block 70

"In 2011, the gradual increase of Russian aircraft detected over the Atlantic ocean, led the US to present a proposal to the Portuguese government to extend their presence at the Lajes air base located in the Azores islands.
This program offered the Portuguese government a payment for use of the base, payment which would come in form of military equipment for the PoAF.




The proposal granted a total of 48 F-16 fighters of the latest V configuration that were to be some of the most advanced Vipers to date. This agreement would allow the Americans to maintain their presence and surveillance of any military movements happening in the Atlantic, while at the same time, they would be reinforcing one of their allied air forces with more modern equipment for a better response and assistance of US forces in any possible scenario.



The Portuguese government would almost immediately accept what would be called the Peace Atlantis III program.
Like  the PoAF had already been operating the F-16 for a long time, the US government, together with Lockheed Martin, chose an option that would be cheaper, easier to put into production and for Portuguese pilots to make the transition.
This program consisted of the further development and integration of new aerial combat technologies for fighters of previous generations, and in this case, would be composed by several improvements for the iconic Viper.




Starting with the advanced SABR APG-83 radar, IRST sensor and new displays and mission computer in the cockpit, this suite of systems would give the old Viper new capabilities and better chances against possible enemy fighters. This variant would also have the option of using CFTs or external fuel tanks conforming to the fuselage to increase its range of action.
But the one of the most unexpected upgrades was the new Skorpion exhaust nozzle from General Electrics, which, although identical on the outside  compared to a normal one, this nozzle is a derivative of the nozzle used on the F-16VISTA, governed by a 3D propulsion vector control system.




To complete the propulsion section, for the first time , the powerplant would be a combination of rival company's products.
The US government decided that the workshare should be divided so, Pratt&Whitney was forced to work with General Electrics as a team on this project
The Pratt & Whitney F135 ADVENT, which, by having almost the same exact dimensions of the P&W engines used on the Viper, was easy to adapt to any existing airframe with a few minor adjustments and connection parts.
These fighters would in fact, be even more lethal and survivable than the F-16E/F Block60, with only a few differences of hardware and software.




The first 3 single seat and 3 twin seat F-16C/DV Block70, were delivered in March of 2015. They were flown all the way to Portugal by PoAF pilots, who traveled from the American base in Tucson, Arizona, where they went through transition training, back to Monte Real's BA5, where they were received by the remaining "Falcons" of the 201st fighter squadron and senior representatives of the Portuguese and American government, PoAF and USAF, as well as a representative of Lockheed and the OGMA/Embraer.









The last 12 of the 48 were delivered in 2016, already with the new stealthier paint, the "Have glass V", with a different overall tone, adapted to our mixed territory. 6 of each of version would also be delivered to the "Jaguars" of Squadron 301, just a few months after the first arrived."

Zen
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Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #60 on: February 16, 2018, 04:05:26 AM »
PoAF's Gnat - Asas de Portugal aerial demo team








Zen
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Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #61 on: February 16, 2018, 04:12:31 AM »
Sukhoi SU-40 stealth fighter prototype

"In 1979, Serghey Burchisnyov, a secret agent living in the USA under the false identity of a German aeronautical designer called Martin Strauss, working for the KGB, had successfully managed to ilude the US intelligence about his past and infiltrated the staff at the installations of the famous Lockheed Skunkworks at Palmdale, CA. After some months working there as a secretary for the chief designer, Martin was able to get access to some information on the F-117 program, including some samples of the paint that was going to be used on it.
Being able to follow the program for 2 years without ever blowing his cover, the info he gathered was then transferred to the OKB-51(Sukhoi) and OKB-155(Mikoyan-Gurevich) for the tender of the first Soviet stealth aircraft.
It is not known by US authorities, exactly what info was stolen but, in Russia the OKB teams had a long task ahead of them. Although the material was varied in subject, it was very incomplete and sparse in detail because of Martin/Serghey's insufficient security clearance, so work was done over a 6 year period, where the engineers had lots of new problems to solve.
Due to budget being limited to development and construction of a technology demonstrator, Sukhoi and Mikoyan were only to build the prototypes at around 2/3 of the real size intended for production models.
Still, with so many restrains and the limited means they had, they pulled through and with cooperation between the 2 design bureaus, Mikoyan-Gurevich Developed what was to be called the Mig-37 Ferret B, and was pretty much the same concept of the American F-117, which was to be a stealth bomber.
Sukhoi's designers took a different approach to the idea and tried to develop a multi-role stealth fighter that could defeat anything in the skies.
The outcome was a very streamlined design, especially when compared to the F-117 Nighthawk and even to Mig's design.
Although very similar to the Mig, the Su-40 Flatliner, as NATO would come to call it, had a four poster tail configuration, as opposed to the other two "known" designs.
The wing configuration would also be different, trapezoidal design but with reverse angle on the outer portion beyond the flaperons, with a sweepback angle of 55,5ş on the LE. The same angles were used for the horizontal stabilizers, that would greatly improve maneuverability.
Common design features were demanded by the Soviet state department so, the twin engine configuration would be the same but Sukhoi thought of adding a 2D TVC nozzle to the exhaust system, for increased maneuverability and lower IR signature.
Excellent maneuverability was indeed a requirement that Sukhoi's engineers wanted to fulfill, but he Soviet metallurgic industry wasn't advanced enough to produce a metal that could cope with the high temperatures reached by the the engine's afterburner combustion gases, so the 2D TVC nozzle had a low life expectancy and high maintenance hours and costs. The engines used on this prototype were a development of the R95sh series used on the Su-25 Frogfoot, with no afterburner, but for the production models, there would be bigger engines with afterburners.
The first example was finished in September, 1986, and the first flight took place on May 1st, 1987 at Kubinka air force base and was uneventful. The aircraft behaved well in all test-flights and was reported had a tremendous rate of climb, caused by the thrust-to-weight ratio being higher than 1/1, because of the light weight composite materials used in it's structure. The prototype was given the nickname "Black shark" by test-pilot Vladimir Ilyushin and was flown by him throughout the short test flight series until the project was cancelled by lack of funding.
With the economic and political situation in the Soviet Union showing signs of problems throughout it's member states, the funding for new developments was completely cut down when there was only one finished prototype of the Flatliner, in late 1987. Unfortunately, the world would not get to see it fly as the KGB deliberately destroyed the both prototype and all paper and digital trail regarding this program back in 1991, after collapse of the Soviet Union, making all efforts to find any information or technical data almost impossible.
After the end of the Cold war, after Perestroika and Glasnost settled in, the Western intelligence services were to be publicly humiliated by the secrecy that kept both the Mig-37 and Su-40 jets completely unknown to them until 1996, when a wood replica of the Flatliner was displayed at the Monino air force museum in Moscow. This replica was built by former sukhoi staff who'd worked on the real project, as a tribute to Sukhoi's and Russian people's glorious achievements."























Zen
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"Stick and stones may brake some bones but a 3,57's gonna blow your damn head off!"

Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #62 on: February 16, 2018, 04:17:33 AM »
F/A-16W Block 70

"In 1997, the Israeli Air Force sent a proposal to Lockheed martin. The Israelis were after a lightweight strike fighter with a longer range than the range offered by their F-16 fleet. The proposal consisted of using the design basis of the F-16 variant that was studied for the UAE, before the conventional design E/F Desert Falcons were chosen. The main requirement was that the new fighter had to have 30-40% longer range and a larger payload. Although the fighter was to be built, assembled and tested in the U.S., most of the avionics and other electronic systems were built and installed in Israel by Elbit systems, including an AESA radar, derived from the APG-81 AESA radar, IRTS sensor on top of the radome and the EOTS type sensor on the underside.
This would be a very different variant of the viper, with a trapezoidal wing, copied from the F-22 Raptor's wing. The wings were exactly the same as the F-22's wings but were redesigned and strengthened internally, for heavier loads and a new weapons station on the outboard section.



Initially, the engineers at LM were maintaining the original design with the traditional single vertical stabilizer but, the Israelis wanted to take the design one step further and add a few more details.
First were the twin tails, a modification that was already in test for a possible F-16 upgrade pack intended for the older F-16 fleets in service around the world. The twin tails were originally tested on wind-tunnel models but the single tail was chosen as it proved to have more directional stability than the twin tails but, with this new wing, wind-tunnel tests showed that the twin tails would be much more effective due to the change in airflow direction because of the new layout.





The intake would also be revised and the Diverterless Supersonic Inlet(DSI) was chosen because of the clear advantages over the old design, including reduced radar cross section, lighter weight and absence of moving parts, making maintenance time and costs smaller. This intake had been tested in 1996 on a Block 30 F-16C, to study the intake layout for the F-35 Lightning II but, because of the modular construction of the original intake, the DSI was able to be retrofitted to any F-16 airframe.



The engine was another issue, because this variant would be heavier than the normal F-16 variants, the Israelis asked LM to study the feasibility of adapting the Pratt&Whitney F135-PW-100 on the F-16. LM engineers found it to be an easy task but the request was frowned upon by USAF officials and US congress members but, after a couple of months of negotiations, the Israelis managed to convince the Americans into selling them the engine and also, the LOAN nozzles that are used with the engine on the F-35.
With thrust going up to 34.000 pounds with afterburner, this engine would also help increase the range of the Viper, following the requirement of longer range over the previous F-16 variants. To further increase the range, Conformal Fuel Tanks were installed, increasing the range around 43,5%.





The first flight of the newly designated F/A-16W was on the 23 rd of December, 2003, at Forth Worth, Texas, and deliveries to the IAF began in February of the next year. The F/A-16W designation would later be changed by the Israelis to F-16I Sufa..."












Zen
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Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #63 on: February 16, 2018, 04:21:54 AM »
YF-23 Black Widow

"The Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) was a demonstration and validation program undertaken by the United States Air Force to develop a next-generation air superiority fighter to counter emerging worldwide threats, including Soviet Sukhoi Su-27 and Mikoyan MiG-29 fighters under development in the 1980s.
In 1981, USAF began forming requirements for a new air superiority fighter intended to replace the capability of the F-15 Eagle. In June 1981 a request for information (RFI) for the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) was published by the Air Force. Design concepts were provided by defense contractors. The common areas among the concepts were Stealth, STOL and supercruise. It was envisioned that the ATF would incorporate emerging technologies including advanced alloys and composite material, advanced fly-by-wire flight control systems, higher power propulsion systems, and low-observable, or stealth technology.
In September 1983, study contracts were awarded to seven airframe manufacturers for further definition of their designs. By late 1984, ATF requirements had settled on a fighter with a maximum takeoff weight of 50,000 pounds (23,000 kg), a mission radius of 800 miles (1,300 km), supercruise speed of Mach 1.4-1.5 and the ability to use a 2,000 feet (610 m) runway.[6] A request for proposals (RFP) for the fighter's engine, called the Joint Advanced Fighter Engine (JAFE), was released in May 1983. Pratt & Whitney and General Electric received contracts for the development and production of prototype engines in September 1983.



A request for proposals (RFP) for the fighter was issued in September 1985. In May 1986, the Air Force changed the RFP so that final selection would involve flying prototypes. In July 1986, proposals were provided by Boeing, General Dynamics, Lockheed, Northrop, and McDonnell Douglas.
Two contractors, Lockheed and Northrop were selected in October 1986 to undertake a 50-month demonstration/validation phase, culminating in the flight test of two technology demonstrator prototypes, the YF-22 and the YF-23. Under terms of agreements between Lockheed, General Dynamics, and Boeing, the companies agreed to participate in the development jointly if only one company's design was selected. Northrop and McDonnell Douglas had a similar agreement.
Because of the added weight for thrust vectoring/reversing nozzles and related systems on the F-15 S/MTD research aircraft, the Air Force changed the runway length requirement to 3,000 feet (910 m) and removed the thrust reversers on the ATF in late 1987. Two examples of each prototype were built for the Demonstration-Validation phase: one with General Electric YF120 engines, the other with Pratt & Whitney YF119 engines. The first YF-23 made its maiden flight on 27 August 1990 and the first YF-22 first flew on 29 September 1990.



Flight testing began afterwards and the second aircraft for each competitor was to be ready in late October 1990, but after some early development problems, the GE engines would only be ready 6 months later.
Worried by less than satisfactory data concerning the agility of the first prototype, Northrop engineers were convinced that it wasn't good enough so, after meeting with their team, Northrop's program manager Steve Smith and chief engineer/designer Bob Sandusky knew they had at least an extra 6 months so they proposed a last minute design change from the V tail to a 4 Poster configuration aided by 2D thrust vectoring nozzles like the YF-22 had, for the added maneuverability. Authorized by CEO Tom Jones, the second prototype would be finished with the new 4 Poster tail design in December, 1990, only having it's GE engines installed in April 1991, making it's first flight on the 12th.







The first YF-23  with P&W engines(PAV-1), supercruised at Mach 1.43 on 18 September 1990 and the second YF-23 with GE engines(PAV-2), reached Mach 1.6 on 29 April 1991. The YF-22 with GE engines achieved Mach 1.58 in supercruise. Flight testing continued until August 1991.
The maneuverability of PAV-2 was totally superior to PAV-1, which would be comparable to an F-15.







The TVC nozzles gave the plane a much tighter and sustained turning radius in a combat scenario, so much so that PAV-1 was rapidly relegated to systems testing, leaving all performance flight testing to be done by PAV-2, which had the now final EMD proposed design.





Following flight testing, the contractor teams submitted their EMD proposals for ATF production.



Following a review of the flight test results and proposals, the Air Force announced the Lockheed YF-22 with Pratt & Whitney engines as the competition winner on 23 April 1991. The YF-23 design was considered stealthier and faster, but, even with the design change to improve this aspect, the YF-22 was still more agile and furthermore, had a projected greater weapons load capacity in it's weapons bays.





The Lockheed team was awarded the contract to develop and build the Advanced Tactical Fighter in August 1991. The YF-22 was modified into the production F-22 Raptor version. The Northrop YF-23 design was later considered by the company for modification as a bomber, but the proposals have not come to fruition."







Zen
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"Stick and stones may brake some bones but a 3,57's gonna blow your damn head off!"

Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #64 on: February 16, 2018, 04:29:54 AM »
So, after quite some time away from this forum, almost done updating this page, all pics blocked by Photobucket were restored so yand the following model is my most recent finished model...

F-35ADF

What if the F-35 went through an evolution similar to the F-16's? The second main variant of the F-16 was the ADF(Air Defense Fighter) so, here you have the F-35ADF of the Portuguese Air Force, circa 2030.





With within visual range air combat performance in mind, Lockheed Martin engineers give priority to agility and engine power, that, coupled with all the electronic capabilities it already had, would make the F-35 a much more capable fighter.





Wingtip LAU-129 launchers would be an option added for when stealth isn't really necessary...























This thread is now up to date, more to come soon...

Zen
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"Stick and stones may brake some bones but a 3,57's gonna blow your damn head off!"

Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #65 on: February 16, 2018, 04:55:52 AM »
Ahh that's a lovely F-35 there Zen!

Love those very rare low-viz Portuguese markings too!

Brian da Basher

Offline Acree

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #66 on: February 16, 2018, 05:06:52 AM »
That's outstanding modelling!  They all look amazing, but that Gnat is especially pretty!

Offline Jeffry Fontaine

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #67 on: February 16, 2018, 06:21:56 AM »
Wow!  So much input in one installment is quite impressive. 

Like what you did with that old Testor's MiG-37 kit as it is a vast improvement over the original. 
"Every day we hear about new studies 'revealing' what should have been obvious to sentient beings for generations; 'Research shows wolverines don't like to be teased" -- Jonah Goldberg

Offline finsrin

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #68 on: February 16, 2018, 06:51:49 AM »
Bit overwhelmed and enjoying it.  All are finished super well. :smiley:
Gotta take time to browse slowly, let pictures sink in.

Offline AXOR

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #69 on: February 16, 2018, 07:06:32 AM »
Hi there :smiley:
I know them from the other forum,but when I see them all together is even more impressive...great builds...just great !
Alex

Offline elmayerle

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #70 on: February 16, 2018, 11:48:31 AM »
Beautiful new models you've added here.  Tell me, when the British MoD disposed of their Harrier fleet early, did Portugal pick up any "near new" ones to augment their fleet?

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #71 on: February 17, 2018, 03:42:10 AM »
Some great work there.
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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Offline elmayerle

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #72 on: February 17, 2018, 10:52:23 AM »
This latest stuff is absolutely beautiful, though the YF-23 #2 is definitely a whiff as the YF-23 without vectoring was more agile than the YF-22 with it, according to the flight test summaries I've seen; Northrop lost the competition on the management side, not the technical side.

I love that F-16W and look to apply at least some aspects of it to something similar.

Offline ChernayaAkula

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #73 on: February 18, 2018, 02:33:23 AM »
So much whiffery goodness on display here!  :-*
Cheers,
Moritz

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Offline DFZ

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Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #74 on: February 18, 2018, 05:56:27 PM »
Love those very rare low-viz Portuguese markings too!

Brian da Basher


Ya, very rare indeed. I wish the PoAF would use them more, a few of their Vipers had the Lo-viz scheme during a short while, just during a NATO exercise back in 2009...

That's outstanding modelling!  They all look amazing, but that Gnat is especially pretty!


 :smiley: Little bugger came out better than i expected, used the RW "Asas de Portugal scheme"  used on their T-37's scheme, just tweaked it a bit. I'm not one of many colors but that was a good change of pace from all the gray tones... ;)

Wow!  So much input in one installment is quite impressive. 

Like what you did with that old Testor's MiG-37 kit as it is a vast improvement over the original. 


I had something like that in mind since i bought the kit, never really liked the look of the nose and wings. Still, if i was building it now, some things would be different, might have to buy another one to try out the new ideas. ;)

Bit overwhelmed and enjoying it.  All are finished super well. :smiley:
Gotta take time to browse slowly, let pictures sink in.


Glad you like them, mate. :smiley:

Hi there :smiley:
I know them from the other forum,but when I see them all together is even more impressive...great builds...just great !


 :smiley: Thanks! Yep, i have them there too but it's a bit easier to have it all in one thread here, easier to find then spread out in different threads.

Beautiful new models you've added here.  Tell me, when the British MoD disposed of their Harrier fleet early, did Portugal pick up any "near new" ones to augment their fleet?


 :smiley: That would be a very good option, even if it was only for spares. I still have the Hasegawa 1/72 AV-8B+ for the Portuguese Marines too. Because of that build, met a couple of real world Marines who told me that, although impossible in reality, they'd loved to see that happen cause both the Harrier and A-10 are 2 of the most respected by all Portuguese Marines. Still, like me, they also believe that an F-35B would be the way to go in the future. When the system is fully operational, i believe it will be as good as they say it will.

This latest stuff is absolutely beautiful, though the YF-23 #2 is definitely a whiff as the YF-23 without vectoring was more agile than the YF-22 with it, according to the flight test summaries I've seen; Northrop lost the competition on the management side, not the technical side.

I love that F-16W and look to apply at least some aspects of it to something similar.


That's the question that started that whole idea, i've read articles that spoke of the YF-23 being faster but not being as agile as the -22 in post stall regime and sustained turning rate... and even the Northrop guys say in the "Web of secrecy" doc, that they went for speed and stealth and Lockheed went for agility with the more conservative layout...
Then, you listen to Paul Metz and he says it was as good or better than the -22... also, i've always liked 4 poster design aircraft and i'd never seen the YF-23 like that before so, it was the obvious choice. ;) Imagine the Northrop engineers going: "So they wanna dogfight, huh? Let's give'm what they want..."  >:D
I've also read about the decision being about the management and that the US gov didn't trust Northrop because of the B-2 program and it's problems.
The YF-23 would also need a lot of work like the Raptor, as you surely know, the proposed F-23A design was so different. There's one being built on the ARC forum, the guy's using the 1/48 Hobbyboss kit, quite a surgery to get it up to the production design. Much respect for that brave and talented modeler. :icon_alabanza:
Re the F-16W, i still consider it my best so far...  :-*
I'm going to build a few more twin tail Vipers, wanna build the YF-16 and the rest of the variants using the "What if the 401F-3 configuration was chosen?" excuse...  ;)
Please get that Viper going, the world needs more Viper whifs! 8)

Some great work there.


So much whiffery goodness on display here!  :-*


Thank you all for your generous words, gentlemen, much appreciated!  :icon_alabanza:  :icon_beer:
Glad to know you like the bunch, i've been having a load of fun whiffing, haven't built a real world model in the last 2 years. 8)

Next will be another Viper and a Raptor... the Raptor is the Revell 1/72 kit in flight mode and OOB with a whif paint job and markings.
The Viper is the Hasegawa 1/72 F-16E with some extras like F-2A control surfaces, an LOAN/ AVEN hybrid and a DSI. Imagine that the F-16E/F were developed from the Agile Falcon concept? Not the original design for the Agile Falcon, no widened or stretched fuselage, just new wings and horizontal stabs.
IMHO, the F-2A missed the purpose of the idea, why make it heavier if they didn't have a more powerful engine? Obviously, the mission requirement is different from the F-16's in USAF use so agility improvement was probably secondary, not a priority, i guess... but still, i've never really liked the F-2A as much as i like the regular Viper, the F-2A's nose is horrible, so is the canopy, and the stretched fuselage simply looks too long... but that's just my opinion, of course... but, enough words, i'll give you something to look at... ;)



Shouldn't take too long to finish now...

Zen
 :icon_meditation:
"Stick and stones may brake some bones but a 3,57's gonna blow your damn head off!"

Offline elmayerle

  • Its about time there was an Avatar shown here...
  • Über Engineer...at least that is what he tells us.
Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #75 on: February 19, 2018, 12:13:28 AM »
It wasn't just Northrop's mismanagement of the B-2 that concerned the DoD, there were other programs involved, too.  As I said, the daily flight test summaries showed the YF-23 to out-match its competition; the top performing of the four aircraft was the YF-23 with the GE YF119 engines while the YF-23 with the P&W YF120 engines was a match for the best of the YF-22s.

Offline pigflyer

  • If reality is real, give me whatif. Really?
Re: Wings of Zen
« Reply #76 on: February 21, 2018, 05:00:29 AM »
That's outstanding modelling!  They all look amazing, but that Gnat is especially pretty!

Just what I was thinking,  all really great ideas and finishes, but that gnat...    Love it.

 8)
If I don't plan it, it can't go wrong!

If it's great, I did it. If it's naff, I found it.