21
Profiles and Pixels / Re: GLanini Profiles
« Last post by apophenia on Yesterday at 08:55:03 AM »Nice! And great backstories too, BTW 
... where imagination trumps reality
News:
 | |
Swords to Plowshares GB Now Open!! |
Recent Posts
22
New Model Kit News/Reviews / Re: ICM
« Last post by apophenia on Yesterday at 08:52:27 AM »What RAAF plane would carry these in the 1950s/60s/70s ?
For the KDA-1/Q-2A, a GAF Lincoln 30 (Paragon conversion set for the Tamiya Lancaster kit)?
For the ICM BQM-34A/Q-2C, a GAF Canberra 20 (Airfix kit in Vietnam-era camouflage, perhaps)?
23
Other / Re: Just some cool photos...nothing more, nothing less...
« Last post by The Big Gimper on Yesterday at 08:45:21 AM »The USAF F-16 Viper Demo Team secretly painted their show bird into the iconic YF-16 prototype livery to commemorate the F-16's 50th anniversary.
24
New Model Kit News/Reviews / Re: ICM
« Last post by raafif on Yesterday at 08:08:36 AM »
What RAAF plane would carry these in the 1950s/60s/70s ?
25
Profiles and Pixels / Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Last post by finsrin on Yesterday at 06:13:16 AM »Nice
Depicting lot of alternate SEA aircraft flavor !
Depicting lot of alternate SEA aircraft flavor !
26
Profiles and Pixels / Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Last post by Glanini on Yesterday at 05:52:47 AM »Very nice, so much work behind them
27
Profiles and Pixels / Re: GLanini Profiles
« Last post by Glanini on Yesterday at 05:51:44 AM »Thanks, here's a Viper from Kenya
28
Land / Re: Russians-in-Ukraine T-series Shed Tank build pics
« Last post by apophenia on Yesterday at 05:13:32 AM »Anyone interested in these should watch this excellent video:
Turtle Tanks, "Cope Cages" & Modified Vehicles in Ukraine - Purpose, Evolution & Effectiveness<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhfGspOIg24" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhfGspOIg24</a>
Yup, excellent analysis from Perun as usual
29
Profiles and Pixels / Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Last post by apophenia on Yesterday at 05:10:02 AM »Last go at a Vietnam-era air superiority fighter. My conclusion is that the only realistic option was to develop the F-5C 'Skoshi Tiger'. Those USAF experiments involved a handful of F-5A-15 and F-5A-20 'Freedom Fighters' withdrawn from MAP. But to truly succeed, the 'Skoshi Tiger' programme had to go further.
Two early-model 'Freedom Fighter' limitations needed to be tackled - the absence of a search radar and a limited range. With unfair use of a crystal ball, I've addressed both of these concerns with a time-warp belly CFT. Permanently attached, that conformal fuel tank also holds new landing gear stowage bays and the relocated gun armament.
A new, rearward-retracting nose gear (based on the F-100) and the relocated guns free-up nose space for the new search radar. For that new set, I am imagining an existing radar of the day fitted with a reduced scale dish to fit the F-5's smaller nose.
Bottom: Revised F-5CM 'Skoshi Tiger' on the ground with gun bays open in belly CFT. Equipped for mid-range aerial combat, this aircraft has inverted 'T' AIM-9D rail mounts on its wing pylons. Standard 'Freedom Fighter' wingtip tanks are also carried.
Top: Airborne F-5CM 'Skoshi Tiger' with missile rails on pylons and wingtips. For weight and speed considerations, normally only 4 x Sidewinders would be carried but this otherwise 'slick' fighter also has an inflight refuelling probe mounted.
Although in no way perfect, I suspect that this reorganized 'Freedom Fighter' would be the best that the USAF could have managed in a least-mod Urgent Operational Requirement of that time. The F-16 that they actually needed was still a long way off in time and technology.
Two early-model 'Freedom Fighter' limitations needed to be tackled - the absence of a search radar and a limited range. With unfair use of a crystal ball, I've addressed both of these concerns with a time-warp belly CFT. Permanently attached, that conformal fuel tank also holds new landing gear stowage bays and the relocated gun armament.
A new, rearward-retracting nose gear (based on the F-100) and the relocated guns free-up nose space for the new search radar. For that new set, I am imagining an existing radar of the day fitted with a reduced scale dish to fit the F-5's smaller nose.
Bottom: Revised F-5CM 'Skoshi Tiger' on the ground with gun bays open in belly CFT. Equipped for mid-range aerial combat, this aircraft has inverted 'T' AIM-9D rail mounts on its wing pylons. Standard 'Freedom Fighter' wingtip tanks are also carried.
Top: Airborne F-5CM 'Skoshi Tiger' with missile rails on pylons and wingtips. For weight and speed considerations, normally only 4 x Sidewinders would be carried but this otherwise 'slick' fighter also has an inflight refuelling probe mounted.
Although in no way perfect, I suspect that this reorganized 'Freedom Fighter' would be the best that the USAF could have managed in a least-mod Urgent Operational Requirement of that time. The F-16 that they actually needed was still a long way off in time and technology.
30
Profiles and Pixels / Re: GLanini Profiles
« Last post by apophenia on Yesterday at 05:09:01 AM »Nice stuff ... as always ... but your camouflaged Georgian F-16 is gorgeous! 