Thread transferred from the binaries group
flak m>>> Been quiet for a few days or is it just my server? Anyway, time to
I like what-if schemes, but only on kits that I consider to be "second string". By that, I mean kits from the stash that I bought years ago that have since been bettered by more modern kits. Or... maybe kits that I bought simply to rob parts or decals.
I have a model of a Royal Air Force F-16K Falcon GR3 in 6 Sqn markings. I wanted to build a Danish F-16 and the Italeri kit was the only one I could find with Danish markings. So, the decals went onto a Revell F-16B and the Italeri kit got finished in RAF markings. In my what-if scenario, during the mid-90s the RAF got tired of waiting for Typhoon to come along. They therefore leased some low mileage F-16ADFs from the USAF and put them into service as the Falcon F1. Equivalent F-16Bs became Falcon T2s. Seeing that the Jaguar would soon be due for replacement, other F-16Bs were reworked into an aircraft that was sort of Tornado Lite. The nose was extended and deepened to fit a lightweight version of the the Tornado radar. A Rolls-Royce turbofan engine was fitted to increase the range, which mean that the rear fuselage was shortened, and more avionics were fitted in a dorsal fairing (different to that of the latest Block 60 aircraft). Painted in the older RAF tactical camouflage, with GBUs and ALARMs under the wings, it really looks the part.
Another what-if is an RF-4C used in the F-15 development programme. I imagine this one to have been used as an airborne testbed for the F-15 Internal Countermeasures System. Therefore it is painted in overall air superiority blue, with dayglo orange patches on the wings and fins. Again, I used an Italeri kit for this.
I have a Fujimi F-4F in my stash. It's a nice kit, but I wouldn't want to build it and display it next to the Hasegawa one, so the Fujimi kit will also be built as a what-if. In the mid-70s the Swedish air force decided to supplement the Viggen force with a small number of imported fighter-bombers. In time of war the Viggen force could deploy out to motorways and rough airstrips while the airbases could continue to host a viable strike force, at least for the first couple of days. As West Germany was buying the F-4F, the Swedes realised that ordering another 40 to be built in the same batch would drive down prices for both countries. The Fujimi kit will be built in the four colour splinter camouflage as applied to the Viggen. I've no doubt it will look stunning.
Given that TSR2 kits aren't exactly ten-a-penny, I wouldn't build one as a what-if. However, I would seriously consider building a second-string kit in the RAF anti-flash finish, simply to try out some techniques. A plain white finish will look very boring and unrealistic. I think that various panels need to be masked off and painted in varying shades of very pale grey, just to provide some contrast and break up the monotony. The whole aircraft can then be given a mist coat of white to tone the contrast panels down even more. Handled properly, that could look rather good. I just have to decide on a relevant and inexpensive kit to use for my what-if project.