SAAF Su-22R

[beowulf]

my contribution to the Africa GB
decided to incorporate it into my long running ATL project

http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,28666.0.html



1978 and the Commonwealth Forces take delivery of a batch of the USSR's latest reconnaissance aircraft. A dozen Sukhoi Su-22R join the South African Air Force, operating from bases in the Belgian Congo they undertake missions into the occupied regions of Cameroon and French Congo. The Soviets are still happy to supply limited amounts of its military hardware for the Commonwealth to test under battlefield conditions, despite the 'special relationship' remaining cool since the mid 60's

Shown is one of the first to delivered, carrying the 'Bear Eye' photo recon pod on the port inner pylon







Kit is a slightly modded HobbyCraft Su 22U in 1/72...added little things like the chin/fuse radomes to change the profile a little and scratched the pod from bits of scrap......paint scheme didn't go according to plan.....I had found some lovely art work of some Rhodesian Hunters....brown overall with green camo on upper surfaces and thought I'd try copying it....when I took the masking off I realised I'd cocked up and there just wasn't enough green and too much brown............didn't fancy trying to add more green so thought the easy option was to add a third colour........matt black seemed better than a darker brown so went with that..........decals are from a South African after market company and I have no idea as to their age.....silvered a little

[NARSES2]

Interesting build 

[sandiego89]

I like it, and the black turned out fine.  Perhaps an atoll missile a more logical fit?

[beowulf]

I like it, and the black turned out fine.  Perhaps an atoll missile a more logical fit?

thanks..............erm, the atoll was just a reversed engineered clone of the 'winder, you know  .......and in my timeline it would happen the other way anyway........BritishAustralian AE would reverse engineer the Atoll, before letting Raytheon build it later on after the opening of trade with CATO.........................................the ones that came with the kit were awful, didnt look like much at all 

[Taiidantomcat]

Very very cool. It looks the part 

[Gondor]

I have or had that kit hoping it would be a nice aircraft to build. I found out though that it has only a passing resemblance to the real thing, but then on here that doesn't matter at all 

Gondor