Pellsons Perceivings

[Pellson]

Having this week only endured too slow a remission from that cold (not completed by far), an oncologist's meeting (providing planning for incoming treatment and a dental appointment originally planned as a tooth pulling event, but on site reevaluated and rescheduled to a reconstructive exercise, I am currently not the sprightliest of beings on Gods green earth. Green, and green, btw - it's now been so long without any temperatures above 0C that I have all but forgotten how soil smells.

Despite the above, I have actually performed a little modelling. As usual, however, not on the subjects on my desk, but rather on something else. In this case, I came to read up on the Bloodhound missile system, among other things realising that the Airfix offering is a mk 1 which by all means was evaluated in Sweden, but the version actually fielded was the significantly developed mk 2, locally known as the Rb 68.
The main physical differences between the versions seem to be the length of the missile, the shape of the radome and some quite obvious details on the launcher. While I haven't gotten as far as to decide on that launcher, I have extended the missile and reshaped the radome. The former was a bit tricky as I, despite having a sizeable stash of old drop tanks, could find nothing featuring the exact correct diameter. But some proper PSR seems to have sorted that.

Now resting in the sofa, I'm considering whether to continue by making a go for the mk IV variant, a more mobile variant to minimise exposure to pre-reconnoitred counter attacks. As there were only ever paper studies performed, I'm quite at liberty to design as I want, meaning one could theoretically think about a truck launched setup, perhaps?

And in the meantime, I might actually even get round to complete the odd Draken.

[PR19_Kit]

But some proper PSR seems to have sorted that.

That's very often the case I find too.    

And in the meantime, I might actually even get round to complete the odd Draken.

Sounds a wholly admirable idea.   

[Captain Canada]

Rest up ! The Bloodound sounds good. I think I've had a few in the stash over the years, just can't recall building one.....

[kerick]

Chanting
Draken, Draken, Draken!!!

[NARSES2]

I built the Bloodhound as a kid (I built most Airfix kits as a kid  ) and my memory of it is the RAF policeman with his Alsatian dog, no other memory of it whatsoever 

[zenrat]

If you get the urge to go crazy and plumb all the hydraulics on the Bloodhound launcher (it would be real fun in 1/76  ) then I have photos of the example at the Cosford RAF museum.

[Captain Canada]

Chanting
Draken, Draken, Draken!!!

I'm jumping on the bandwagon ! It's an aeroplane I've never built, and I should get on with it ! I saw one flt at the Waddo show back in 2015.

[Pellson]

I've taken the plunge into putting decals on the Drakens. First out are the "Fara" (Danger) triangles at the intakes, and for those, I had found a set of admittedly not entirely new but oh, so nice decals from Swedish Special Decals.

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Upside; as said, they look gorgeous. Downside; they're printed on on single sheet of decal film, meaning you have to cut them out individually, then solve the glue in water. Did I find out that before soaking the first pair? Nope. But I managed to save them anyway.
Next downside; the backing glue turned out to be totally useless to stick the decal to the model. Having cursed persistently for a while, I turned to Johnson's Klear, and so far, so good.
Further downside; the two colours of the marking are printed separately, meaning you have to first apply the yellow triangle, then place the green triangle with the text on top. Right... 

Well - this is where we currently stand, the Klear drying.

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Next, I'll have to go for the greens. Wish me luck.

[scooter]

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[kerick]

You're going to have an entire squadron at this rate! Make a display to look like a ramp with a few support vehicles and lots of crew running around.
I know, you needed more work to do.

[NARSES2]

Nice assembly line there    Best of luck with it 

[Old Wombat]

 

[Pellson]

The three Drakens all but finished, I've now turned my attention to an old Hunter. Actually, I even gave it its own project thread, in the vain hope not to forget about it, or put it to one side, but given the statistics from the Draken and Lansen threads, it seems likely it won't exactly work as planned. 

Anyway, I'm dead pleased with the outcome of the Drakens, and not only the work as such, but perhaps in particular the chosen scheme and markings. As you might remember, my favourite period is the late Cold War, but that said, the all grey air superiority schemes coming in fashion at the time are indeed a bit boring. Hence, balancing on the edge where schemes had become grey but markings still featured some colour, that's where I want to be. Even if I have to negotiate a bit with reality. Or maybe even just because I can negotiate a bit with reality. 
The results in this case, however, are really nice. In fact, last time I was so pleased with a scheme was probably when I did the my Luftwaffe Norm 81 fighters a few years back. Result!

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In addition to that Hunter, I still have the upgraded Mod 4 Draken trainer to complete. Mainly decals, and then the Matt varnish on top, but as it's single seat companion already is featuring low-vis markings, it will follow suit and become all grey, despite the bore factor therein. But the Hunter will, eventually, have a similar scheme as the older Drakens. Looking forward to that!

As you might remember, I also made a go at an old Airfix Bloodhound missile model, trying to make a Mk 2 out of the Airfix Mk 1. Mainly, this is a cause of extending the missile fuselage a bit, but also reshaping the radome somewhat and adding the odd extra fin. To go the full extra mile, I would also need to modify the launcher, but I haven't decided on which way to go there. The missile is more fun, at least now.

Extending it went rather well despite the fact that I couldn't find an extension part of exactly the correct diameter, but some PSR solved that. Also, filing the radome into its new, somewhat pointier shape went alright, so now it's on to the fins. It's a nice in-between project, neither taking up much time nor desk space.

Another idea I probably will start looking into more in detail is the supersonic Lansen Interceptor. There was such a development looked at, back in the early 60's, designated J32U, for "Utveckling", or development. Main features separating it from the original J32B was using the much more powerful Avon 60, or RM6C from the later Draken versions, higher wing sweep and generally thinner flying surfaces. It would never have been as fast as a Draken, but its much more spacious airframe allowing for a much better radar set, and perhaps above all, the capacity to bring a WSO to the fight would mean a significantly improved local combat control functionality once in the air, acting as something like a mini AWACS leading accompanying Drakens while still being able to hold its own. Some of you might recognise this strategy from the Italian AMI employment of their Tornado ADV's in conjunction with F-104S's, but 30 years later.

Anyway, this Lansen would probably also end up in that mid-nineties scheme, i.e as the three Drakens. And that'll look nice. I have sourced a cheapish Tarangus J32B/D/E kit that, separating it from the Heller Lansen, will provide the 30mm cannon nose from the interceptor Lansens rather than the 20mm guns in the attack variant. Perhaps not strictly necessary, and I do like the Heller kit as such, but I got the Tarangus kit for a song given that it came without decals. So let's cut away. But perhaps not until the J34C Hunter is further ahead. 

In other news, I'm due for some more intense cancer treatment in a few weeks. Nothing dramatic as such, this has been known for some time, and hopefully it won't be too hard an experience either. Still, it will be a cause form some disruption to everyday life, and hence also probably modelling. Or not, depending on what impact it will have on my ability to work. If I work less, then maybe I'll model more? We'll see about that as we move on forward. In any case, the likelihood that I'll be around for some time yet is rather high, so I wouldn't fret too much.

[Old Wombat]

It'd be fantastic if you didn't have to go through the cancer treatment & its side effects but, as you do, if it's giving you a longer, better quality life, it's worth it, & I hope it goes well & smoothly!     

[NARSES2]

Those Drakens look good    Posed the way they are on that background they look as though they're from some official SAAB/Air Force publicity shot

It'd be fantastic if you didn't have to go through the cancer treatment & its side effects but, as you do, if it's giving you a longer, better quality life, it's worth it, & I hope it goes well & smoothly!     

Well said, couldn't agree more      Best of luck