DONE +++ 1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 ‘ASABA’; ‘99+42’ German Luftwaffe, WTD 61, 1991

[Dizzyfugu]

Time for a new - or better rather old - project!

The kit and its assembly:
This is another chapter in the long-lasting series of "Things to make and do with a BAe Hawk" builds, and this one is a very thorough conversion. This fictional aircraft had two inspirations, and both are real-world projects: One was the British SABA project, outlined in the background above, for a light attack aircraft that could be deployed against the Soviet Cold War threat in continental Europe, primarily against tanks and helicopters. It underwent a lot of iterations but eventually came to nothing. The other inspiration, which influenced the layout and look of my build, is the similar American Northrop N-308/312 project, with a layout reminiscent of the LearAvia Lear Fan business jet, which was conceived at the time of the A-X competition (that eventually led to the A-10). The fusion of both led to my fictional Panavia ASABA build.

I had kept the idea for this in the back of my mind for ages, at least 10 years, but never found the courage to tackle this build because of so many uncertainties and tons of PSR. But here it is now!


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The basis is an Italeri 1:72 BAe Hawk Mk. 100 trainer kit, and it underwent massive mods. First thing that was changed was the deletion of the air intakes – I stunt I had done before. The areas were cut out, filled with styrene sheet, and PSRed flush. Next came the cockpit, which was to be reduced to a single seat, together with a modern bubble canopy and a less pronounced dorsal hump. My plan: use the cockpit fairing and a matching canopy from an F-16 single-seater and put it over the Hawk's opening – which extends beyond the cockpit, because there's an extra part with 3D intakes that goes there. I had F-16 parts from a (shabby) Trumpeter kit. The clear part is quite bulbous and thick, but the cockpit would remain closed, anyway, and while the fuselage section was too wide for the Hawk it could be easily bent and clipped into shape to fit over the Hawk's fuselage opening, with the new canopy over the OOB front cockpit tub and seat. The excess material was simply trimmed away and later blended into the Hawk's hull through more PSR. Looks really good, and more dynamic than the Hawk 200's solution with the rear cockpit and a relatively long slanted nose, which give the attack variant a rather ungainly profile.


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


In parallel I already assembled the Hawk's wing section, which was taken OOB, outfitted with wing tip launch rails and an extra (outer) pair of hardpoints, AIM-9 launch rails from an F-16 (the vintage Revell kit).
The ordnance would consist of four OOB AIM-9J Sidewinders from the Hawk kit, plus an ACMI pod and a "camera egg" on the inner wing stations. The ventral gun pod also came from the Hawk, but it was slightly reduced in height to represent a different gun inside.


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The landing gear wells in wings and hull were slightly extended to accept longer struts, due to the tail prop configuration. Speaking of these, the main struts were taken from a Hasegawa J7W (but shortened), the front leg is from a Hasegawa F5U (also shortened). The wheels all came from an ESCI Ka-34 (fictional) Hokum kit, which also provided the engine nacelles, which received more massive pylons. The contraprop came from a NOVO Avro Shackleton and combining it with the slender Hawk hull was not easy. At first, I had hoped that I could cut off and reverse the OOB jet tailpipe, using that as an adapter for the propeller, but that did not work – the spinner was much wider. The Shackleton contraprop also comes with a peculiar internal axis design that lets both propellers rotate independently, and since I wanted to retain that (and avoid my own construction) I also used a front end from the Shack's Griffon engine nacelle and trimmed it down to match the Hawk's hull shape. The latter was cut back and a 2C putty plug created an intersection between these two unlikely parts. But with some PSR this turned out better than expected.

Once that was settled I started to create the tail surfaces, with the engine nacelles on the flanks as benchmark for their relative position since I wanted to avoid a placement of the butterfly tail surfaces directly in the exhaust efflux. The tail surfaces came from a Heller Potez Magister, and I was able to place the high enough in clean air and above the internal drivetrain. More PSR blended them into the rear hull.
The ventral fin is a piece from a Matchbox Ju 87 outer wing, trimmed down at both ends, and just long enough to allow enough ground clearance for the stalky extended landing gear. Thanks to tons of lead and steel beads in the nose the model actually stands properly on its three feet.


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


After the wings were mated with the hull I had to create LERXs to fill the gaps the Hawk's deleted air intakes had left – I found wing rests from an Academy MiG-21F that were trimmed down and PSRed into place, for an elegant wing leading edge shape.


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The cockpit was taken OOB, I just added an ejection trigger made from thin wire and a Matchbox pilot figure, then the canopy was secured with white glue. Horrible fit, though, despite using its respective base plate from the Trumpeter F-16 kit. But the idea is good and might find use again for an alternative Hawk single seater.


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

And, finally, here's the hardware before painting:


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

More to come soon. 

[kerick]

Awesome kitbashing!!

[PR19_Kit]

Cor, wow and other suitable expletives!   

[George the Cat]

Awesome!!

[DogfighterZen]

    

[Dizzyfugu]

Thanks a lot for the positive feedback - that motivates and is quite helpful at the moment. I guess I can add pics from the painting process tomorrow. 

[loupgarou]

   THREE engines?? Or the propeller is driven somehow by the jets? 

[Dizzyfugu]

No, just two podded engines, sharing a mutual gearbox that drives the contraprop. Pls. wait for the (extensive) background story.  In the meantime, here's the promised painting process:

Painting and markings:
The paint scheme was already settled very early: I wanted the ASABA to be a German test aircraft, with an experimental yet authentic paint scheme. The livery was actually used/tested on an Alpha Jet, namely aircraft "44+51" in the late Seventies, together with others, what eventually led to the Norm '83 camouflage livery family.
This specific wraparound scheme consisted of RAL 6003 (Olivgrün; some sources claim darker RAL 6014 Gelboliv, but I doubt that), 6028 (Kieferngrün, a rather bluish dark green similar to FS 34092, but lighter) and 7021 (Teerschwarz), together with a fin partly painted with RAL 7030 (Steingrau) to break up the profile. In the ASABA's case it was applied to the ventral fin, and the rest could be easily adapted from the Alpha Jet benchmark since both aircraft have very similar shapes. After basic painting the model received a black ink washing and some post-panel-shading with lighter basic tones, also in an attempt to visually create surface structures esp. on the fuselage.


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The cockpit tub became medium grey (Humbrol 140) with a light blue ejection seat with grey cushions (similar to the Luftwaffe Alpha Jets' finish) and a pilot with an all-orange suit for additional contrast. The landing gear became classic white. The four Sidewinders received a grey body with back heads, while the camera egg became white and the ACMI pod French blue.
Markings were puzzled together, Iron Crosses and the tactical code were created with generic TL Modellbau material, the small WTD 61 unit badge came from a Peddinghaus aftermarket sheet for Luftwaffe aircraft. The stencils are a mix of the Hawk's OOB sheet, scrap box finds and improvisation. Finally, everything was sealed with matt acrylic varnish.


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Now some scenic shots, I hope for the weekend. 

[Dizzyfugu]

Photo shooting complete, editing now. 

[Dizzyfugu]

Pics have been chosen and editing made some progress. We get there, while the next (much simpler) project is already on the work bench. 

[Dizzyfugu]

More editing progress, ground pics have been cleaned and in-flight scenes have been roughly prepared. We get there...

[Dizzyfugu]

Here we are...! 


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Some background:
The acronym SABA stands for "Small Agile Battlefield Aircraft" and it covers several different concepts, originally dreamed up by BAe Kingston (historically better known as Hawker Aircraft Ltd.) in 1987, and one of the last Cold War products that eventually entered the hardware stage. In the early Eighties BAe foresaw the need for something to operate at very low level over the Western-European battlefield to combat highly agile helicopters, tilt rotor aircraft and unmanned vehicles. Primary foe was the Soviet Mil Mi-24, as well as the dedicated Mi-28 attack helicopter that had been expected to enter frontline service during the late Eighties, too. The expected scenario of a massive ground offensive from beyond the Iron Curtain into Germany called furthermore for very accurate and mobile close air support, at day and night and in foul weather, too. BAe also reasoned that nobody had ever really explored the limits of aiming for high agility as the main design point, with such criteria as speed and take-off requirements taking a back seat. Further parameters for SABA included low cost and complexity, low vulnerability, and it would afford the ground commander a virtually permanent on-call air support element rather than the fast jets streaking in and out that were the tactical norm at the time.


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


SABA's basic framework design grew from the very high agility (VHA) requirement. The Kingston team based SABA's agility on the ability to turn through 180° in 5sec at Mach 0.4. This would enable SABA to meet a fighter in the F-16/MiG-29 class head-on, turn and shoot an infrared missile before the adversary could get out of missile range, given an initial bogey speed of Mach 0.6. Fired after 5sec of turn, the missile would impact 7 sec. later, or 12 sec. after the SABA met its opponent head-on. This level of agility could be achieved with a slower aircraft, but BAe also wanted SABA to transit the battlefield at 400kt-450kt, so that it could be deployed quickly and strike with surprise. The higher speed would appreciably enhance survivability, too, and it could be achieved with relatively small engines. Consequentially, power, overall weight and dimensions could remain within very strict limits, what meant that SABA would be hard to detect visually. Acoustic, infrared, and radar detection and tracking would be difficult for the enemy, too. Further basic rules included "a useful weapon load", the ability to operate from a 250m "true dirt strip", and an endurance of more than 4 hours with full war load.

Several airframe configurations were considered, including P.1238 with a pod/twin-boom layout and an unducted single-disc pusher fan. The alternative P.1234-1 was a tailless delta design weighing 5,754kg, with a wing area of 36 m² and powered by a single 25.4kN Rolls-Royce Adour turbofan. At the time of these initial concept studies, helicopter suppression was regarded as SABA's main role, and the armament consisted of two air-to-air missiles and a 25mm cannon mounted in a belly-mounted cupola that could be trained through 360°. The idea was that the aircraft could engage targets throughout a spherical envelope by combining the cannon's 360° traverse and the aircraft's 360° roll.
The following design P.1234-3 took the turreted armament idea even further: It was, again, a small, very clean tailless delta aircraft, powered by a single Adour turbofan. The instantaneous turn rate was calculated to be 40°/sec, but, instead of a cannon, the turret would fire hyper-velocity missiles (HVM) from two tubes, with about 12 HVMs carried internally.


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Eventually, British Aerospace chose a rather unconventional single-seat canard configuration (P.1233-1) with an unducted fan pusher engine as ideal layout for its small agile battlefield aircraft. This design was refined into a more conventional design without the earlier complex rotating weapon station. This eventually became P.1233-2, with a Y-tail with a short but deep ventral fin that would act as a tail guard for the propeller. This design was presented to MoD officials in 1986 as a private venture. Beyond domestic use, the aircraft's concept was regarded as an ideal option for many smaller air forces all around the world, e.g. as BAC Strikemaster, Fiat G.91, OV-10, A-37 or even F-5 and Hawker Hunter replacement.

P.1233-2 was met with both interest and skepticism. The idea of a cheap and mobile helicopter killer was appreciated, but, on the other side, the concept appeared to be highly specialized and therefore limited, so that it would only cater to a small market niche. The aircraft was furthermore clearly intended for use in an environment where air superiority had already been secured, or where serious aerial threat was not to be expected.
This initial assessment was confirmed when P.1233-2 was presented to other NATO nations in early 1987, but the idea found supporters in Germany and Italy who were – as a lucky coincidence – at the time looking for light attack aircraft replacements in their air forces. For instance, Germany was looking for a more economical replacement of its Alpha Jet fleet, which were typically operated as single seaters and fulfilled a role profile that was very similar to SABA (including anti-helicopter missions), and Italy was about to replace its G.91 fleet. Both countries were shareholders of the Panavia Aircraft GmbH, a German company established by the three partner nations for the development and production of the Tornado Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) project. In late 1987 the decision was taken to develop BAe's original SABA concept further and enhance its capabilities so far that the similar demands from each of the three Panavia countries would be met. As a side benefit, this move, as well as the dedication of three major European countries, was expected to improve the aircraft's sales appeal on the world market. This led to the next evolutionary stage, called ASABA (Advanced Small Agile Battlefield Aircraft).


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

ASABA remained true to the original concept of relatively small size, simplicity and agility, but its ground attack capabilities (esp. the range of ordnance) were widened, resulting in slightly bigger overall dimensions and weight. To save time and development costs, many structural elements from the highly successful BAe Hawk jet trainer were incorporated into ASABA, e.g. the wing structure and parts of the fuselage, even though it was effectively a very different aircraft.
ASABA was powered by two small turboprop engines that were carried in external gondolas on the rear fuselage flanks, reminiscent of the American A-10. Both engines drove a six-blade pusher contra-prop at the tail, which featured a relatively flat butterfly stabilizer and an additional, small but deep vertical fin under the fuselage, which also protected the propeller from ground contact. A gearbox allowed each engine to drive one the propellers separately, but both engines could also drive a single airscrew, or a single engine could drive both propellers. While complex and adding weight, this flexibility was regarded as a vital asset to ensure survivability and crew safety in the case of an engine or propeller failure.
The rugged tricycle undercarriage with low pressure tires retracted into the fuselage and into the inner wings. The pilot sat under an almost frameless canopy, which offered excellent all-round vision. A total of seven hardpoints could carry up to six AIM-9 Sidewinder AAMs as main weapon but also a wide range of guided and unguided ordnance, e. g. AGM-65 Maverick AGMs or the British Brimstone, a version of the American AGM-114 Hellfire with a mmW seeker. A fixed 27mm Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon was carried in a detachable fairing on the ventral hardpoint, together with 150 rounds. This compact weapon, developed in 1976 for the Panavia Tornado, had a ROF of up to 1,700 rpm and a muzzle velocity of 1,100 m/s (3,600 ft/s). This offered a maximum firing range of 2,500 meters against air targets and of 4,000 meters against ground targets.


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


ASABA did not carry any radar because such a system was not considered to be effective at the low altitudes in which the aircraft was expected to operate, and too bulky and complex for the compact and cheap aircraft. But, for target acquisition and navigation, an innovative, combined IR-LIDAR system was developed and mounted in a sensor array in the aircraft's nose. LIDAR (an acronym of "LIght Detection And Ranging") is a surveying method that measures distance to a target by illuminating it with pulsed laser light and measuring the reflected pulses with a sensor. Differences in laser return times and wavelengths can then be used to create digital 3-D representations of the target and the surroundings. This acquisition and navigation aid was furthermore combined with an infrared sensor, which would help highlight and track potential targets at day and night and independent from weather conditions – without giving the aircraft's presence away through an active radar signature. Even though the system was rather "rough" and only a prototype, it provided ASABA with limited all-weather capabilities.

In 1988 the Panavia Group decided to build a total of five prototypes which would undergo flight and static tests as well as evaluation programs in the three project nations' air forces. All these machines were built in Great Britain in the course of 1989. The 1st prototype's roll-out took place in March 1989 and its maiden flight followed in June. This airframe, as well as the 4th and 5th prototype, remained in England. The first ASABA was operated at RAF Warton for initial ground and flight tests, while the 4th prototype was used for system development, esp. the IR-LIDAR. The last airframe was earmarked for static tests. The 2nd prototype, which was rolled out in September 1989, went to Germany and the 3rd machine arrived in Italy in December of the same year, where both machines were field-tested. In Germany, for instance, mock aerial combat at very low altitudes were simulated with German CH-53 helicopters, which had very similar flight characteristics as the Mi-24.
Flight tests revealed good handling characteristics, and in the course of the mock combat tests aerodynamic aids like various shapes of extended wing roots and even a pair of small fixed canards at the nose were tested to improve maneuvers at high angles of attack and start and landing characteristics. Various FOD protections for the engines were tested, too.


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


However, in the meantime the global political situation in general and in central Europe in specific had dramatically changed: the Soviet Union dissolved in 1989 and the original raison d'être of both SABA and ASABA had disappeared within weeks. As consequence the official support for the project quickly dwindled, to the point that, in summer 1992, after basic flight tests and field evaluations of the flying airframes had been successfully completed, the plug was pulled from Italy and then finally from Germany, too.
With this poor outlook for final development, sales and reasonable production numbers, ASABA went back again to a BAe private venture status, and lack of funds prevented further progress. Another factor was BAe's attempt to market the Hawk trainer and its single-seat Hawk 200 attack derivative instead. For the same reason, a potential advanced trainer on ASABA's basis never left the drawing board, and by 1997 the complete project had been terminated.


General characteristics:
    Crew: 1
    Length: 12.46 m (40 ft 9½ in) with pitot
    Wingspan (with wingtip launch rails fitted): 9.75 m (31 ft 11½ in)
    Height: 3,81 m (12 ft 6 in)
    Wing area: 19.70 m2 (212 ft2)   
    Empty weight: 6,470 kg (14,285 lb)
    Max takeoff weight: 10,722 kg (23,638 lb)

Powerplant:
    2× Rolls-Royce AE 2100 turboprop engines, 1,625 kW (2,179 hp) each,
       with a mutual gearbox, driving a six-blade pusher contraprop

Performance:
Maximum speed: 507 mph (816 km/h, 441 kn)
Never exceed speed: 524 mph (843 km/h, 455 kn)
Stall speed: 113 mph (182 km/h, 98 kn) at maximum landing weight, wheels and flaps down
Combat range: 460 mi (740 km, 400 nmi) (with 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) weapons, High-low-high profile)
Ferry range: 1,012 mi (1,629 km, 879 nmi)
Service ceiling: 10,000 m (33,000 ft)
g limits: +6/-3 g
Rate of climb: 6,990 ft/min (35.5 m/s)

Armament:
    1× 27mm Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon with 150 rounds
    A total of 7 hardpoints (4 underwing, 2 wingtip and one under fuselage)
    for up to 3,740 kg (8,250 lb) of payload


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Panavia P.1233-2 'ASABA'; 2nd prototype '99+42' during German Luftwaffe trials at Waffentechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61; Manching (Bavaria), 1991 (Whif/kitbashing) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


A tough project that I had pushed away for a long time, but I am happy that I finally tackled and completed it. Lots of PSR, and there's not much left of the original Hawk. The resulting aircraft gives (at least) me a lot of Do 335 vibes? ASABA looks plausible, though, and the experimental German camouflage suits it well and its intended low-level attack role. Odd, but cool. ^^

[PR19_Kit]

Love the whole thing, the original SABA idea, the model and the backstory. Magic stuff Thomas. 

[Rheged]

Another exceptional piece of modelling, and a well written backstory.   I like it!

[deathjester]

Brilliant work - really like your take on the SABA concept!