BAe-SAAB JAS-49 Loki

[MerlinJones]

Pakistan had been trying to obtain F-16's for many years, with the Americans placing condition after condition into the deal, which was eventually completed in 2010. However, a minor border skirmish with neighbouring India in 2011 almost led to all-out war between the two nations, as the Pakistani F-16 developed "software interface conflicts", causing the Pakistani aircraft to launch all of its underwing stores. Fortunately, the two Indian Air Force Su-30's were able to avoid being hit and dis-engaged, following advice from a Russian Il-6 "Mainstay" that had been monitoring the situation and had caught the frantic calls from the Pakistani pilot to his base and, perhaps more importantly, had been able to log every software interaction and malfunction.
Unfortunately, a Virgin A380 became a target for one of the stray missiles and all 850 passengers were lost over the Himalaya.

Following an urgent review of all systems, a high percentage of F-16's were found to be similarly compromised, including many of those serving with NATO and Israel. Software was found to contain encrypted programs, buried deep into the coding and hidden, with purpose unknown. Similar problems were discovered with various F-18s and the entire Fleet Air Arm of J-35's, serving on the two Royal Navy Supercarriers, were found to be dangerously inadequate and required a complete electronic overall.

Initially, the Manufacturers suggested commercial espionage and terrorist-placed viruses, or even amateur hackers. Further investigations by MI5 and Mossad, working in close collaboration, revealed corruption throughout the American armaments industry, with discrete built-in obsolescence and standards apparently intended to maintain the equipment of other nations at a consistently inferior standard to that of the American War Machine. When it was discovered that this corruption went all the way to the White House, a closer investigation was made and Americans found, to their horror, that their own industries had effectively sold them down the river. Their "Shield of Steel and Nerve", established in 2007 to combat growing and more sophisticated terrorist attacks, was nothing more, it turned out, to be a shield of tin and jitters.

Then there was the Quake. July 4th. 2013
Force 10 on the Richter Scale, tearing apart the San Andreas Fault and devastating the American Western Seaboard, which was shunted 2 miles west, creating a new inland sea over what was Silicon Valley. 20 million died and hundreds of thousands were left homeless.
The American source of computer software was now under some 300 feet of saltwater. It was not a good time to be an American.

The rest of the World wasn't necessarily a safer place either. Whilst the prospect of major wars between countries had receded, there were still many religious-inspired fanatics, armed to the teeth with state-of-the-art weaponry, intent on bringing down The Great Satan. Add to the mix, disaffected youth and redundant ex-military serviceman, also well-armed and intent on bringing down a healthy profit, (usually in drugs, cyber-drugs and, ironically, arms), and the civilised worlds militia found themselves fighting much-more specialised sort of wars.

The UK was well-placed to step in where the Americans had left off, rejuvenating its beleaguered weapons industries and dusting off projects that had long-since been abandoned in favour of apparently more economical and effective American hardware. Whilst some refugee American brains were recruited, such was the taint of earlier corruption that few were able to influence, or even contribute, to the New European Revival.
Europe itself, whilst sending huge amounts of aid to the States, (in the forms of loans...Britain's bankruptcy to the States post-WWII was not forgotten), was re-forging older alliances. There was already a historical precedent set, with countries having co-operated with the Eurofighter Typhoon and the earlier Tornado...and the SEPECAT Jaguar and Concorde before that. The French, German and former-Soviet Union aero-industries seemed content to develop civil aviation, establishing a superior range of smaller aircraft for communications and transport for across Europe and the far-flung reaches of the old USSR, and eco-friendly and extremely efficient long-haul jets, reaching the rest of the world.

The UK company, British Aerospace, merged with the innovative SAAB of Sweden and it was from this stable that we have the BAe-SAAB JAS-49 Loki...

[MerlinJones]

I had an idea for a Whatiffery, based on the Harrier, inspired by the Dropship from Aliens and the old Rockwell XFV-12A.

Starting with an old Airfix GR7, I carefully removed the underwing stores and the various small aerials.
The main wings came off, in one piece, and I removed the fin and tail planes.
I also, with a razor saw, removed the wings outboard of the outriggers.

Initially, I intended to file a 45 degree butt-join, so that the re-attached outer wings would be angled upwards at 45 degrees.
I then decided to fashion a tubular fairing to go between the outer and inner wings.
A complimentary set of outer wings would be angled at 45 degrees downwards, from the same fairing, using a pair of 1/144 Tornado tailplanes.

For the tail, two outer wings from a 1/144 Mig-29 for the upper fins, the Harrier tailplanes for the lower fins.

As it stood, the GR7 nose looked fancy enough, but I discovered a large centre fuel tank in my Bits Box that is exactly the right diameter. Whats more, its attachment pylon is moulded onto it and it extends to near the rear of the tank. Turn it back to front and upside down and lo! A lovely new pointy nose, big enough for a decent radar and complete with a nice boxy laser range finder-type thing underneath.

Unfortunately, cutting the nose off put plastic dust inside my already-sealed cockpit, so I had to decide whether or not to try and remove the canopy. I knew I could do a better job on the pilot nowadays.

[MerlinJones]

So...so far we have the old kit, complete with bad seams, silvered decals and some gaps. This is then carefully dismantled, with it's bits put carefully aside.
Waste nowt!

[MerlinJones]

The bits scavenged from the 1/144 kits are gathered and various bits cut off carefully with a razor saw. (This is very sharp little saw and ideally suited for cutting larger pieces relatively cleanly;

[MerlinJones]

Using masking tape, the bits are loosley taped together, to give me ideas!

[MerlinJones]

And...

[MerlinJones]

And the nose...

[MerlinJones]

The tail planes in place;  

[MerlinJones]

And...

[MerlinJones]

...And the nose;

[MerlinJones]

The fuselage coming together;

[MerlinJones]

And the wings;

[MerlinJones]

All together;

[MerlinJones]

Now's the time for the addition of greeblies;

[MerlinJones]

And...