This should really have its own thread as well. The target is a modernised Swedish S35E reconnaissance Draken, kitted up for its trademark low and fast daylight photo runs over the enemy rear lines of communications and supply, and also carrying Rb74, or as you will know them, AIM-9's for self defence.

This is the status this morning. Nothing changed since the last pic (blog thread).

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Earlier today, I continued with the dark blue parts of the camouflage, and late tonight, I went for a second green coat. Also, I took off the old, Swedish smaller drop tanks, aiming to replace them with two bigger 1200 litre Danish ones. This turned out to be a slightly more tricky job than originally expected, the old tanks being very well attached to their pylons, but in the end , I got them off.
Now, the new tanks are glued to the pylons, all to be reattached to the Draken belly as soon as relevant painting has commenced.

Looks a little British to me!!

Quote from: kerick on February 13, 2024, 07:35:45 PMLooks a little British to me!!

I can see where you are coming from, Gloster's successor to the Javelin ?

[Pedant mode on]

It's 'GLOSTER' when you're talking aviation and 'GLOUCESTER' when you're talking about the city or county. Don't ask me why, it just is, I only live there. 

[Pedant mode off}

Corrected and I'll go and stand in the corner on the basis that I actually knew that but for some reason the brain didn't kick in 

Too early or too late in the day? That's usually my problem getting my brain to work! 

Quote from: kerick on February 14, 2024, 07:50:51 AMToo early or too late in the day? That's usually my problem getting my brain to work! 

..the sweetspot being all of three seconds in duration... 

Quote from: Pellson on February 14, 2024, 08:20:21 AM

Quote from: kerick on February 14, 2024, 07:50:51 AMToo early or too late in the day? That's usually my problem getting my brain to work! 

..the sweetspot being all of three seconds in duration... 

So true!

Current status after yesterday's effort. Still another coat needed.

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Quote from: PR19_Kit on February 14, 2024, 07:24:10 AM[Pedant mode on]

It's 'GLOSTER' when you're talking aviation and 'GLOUCESTER' when you're talking about the city or county. Don't ask me why, it just is, I only live there. 

[Pedant mode off}

 
But if Chris was referring to the manufacturer's follow-on to the Javelin, he was correct!

Quote from: kitbasher on February 14, 2024, 03:23:37 PM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on February 14, 2024, 07:24:10 AM[Pedant mode on]

It's 'GLOSTER' when you're talking aviation and 'GLOUCESTER' when you're talking about the city or county. Don't ask me why, it just is, I only live there. 

[Pedant mode off}

 
But if Chris was referring to the manufacturer's follow-on to the Javelin, he was correct!

I never knew you were a "Silk" back in the day Dave ? I'll hire you 

This one too has gotten her aluminium belly painted while having the tin open. To do that, I had to sort the drop tank setup first, as the tanks are unpainted as well, being positioned in the leak zone under the engine. Accordingly, I've adapted the relevant pylons to take a pair of 1200 litres tanks from the Danish F35X variant (or the JAS39 Gripen which actually uses similar tanks, the early examples being bought back by SAAB from the RDAF for the Gripen project) sourced from Maestro many moons ago.

Speaking about that leakage - apparently both the Danes and the Austrians painted their aircraft underneath despite the leaking solvent. However, it seems their paint was more resistant even if the fouling was rather evident, at least on the lighter Austrian machines.

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Back to Sweden, in reality, the Swedish reconnaissance Drakens flew with either ECM/chaff/flare pods plus two smaller tanks OR four smaller tanks. Well - a natural upgrade would have been mitigating that by using the bigger tanks, so that's how it's been done now. Or will be, as the ECM pods still are in their plastic bags and there's quite some camouflage painting to do before painting any greys underneath.
But I did bring the S35E for the weekend, so I might do an effort with the camouflage. Or not.

Finally, and just because I like the photo, a picture of four J35F2's from the 133 fighter sqn at F13 Bråvalla, flying eastwards over the ruins of the old late medieval royal castle of Stegeborg, situated only a few miles down the fiord from where we live. Formations like these, and on altitudes like these, were quite common when I was young, which incidentally is when this was taken, back in the late seventies. But not anymore. Some things haven't improved, methinks..

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That is a great photo 

Having, somewhat unexpectedly, gotten half an hour off duties this afternoon, I took the opportunity to add another layer of the dark blue topside. It seems that was enough, so next will have to be the dark green in order to be ready for the undersides.

Well. It's not much of a progress for an entire weekend, but it is at least progress.

Progress is always good!