PoAF Eurofighter Typhoon - 702 TFS "Escorpiões" , BA11 Beja, 2016

[DogfighterZen]

"In 1983, the Eurofighter program was composed of 5 collaborating countries, but in 1985, the French government decided to pull out of the project and preferred to support the development of the Dassault Rafale. The management group was faced with the need to find another partner to share the costs of development and also divide the production benefits. Portugal was to become an official EU country in 1986, and was in urging for new job opportunities for it's people. The creation and development of new industries was promoted and a good share of European funds were directed to new industrial parks outside of mass-populated areas.
The Portuguese Air Force Generals were the first to take advantage of the situation, seeing an opportunity to be part of the development of modern warfare equipment which would be a major boost to its forces in the end, were it would put them among the best equipped air forces of the world for some time.  
The idea of entering the Eurofighter program, which had just lost a partner, was taken to the government, which appreciated the idea that the weapons industry was something that could make a lot of difference in the Gross Domestic Product of a country.
Decision was made to go ahead with the idea and present the proposal to the management board of the participating countries.
After some debate, the 4 original partners inform the Portuguese government that the participation would be accepted if the production share was equivalent to the country's economy when compared to the other 4, thus meaning they would get the smallest share.
The PT government admitting it is only fair, accepts and becomes the 5th partner in the program in 1987.
After the rough ride on the negotiations table to divide the work shares, Portugal and Spain both get 6,5%, Italy gets 21%, while Germany and Britain each getting 33% of the shares.
Built in Portugal would be the flight surfaces, including rudder, canards, ailerons, flaps and also the airbrake. A few small engine components were also attributed to a Portuguese company, which also got to build some parts of electronic and hydraulic systems.

The first deliveries began taking place in 2003, but the PoAF would still wait until 2006 to receive it's first 12 of 48 aircraft, two being twin-seat trainers. The first 5 PoAF pilots got their training from 2005 to 2006 at the RAF Coningsby air base with the No. 17 Squadron.
For the reception and operation of the new type, the 702 TFS "Escorpiões" was reactivated, after being disbanded since the end of the colonial war in Mozambique back in 1974, where it operated with the scorpion as name and symbol of their squadron.
Operating since 2006 at BA11 Beja air base, the PoAF Eurofighters would participate in various exercises around the world and see their first combat operations with the UN coalition in 2011 during the Libyan civil war."

















Well, that's it for my airbrushing test subject, although it's not actually a "scheme", i'm actually pretty happy with the result.  
Sorry for the blurry pics, it was the best i could get... i really need to buy a camera...

Hope you like it and thanks for looking!

[zenrat]

Good job.

[DogfighterZen]

Good job.

Thank you very much! 

[chrisonord]

Very nice.

[Dizzyfugu]

Nice! A good successor for the 2nd hand F-16 fleet. 

[DogfighterZen]

Very nice.

Nice! A good successor for the 2nd hand F-16 fleet. 

Thank you very much, guys! Glad you like it!

I did wonder if the story should be "What-if" or "Will-be". I don't believe the PoAF will ever have a budget for something like F-35s so i think that 2nd hand Typhoons will very probably be the future PoAF fighters around 2030, when the F-16 is supposed to be retired. The PoAF's chief of staff has been talking about Portugal joining the JSF program for some time now, but i don't see the country's economical situation improving enough to allow such an investment.
Anyway, i do have a kit in the stash with that future already assigned to it...
Oh and there's one detail about the PoAF's F-16s, the ADF tailed ones, from Peace Atlantis I, the first tranche, were 20 newly built Block 15OCU, in the tranche of Peace Atlantis II, were the 25 normal A tailed vipers, which had been in service with the US Air National Guard or mothballed in storage.   

[NARSES2]

She looks good in that dark scheme 

[kerick]

Nice work and totally believable story.   

[Captain Canada]

That's what I was thinking as well, Chris, She looks great in that dark scheme ! Great job with the airbrush. Love the markings and weapons load as well. Seems a plausible whif to me, if not a 'maybe' !

[DogfighterZen]

Thank you very much!  
I just love dark aircraft so when i got the undercoat on it, i just knew i had to make it way darker on the top and keep that color for the underside.
It was Tamiya's XF-24 on top of XF-12. What i'm happy in having achieved is the pre-shading still slightly showing, even under the XF-24. I didn't want to overdo the weathering so it's almost like i wanted it to look like.  
As i've said before, i think everyone should try the airbrush, it's so simple a young kid can handle it, the results can normally be much more satisfying than hand brush painting. Even varnish matters are dead simple. As long as the materials are well thinned, it's a lot of fun to use.

Now, on to my first airbrushed camo job on the Flying tigers P-40B!

EDIT: I've been reading a bit more about Portugal joining the JSF program and it seem that up to last year, Portugal was still considered to be a potential costumer for 48 F-35s... I'd love to see the F-35C variant in PoAF service(despite the fact it doesn't have an internal gun) but i bet they'll go for the A as obviously there's no need for carrier capable aircraft in the PoAF.

[ChernayaAkula]

Dark grey really looks the part on the Typhoon. 

[DogfighterZen]

Dark grey really looks the part on the Typhoon. 

Thank you very much, glad you like it!