Swiss F-29 Tigerclaw

[gooberliberation]

I'd say I'm making progress. I used to just have completed airframes sitting around unpainted, since I used to fear having to deal with my sh!tty airbrush.. But now, I've got lots of painted planes... just with no wheels, canopies, or decals!  At least I'm getting the hard part over with.

Here's a hasegawa 1/72 F-29. Damned easy kit, nothing structurally done to it, save for carving in space for noseguns. I messed up the paint job a bit by using crappy masking tape(the coarse 3M blue tape. The smooth kind in the small rollsworks great though). Hopefully I'll be able to file away at the seep ins. Nonetheless, the paint job looks nice from a distance, and is actually pretty hard to see. Looks like this camoflage pattern works!

By the way, any suggestion on where to put pylons?

Swiss F-29

Place: Switzerland
Date: Mid 1990s

By the mid 1990s, the Eastern Bloc seemed to be on the verge of collapse. Peasants in the warsaw pact were rioting, Soviet forces were building up in preperation for a war against who knows, and WW3 seemed inevitable(although it would not happen for nearly 20 years). Switzerland was naturally fearful, worried that starving serfs from behind the iron curtan might come storming over and threaten the world's supply of swiss chocolate and rolex watches.

Of course, the Schweizer Luftwaffe wanted new planes. There was a suffen influx of uberfighters like the F-22, Typhoon and Su-37 showing up at the scene, leaving Switzerland far behind, technologically. The Air force went and evaluated the Hornet, Super Hornet, Gripen, Typhoon, and Rafale. Range and payload restrictions set by a non-agression pact with the Soviet Union eliminated all but the Gripen and FA-18C/D

Unfortunately, right when things were looking good, the Millitant Pacifists in charge put a ban on any new types of combat aircraft.  Desperate for something repectable, they turned to the Grumman F-29, a largely niglected oddball American fighter based on a technology demonstrator. In order to get around restrictions on new fighter types, the F-29s were obtained as (extensive)upgrades for the Schweizer Luftwaffe's extant fleet of F-5s and F-20s. 40 complete F-29s were purchased, as well as conversions for 30 F-5s, and 15 F-20s. It was hoped that the F-29's excellent manouverability would be an asset in low altitude ground-attack in mountainous terrain.

In the end, WW3 never came close to Switzerland, and the Swiss Air force was finally able to get F-18s and Gripens. After that, the F-29s were largely phased out in favor of more conventional planes. However, the Patrouille Suisse aerobatics team continued using the type into the 2040s.

[Tophe]

Very nice model
Just a question: why is the camo sand and brown in Switzerland. The brown is for chocolate, you suggested it, but the Swiss beaches have no sand as far as I know, and a white for snow or green for forest would have been easier to understand. Maybe this color is for corn, corn fields. Yes? ^_^  

[gooberliberation]

Colors used are Gull Gray and Gunship Gray...come to think of it, all of testor's light grays look very tan to me . Anyways, I suppose the yellowish light-gray color could be so that the plane could blend in among vast fields of yellow snow.

And now you know the secret ingredient of the chocolate

[PolluxDeltaSeven]

Well, the backstory is very great and the splinter camo's wonderful!!

I love this litlle jet !!!  

[cthulhu77]

Could also be the summer camo version...neat jet !

[lancer]

Neat backstory, and a sweet looking jet. What're you going to load it out with ??

[Brian da Basher]

Very sweet looking bird! I love that "cornfield camo" and I'm not even from Iowa.

Brian da Basher

P.S. It's interesting how lighting and digital cameras can mess with true colors.

[K5054NZ]

Always liked the X-29...be good to see one with national markings.

[Captain Canada]

By the way, any suggestion on where to put pylons?

.

Wicked !

X-29s are such sweet planes...and that kit rocks ! Love the paint you have going there. I was a little dissapointed in the story, tho...I wanted to hear stories of F-29s taking on much more advanced aeroplanes...and winning !

As for pylons, may I suggest



There was a dude that used to hang around here, who did a few up in Venezuelan markings, which looked simply awesome in that camo. His pylons were the same as mine.

Keep up the great work !

 

[Captain Canada]

Ah...here's one !

Just scroll down a wee bit.......

http://www.whatifmodelers.com/forum//index...wtopic=6769&hl=

[gooberliberation]

Wow, those are some pretty bitchin weapons loads. I'll probably just do sidewinders on the wingtips and a sparrow under each wing.  

[John Howling Mouse]

That's beautiful: one very dynamic looking bird!!!

[K5054NZ]

Mommy mommy I want ona THOSE!    

[retro_seventies]

oooooooh that's NICE  

[gooberliberation]

I was going to cut off that long-as hell pitot tube, but you know what? This is the FIRST model i've built in years where i didn't break off the pitot(knock on wood), so damnit, I'mma keep it.