Mozambique EMB.91Y

[comrade harps]

Like its the EMB.91R before it, the twin-engined Y model was never going to reach a large export market, being primarilly built to meet domestic Brazillian demand. The only direct export customers for the Y were Bolivia (, Sri Lanka (10) and Portugal (62), however the latter left several behind in their former African colonies of Angola (23) and Mozambique (11). These African examples were used from 1974 until 1980 by the Anzanian backed leftist governments that followed in the wake of the Portuguese.



Mozambique inherited 11 EMB.91Y and 1 two-seat EMB.91T in 1974 and used them in dwindling numbers and intensity until 1980, when the last 2 airworthy airframes were destroyed in an attack by Tanzanian Jaguars. Apart from occassional COIN attacks against UN backed RENAMO insurgents, they were also used on photo-recce missions.

The most famous of these came on the 4th November, 1978, when 2 EMB.91Ys (515 and 522) crossed the border of UN member nation Malawli to photograph RENAMO bases. Flying at low level, the 2 aircraft penetrated UN airspace for several minutes and egressed without interception. The nearest UN fighters, 4 Mexican F-4Es, were unable to make contact as 2 were refueling on the boom of an Argentine KC-135 at the time and the other 2 were at the far end of their patrol orbit. According to Anzanian sources, this was not a case of good fortune, but rather of good timing due to excellent intelliegence and planning.



comrade harps
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Kit: Matchbox Aeritalia G.91Y - 1:72 scale - Colours: Humbol Matt 117, Tamiya Flat Earth, Model Master Armor Sand

[AeroplaneDriver]

Great looking camo!!

Great story too.   

[GTX]

Nice - though of course your story raises another question: Where is the domestic Brazilian one???


Regards,

Greg

[BlackOps]

I agree, fantastic job on the camo! 

[John Howling Mouse]

Great job....could I trouble you for a photo of the model from the rear?

[Ed S]

Nice idea for the camo and well executed too.

Ed

[ysi_maniac]

Absolutely agreed

[lancer]

That is stunning. Brilliant work on the cammo scheme! What kit is it?

[comrade harps]

Thanks for the kind words.

Here's a photo from the rear (kind of). Note the chaff/flare dispenser (decal) mounted between the engines and the vertical tail. Although the plane's cleaned up except for tanks for it's high speed recce dash, I was looking for a way to get some defensive kit on it and that spot on the tail seemed such a waste without a dispenser unit.



The kit is a Matchbox one that I found here in Melbourne at Hobby HQ late last year. The instuctions are in Japanese (I hink). I also got a Matchbox Skyknight at the same time. That'll be a USAF example, but I'm yet to build it. I just finished the EMB.91Y before posting and the weather's still too warm for much modelling, so although the Skynight might be my next build, it might take some time before I get started.

comrade harps