RAF - or is it WAAF? - Viper FGR.1

[CammNut]

Here is my Airfix Angel Interceptor, de-Spectrumed and un-Cloudbased to represent the Viper fighter from which supposedly it was derived.



I hypothesized the major Spectrum modifications were related to operating from Cloudbase at high altitude, so off came the Angel's ant-eater nose, outer wings/skids and thrust-vectoring/reversing tail.



A radar nose (F-104) was added; the inlets opened up, splitter plates and engine faces added; outer wings replaced (F-14 tailplanes); canard foreplanes moved aft; new cruciform tail fitted; and conventional landing gear installed.



I am told the kit is closer to 1/100 than 1/72, so I fitted a 1/96th pilot and used undersized missiles, tanks and wheels to make it look a little larger, scale-wise.



Unable to convince myself the Angel's "two turbojets into one ramjet" propulsion system made sense for the Viper, I widened the rear fuselage (but not quite enough) and added two nozzles.



The colour scheme is best described as "inspired by" RAF Jaguars and Tornados. After all this is around 2060, the Union is dissolved and the RAF absorbed into the World Army Air Force, so it must be a commemorative scheme, surely...



A friend challenged me to create the Viper while I was recovering from heart surgery. I was surprised as it evolved by how conventional it ended up looking. My task now is to start again, and this time produce something Gerry would be proud of.

[Pablo1965]

Brilliant idea. 

[Army of One]

That is awesome......what a cracking bit of surgery.....

[dwomby]

I'm suitably impressed :-).  Love how it turned out.

David

[Gondor]

Looks realy great, has a modern Typhoon look about it.

Gondor

[tc2324]

I`ve said it before..., outstanding and so very well `bashed`.

[PR19_Kit]

A brilliant bit of work there. 

That kit is turning out to be THE Whiff Source of 2011-2012, isn't it? 

[CammNut]

Thanks, folks - it was a fun "bash"

[The Rat]

GOBSMACKED! 

[rickshaw]

That looks better IMO than the original.   You earn a Kangaroo stamp for that one! 

[NARSES2]

I like that 

[TimJ]

Great bit of kitbashing. 

[RussC]

Nice build! Well done. 

[Weaver]

That's a lovely job - I had exactly that mod in mind for the engines myself!