Sea Jag begins

[AeroplaneDriver]

I started my Sea Jaguar a couple of days ago, but just got to the point where a pic would show anything worth showing.

I have a Hasegawa and 2 Italeri GR.1s in the stash and was torn over which to use.  In the end I went with the Italeri because the surface detail looked a bit better than the Hase kit.  Unfortunately the fit isnt the best so this build will involve quite a bit of the P-S-R routine.

So far the fuselage is together, awaiting some puttying around the lower aft panel below the engines and a couple of other spots.  

I've also go the nose mostly done, with the radome added for the Blue Fox radar, and a LRMTS seeker under the forward fuselage.  I thought the radome would require some milliput, but was pleasantly surprised to get a decent result without even resorting to putty!  The radome is the French nose from the Hasegawa Jaguar kit with the laser designator removed with a razor saw.  The nose cross section is a bit smaller on the Italeri kit, so it was pretty easy to sand down the Hase nose to get a good shape and fit.  The Hase laser was saved and grafted back on aft of the radome to create the LRMTS, giving the Sea Jag both radar and laser capability (and dont start giving me any mumbo-jumbo about internal space!    ).

Probably wont get much more done before Monday after tonight, but I'll be able to give the final paint and loadout some more thought.  It will definately be RN, and so far I'm considering:

1.  c. 1979 Nuclear Strike-EDSG over white with fuel on the inners, AIM-9Ds overwing, and a WE177 nuke on the centerline.

2.  c. 1983 Anti Shipping-EDSG over white with fuel tanks inboard, AIM-9Ls overwing, ECM and Phimat outboard, and a Sea Eagle on centerline.

3   c.1999 Kosovo War SEAD-2-tone grey with centerline fuel, AIM-9Ls overwing, ECM and Phimat outboard and ALARMs inboard.

4.  c.2003 Gulf War II CAP-Centerline fuel, overwing AIM-9M, AMRAAM inboard and outboard.

[Scooterman]

I vote for #2!

   

[Captain Canada]

I vote for number 2 as well. The ALARM option sure sounds good, but being a Sea Jaguar, you want to really show off the naval side.....having her done modern would look too much like a 'real' Jaguar.

Have fun !

[AeroplaneDriver]

I vote for number 2 as well. The ALARM option sure sounds good, but being a Sea Jaguar, you want to really show off the naval side.....having her done modern would look too much like a 'real' Jaguar.

Have fun !

I see what you mean about the modern gray look being too close to real life.  My concern with the Sea Eagle option is similar; I dont want it to look too much like and Indian maritime strike Jag.  

Right now I'm leaning towards an EDSG/White scheme, since as Leigh has already pointed out, it looks good on anything.  

Then again another option might be all-over EDSG with field-modified markings for a Falkands War Sea Jag carrying Shrikes...

Decisions, decisions, decisions    

[Captain Canada]

Now yer talking, Nick ! Just add some RCN roundels.......

But then again, you'd be copying Rally's profile !

A Malvinas Striker would be a nice one....and a good yarn could be spun around it as well !

 

[Son of Damian]

How about about a RN or RCN bird from 1983 flying strike missions in Lebanon in retaliation for Hezbollah attacks on British or Canadian peacekeepers. For a loadout I would go with lots of rocket pods, cluster bombs, and snakeyes.

A RN Eldorado Canyon bird would be pretty cool.

If you want to do a really odd ball bird go with #2, but with a color scheme more fitting of a mid 90's naval show down with China, like in Tomorrow Never Dies.

[GTX]

How about a Alt hist. Falklands war of 1982 with the Sea Jag?

Regards,

Greg

[Hobbes]

I vote for #1.  

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

#2 or #3, just cannot choose betwixt them. Nick, if you need 'appropriate' decals let me know.

Ian

[Archibald]

How about a Alt hist. Falklands war of 1982 with the Sea Jag?

Regards,

Greg

I'm backing this option! Falkland (flak land ?)Jaguar with shrike operating from CVA-01 queen elizabeth  
You can even add a kill obtained against a lone Armada Skyhawk (with a sidewinder AIM-9P of course:) )  

[Archibald]

Just a thought : we all know that the British fleet on the road to the Falklands trained with Aeronavale and AdA Mirage IIIE and SE.

Now, if the RN had Jaguars, they could go to Mont de Marsan (from their carrier of shore the French coast) for some DACT (dissimilar aircraft combat training) against Mirage III...  

[Geoff_B]

Just a couple of points for a FAA Sea Jag. If to be used in the strike role then they would have been overall EDSG as per the Buccaneers, only Fighter kept the white undersides and and 3 colour roundels after the mid 70's. Serials and stencilling would probably have been in the pale blue as per Buccs as well.

Post Falklands then they would go overall Dark Sea Grey as per the Harriers with the smaller tactical markings and black lettering.

For weapons try the Megaton Martel, which would have been a radar guided martel with the WE177 warhead. Although the WE177B may have been used in the Nuclear depth charge role. LGB's are another option as an anti-shipping weapon as martel would be used to take out the Ships radar and the 2nd attack wave would lob an LGB towards the funnel and attaempt to break the ships back - however may need a two seater with some form of laser designator until the TIALD pods were developed.

For the Fighter role try fitting a SHAR nose cone for either the Blue Fox and the later Blue Vixen radars, this should allow carriage of Skyflash and Sidewiders initially and then AMRAAM and ASRAAM later on with the Vixen radome. Colours schemes would obviously pretty much follow the SHAR in use.

(Yeap the Italeri/Revell jag is a bit of pig build wise, nicely detailed but crud fit).

Cheers

Geoff

[Hobbes]

Megaton Martel

 

[Archibald]

What is funny ? it was to be a nuclear warhead variant of the Martel, with a yield of 1 Mt...  

[Hobbes]

The name itself is funny. Much better than boring 'WE177'.