Sea Jag begins

[Archibald]

or AN-52...
You're right, it sounds strange (even more in French!)    

[AeroplaneDriver]

Made some progress today, with the fuselage largely finished (intakes on and being filled/sanded,  cannon attached (why did Italeri mold the guns seperately?).)

Photoetched HUD frame has been added and the gear/airbrake bays painted.  I've got a bit more of the fill/sand/repeat process to do tonight, particularly if I get the wing attached, but I hope to be painting tomorrow.

Pics tomorrrow!

[AeroplaneDriver]

Major construction is complete, and the paint is on.  

I went with an allover Extra Dark Sea Gray, for two reasons; 1.  Easy scheme, and 2. I really loved the look of the post-Falklands Sea Harriers.

The nosegear has been modified by cutting the wheel fork off, adding a short oleo extension from metal tubing, then attaching the lower part of an A-7 nosegear (minus the catapult bar-the Sea Jag will use a bridle for the cat). Main gear mods will get done tomorrow and should be relatively easy.


Still not totally sure of the exact finish, but it will either be a Falklands war bird with the modified markings seen on the SHARs or a 1983-84 timeframe, with full markings.

If I go Falklands it will carry either a real-world load of AIM-9Ls, and Matra rockets/100lb GP bombs/BL755s, or a whif load of Shrikes.

If I go post-Falklands it likely  carry either a Sea Eagle or WE177 on the centerline.

Anyhoo...time permitting I'll get her finished tomorrow.

[cthulhu77]

Great refit of a sweet old bird!  Looking forward to seeing her with a load out and looking mean and lean...just like a bad girl should.

[Rafael]

Sweet old bird?!?!
That is a gorgeous piece or machinery, Bravo!!!

Rafa

[Brian da Basher]

How do you do it, AD? That's one sharp, clean build! My hat is off to you!

Brian da Basher

[Archibald]

A flakland Sea Jaguar...        
sure I'll love this model!!!  

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

Loadout.... perhaps Overwing AIM-9's, centreline ecm pod, then two 'bags' and outboard two Shrikes or Mavericks.... Hey it's your model, Nick, dont let me influence you, I'm just thinking out-loud. The model looks great so far, but your EDSG looks miles darker than my Skyray, Hmmmmm.

Ian

[AeroplaneDriver]

Loadout.... perhaps Overwing AIM-9's, centreline ecm pod, then two 'bags' and outboard two Shrikes or Mavericks.... Hey it's your model, Nick, dont let me influence you, I'm just thinking out-loud. The model looks great so far, but your EDSG looks miles darker than my Skyray, Hmmmmm.

Ian

Piss-poor lighting and photography explains the darker shade Ian.

As for the loadout idea...I'd been thinking centerline tank, overwing -9Ls, Shrikes or bombs inboard,  ALQ-101 and ? on the ouboards.

If I cant figure out something to balance out the ALQ101, maybe I'll go with your idea instead.

Anyone know when they started using Phimat?  Any other chaff/flare dispenser carried in the early 80s?

[TsrJoe]

WE.177's were known as 'sunshine's (for obvious reasons) whilst in RAF./RN. service...


 

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

If I cant figure out something to balance out the ALQ101, maybe I'll go with your idea instead.

You could balance the ALQ with a rocket pod - still have the weight of the pod itself even after firing to balance the jammer. Just a thought.

Ian

[AeroplaneDriver]

Hmm...thats an idea...a single pod for targets-of-opportunity on the way back from a "Cat Weasel' Shrike mission.

[AeroplaneDriver]

Well chaps, recovery from last week's setback is proceeding well, and I hope to be doing the decals tonight.

I'm a bit stuck on weapons loadout though...as mentioned previously, I'm going with an alternate-Falklands scheme of overall EDSG like the SHARs wore.  I was thinking of a pair of Shrikes, since the US supplied Shrikes to the UK during the war (in my backstory Sea Jags would have been used for SEAD instead of Vulcans).  Problem is after test fitting a Shrike, it just didnt look that great.  I really want to go with a centerline drop tank (since I only built 1 tank ^_^  ), and overwing AIM-9Ls, but I'm still a bit up in the air about the wing pylons.  

Other options I'm looking at are 1000lb GP bombs and Matra Rocket pods, since these were used extensively in the war, BL755s, or LGBs (IIRC a single Harrier GR.3 flew a mission with a Paveway, but the bomb wasnt dropped as the Argentine forces surrendered before the Harrier reached its target).  One more far-out fit I considered was a pair of Avenger-lite cannon in the GEPOD installation, but that one was discarded pretty quicky.

I really like the SEAD idea, so Martels were another option, but I dont have any in the stash, and the HARM didnt enter production until '83.  I suppose US supplied Standard ARMs would be an option...

As always input is invited!

[AeroplaneDriver]

Still a lot to do, but the decals are on so I thought I'd post a couple of pics.

I'm getting a bit bored with every RN build ending up in 800 or 899 RNAS colors (the moajority of my RN decals are for SHARS).  I wanted something different, since my backstory will have Sea Jags operating from a CTOL carrier alongside Sea Harriers on the Invincible.  Since I've always loved the 'Ace of Diamonds' squadron markings of 806 RNAS, so I recommisioned the squadron as a Sea Jag operator.  

I went with lo-viz squadron markings hastily applied by a gorund crew enroute to the South Atlantic.  These black markings were made with clear decal film painted black and cut to shape.  It's not perfect, but I figure the crew aboard a carrier heading into combat have more pressing concerns than Sqn markings.

Anyway, here are a couple of pics.  Tomorrow I'll do a little weathering and get hte weapons and landing gear on, plus the little fiddly bits to finish it up.





 

[Son of Damian]

Load out idea

Paveways on right inner pylon, 1000 lbs GP bomb on left inner pylon, ALQ 101 pod on outer pylon, and rocket pod on other outer pylon.