Zephyr the best close air support aircraft the RAF never had, or the A-10 in RAF

[Big Bird]

I thought it was a good idea, but I've since learned that the A-10 has chaff/flare dispensers in the wingtips and in the MLG nacelles?

Don't hold me to this, but I think those are a later addition, so maybe the Brits went down the BOZ pod route for their own reasons (different decoys?) or maybe they have both: can't have too many flares!

That was my thinking as well. Boz is an extensive bit of kit, anyway it's my whif and I get to say what hangs on it 

[Radish]

Right answer

[nev]

Nev, the probe is level with the pilots eye line, I deliberately made it so 

OK, must be a trick of the light!

[upnorth]

On the matter of the BOZ pod, How about the PHIMAT/ALQ-119 pod combination as the Jaguars had? The A-10 did carry the ALQ-119 as a standard piece of kit anyway, so just stick a PHIMAT pod on the opposite wing tip.

As for the positioning of the refueling probe, is it really so much of an issue? As I recall, the Jaguar's probe was almost in line with it's intakes when extended, surely it's engines took a bit of fuel spillage at disconnect. I should imagine the A-4 Skyhawk was much the same matter. The Tornado F-3 and F-14 Tomcat also would have had fuel spillage right in the area of the intake "suck zone". The refueling probe of an A-10 would be significantly further away from the intakes than on the other types I mentioned. I would imagine the fuel would be dispersed enough by the time it got back to the engines that it wouldn't be an issue.

As for laser designator and FLIR gear, I'd be inclined to mount it integrally as a turret on the end of one of the main landing gear fairings or in a pod on the centreline pylon. No telling what the vibration from that Avenger cannon would do to that gear if you mounted it in such close proximity to it.

One question I have is about the positioning of the RWR on the tail. As the A-10 has two vertical tails, but you only need one RWR antenna, will you go for an asymetrical mounting of the antenna on one of the verticals, or will you try to find a central spot on the aft fuselage for symetry?

[Big Bird]

Interesting stuff. I have an ALQ-119 and I might have a PHILMAT but I don't think I have. Yeah I have pondered the A@A refuelling probe. anyway it's done now and I think it looks neat, not how I would have done it originally but it adds interest.
I've got no bits to hang off her now other than weapons and maybe the SNIPER pod if it turns out okay.
RWR no idea, would the A-10 have it as standard? Where was it on the USAF birds? The plane bristles with blade antennas.
As this is 1:72 build I'm not gonna go into in depth detail.
Thanks for the ideas.

[upnorth]

RWR no idea, would the A-10 have it as standard? Where was it on the USAF birds? The plane bristles with blade antennas.

I believe the A-10 has it's RWR as a pair or small black "blisters" on the tail cone and another identical pair on the nose, just ahead and on either side of the refueling receptacle.

I think for proper "Anglification" of the A-10, you should go for that boxy RWR antenna that the Phantoms, Jaguars, Harriers and Tornados all seemed to sport in RAF service and certainly was in evidence in the time frame you're planning your aircraft for and certainly RAF A-10s would have had it, if not at delivery then certainly as a later mod. As it was a fairly obvious piece of kit, I think even in 1/72 it would ad that much more "Britishness" to your project overall.

[Big Bird]

Hmm you have a point, but it's gonna mean scratch building and I fear beyond my skills 

[upnorth]

Hmm you have a point, but it's gonna mean scratch building and I fear beyond my skills 

Not really. It could be quite simple.

As I look at the pictures of your model so far, you could simply make a RWR fairing on the upper front corner of the left hand vertical stabilizer. If you look at the Harrier (and later Hawks as I think of it), there is no need to have anything sticking off the trailing edge of the tail.

Take a saw and cut the front top corner off the stabilizer (say at the first panel line down from the top and about halfway back to the rudder hinge) and replace it with some flat styrene stock or resin pour stub of the same width as the widest part of the cut out section and then just blend it and the stabilizer area together until you're satisfied.

I think the A-10 vertical tail has more than enough chord to contain the RAF style RWR antenna all ahead of the rudder hinge, so just worry about making the square section on the front top tip of the left one. At 1/72 you don't need it really detailed, more just indicated.

I usually find that a couple of pieces of 0.80 styrene strip laminated together is a good basis for that sort of antenna in 1/72.

[sotoolslinger]

That is extremely cool ,little sis

[Big Bird]

Thanks guys, upnorth I might well look into that.

[Big Bird]

Back on this one now so thought I'd do an update as I have a break with a cup of Earl Grey.

All the weapons pylons on



No it's not going to be grey, that's just the primer going on



A bit of preshading



Now can anyone tell me why I have spray patches of dark green on it?



Now what's this mad woman doing? Hairspray...



More later...

[Big Bird]

Just finished for a spot of lunch so here the latest progress:

Well here she is resplendent in RAF Desert Pink



And well worn my sand laden air



I'm letting a coat of matt varnish dry before doing anything else, so next I'll work on the weapons load.

More later...

[redstar72]

Hello!
Good progress on the Zephyr project!
But I noticed some defects again:

[Big Bird]

This afternoons little efforts:

Undercarriage partly assembled,  stores in various stages of readiness.



More to come...

[Sauragnmon]

Leaps and bounds now, like the sandy weathered look, like the Desert Pink was sprayed over the Grey and Green camo and then got worn off in places.