IAI F-21D 'Løve'; aircraft 'T-971' of Esk. 730, Royal Danish Air Force 1983

[Dizzyfugu]

Mmmh, Denmark:


1:72 IAI F-21D 'Løve' (Kfir C.2 mod), aircraft 'T-971' (s/n 76-3971) of Eskadrille 730,  Flyvevåbnet (Royal Danish Air Force/RDAF); Skrydstrup AB, 1983 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 IAI F-21D 'Løve' (Kfir C.2 mod), aircraft 'T-971' (s/n 76-3971) of Eskadrille 730,  Flyvevåbnet (Royal Danish Air Force/RDAF); Skrydstrup AB, 1983 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Some background
The Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF) was formed as a military service independent from the Army and Navy in 1950 from the merger of the Hærens Flyvertropper (Danish Army Air Corps) originally founded on July 2, 1912 and the Marinens Flyvevæsen (Danish Naval Air Service).

In the 1960s and 1970s the RDAF operated a number of US financed Lockheed F-104G Starfighters, North American F-100D/F Super Sabres, plus several other types, including an export version of the Saab 35 Draken in the ground attack role.


1:72 IAI F-21D 'Løve' (Kfir C.2 mod), aircraft 'T-971' (s/n 76-3971) of Eskadrille 730,  Flyvevåbnet (Royal Danish Air Force/RDAF); Skrydstrup AB, 1983 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 IAI F-21D 'Løve' (Kfir C.2 mod), aircraft 'T-971' (s/n 76-3971) of Eskadrille 730,  Flyvevåbnet (Royal Danish Air Force/RDAF); Skrydstrup AB, 1983 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The 70ies brought a major re-structuring of the RDAF: The Hawker Hunter was phased out in 1974, as well as the Republic RF-84F Thunderflash reconnaissance aircraft in 1971. In order to rejuvenate their air forces in the 80ies, the NATO countries Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, and Belgium undertook a joint arms and introduced the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon as their common fighter-bomber in January 1980. The F-16 was later bought by further NATO countries, Greece and Turkey, and the United States of America, also a NATO member, operates the F-16, too.

As the F-16 deal was closed in the late 70ies it became clear that the Danish aging F-100 fleet and the limited number of Saab Draken (locally designated F-35) would leave a serious gap in the country's defense in the mid-80ies, esp. against ground and sea intruders. Additionally, the F-104G fleet was also about to reach its service life end, so Denmark decided to fill this gap with upgrades of existing types and the introduction of an interim fighter bomber.


1:72 IAI F-21D 'Løve' (Kfir C.2 mod), aircraft 'T-971' (s/n 76-3971) of Eskadrille 730,  Flyvevåbnet (Royal Danish Air Force/RDAF); Skrydstrup AB, 1983 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 IAI F-21D 'Løve' (Kfir C.2 mod), aircraft 'T-971' (s/n 76-3971) of Eskadrille 730,  Flyvevåbnet (Royal Danish Air Force/RDAF); Skrydstrup AB, 1983 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


One of the results was the WDNS (Weapon Delivery and Navigation System) update for the Danish Saab 35 Draken fleet. In the early 1980s all aircraft (a total of 51 was operated by the RDAF) received a Marconi 900 Series HUD and a Ferranti LRMTS (laser rangefinder and marked target seeker) in a characteristic nose fairing that resembled the photo recce version of the Saab 35, and an ALQ-162 jammer.

In parallel, Denmark bought a batch of IAI Kfir fighter bombers from Israel in 1978. The Israel Aircraft Industries Kfir (Hebrew: כְּפִיר, "Lion Cub") was an Israeli-built all-weather, multirole combat aircraft based on a heavily modified French Dassault Mirage 5 airframe, with Israeli avionics and an Israeli-made version of the General Electric J79 turbojet engine. The Kfir entered service with the IAF in 1975 in the C.1 version, but the updated C.2 with canard foreplanes and "dogtoothed" leading edges on the wings for better maneuverability followed soon.


1:72 IAI F-21D 'Løve' (Kfir C.2 mod), aircraft 'T-971' (s/n 76-3971) of Eskadrille 730,  Flyvevåbnet (Royal Danish Air Force/RDAF); Skrydstrup AB, 1983 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 IAI F-21D 'Løve' (Kfir C.2 mod), aircraft 'T-971' (s/n 76-3971) of Eskadrille 730,  Flyvevåbnet (Royal Danish Air Force/RDAF); Skrydstrup AB, 1983 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The export aircraft for Denmark were basically of C.2 standard, but the RDAF had these aircraft further modified and brought up to the Drakens' WDNS standard. This modification gave the Danish Kfirs a true all-weather ground attack capability, which was superior to the Drakens' potential in many ways.

The latter were only capable of carrying outdated and rather unreliable AGM-12 Bullpup AGMs, as well as iron bombs or pods with unguided rockets. The modified Kfirs (locally designated F-21D and nicknamed 'Løve' (= Lion, as a translation of the type's original name and hinting at a 'more mature' version), were not only able to carry state-of-the-art smart weapons like the AGM-65 Maverick or various HOBOS and Paveway guided bombs, they were also able to carry external sensor equipment like a TISEO (Target Identification System Electro-Optical), FLIR (Forward Looking Infra Red) or LANTIRN (Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night) pod. This offered, together with the LRMTS in the nose, a true and very flexible all-weather strike capability. Furthermore, the RDAF F-21Ds were able to carry more powerful electronic countermeasures which would significantly improve the type's survivability in hostile environment.


1:72 IAI F-21D 'Løve' (Kfir C.2 mod), aircraft 'T-971' (s/n 76-3971) of Eskadrille 730,  Flyvevåbnet (Royal Danish Air Force/RDAF); Skrydstrup AB, 1983 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 IAI F-21D 'Løve' (Kfir C.2 mod), aircraft 'T-971' (s/n 76-3971) of Eskadrille 730,  Flyvevåbnet (Royal Danish Air Force/RDAF); Skrydstrup AB, 1983 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Most significant external difference of the Danish Kfir to its Israeli C.2 brethren was a modified nose with a stepped shape, similar to the updated Draken fighter bombers – the Kfir's original, telemetric Elta Systems radar was omitted. Another modification for Denmark was an integral ALQ-162 jammer and an ALR-69 radar warning system, housed in a characteristic pod on top of the fin.
Less obvious changes included a beefed-up landing gear with an anti-brake system, night formation lights to NATO standard, a new Martin Baker ejection seat, a modern glass cockpit (with HMD capability and two 127×177mm MFDs) and the avionics to carry and deploy various guided weapons.

Even though the F-21Ds had an excellent rate of climb and top speed, and were able to carry up to six AIM-9 Sidewinder AAMs and retained their 30mm cannons, they were exclusively used in the ground attack/fighter bomber role. They replaced the last F-100D in Danish service at Eskadrille 727 and 730, relieving the F-35 fleet during the update measures and also filling gaps in the F-104G ranks, as some aircraft had been lost in accidents. The RDAF retired their Starfighters in 1986, being replaced by F-16 in the interceptor role.



Being just a gap-filler, though, the Løve only had an active service career of 12 years in the RDAF. It was gradually taken away from front line service from 1990 on, as more and more brand new F-16 became available. By this time, the F-21D fleet had also already been reduced to 16 aircraft through several flight accidents and engine failures. The last Danish Kfir/Løve was finally retired together with the Danish Saab 35 fleet in 1993. The remaining aircraft were returned to Israel, where they were partly stored and partly revamped to c.7 standard and sold to other foreign customers like Sri Lanka.


1:72 IAI F-21D 'Løve' (Kfir C.2 mod), aircraft 'T-971' (s/n 76-3971) of Eskadrille 730,  Flyvevåbnet (Royal Danish Air Force/RDAF); Skrydstrup AB, 1983 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 IAI F-21D 'Løve' (Kfir C.2 mod), aircraft 'T-971' (s/n 76-3971) of Eskadrille 730,  Flyvevåbnet (Royal Danish Air Force/RDAF); Skrydstrup AB, 1983 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 IAI F-21D 'Løve' (Kfir C.2 mod), aircraft 'T-971' (s/n 76-3971) of Eskadrille 730,  Flyvevåbnet (Royal Danish Air Force/RDAF); Skrydstrup AB, 1983 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr




General characteristics
Crew: One
Length (incl. pitot): 15.73 m (51 ft 6 1/4 in)
Wingspan: 8.22 m (26 ft 11½ in)
Height: 4.61 m (14 ft 11 3/4 in)
Wing area: 34.8 m² (374.6 sq ft)
Empty weight: 7,285 kg (16,060 lb)
Loaded weight: 11,603 kg (25,580 lb) two 500 L drop tanks, two AAMs
Max. take-off weight: 16,200 kg (35,715 lb)

Powerplant
1× General Electric J-79-J1E turbojet (IAl Bedek-built) with a dry thrust of 52.9 kN (11,890 lb st) and 79.62 kN (17,900 lb st) with afterburner

Performance
Maximum speed: 2,440 km/h (2 Mach, 1,317 knots, 1,516 mph) above 11,000 m (36,000 ft)
Combat radius: 768 km (415 nmi, 477 mi) in ground attack configuration, hi-lo-hi profile, seven 500 lb bombs, two AAMs, two 1,300 L drop tanks)
Service ceiling: 17,680 m (58,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 233 m/s (45,950 ft/min)

Armament
2× Rafael-built 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA 553 cannons, 140 rounds/gun under the air intakes
7× external hardpoints under the wings and fuselage for up to 5,775 kg (12,730 lb) of payload, including unguided air-to-ground rockets, AIM-9 Sidewinder AAMs; AGM-45 Shrike ARMs, AGM-65 Maverick ASMs, Mark 80 series bombs, Paveway series of LGBs, CBUs, BLU-107 Matra Durandal, reconnaissance pods, drop tanks or other tactical equipment like sensor pods.



The kit and its assembly
This was a spontaneous idea when I stumbled across a cockpit detail set from Pavla for the Saab Draken. The cockpit itself was not so interesting for me (actually passed it on to a friend who has some Draken kits in store...), but the set included the characteristic, kinked nose of the reconnaissance Draken which was also used for the upgraded, Danish fighter bombers. I wondered onto which aircraft this piece could be grafted on, creating a fantasy fighter in Danish service...
As in many cases, the idea of building an aircraft in the characteristic livery of its user was another major factor behind this whif project: the all-green Danish F-100, with their quickly deteriorating finish. This look is a true modelling challenge, but I did not want to build an F-100.

The F-104 was a candidate, but that was not whiffy enough. In the end, I came up with the venerable Kfir as a conversion basis. Not only does the Kfir fit in size to the Draken's camera nose, the type's introduction in the mid-70ies would also fall in a very plausible time frame to create a rather low-budget F-100 replacement for Denmark, before the F-16 came to Europe in the 80ies.

Said and done, I got me an Italeri Kfir C.7 and started. I have built more than a dozen of these kits, so I know its trouble zones well: the cockpit tub is hard to install properly, the fit between wings, fuselage and air intakes is tricky, and you can add some more details on the hull, as well as weapon stations. Expect some putty work – OOB it won't fall together well.
For the price it is hard to beat, though, the Hasegawa alternative is much more expensive but does IMHO not justify this premium.


1:72 IAI F-21D 'Løve' (Kfir C.2 mod), aircraft 'T-971' (s/n 76-3971) of Eskadrille 730,  Flyvevåbnet (Royal Danish Air Force/RDAF); Skrydstrup AB, 1983 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 IAI F-21D 'Løve' (Kfir C.2 mod), aircraft 'T-971' (s/n 76-3971) of Eskadrille 730,  Flyvevåbnet (Royal Danish Air Force/RDAF); Skrydstrup AB, 1983 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 IAI F-21D 'Løve' (Kfir C.2 mod), aircraft 'T-971' (s/n 76-3971) of Eskadrille 730,  Flyvevåbnet (Royal Danish Air Force/RDAF); Skrydstrup AB, 1983 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


As I wanted to create a "modern" fighter bomber (well, for its time and RDAF standards), the WDNS nose was not enough, and the idea of adding external sensor pods, combined with AGM-65s as payload, was born. This would also create a nice color contrast to the otherwise all-green aircraft, and distract a bit from the striking, white landing gear...

The Mavericks with their launch rails come from a Heller F-5E, the sensor pods from an Italeri F-16C/D kit. A new seat was implanted into the cockpit, as well as a Matchbox pilot and a HUD. The jammer/RWR pod on top of the fin was scratched, using updated Danish Drakens as benchmarks.
All around the fuselage some small details were added (air scoops, pitots, blade antennae) that are simply missing in the Italeri kit - but they are really just small things.


1:72 IAI F-21D 'Løve' (Kfir C.2 mod), aircraft 'T-971' (s/n 76-3971) of Eskadrille 730,  Flyvevåbnet (Royal Danish Air Force/RDAF); Skrydstrup AB, 1983 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 IAI F-21D 'Løve' (Kfir C.2 mod), aircraft 'T-971' (s/n 76-3971) of Eskadrille 730,  Flyvevåbnet (Royal Danish Air Force/RDAF); Skrydstrup AB, 1983 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Painting and markings
Well, this one is simple and tricky at the same time. An all-green aircraft sounds primitive, but it can easily look very boring and unnatural. And there's another twist: it is actually VERY difficult to find a good tone that represents the "SM/67" dark green that was used on Danish aircraft.

FS 34079 is frequently recommended, but IMHO it is "too green", and too light as a basic tone. The real stuff has a (relative) olive drab touch, a bit more yellow-, even brown-ish, it reminds a bit of RAL 6014.
The paint's quick deterioration, esp. of the early matt finishes, makes it hard to define, too. But there are some museum aircraft pictures which yield a good impression of the tone when you compare pictures from different angles and in different light conditions. In the end, it's still a guesstimate.

I accidently found a great option for "SM/67" among the new RLM enamels from Humbrol: 253, RLM 83! It fits right between FS 34079 and RAL 6014, and it is also dark enough. The overall impression is very good.
In order to add some visual excitement I weathered the aircraft – not as dramatic as many F-100s look like, but it should become a typical matt green RDAF aircraft, with all of the effects on the exterior. The later, glossy paint finish kept an almost immaculate look, and appeared in a much more olive-drab-like tone, even though it is still SM/67 dark green.


1:72 IAI F-21D 'Løve' (Kfir C.2 mod), aircraft 'T-971' (s/n 76-3971) of Eskadrille 730,  Flyvevåbnet (Royal Danish Air Force/RDAF); Skrydstrup AB, 1983 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Painting was done with brushes, and I faced some trouble with the new RLM enamel: pigments appear to be pretty large, and they would not mix well with the thinner. As a result, the paint would not dry up as an opaque coat, requiring at least two, better three layers of paint. Not optimal – I more or less solved this challenge through a thin basic layer which worked like a primer, onto which a truly covering, thicker layer was applied. But it just took more paint than necessary to get the Kfir green, I hope the other RLM tones do not suffer from the same flaw...


1:72 IAI F-21D 'Løve' (Kfir C.2 mod), aircraft 'T-971' (s/n 76-3971) of Eskadrille 730,  Flyvevåbnet (Royal Danish Air Force/RDAF); Skrydstrup AB, 1983 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 IAI F-21D 'Løve' (Kfir C.2 mod), aircraft 'T-971' (s/n 76-3971) of Eskadrille 730,  Flyvevåbnet (Royal Danish Air Force/RDAF); Skrydstrup AB, 1983 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Weathering was done just with slightly lightened/toned Humbrol 253, applied with a brush. I used mixes of 253 and 116 (with varying shares of the lighter 116, depending on the area of the model and also to avoid a uniform look) as well as 253 and 155. A black ink wash darkened the whole thing considerably, esp. the basic 253 coat which turned out to be very matt, with a coarse and open surface that would almost soak up the black ink pigments.
Some soot stains were added with grinded graphite, which yields a metallic shine and a very smooth, fading of the stains around the guns, nozzle and various air outlets. Some bare aluminum was also applied at leading edges and panel joints.

The landing gear was painted all-white, with gray wheel disks and bright red brake covers. The whole landing gear was heavily washed with black ink, too.
The cockpit was held in medium gray, and the added pilot received a low-viz outfit without bright colors or a "bone dome".

The RDAF markings come from an Xtradecal F-100 sheet, the warning stencils were taken from the original, vast Kfir decal sheet, plus some more from the scrap box, like the Kfir badges on the fin or the formation stripes. With all the red stencils the aircraft lost much of its green dullness!

The ordnance was painted in light grey, and the sensor pods became white and medium gray, just to add some variety and have a contrast to the all-green rest of the aircraft.

Finally, everything was sealed under a matt acrylic varnish.


1:72 IAI F-21D 'Løve' (Kfir C.2 mod), aircraft 'T-971' (s/n 76-3971) of Eskadrille 730,  Flyvevåbnet (Royal Danish Air Force/RDAF); Skrydstrup AB, 1983 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 IAI F-21D 'Løve' (Kfir C.2 mod), aircraft 'T-971' (s/n 76-3971) of Eskadrille 730,  Flyvevåbnet (Royal Danish Air Force/RDAF); Skrydstrup AB, 1983 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 IAI F-21D 'Løve' (Kfir C.2 mod), aircraft 'T-971' (s/n 76-3971) of Eskadrille 730,  Flyvevåbnet (Royal Danish Air Force/RDAF); Skrydstrup AB, 1983 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr



In the end, the Danish Kfir looks very natural, the dark livery and the shorter nose suit the sleek type very well! Since this was no big conversion (except for the new nose, which fits well into its new place!), the overall build went smoothly, in about a week from sprues to photos.

[Army of One]

Now that is spanking awesome.......!!!! In my eyes one of your better builds/modifications.....I love it....some great pics......I love the rear shot with the simulated engine/burner.......simply awesome stuff......we need a clapping smillie.....!!

[Dizzyfugu]

Now that is spanking awesome.......!!!! In my eyes one of your better builds/modifications.....I love it....some great pics......I love the rear shot with the simulated engine/burner.......simply awesome stuff......we need a clapping smillie.....!!

Thanks a lot for the enthusiasm 

[PR19_Kit]

Now that is spanking awesome.......!!!! In my eyes one of your better builds/modifications.....I love it....some great pics......I love the rear shot with the simulated engine/burner.......simply awesome stuff......we need a clapping smillie.....!!

What Hank said. ^^^^^^ 

That recce nose suits the Kfir so well, good thinking Thomas.

[McColm]

A well detailed kit build 

[Captain Canada]

Oh I love this one ! Looks believable, and at first glance pretty hard to differentiate between it and the real ones behind it ! Nice job of weathering as well, and thanks for the look at what paints you used.

And a great selection of photos as well. I really liked the afterburner shot myself, nice touch !

[Dizzyfugu]

Thanks a lot, to everyone! 

The "starting scene" is a new attempt for some drama and action, and turned out quite well. As per usual, the kit was positioned in front of the background and "shot as is" - just the afterburner is 'artificial', borrowed from a starting BAC Lightning... 

Anyway, Denmark offers a wide range of scenery, so the entertainment factor is great in this case!

[NARSES2]

That is very, very nice

[nighthunter]

Spectacular!

[Dizzyfugu]

Again, many, many thanks! 

[Gondor]

A simple idea and a great paint job.

Gondor

[Cobra]

Superb Job You made me a Bit Jealous with How good you did with the Airfield pics! Keep up the Superb Work Dan

[Dizzyfugu]

Thank you (both) - the Danish Drakens for the background were a luck find, and these are just the best pics. The whole series of pics is bigger than 100, as I try different angles and light on the motifs. It's just a bit frustrating to see how the colors and brightness differ from screen to screen, and even browser to browser!

[tc2324]

Another classic Dizzy. Very well done 

[comrade harps]

I  the detail that you give your paint jobs  I can always identify a Dizzyfugu in a moment from that.