Desert Flogger - FINISHED

[comrade harps]

Since this build seems to still be going, I shall introduce what's currently on what used to be the kitchen table:



Might have it finished over the weekend.

[Old Wombat]

Nice camo scheme, Tovarisch!

[Gondor]

That's nice looking, better than the meal I thought there might be with the opening statement.

Gondor

[NARSES2]

Nice camo scheme, Tovarisch!

It is 

[comrade harps]

Glad you like the (unfinished) camo: I've spent a fortnight doing bits and lots of contemplation.

The camo is now finished, landing gear down, ordnance on.

Next up: canopy then decals and on to the web, sometime next week.

[Weaver]

Nice camo scheme, Tovarisch!

What he said. 

[kitbasher]

Nice camo scheme, Tovarisch!

What he said. 

Ditto - and has inspired a future build.

[comrade harps]

MiG-27 Flogger D
White 15, 3rd Fighter Escadrille, Albanian Red Army Air Force
Meknes, People's Revolutionary Republic of Morocco
30 June, 1977



Although not part of the glorious Socialist Union, the Socialist Republic Albania left its Stalinist perversions through the dialectic of Permanent Revolution during the late 1950s. Incorporated into the ComIntern in 1961 and the Partnership for Peace in 1963, by the 1970s Albania was an active and valued ally to the Socialist Union. Before their 1977 deployment to the People's Revolutionary Republic of Morocco, the men and women of Albanian Red Army Air Force's fighter-bomber escadrille had struggled to defend the North African Front Line Revolutionary States in 1967 (with Fresco fighter-bombers), 1969, 1972 and 1974 (each of these using progressively refined Fitters).





The Flogger D was introduced to the 3rd Fighter Escadrille in early 1975, with initial training on the type undertaken in the Socialist Union. Numerous exercises followed, including Green Flag in the Kazakh Socialist Republic, Red Flag in the Socialist Union and Purple Flag in the Socialist Republic of Spain. In January, 1977, the unit continued their historic mission to defend to Revolution by deploying to Meknes in the People's Revolutionary Republic of Morocco for 6 months.




During their deployment, the men and women of the 3rd Fighter Escadrille flew hundreds of patrols, strikes and close air support missions against reactionary counter revolutionary insurgents and their capitalist United Nations backers. This aircraft, White 15, is seen as it was photographed before its last combat sortie of the deployment, a dawn patrol on the 30 June, 1977. Taking off in the pre-dawn cool, it carried a pair of UB-32-57 rocket pods, a single RBK-250 cluster munition and a R-3P air-to-air missile. This mixed load reflected the need to respond to the variety of reactionary threats that could be encountered during a patrol. The 3 drop tank load was standard for dawn patrols. Scabbed low on the rear flanks are chaff/flare dispensers.




On this mission, White 15 was piloted by Escradrille Leader Aferdita Shala. On returning to Mecknes, she told waiting Party Officials, comrades and journalists from the Albanian Information Ministry and Pravda that the mission had been a "glorious success... We engaged a small force of reactionary terrorists with our rockets, cannon and bombs... We left them as holes in the ground and smudges upon the landscape." The latter part of this quote has become famous as the title of Aferdita Shala's 1986 combat biography, Smudges on the Landscape.

[sandiego89]

Nice color selection.  Works well.

[zenrat]

Desert Flogger - and here was me thinking this had something to do with Lawrence's peccadilloes...

Great camo, great build and a great story.

[jsport]

way way cool.

[Captain Canada]

Is that ever a beauty ! No way you'd be able to spot that thing down in the scrub....nice work !

[comrade harps]

Thanks for your replies.

This model was really about the camo. Academy 1/72nd kit purchased originally for its decals and I spent about 2 weeks just slowly getting through the paint job. That happens on these curvy multi-colour schemes. Lots of contemplating and such.

[McGreig]

Lots of contemplating and such.

Well worth the time spent - very attractive scheme