BAC/Saab Thunderclap GR.1

[Leading Observer]

The RAF were looking for a new strike aircraft that could operate from semi prepared strips. The MOD,not entirely convinced that the Harrier would prove to be the success it turned out to be, hedged their bets by ordering the SAAB 37 Viggen for the RAF as the Thunderclap GR.1, with the RAF specification airframes being built under licence by BAC. [Dictionary definition of Thunderclap = 1. A single sharp crash of thunder.
2. Something that is startling, shocking, or unexpected.] The name of course gave rise to many ribald interpretations, not least at the Red Flag exercises where the USAF was frequently given "a dose of the clap" by the low flying antics of their RAF counterparts.

[PR19_Kit]

An excellent idea. 

[Thorvic]

An excellent idea. 

I thought Brits had been giving the USAF the 'clap' since 1942 

Seriously an RAF Viggen is a nice build idea and was a genuine proposal, one to watch although i guess a better source kit would be appeciated 

[Gondor]

Will this be piloted by anyone called Newman perhaps?

Gondor

[The Rat]

A Viggen in RAF service would be awesome!

Will this be piloted by anyone called Newman perhaps?

Gondor

[Snowtrooper]

a better source kit would be appeciated

In 1/72 scale Heller's JA37 Jaktviggen, recently reboxed and widely available, builds to any Viggen version ever made - it still contains all the bits and pieces for AJ/SH/SF/SK (from the kit's earlier incarnation - good bitz for other whiffery projects) and just adds an extra sprue with the JA specific parts (the gunpack, four Sidewinders with their launch rails, and one antenna; longer tail was already there for SK). However, since the fuselage halves in the Heller kit are still the same as in the attack versions, you would have to lenghten the fuselage between the wing and the canards by some 2mm if you want to actually build the JA variant, as the JA fuselage was 13cm longer than in other versions due to the longer engine, and the drop tank still has the three-fin layout of the attack versions instead of the four-fin layout of the JA version. In the ordance department, the Heller kit has nothing besides the drop tank, pylons, and AA sprue though (which isn't of course a problem for a "Whiffen"), so if building any of the real-world strike versions the ubiquitous Rb04E and Rb05A ASM's need to be sourced from the Airfix (both missiles), Matchbox/Revell (depicts a production AJ or SK depending on the kit version; AJ has both, SK has only 04E's), or Frog/Hasegawa kits (depicts the prototype like Airfix, 04E only) or aftermarket manufacturers.

Of course the changes required to the Heller kit are much easier to do (and much less noticeable even if they are not done) than reshaping the entire fuselage, adding the dogtooth and RWR fairings to the wings, replacing the Draken droptanks (plus the fuselage pylons were not "wet" though the kit suggests so: the "main" wing pylons and centreline were) and never minding the placement and number of fuselage panels, antennae, etc. to get the Airfix kit of the prototype to represent even a production AJ.

But of course, there was the unproduced but suggested 37E "Eurofighter" variant, who knows what that would have actually looked like in the production version...?

[Librarian]

Will this be piloted by anyone called Newman perhaps?

Gondor

"Something (IS) in the Air"...whoooosh .

[Dizzyfugu]

Oh, that shabby Airfix Viggen... Looking forward to it, even though it's not the first Viggen built in RAF colors. The German Luftwaffe also had an eye on the Viggen, I guess the Marineflieger were very keen on it.

[Aragorn]

Hi Dizzyfugu

You're perfectly right regarding the Luftwaffe, but the Marineflieger were missing the second engine on the Viggen. But it would look nice in Marine colours though...

Greetings

Aragorn

[Captain Canada]

Looking forward to this one.

[Leading Observer]

Some progress - I might even finish before the deadline

[DogfighterZen]

I like those colors!

[Leading Observer]

As good as it get

[kerick]

Looks good in RAF colors!

[DogfighterZen]

Again, that camo suits anything with wings, that is no exception!