DONE +++ MiG-21 2000 "Globėjas", '02 Blue' of the Lithuanian Air Force, 1999

zenrat · May 05, 2016, 02:00:42 AM

Quote from: Old Wombat on May 04, 2016, 06:14:55 PM
According to Flags of the World it is the Vytis cross.

Link: https://flagspot.net/flags/lt%5Eair.html

Some mistake surely? No sign there of Sheldon or Amy. Or even Wil Wheaton...

Looks like you've finished before me Dizz.
No surprise there really.

Dizzyfugu · May 05, 2016, 03:23:00 AM

Well, a final WiP picture: Final touches, like position lights and external ordnance.

1:72 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 2000 "Globėjas", '02 Blue' of the Naikintuvu Eskadra, Lietuvos karinės oro pajėgos (LK KOP/Lithuanian Air Force); Zokniai airfield, 1999 (Whif/modified MiG-21-93 Condor kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Beauty pics of the finished kit to follow soon.

Dizzyfugu · May 06, 2016, 04:59:18 AM

Just in time for the true 7 day window: a 1:72 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 2000 "Globėjas"; '02 Blue' of the Naikintuvu Eskadra, Lietuvos karinės oro pajėgos (LK KOP/Lithuanian Air Force); Zokniai airfield, 1999

1:72 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 2000 "Globėjas"; '02 Blue' of the Naikintuvu Eskadra, Lietuvos karinės oro pajėgos (LK KOP/Lithuanian Air Force); Zokniai airfield, 1999 (Whif/modified MiG-21-93 Condor kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Some Background:
On 23 January 1992, the Lithuanian Minister of Defense signed an order establishing the staff for the Aviation Base of the Aviation Service. But an actual base in the Šiauliai airport territory (Barysiai airfield) was not established until March, when according to the ordinance of the Government of Lithuanian Republic, all the infrastructure, buildings, territory and 24 An-2 aircraft were passed from "Lithuanian Airlines" to the Aviation Service of the Ministry of Defense in January 1992.

On 12 June 1992, the first time after regaining the independence of Lithuania, An-2 aircraft, marked with the double cross of Vytis on its wings – the distinguishing sign of Lithuanian Air Force – took off from Barysiai airfield. This date is considered to be the Aviation Base foundation date. In February 1993 four L-39C Albatros aircraft were brought from Kyrgyzstan.

1:72 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 2000 "Globėjas"; '02 Blue' of the Naikintuvu Eskadra, Lietuvos karinės oro pajėgos (LK KOP/Lithuanian Air Force); Zokniai airfield, 1999 (Whif/modified MiG-21-93 Condor kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 2000 "Globėjas"; '02 Blue' of the Naikintuvu Eskadra, Lietuvos karinės oro pajėgos (LK KOP/Lithuanian Air Force); Zokniai airfield, 1999 (Whif/modified MiG-21-93 Condor kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 2000 "Globėjas"; '02 Blue' of the Naikintuvu Eskadra, Lietuvos karinės oro pajėgos (LK KOP/Lithuanian Air Force); Zokniai airfield, 1999 (Whif/modified MiG-21-93 Condor kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

After 1 March 1993 Aviation Service was reformed to the Lithuanian Air Force and Aviation Base was renamed the First Aviation Base of the Lithuanian Air Force. In January 1994 Lithuania officially applied for NATO membership, and the country also looked out for a relatively cheap multi-purpose fighter that would fulfill both air space defence and attack tasks, the latter primarily against potential targets at sea (e. g. fast hoovercraft landing ships operated by the Russian Baltic Fleet).

After evaluating several options, the Lithuanian Air Force settled for a surprising aircraft: the venerable MiG-21! After the demise of the Soviet Union, several international companies started to offer conversion and upgrade programs for the widely used tactical fighter, about 5.000 specimen had been built to date. One of the first companies to enter the market was Israel Aircraft Industries: IAI's Lahav Division of (IAI) had developed the so-called MiG-21 2000 upgraded fighter and ground attack version, based on the MiG-21bis and the export MiG-21MF fighter aircraft.

The MiG-21 2000 upgrade provided modifications to the cockpit configuration, avionics architecture and weapons systems, enabling the MiG-21 2000 to compete with Western developed fighters like the F-16 and to make the transition to Western standards. The aircraft's original systems and components were retained wherever mission effectiveness was not compromised.
IAI Lahav augmented the original weapons system by introducing an EL/M-2032 radar, developed by IAI Elta Electronic Industries, based in Ashdod. The radar, which uses a low sidelobe planar array antenna and pulse Doppler beam sharpening, provides all-altitude, all-aspect look-up / look-down and shoot-down capability, as well as beyond-visual-range capability. In order to make the radar compatible with Western ordnance, a new armament interface and control unit were added, too, which enabled computerized control and release of weapons, including third and fourth-generation air-to-air missiles and precision-guided munitions of Western and Eastern provenance.

1:72 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 2000 "Globėjas"; '02 Blue' of the Naikintuvu Eskadra, Lietuvos karinės oro pajėgos (LK KOP/Lithuanian Air Force); Zokniai airfield, 1999 (Whif/modified MiG-21-93 Condor kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 2000 "Globėjas"; '02 Blue' of the Naikintuvu Eskadra, Lietuvos karinės oro pajėgos (LK KOP/Lithuanian Air Force); Zokniai airfield, 1999 (Whif/modified MiG-21-93 Condor kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 2000 "Globėjas"; '02 Blue' of the Naikintuvu Eskadra, Lietuvos karinės oro pajėgos (LK KOP/Lithuanian Air Force); Zokniai airfield, 1999 (Whif/modified MiG-21-93 Condor kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

This system also gave the pilot the ability to use blind attack as well as continuously computed impact point (CCIP) and dive-toss bombing techniques. CCIP bombing involves the deployment of air-to-ground weapons, using the HUD to indicate the impact point for release of the weapons. Dive-toss bombing involves the release of air-to-ground weapons at the end of a steep dive manoeuver towards the target.

The MiG-21 2000 cockpit featured a new pilot-friendly layout that overcame the shortcomings of the original cockpit layout, which was crowded and lacked most of the desired man-machine interface characteristics. It incorporated a head-up display (HUD), eye-level multifunction color displays, hands on throttle and stick control (HOTAS), solid-state charge coupled device (CCD) camera, videotape recorder, and a one-piece windshield.

The MiG-21 2000 could be equipped with a display and sight helmet (DASH) system, supplied by Elbit of Haifa, which enabled the pilot to aim the weapons simply by looking at the target. The system worked by measuring the pilot's line of sight relative to the aircraft, and transferred the information to the aircraft's sensors, avionics and weapon systems. The helmet displayed vital information, such as the missile line of sight, missile status, flight information and warning data, on the visor. The DASH helmet allowed the pilot to fly head-up and off-boresight and assisted the pilot to detect, identify and shoot earlier.

1:72 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 2000 "Globėjas"; '02 Blue' of the Naikintuvu Eskadra, Lietuvos karinės oro pajėgos (LK KOP/Lithuanian Air Force); Zokniai airfield, 1999 (Whif/modified MiG-21-93 Condor kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 2000 "Globėjas"; '02 Blue' of the Naikintuvu Eskadra, Lietuvos karinės oro pajėgos (LK KOP/Lithuanian Air Force); Zokniai airfield, 1999 (Whif/modified MiG-21-93 Condor kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 2000 "Globėjas"; '02 Blue' of the Naikintuvu Eskadra, Lietuvos karinės oro pajėgos (LK KOP/Lithuanian Air Force); Zokniai airfield, 1999 (Whif/modified MiG-21-93 Condor kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

IAI Lahav's upgrade package could be tailored to meet the customer's specific operational and budgetary requirements - the Lithuanian package included the radar, cockpit and also the DASH update and was rumored to cost around 4 Mio. USD per aircraft, and Lithuania was, together with Romania (where 110 MiG-21 were to be updated), lead customer.

As conversion basis, Lithuania purchased fifteen MiG-21 airframes for an unknown sum from the Ukraine, which had inherited a considerable MiG-21 fleet after the demise of the Soviet Union but did not (want to) operate it. The deal included thirteen airworthy MiG-21bis fighters and two MiG-21U trainers with few flying hours on the clocks, and - stripped off any military equipment - the small fleet was gradually transferred as disassembled kits via air ferry in Antonov Airlines An-124 transporters to Aerostar in Romania for conversion, starting in early 1996.

The first batch of Lithuanian MiG-21 2000, three fighters and one trainer, arrived in mid-1997 from Bacau on their own power and with civil Ukrainian registrations, and the Lithuanian Air Force's fighter squadron, the Naikintuvu Eskadra, became ready for service in February 1998.
The rest of the country's small MiG-21 fleet was delivered in the course of the same year, and these aircraft were semi-officially christened "Globėjas" (Guardian). Since the late Nineties, the Globėjas fighters provide the backbone of Lithuania's air defenses, with aircraft holding Quick Reaction Alert. QRA missions – so-called Alpha Scrambles – have constantly been on the rise thanks to the Russia's increased aggression towards NATO. The MiG's have regularly launched to intercept and shadow Russian Air Force Il-20 intelligence gathering aircraft over the Baltic Sea, as well as Tu-16 and Tu-95 patrols and even some Sukhoi Su-27s.

1:72 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 2000 "Globėjas"; '02 Blue' of the Naikintuvu Eskadra, Lietuvos karinės oro pajėgos (LK KOP/Lithuanian Air Force); Zokniai airfield, 1999 (Whif/modified MiG-21-93 Condor kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 2000 "Globėjas"; '02 Blue' of the Naikintuvu Eskadra, Lietuvos karinės oro pajėgos (LK KOP/Lithuanian Air Force); Zokniai airfield, 1999 (Whif/modified MiG-21-93 Condor kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Lithuanian pilots use "hit and run" style tactics to deal with air threats, due to the limited range and endurance of their mounts - but this is of little concern due to the country's relatively small size and the defensive nature of the machines' tasks. While the Globėjas lack a beyond-visual range missile, although they could carry one, they have the ability to carry a range of different short-range air-to-air missiles like the Israeli Python III, which Lithuania procured from Rafael in Haifa as primary air-to-air missile.

After Lithuania joined NATO organization in 2004, its (alongside Latvia's and Estonia's) air space has been protected by NATO. NATO members provide usually 4 fighter aircraft, based in Lithuania, to police the Baltic States' airspace, where they support the Lithuanian MiG-21 fleet. The duties rotate between NATO members (which started in March 2004 with Belgium Air Force F-16s) and most NATO members that operate fighters have made temporary deployments to Lithuania.

The Lithuanian Globėjas were also in regular demand as a simulated threat, and have gone up against US F-16s, F-15s, F/A-18s and A-10s, as well as the many different European fighter types that frequently rotate into the small country, including the Eurofighter, German F-4F Phantom IIs or French Mirage 2000.

Anyway, the Globėjas' airframes sooner or later reached their flying hour limits, and will be phased out towards 2020. As a replacement Lithuania will begin taking delivery of its first batch of ex-Portuguese F-16s in 2016, while the Baltic States are considering in the near future to protect their airspace on their own.

1:72 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 2000 "Globėjas"; '02 Blue' of the Naikintuvu Eskadra, Lietuvos karinės oro pajėgos (LK KOP/Lithuanian Air Force); Zokniai airfield, 1999 (Whif/modified MiG-21-93 Condor kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

General characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length: 14.5 [126] m (47 ft 7 in)
Wingspan: 7.154 m (23 ft 6 in)
Height: 4 m (13 ft 6 in)
Wing area: 23.0 m² (247.3 ft²)
Empty weight: 5,846 kg (12,880 lb)
Gross weight: 8,825 kg (19,425 lb)

Powerplant:
1× Tumansky R25-300, rated at 40.21 kN (9,040 lbf) thrust dry and 69.62 kN (15,650 lbf) with afterburner

Performance:
Maximum speed: 2,175 km/h (1,351.48 mph)
Maximum speed: Mach 2.0
Landing speed: 350 km/h (190 kts)
Range: (internal fuel) 1,210 km (751 miles)
Service ceiling: 17,800 m (58,400 ft)
Rate of climb: 225 m/s (44,280 ft/min)

Armament:
1x internal 23 mm GSh-23 cannon
5x hardpoints for a wide range of guided and unguided ordnance of up to 3.310 lb (1.500 kg).

In QRA configuration the Lithuanian MiG-21 typically carry two or four Rafal Python III short range air-to-air missiles and an 800l drop tank on the centerline pylon.
Against ground targets, unguided bombs of up to 1.100 lb (500kg) caliber or unguided rockets can be carried; alternatively, a Rafael LITENING laser designation pod and three Griffin Mk. 82 LGBs or a single Mk. 84 LGB can be carried, or optically guided weapons like up to four AGM-65 Maverick or a single GBU-8.

1:72 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 2000 "Globėjas"; '02 Blue' of the Naikintuvu Eskadra, Lietuvos karinės oro pajėgos (LK KOP/Lithuanian Air Force); Zokniai airfield, 1999 (Whif/modified MiG-21-93 Condor kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

A tough build, despite being mostly OOB, but the details took their toll. This Baltic MiG does not look flashy, but, with IAI's real world MiG-21 2000 as well as the LanceR conversion for Romania in the Nineties, this one is pretty plausible. And with the simple paint scheme, the MiG-21 looks even pretty chic!

loupgarou · May 06, 2016, 05:28:31 AM

Well done and photographed as always, Dizzy!

May I suggest you get 5 additional points for all the lithuanian text and names you wrote?

DogfighterZen · May 06, 2016, 05:39:06 AM

As always, very good work and very plausible too!

Dizzyfugu · May 06, 2016, 09:14:22 AM

Thank you very much!

PR19_Kit · May 06, 2016, 11:32:36 AM

Isn't this meant to be a Whiff though? it looks far too real for it NOT to have happened.

su27rules · May 06, 2016, 01:06:17 PM

As always Yours standard good work !!

Dizzyfugu · May 07, 2016, 12:58:56 AM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on May 06, 2016, 11:32:36 AM
Isn't this meant to be a Whiff though? it looks far too real for it NOT to have happened.

The longer I watch the kit sitting here, I think the same, too. It's one of those creations (like the Bonxie in the BOB GB) that do not look flashy, but things fall into place and there's a very good background to tell around the model. And in this case, there are even some scenes for the beauty pics that add even more realism an mood. Turned out much better than expected!

comrade harps · May 07, 2016, 01:28:19 AM

Very nice. Neat.

Old Wombat · May 07, 2016, 02:14:05 AM

That's really good!

As usual the pic's are well above standard, too. My favorite is the take-off shot.

Gondor · May 07, 2016, 02:44:02 AM

Slightly surprised that you don't have this armed with a couple of Derby air to air missiles seeing that it's an Israeli upgrade.

Fantastic result as always and I agree about the take off shot.

Gondor

zenrat · May 07, 2016, 04:42:13 AM

Looks good.

Dizzyfugu · May 07, 2016, 04:47:57 AM

Quote from: Gondor on May 07, 2016, 02:44:02 AM
Slightly surprised that you don't have this armed with a couple of Derby air to air missiles seeing that it's an Israeli upgrade.

Fantastic result as always and I agree about the take off shot.

Gondor

Thank you very much. It already has contemporary Python IIIs, I had foru of them left from the Trumpeter J-8II I converted into the Hawker Harpy some time ago.
Not certain when the Derby was developed/introduced, but I'd assume that came later than the kit's 1999 timeframe (since it is a development of the Python IV, AFAIK?).

PR19_Kit · May 07, 2016, 05:13:31 AM

Who in their right mind called a missile DERBY for goodness sake?

We'll be having Bromsgroves and Granthams soon.........