DONE +++ Dassault Étendard in Indonesian (TNI-AL), post-Aéronavale use

[Gondor]

Started : June 1st
Finished : June 1st

Didn't say which years although the implication was one day I am guessing

Gondor

[Dizzyfugu]

Thought so, too. So, not finished (yet). But 1st day's progress was good: cockpit and air intake interior basically done, nose weight added, and fuselage halves incl. wings have been glued together. Even the donation parts for nose and tail were already transplanted, but both take more adaptation work than expected. Neverthless, putty is drying... First WiP pics probably today.

[zenrat]

My money is on it getting the Anti Ship Missiles...

How much did you bet? You lost... 

I don't gamble.  Mainly because I am terrible at it.  As I just proved...

[Dizzyfugu]

Impressions from the bench; inside, a lot of lead and a visual blocker in the intake openings:

1:72 Dassult Ètendard IVS (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Dassult Ètendard IVS (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Then, I was inspired by the Sa'ar conversion of the IDF on their SMB2 Super Mystères:

http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/aa-mideast/israel/af/pics/saar2.jpg


...so that a tail plug was improvised from an air intake of a Gloster Meteor NF.11:

1:72 Dassult Ètendard IVS (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


...leading to a different rear section:

1:72 Dassult Ètendard IVS (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


On the nose, a radar was added - through the implant of a Kfir nose, flipped upside down (using the original pitot fairing as a refuelling probe cover, hopefully). Looks a bit rough:

1:72 Dassult Ètendard IVS (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


That was the 1st day's work, and this morning a coat of putty was added for finer body sculpting:

1:72 Dassult Ètendard IVS (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Building the Étendard makes quick progress, since the kit is of VERY simple construction.

[Captain Canada]

Love it. You make it look so easy !

[Dizzyfugu]

It isn't, though. But putty is my secret weapon of choice. 

In the meantime, desaster truck, twice. The 2C putty that holds the nose inside did not cure well (either a poor component ratio or the high local air humidity at the moment), so that the nose came off while sanding.
After cleaning the mess and sticking the nose back to its place with super glue, and another putty turn, the kit fell from the working bench and the nose was gone again... 

On the other side, the tail, which I deemed more challenging, showed less resistance to my plans. Blends well, and the tail extension is a good visual balance to the longer and deeper new Kfir nose section.

[Dizzyfugu]

2nd day's progress, after the nose has been grafted on the third time; here's the tail section, with the fin already in place:

1:72 Dassult Ètendard IVS (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The Kfir implant:

1:72 Dassult Ètendard IVS (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Dassult Ètendard IVS (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


...and with dry-fitted canopy parts, making both parts even and smooth was more complicated than expected. The nose has a F-5ish look now?

1:72 Dassult Ètendard IVS (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Below the nose, a laser range finder and Doppler radar fairing add some (more) excitement:

1:72 Dassult Ètendard IVS (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

[Thorvic]

Wonder if the Super Etendard might have been an easier base kit for doing the nose conversion ?

Anyway good work so far, just wondered with the Israeli features if you had considered Israeli Navy using the blue colours of their Dauphins ?

[JasonW]

Great work so far but I have to be completely honest, I am shocked that this build is not completed yet.........

[Dizzyfugu]

Wonder if the Super Etendard might have been an easier base kit for doing the nose conversion ?

Well, looking back, this is correct. The original Étendard's nose is incredibly tiny and thin - there's nothing inside but the pilot's legs and a guidance antenna for missiles. The Kfir nose, already slim and slender, looked promising, but I had to trim it considerably to make it fit onto the small fuselage! Anyway, the original starting point was just a post-Aéronavale version of the original Étendard, and I had the kit in the stash, so it went from this point. On the other side, this is now what an update original would look like - and the new nose looks funny on it. Not wrong, but just very different, also from the Sue.

Israel will actually play a role in the background, but it will not be the operator. The idea is tempting, though, I might add some of that to the story. 

BTW: I did not know the Israeli Dauphins, but they look great if not interesting in that bright blue/white scheme! The bat art on the tail is pretty, very subtle - like the F-16 decorations on the desert camo'ed aircraft.




The Étendard will look different, though. 

In the meantime, there's more progress. The nose seems to stick in place now, the stabilizer and the windscreen have been added as well as the wing hardpoints and parts of the landing gear - the kit can stand on its own legs!

[Dizzyfugu]

Great work so far but I have to be completely honest, I am shocked that this build is not completed yet.........

Just noticed that NARSES2 has unlocked the finished builds section. A subtle hint...? 

[DogfighterZen]

It's looking great with that new nose!

[Dizzyfugu]

Thank you! Definitively looks "different". Here's more progress from yesterday: the nose received a pair of strakes that the replace the single fin, and I added a refuelling adapter from a Tornado probe.

1:72 Dassult Ètendard IVS (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Below, the hardpoints are inplace, flaps in dropped position (a nice OOB option) and the nose additions were blended into the fuselage contours:

1:72 Dassult Ètendard IVS (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The ordnance: a pair of IR-guided bombs from the JASDF set, and slightly smaller drop tanks than the OOB parts, IIRC these come from an Airfix G.91:

1:72 Dassult Ètendard IVS (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Following a lunatic impulse I also drilled open the holes in the air brakes:

1:72 Dassult Ètendard IVS (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


...and with some blade antennae added, the kit is ready for painting:

1:72 Dassult Ètendard IVS (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Finally, as a cliffhanger, here's the color palette for the paint scheme; core colors are FS 35414, FS 35164 and FS 35109. Sick as it might seem, this is based on a real world scheme! 

1:72 Dassult Ètendard IVS (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

[Dizzyfugu]

Now things become rather stylish:

1:72 Dassult Ètendard IVS (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Dassult Ètendard IVS (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


After basic painting, a black ink wash was added...

1:72 Dassult Ètendard IVS (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


...and some shading with lighter tones was done:

1:72 Dassult Ètendard IVS (Whif/modified Heller kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Rather garish, but it looks naval! 

Decals to follow soon.

[DogfighterZen]

I like the color combination, specially the dark blue and grey, very nice!