Pellsons Perceivings

[Pellson]

Plus, if they were to start buying Eagle/Falcon/Hornet/Typhoon/Gripen/Rafael, to replace what was supplied to UAF, there's a lag time between order, production, delivery, training, and IOC.

4/5 years or so ? Or am I far to pessimistic ?

What a perfect storm that's building..

I don't know about the others, but I do know that flying, i.e "driving" the Gripen is dead easy. Anyone capable of piloting a Cessna will be able to safely take off, manouver and land a Gripen fighter. I have this from a test pilot i'm acquainted to. So even if controlling and using the systems in the fighter might be more complicated that that, I would actually suppose that an experienced fighter pilot could be "emergency converted" in less that two weeks, provided capable training and adequate flying hours (both available in the Czech Air Force next door, if they don't want to pop over to us in Scandinavia). Supply is obviously another story. Theoretically, they could take over some Swedish, Czech or Hungarian Gripens, but what would we use then? Too many analysts I know are predicting the Putin will attack the baltic states, Poland and Scandinavia within weeks. That's WW3 in your laps, gentlemen. At least those of us living in the old world.

I'm actually very worried now. Not for myself - living with that cancer means that I most likely won't be able to get the medication I need, so frak it. But I would really have wished for a better future for my kids. We are eying up ways to evacuate them, either to family in Denmark (which is NATO if nothing else) or even to the US (which theoretically could be spared, provided the nukes stay local). Shitty times..

[Old Wombat]

Watching from half a world away I've been predicting much the same thing.

However, I doubt it will be within weeks. Russia has too many lessons to learn from this invasion to be able to turn on actual NATO nations, just yet, & they haven't finished taking Ukraine, either. Then they have to re-group, re-arm & re-train.

Kalingrad will be the trigger, with Russia demanding direct access to the enclave via a "free corridor" from Russia, not via Belarus. That would be Latvia & Lithuania, with Estonia thrown in for good measure.

I've been looking at some numbers & Europe is going to have to punch well above its weight if the Russian Nazis do decide to keep expanding "Greater Russia" & eliminate the "not really people" (Putin's own words).

[Pellson]

Watching from half a world away I've been predicting much the same thing.

However, I doubt it will be within weeks. Russia has too many lessons to learn from this invasion to be able to turn on actual NATO nations, just yet, & they haven't finished taking Ukraine, either. Then they have to re-group, re-arm & re-train.

Kalingrad will be the trigger, with Russia demanding direct access to the enclave via a "free corridor" from Russia, not via Belarus. That would be Latvia & Lithuania, with Estonia thrown in for good measure.

I've been looking at some numbers & Europe is going to have to punch well above its weight if the Russian Nazis do decide to keep expanding "Greater Russia" & eliminate the "not really people" (Putin's own words).

These are indeed grim times. But everything isn't lost just yet. The Russians have de facto deployed a significant number of their best troops, and these have taken significant hits. I could thus be concluded that the combat worthiness just isn't what we have been fearing, basically meaning thy're easier to beat than expected, should Putin turn them on NATO. On the other hand, the Russian doctrine is clear. What Russian tanks can't fix, Russian tactical nukes can. And THAT would be something entirely different to deal with or any opponent.

Also, which I have to admit I think is very positive if somewhat late, considering the Russian attacks on Georgia and Ukraine already in 2008 and 2014, that SWE and even more so FIN are actively pondering NATO membership applications. As both of our countries (looking at you, Pertti) have a solid postwar history of neutrality, this is a gamechanger de luxe. It also seems as the heavier NATO members such as UK, US, F and DE, on application immediately  would issue bilateral mutual defence aggreements equal to the NATO article 5, pending the formal acceptance of SWE and FIN in NATO, basically providing an immediate de facto security guarantee. I do hope that's true as it really would negate my need to evacuate the family to DK.

Obviously though, the nuke threat remains.



It's not easy getting any modelling done under these circumstances, but I've actually added a brake chute capsule to the MiG-19ter and also gotten more than halfway on a MiG-21MF that, amazingly, was provided with Bundesluftwaffe decals from the supplier. Wohoo!

[kerick]

Let's just all pray there is an out break of common sense in Moscow and Putin gets thrown out of office, warm or cold. The money men won't tolerate their fortunes getting fried in WW3.

[Nick]

Plus, if they were to start buying Eagle/Falcon/Hornet/Typhoon/Gripen/Rafael, to replace what was supplied to UAF, there's a lag time between order, production, delivery, training, and IOC.

4/5 years or so ? Or am I far to pessimistic ?

The catch is that all three nations involved - Bulgaria, Poland and Slovakia - have planned to replace their Soviet fleet within the next 5 years anyway. If there was a way to speed things up for Ukraine I think they would take it.
Poland is due to get F-35s in 2024 which will be a huge game changer for them.
Slovakia has chosen the F-16V for delivery by 2023.
Bulgaria has chosen the F-16V for delivery in 2027.

In theory that could mean 18 Su-22, 45 Mig-29 and 8 Su-25 for a new Ukraine Air Force should it get the chance to rebuild. They might be better off getting new F-16s in the long run.

[Pellson]

Plus, if they were to start buying Eagle/Falcon/Hornet/Typhoon/Gripen/Rafael, to replace what was supplied to UAF, there's a lag time between order, production, delivery, training, and IOC.

4/5 years or so ? Or am I far to pessimistic ?

The catch is that all three nations involved - Bulgaria, Poland and Slovakia - have planned to replace their Soviet fleet within the next 5 years anyway. If there was a way to speed things up for Ukraine I think they would take it.
Poland is due to get F-35s in 2024 which will be a huge game changer for them.
Slovakia has chosen the F-16V for delivery by 2023.
Bulgaria has chosen the F-16V for delivery in 2027.

In theory that could mean 18 Su-22, 45 Mig-29 and 8 Su-25 for a new Ukraine Air Force should it get the chance to rebuild. They might be better off getting new F-16s in the long run.

I find it difficult to tell whether anything actually will be transferred. Currently, the three governments advertised as donors all deny any transfers, but there's also info from the US that they are working with the Poles on transferring the remaining ex-german MiG-29's. We'll see, I suppose.
Whether earlier advertised F-35 and F-16 to Poland and others transfers will be deemed sufficient in the longer run is also pretty much uncertain I would imagine. We're not in the post-Cold War era any more..

[Pellson]

To put this blog back where it belongs, I can report that I actually have been modelling a bit at least. I have managed to more or less complete the two German MiG-21's, a 21bis and a 21MF. The latter suffered a broken data boom, but as I earlier had manufactured such an item for the still homeless MiG-19ter, I didn't despair and stretched a bit of sprue also for the MF. It'll do fine. Annoyingly though, the KP MF is significantly nicer completed that the spin-off ICM bis, despite the moldings being very, very closely related. But sod it - some paint will mask things as paint always do. That's why it's called "camouflage", innit?

In a sudden attack of despair, I also went on a serial manufacture bonanza of German Tornado's, simultaneously renovating an old Luftwaffe IDS and building an ECR and a Marineflieger IDS. All are the Italeri mold, and I'm very much aware of the deficiences of that kit vs the much more modern Revell issue, but I'm sticking to the Italeri as I already had a built RAF one in addition to the German one, and also had unstarted kits in the stash^TM for these two Heidis as well plus an Italian one.
Having gotten as far as completed (more or less) fuselages and wings, I stalled for no apparent reason and took out my decades old, half-finished AMT/Ertl B-52H that's been siting on top of the Shelf of Doom^TM for at least 15 years now. I suppose I'm drawing inspiration from the Cold War 2 and all the nuclear threats that came with it, and the B-52 is about as much nuclear deterrence you can get with wings (aircraft wings, anyway). The model is huge, meaning that I have had to clear my improvised modelling table even further. And the model is, pardon the language, poo-poo (with an english accent)! Awful fit, crude detailing, almost at Mach 2 level, and on top of that it's been sitting in the open for so long that the dust has kind of joined with the plastic. Well, the last issue isn't the manufacturers fault, obviously, and a good run with a suitable detergent drenched cloth has really improved matters, but the fit is still godawful.
Despite all this, it's a fascinating build. I'm not really clear on neither how I am to attach the engine gondolas nor the missile pylons or fuel tanks to the wings as none of the even remotely will align or even look as if they fit, but that's what modelling is all about, I presume. And from a shape perspective, it is definitely a BUFF.

Looking for some inspiration, I also dug out my box with more or less finished USAF aircraft, in particular the B-1B (ancient but cool Monogram issue in a hideous dark gren plastic) and that was a thoroughly bad idea. Christ, there's repairs to do.. Not to mention tha load of half-finished, or mid-renovation models. Among them my pretty nice (if I may say so) take on the Super-SLUF, the A-7F. Modified from a built Airfix A-7D, it's far from perfectly following the real YA-7F prototypes, but it's going to be a Euro One-camouflaged servicebird anyway, so I'm quite happy with it nevertheless. But it (and it's mates) are taking focus from the newbuilds..
Well - I do need the distraction.

Right. Let's see if I can get those abominations of engine nacelles for the BUFF built..

[Pellson]

Having relocated to the cottage again due to possible covid in the family, I now have unlimited access to all of the house for modelling purposes as I'm alone here. Sounds good, eh? Would have been even better if the house was bigger than the barely 60 m2's it is, but you can always do what you can, so I have brought a shedload of BIG models, not really knowing if I'm even going to touch them before returning on Tuesday.
Two KC-135's, two Concordes, two Transalls, a VC10, a Comet C4, a Valiant B2 and three A400M's. And a B-58. All in 1/72. Should I build them all, I'll have to rent a trailer to get them back home. Even the Defender isn't that spacious..

But the main course is still the B-52, now fully engined. Those nacelles aren't pretty, and I'm not entirely sure of the alignment, but I've done what I can, and it does look like a BUFF. Next step is getting the absolutely non-fitting fuel tanks attached, something I suspect will take major surgery. The ALCM pylons are the same, btw, so more cutting/grinding there.. So I might just let something go between to see progress. While on SAC topic, that might be that B-58 in the nineties olive/grey scheme, perhaps? Or a pair of Bombcordes, sporting twin rotary launchers in the fuselage. Or three, even? I have to measure..

Anyway - watching tanker and recce tracks on Flightradar 24 makes for some intruder inspiration, and shouldn't that do it, I have the tankers, one USAF and one C-135F. Onwards!

[Pellson]

Stratofortress update:
Cruise missile pylons are on, but the underwing tanks will need a pretty significant effort. And I forgot some spare styrene sheet at home that would have made the remodelling of the tank pylons quite a bit easier. Cock.. 

I've (as seen in another post) started dryfitting and thinking on the B-58. Reading up, it seems that there actually were two B-58's tested for tactical bombing and painted in camouflage. Interesting, as that makes my take on it somewhat less hypothetic. And I feel the best whifs are those so close to reality that you start wondering if it actually didn't happen after all.

Ah, well. Crash time again. Nighty, nighty.

[Pellson]

Tank pylons extended, shaped and the entire tank assemblies attached under the wings. It actually went rather well. According to the instructions, all that's left now really are the lower waist spade antennae. Ugly things. And I'll bet prone to break..

Also applying some limited amounts of putty to the two Tornados. In reality, I'm not so sure whether it'll be visible, but well.. I'll know I did a good job.

[Old Wombat]

Tank pylons extended, shaped and the entire tank assemblies attached under the wings. It actually went rather well. According to the instructions, all that's left now really are the lower waist spade antennae. Ugly things. And I'll bet prone to break..

Also applying some limited amounts of putty to the two Tornados. In reality, I'm not so sure whether it'll be visible, but well.. I'll know I did a good job.

Self-gratification ( ) is the name of the game!

[Pellson]

A bit of a dull day due to a late evening yesterday. I'm not twenty anymore.. Also, the weather has deteriorated a bit with a persistent fog making the day so much greyer. Not really beneficial for the mood. 

The length issue of the Italeri B-58 kit is bugging me. While almost everyone has built that kit as is for the last 28 years or so, doing that without knowing about the issue is one thing. Doing it anyway is something else, and in particular as I'm usually displaying/comparing kits together, meaning it'll just look short. Or not, as I really can't say Im used to see a B-58 hanging out with an Aardvark or a B-52. 
A, sod it - I'll move on with the German Tornado sisters instead. They're pretty off shape wise as well, in particular in the rear, but they do unmistakably look like Tornadoes, so I'm sticking with them as is.

I should get on with painting up the final bits in the B-52 cockpit as well, then being able to close it up. Having done that, the main issue left is to decide on level of upgrades. There are some rather significant bobs of the BUFFs these days, in particular the comms "elephant ears" radomes on the sides aft and the bulges for GSM and whatever on top. Not too difficult, had it not been for the rather unaligned fuselage halves from when I started this kit more than 20 years ago. I was originally planning to just don't bother, but... Ah, well.. we'll see. PSR is also a way of life.. 

[Old Wombat]

... but... Ah, well.. we'll see. PSR is also a way of life.. 

But not one very many people aspire to! 

[kerick]

I tend to enjoy the building of a model, even the PSR. I guess I'm something of a perfectionist at that point. It's the painting that drives me bonkers! I've actually built a few one color aircraft just so I wouldn't have to fool around with extra colors and masking.

[Rick Lowe]

PSR is also a way of life.. 

Making the best of it, I see. 

I tend to enjoy the building of a model, even the PSR. I guess I'm something of a perfectionist at that point. It's the painting that drives me bonkers! I've actually built a few one color aircraft just so I wouldn't have to fool around with extra colors and masking.

A definite Plan! Good thinking.