Taliban Il-28 Beagle *finished*

[sandiego89]

The area around Bagram air base was hotly contested during the Afghan civil war, with factions of the Northern Alliance, the Taliban and Afghani government alternately taking control of the area, sometimes occupying opposite sides of the airfield. Of the several MiGs, Sukhoi's and Il-28 Beagles hangered and dumped around the airfield, the Taliban were able to scrounge together a few operational aircraft when they seized control of the airfield. 

It is believed two Il-28's was made operational with some parts liberated from perhaps Pakistan and other sources, and some outside technical support and pilot training from a politically apathetic middle aged ex-Il-28 pilot and friends from Romania who seemed happy to work for per-diem and booze (which the Taliban quietly sourced)....   

Trumpeter Il-28, 1/72





Nice kit, well molded.  The Beagle is smaller than I imagined, having never seen one in person.  Jaguar for reference. 

   

[TheChronicOne]

Fascinating project! Have fun with it, I'll be watching with interest for sure!

[The Rat]

The Trumpeter kit has to be a lot easier than the old Airfix pressing that I'm currently fighting with. 

[PR19_Kit]

The Trumpeter kit has to be a lot easier than the old Airfix pressing that I'm currently fighting with. 

You're not kidding.

I've been trying to radically Whiff one (actually two of them....) for some years now, but just the basic assembly is a major job these days.

[Dizzyfugu]

The Trumpeter Il-28 is nice, it even comes with the different tail gunner station for the Chinese copy license variant. And the kit is pretty cheap, too.

[Snowtrooper]

Nice kit, well molded.  The Beagle is smaller than I imagined, having never seen one in person.  Jaguar for reference. 

I have seen one in person in the Finnish Air Force museum (though it has been a while) but somehow I still imagined it to be Canberra-sized The more you know...

[Old Wombat]

... and other sources, and some outside technical support and pilot training from a politically apathetic middle aged ex-Il-28 pilot and friends from Romania who seemed happy to work for per-diem and booze (which the Taliban quietly sourced)....

And who the Taliban publicly beheaded as infidel scum when they had outlived their usefulness.

[NARSES2]

I have seen one in person in the Finnish Air Force museum (though it has been a while) but somehow I still imagined it to be Canberra-sized The more you know...

Never seen one in person, but like you had always thought it to be Canberra sized. As you say "the more you know"

[Rheged]

I have seen one in person in the Finnish Air Force museum (though it has been a while) but somehow I still imagined it to be Canberra-sized The more you know...

Never seen one in person, but like you had always thought it to be Canberra sized. As you say "the more you know"

Sounds like a quote from an uncle of mine  "The more you know, the more you realise how little you know"

Taliban Air   is not a whiff I'd have thought of, and I'll be interested to see your take on it.

[Dizzyfugu]

Talibans are rumored to have captured a (very) few MiG-21s, and it's also not certain how they were marked. To confuse matters, even these captured aircraft were captured by third parties, like the Northern Alliance! Here are two Taliban Fishbeds:



The days of this MiG-21bis eventually finished on the huge junkyard of Baghram AB, in November 2001. The aircraft was apparently serialled '396', over or under which an unknown serial was applied in white. The national marking on the fin is a kind of a mystery: it might be a washed out DRAAF-insignia, or a DRAAF-insignia roughly overpainted in green of the Taliban. If the later is truth, it is possible that this was one of IEAAF MiG-21s based at Baghram AB while airfield was held by the Taliban.



Seen on an unknown airfield in Afghanistan, in late 1990s, these aircraft are believed to have been operated by the IEAAF - i.e. the 'Taliban Air Force'. The MiG-21bis had obviously sploches of fresh brown colour added to the old camouflage but was too far away for identification of the serial - which might have been applied in white (or in red over the old serial that was applied in white). The meaning of the green roundel on the fin remains unknown: this could have been the insignia of Taliban, but they are only known to have otherwise used white flags with different inscriptions. No national markings were noticed on the upper side of the wings.



BTW, the Il-28 had a length of 17,65 m and a span of 21,45 m, with an MTOW of 23.200 kg, while the Canberra (bomber version) had a length of 19,96 m and a span of 19,31 m, MTOW 23.234 kg. Very similar, the Il-29 might just look more slender due to the longer wings and higher stance on the ground.

[sandiego89]

Great find Dizzy, thank you!  I had seen the wiki references of the Taliban using a handful MiG-21's.

At least no-one can over-analyze my color and marking choices!   

Wings on, primer on.



Next to a two seat harrier to provide fuselage scale.

[buzzbomb]

interesting subject.

keen to see how the finish comes out

[frank2056]

I watched a video of the Soviet vacation/holiday in Afghanistan and in a few scenes, they showed an Il-28 being transported by truck (wings removed).

The Il-28 was an interesting plane. It's one of a handful of Russian jet bombers based in part on German WWII designs (paper napkin at the local Bierhalle) or prototype. The Ar 234 begat the He 343, which begat the Il-22, which begat the Il-28.

[zenrat]

I've built an Italeri 1/72 Il-28 (with turboprops in PDRV colours) and I'm sure its bigger than that.
I'll have to have a look.

The size of the nacelles always gets me.  Especially given all they contain is what started out as a Nene copy, and an undercarriage leg.

[sandiego89]

.....The Il-28 was an interesting plane. It's one of a handful of Russian jet bombers based in part on German WWII designs (paper napkin at the local Bierhalle) or prototype. The Ar 234 begat the He 343, which begat the Il-22, which begat the Il-28.

The Ar 234 influence, or at least lay-out, is evident.....