Dragons and Ducks

[delta_lima]

Uh, oh, what have I started ... hope no offense was taken by the fat kid comment

I recall as a kid reading about red fire trucks, but all the fire trucks I saw in real life were yellow (I grew up in Calgary, AB) .... messed me up big time for a few years They're since gone red, I believe ...

Anyway, glad you're looking to do the 2 holers - and if it's in your heart to do the recce RF-35 ...



and SF-37 ...



... would be truly awesome - for us recce nuts!!

Your RF-8s get flogged regularly, I'll have you know. Key West, Beaufort .... they're busy!

cheers, and thanks just for doing anything Swedish!

DL

[mikeblaze]

Yes, the recce Viggen will be done as well. I am at that point anyways, post- part cutout from a single modeled fuselage/wings/canards, so what I have left is an isolated fuselage for all sorts of modding after initial texture-map (mod into two-seater and recce nose).

[mikeblaze]

As promised, some progress screenshots. The models actually haven't changed in the last week, but fairly advanced-state paint kits are in play here. The Viggen splinter camo is probably one of the easiest camos I have ever painted, there are not so many headaches aligning edges along different parts; it's pretty forgiving in that regard. The Draken camo actually took me longer to do.

As usual, I try to introduce something new with each project, forcing myself to ride the learning curve. With a lot of conversations with John Young, I think these might be the first models I do dually in FS9 and FSX-native formats. Don't hold me to that, but I am learning the slightly different XML language of FSX, and the difference in animation conventions (vastly different in some regards than FS9). Even if I don't do FSX-native models for these on the release schedule, at least they are the first Swedish repaints I have ever done, so that's a first. Don't start bugging me, just yet, to go back and do all of my other models in FSX, lol.

[bismarck]

WONDERFUL
Giorgio

[mikeblaze]

Interesting observation IMHO. When I was doing the paint kit for the Draken, I kept looking at the side profile, and not counting the shape of the intakes or wings, just the silhouette, it looks a lot like the Mirage IIIC. What makes it interesting (or ironic) is that the J-35A had the same Cyrano radar as the Mirage IIIC, as the Swedes hadn't gotten their own radar into production yet.

Just one of those weird things one thinks of when staying up too late working on models, lol.

[f4nutter]

now thats eye candy right there

[delta_lima]

Speechless.

Bravo!

dl

[VulcanDriver]

I remember trying to paint the Airfix Draken in the multi-green camo many years ago. I gave up! Bravo for getting it right Mike.

[mikeblaze]

Here is the picture of the week, four Viggen core models. For the record, the variants are as follows:

SF-37: the recce variant, there are actually two sub-variants. This is the overland recce variant with the camera nose. There is a maritime variant, with the standard nose, just carrying more camera pods on the pylons, but it is also called the SF-37. Obviously I will do both.

SK-37: the two-seater, self-explanatory

JA-37: the multi-role variant

AJ-37: the interceptor variant

I'm not sure yet of the straight-edge tail vs. the swept-tip tail, I think it's an early/late thing, but will be checking this out further. I've seen drawings of the two-seater with both tails, so either it's a artist error or it's an early/late model thing.

I will do the sterile late grey camo next. Even though the grey camos for these various aircraft are a bit more bland, I kind of like seeing the classic aircraft late in their careers painted to match the modern aircraft. IMHO both the Draken and Viggen look pretty slick in low-viz schemes.

[mikeblaze]

Today, I am issuing a call for a little research help on the SK-35C Draken, the two-seater. I can do the modeling easy enough, but I have yet to find a picture of the canopy/canopies open on the aircraft, so I don't know if they are two tilt-back canopies, if it is a one-piece side-tilt canopy (a la F-104), or whatever. Looking at the canopy frame, I would guess a one-piece side-tilt canopy. If anybody has insight (or more importantly photos), please post here or PM/email me. Thanks.

[delta_lima]

Today, I am issuing a call for a little research help on the SK-35C Draken, the two-seater. I can do the modeling easy enough, but I have yet to find a picture of the canopy/canopies open on the aircraft, so I don't know if they are two tilt-back canopies, if it is a one-piece side-tilt canopy (a la F-104), or whatever. Looking at the canopy frame, I would guess a one-piece side-tilt canopy. If anybody has insight (or more importantly photos), please post here or PM/email me. Thanks.

Vertical - T-38 style.

http://www.x-plane.org/home/urf/aviatio ... 37-001.jpg

Hope that helps.

[Firebird]

Mike the Sk 35C it is definitely side opening, as a pic on this page http://www.air-and-space.com/20021026%2 ... static.htm.

On this page there is a picture just off from the nose which seems to indicate quite well that it is a one piece http://www.wildbergair.com/photos/museu ... _MUS02.htm.

[Dan213]

Looks like it is side opening from the pictures that I have found



The image of the canopies opening upwards is a Viggen


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Chrisb]

I'm with Steve.

Described as 'long heavily sub-framed canopy hinged on the right, an inner blastscreen mounted between front and rear cockpits and a periscope to improve the limited forward vision from the back seat'

Source-Saab 35 Draken by Jan Jorgensen.

Chris

[mikeblaze]

Perfect guys, thanks for the links and photos. I especially liked the F10 wing flight line photo with multiple serials visible, will help me out with the painting for that unit as well. And nobody has even mentioned on this thread that I got the JA and AJ mixed up, lol (thanks for catching that, Steve).

[delta_lima]

Sorry guys. Saw the screen of the Viggens and thought the question was regarding the SK-37.

Looks like the question regarding the SK-35 is sorted.

Cheers.

DL

[mikeblaze]

Here is the model line-up for the Drakens, a couple of missing ones here, but they are accounted for on the schedule. Missing are the F-35/TF-35 late RDAF with the optics nose, and the S-35E recce/ECM Swedish variant. Actually the TF-35 and S-35E are modeled, just not here, and I have to strap that optics nose on the regular J-35. In a reversal, I am doing the base painting first, before I cut out and animate everything; as you can see from the models, not a lot of modeling from awhile back, but a lot of painting. I'm about ready to do the animation stuff, so these, along with the Viggens, should be rolling out by July.

[GuentAir]

Uiiiiiii!!!

Yes please yes please yes please ...

http://www.doppeladler.com/oebh/draken.htm


... some Austrian Retro ...

Günter

[mikeblaze]

I mentioned before that the Swedish Air Force was one of the few air forces I have never painted before; and the Austrians are another, so two more new air forces (for me) in this project. I have painted a bunch of Danish F-104s and F-100s, and some Finnish MiG-21s, in the past. I am anticipating having the Draken go to the beta-testers within the next week or so.

[GuentAir]

Sounds nice, thanx!
Holareidullijoooh!

I mentioned before that the Swedish Air Force was one of the few air forces I have never painted before; and the Austrians are another, so two more new air forces (for me) in this project. I have painted a bunch of Danish F-104s and F-100s, and some Finnish MiG-21s, in the past. I am anticipating having the Draken go to the beta-testers within the next week or so.