[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

What is that device on top of the cockpit?
Thanks

Jeroen

It is a periscope for the instructor in the back seat. Unlike the Su-27UB, where the flight instructor sits at an elevated position, in trainer variants of the MiG-21/23/29, the Flight instructor and trainee pilot 'sit' at the same level. Because of this, the view from the rear cockpit , looking forward, is not that great.

On the MiG-21U series, the instructors had often complained about the bad view from the rear cockpit, and so a periscope system was designed that sat over the rear canopy and it popped up when the landing gear was deployed for landing. The same periscope system exists on the MiG-23UB/UM and MiG-29UB trainers.

In one of the books I have, a photo has nearly captured the runway view from the periscope of a MiG-21 rear cockpit . Let me see if I can find it and I shall post it later.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by skanchan95

It is a periscope for the instructor in the back seat.

Thanks, that is quite a large one. I have seem them before. Never this big though I think. I thought it looked like some camera almost.

I have even flown a Vouga Magister who has one too, but that is more like a pair of goggles on top of the cockpit.
Jeroen

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Thanks, that is quite a large one. I have seem them before. Never this big though I think. I thought it looked like some camera almost.

I have even flown a Vouga Magister who has one too, but that is more like a pair of goggles on top of the cockpit.
Jeroen

As promised, here are the pics of the Periscope view from a MiG-21UM trainer's rear/instructor's cockpit. Both pics are from the book- "Legacy of a Legend - MiG-21 in the Indian Air Force" by Gp. Capt. S M Paranjape

[skanchan95]

1:144 Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon S/N 78233 , 172nd Air Brigade, PLAAF (AF1)

Like it or not, one has to grudgingly admit the Chinese are way ahead of us in terms of aircraft manufacturing & technologies, specifically 5th generation jets. It is well known the skills/tech they acquired were stolen, borrowed, hacked, cloned - you can call it whatever, but today they have something that none in the neighborhood have - indigenous & operational frontline stealth fighters!!!

J-20s were deployed at a PLAAF forward base during the Ladakh standoff and may still be there.

Designwise, it is clear copy & mix of F-22, F-35 and quite interestingly the MiG 1.44 & the very fictional MiG-31 Firefox!!!!

The Chengdu J-20 (Chinese: 歼-20; pinyin: Jiān-Èrlíng), also known as Mighty Dragon (Chinese: 威龙; pinyin: Wēilóng), is a single-seat, twinjet, all-weather, stealth, fifth-generation fighter aircraft developed by China's Chengdu Aerospace Corporation for the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).The J-20 is designed as an air superiority fighter with precision strike capability;.

The J-20 made its maiden flight on 11 January 2011, and was officially revealed at the 2016 China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition.The aircraft entered PLAAF service in March 2017.

The J-20 is now believed to be serving with three PLAAF units, including at the Flight Test and Training Base at Dingxin, also known as the 176th Brigade, and the Flight Training Base in Cangzhou, referred to as the 172nd Brigade.

In early 2019, the first regular operation PLAAF unit to receive J-20s was the 9th Brigade at Wuhu, in the Eastern Theatre Command. An image released by the PLAAF showed a J-20 with the serial 62001, the first official acknowledgement that a new unit had been formed.

It is unclear how many have been delivered, as the PLAAF is keen to keep this secret, but at least 13 different serials have been identified.

The J-20 is the world's third operational fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft after the F-22 and F-35.

The jet made its first public display at Zhuhai Air show in November 2016, but in November 2018 a three ship formation of J-20s were noted. Unsurprisingly there was no J-20 on the ground, but during the opening ceremony there was a glimpse of the J-20’s maneuvrability. Airshow spectators witnessed the three 172nd Regiment jets sweep by, with one (78231) pulling up as it passed the crowd and disappeared. The remaining pair (78232 and 78233) remained to demonstrate their formation skills with the spectacle of vapour pouring off the top of the wings. Eventually 78233 was left to display on its own exhibiting its stealthy look combined with all over jagged edges.

Initial J-20s are being powered by an upgraded Russian Saturn AL-31 engines and not the WS-15 that was originally intended to power them. Issues with the latter has meant that a stopgap solution had to be found so the aircraft could be pushed into service in 2017, well ahead of schedule, because of increasing security challenges in the region.

In late December images appeared of new J-20s modified with the Shenyang WS-10B Taihang engine as a stop-gap for the original WS-15 powerplant. The latter cannot provide the thrust-to-weight ratio to push the J-20 to supersonic speeds, without the use of afterburners.

The WS-10B features saw-toothed exhaust petals and is believed to power a handful of J-20s, as opposed to the AL-31 that has flush exhaust petals. The J-20 is thought to be equipped with an AESA radar, and at Zhuhai, a chin mounted electro optic sensor was evident, while it has been reported that there are six electro-optic apertures positioned around the aircraft, that form a passive detection system.

The J-20's internal weapon bay is capable of housing both short and long-range air-to-air missiles (AAM; PL-9, PL-12C/D & PL-15 – PL-21) while the two smaller lateral weapon bays behind the air inlets are intended for short-range AAMs (PL-10). These side bays allow closure of the bay doors prior to firing the missile, thus allowing the missile to be fired in the shortest time possible as well as enhancing stealth. The J-20 is reported to lack an internal autocannon or rotary cannon, suggesting the aircraft is not intended to be used in short range dogfight engagements with other aircraft but engage them with from long standoff ranges with missiles such as the PL-15 and PL-21.


While the fighter typically carries weapons internally, the wings include four hardpoints to extend ferrying range by carrying auxiliary fuel tanks. However, much like the F-22, the J-20 is unlikely to carry fuel tanks on combat missions due to its vulnerability in such a configuration, thus this configuration remains valuable for peacetime operations, such as transiting between airbases.

The aircraft is equipped with a retractable refueling probe embedded on the right side of the cockpit, to help the fighter to maintain stealth while flying greater distances





















J-20 78233:

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by skanchan95

1:144 Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon S/N 78233 , 172nd Air Brigade, PLAAF (AF1)

J-20s were deployed at a PLAAF forward base during the Ladakh standoff and may still be there.

Very interesting and unique model in this thread. Although not particularly to my liking or to many Indians

I'm assuming this is from a Chinese manufacturer bought from Aliexpress?

I was wondering last year when the J-20s were deployed in Ladakh were they actually operational or just for showoff? With so few manufactured many would be different versions of test aircraft.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by skanchan95

1:144 Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon S/N 78233 , 172nd Air Brigade, PLAAF (AF1)

Designwise, it is clear copy & mix of F-22, F-35 and quite interestingly the MiG 1.44 & the very fictional MiG-31 Firefox!!!!

Hearty congratulations Sandesh. A unique addition to your fleet as well as to this thread. If I wear only my hat as an enthusiast of everything that flies then I agree the Chinese are building and have succeeded in building a whole eco-system of design-testing-manufacture for all things to do with warbirds from engines to avionics to metallurgy to weapon munitions. There material may not be as good as the West but in 10 to 15 years they will catch up at the current pace. I'll refrain from comparing them with us or I'll start emitting smoke. So congratulations. May your Wing grow.

Originally Posted by Foxbat

Very interesting and unique model in this thread. Although not particularly to my liking or to many Indians

That's why you are there Foxbat to even the odds.

Coming soon an IAF MiG-29 with a weather beaten look. After all the IAF is a frontline force not a ceremonial one. Creation of brother member Basu Roy. More clicks in a few days.

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Coming soon an IAF MiG-29 with a weather beaten look. After all the IAF is a frontline force not a ceremonial one. Creation of brother member Basu Roy. More clicks in a few days.

I have seen this creation of BasuRoy on India Scale Modellers Facebook group and it's definitely a masterpiece. I would say it might be the most detailed model on this thread.

On a side note when I started building my Mig-29 in February I thought it would be the the first IAF MIG-29 on this thread. But now it seems it will be the 3rd or later!

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by Foxbat

I have seen this creation of BasuRoy on India Scale Modellers Facebook group and it's definitely a masterpiece. I would say it might be the most detailed model on this thread.

On a side note when I started building my Mig-29 in February I thought it would be the the first IAF MIG-29 on this thread. But now it seems it will be the 3rd or later!

Ooops. Now that would be unfair I say. Given that you have purchased a detailed kit and are working on assembling and painting it yourself puts your piece way above mine in the world of scale model lovers. I am only riding piggy back on Basu Roy. So comrade Foxbat go ahead and launch that Fulcrum. The photos I posted were a preview from Basu Roy. My own photo shoot has not been scheduled yet. I'll wait till your Fulcrum is posted. Fire away.

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Ooops. Now that would be unfair I say. Given that you have purchased a detailed kit and are working on assembling and painting it yourself puts your piece way above mine in the world of scale model lovers. I am only riding piggy back on Basu Roy. So comrade Foxbat go ahead and launch that Fulcrum. The photos I posted were a preview from Basu Roy. My own photo shoot has not been scheduled yet. I'll wait till your Fulcrum is posted. Fire away.

Thanks for offering to wait but that may be for a indefinite time given the model is in Hyderabad and I am stuck in Lucknow.

I suggest you go ahead with your photo shoot of your new king of your collection (until an assembled Foxbat arrives).

Some 1/72 companions from your Mig collection would be nice to group it with. I know you have a Fagot, Fresco, Fishbed, Foxbat and Flogger to go with it.

[V.Narayan]

[quote=Foxbat;5063594]

Thanks for offering to wait but that may be for a indefinite time given the model is in Hyderabad and I am stuck in Lucknow.

I suggest you go ahead with your photo shoot of your new king of your collection (until an assembled Foxbat arrives).

I'll wait. :-)

Some 1/72 companions from your Mig collection would be nice to group it with. I know you have a Fagot, Fresco, Fishbed, Foxbat and Flogger to go with it.

Sounds interesting. Will do it some time. I'm missing a MiG-19, MiG-31 & MiG-27

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by Foxbat

I'm assuming this is from a Chinese manufacturer bought from Aliexpress?

It is from a Chinese brand called "Air Force 1". They concentrate mainly on PLA-AF/NAF fighter and helicopter models in different scales (and quality) but also make models of western origin like F-16, F-22, F-35 etc. AF1 makes pretty decent models of slightly cheaper and slightly lower equality than other well known & established brands.

Originally Posted by Foxbat

I was wondering last year when the J-20s were deployed in Ladakh were they actually operational or just for showoff? With so few manufactured many would be different versions of test aircraft.

I feel it was a combination of trial deployment, an attempt to intimidate us and to make a point that Indians have nothing to match the J-20.

Information available from public sources reveal that the PLAAF has operationalized the J-20 in atleast two PLAAF Air Regiments. These "regiments" are often a mix of various fighters in PLAAF. So you will gazillion PLAAF Flanker variants operating alongside the J-20 in a Regiment!!!

The J-20 is what the F-22 is to the Americans and the cheaper J-31 will be the F-35's equivalent.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Hearty congratulations Sandesh. A unique addition to your fleet as well as to this thread. If I wear only my hat as an enthusiast of everything that flies then I agree the Chinese are building and have succeeded in building a whole eco-system of design-testing-manufacture for all things to do with warbirds from engines to avionics to metallurgy to weapon munitions. There material may not be as good as the West but in 10 to 15 years they will catch up at the current pace. I'll refrain from comparing them with us or I'll start emitting smoke. So congratulations. May your Wing grow.

Thank you Sir. I dare say that Chinese have gone past the Russians in that department inspite of shamelessly stealing/copying their original designs. The fact that Russia still hasn't fully operationalized the Su-57 further strengthens this assumption.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Coming soon an IAF MiG-29 with a weather beaten look. After all the IAF is a frontline force not a ceremonial one. Creation of brother member Basu Roy. More clicks in a few days.

Just. Stunning work as always, basuroy.

Please do post pics when you get it with one pic along side your IAF Su-30

[skanchan95]

1:200 Boeing 777-300ER Govt of India (Air India One) VT-ALW(K-7067) [Hogan Wings]

Air India's Boeing 777-300ER VT-ALW "Himachal Pradesh" was the one of the two newly delivered 777s to be pulled from the fleet for conversion into a dedicated VIP aircraft for the PM & President's International tours (the other airframe was VT-ALV "Punjab"). There is a dedicated thread dedicated the two VIP 777s - LINK (Air India One : The new official airplane of India's leaders)

After conversion to VIP interiors, installation of EW/ECM systems, the two 777s were delivered to India sometime last year. While they retained their VT-ALV & VT-ALW registrations on delivery, they were re-registered K-7066 & K-7067 respectively(IAF registrations).













Close-up














"In Flight"




















VT-ALW "Himachal Pradesh" in AI livery


VT-ALW in Govt of India VIP livery


K-7067

[skanchan95]

My 1:200 Boeing 777 Fleet












VT-ALW with her sister ship VT-ALJ

[V.Narayan]

English Electric Canberra B.66 :: Indian Air Force, Medium Bomber :: 1:72 S&M Models, plastic
Model is about 11 inches in length and has a wingspan of 11 inches too

Which fan of IAF aircraft does not know about the Canberra? For twenty years the mainstay of the IAFs attack fleet, the aircraft type with the longest service in the IAF other than the MiG-21, the mount which won for its brave pilots the maximum number of Mahavir Chakras, the only deep penetration attack machine we had in both 1965 and 1971.

The Canberra was designed in the 1945-46 timeframe and designed to fly high and fast enough to evade fighters. This was 10 years before the advent of SAMs and some years in advance of supersonics. And for some years indeed the Canberra could fly high enough to avoid the transonic fighters of the early to late 1950s.

The Canberra served the IAF from 1957 to 2007. Initially as the primary attack and high altitude photo recce platform and from the 1980s onwards in secondary roles.



Designed by the legendary and eccentric WEW Teddy Petter who also designed the Gnat and the Westland Lysander. It could carry a 2700 kg warload at transonic speeds over an effective radius of 650 kms.



First the wings, always :-) The large 960 sq feet low aspect ratio wing was designed for high cruising altitude, manouverability and range. The ferry range was a staggering 5400kms a remarkable feat on thirsty first generation turbojets. Petter stayed away from a swept wing as the aerodynamics of swept wings were not so well researched in 1946. To keep risk manageable Petter designed the wing along lines of that of the proven Gloster Meteor. The very low wing loading of 48 lbs/sq foot was lower than that of the Gnat. Lower wing loadings give greater manoeuverability but at the cost of speed.



The cigar shaped fuselage to accommodate a crew of 2 or 3, an internal bomb bay and a part of the fuel tankage. The bomb bay and internal volume of the design lent itself to several secondary but equally vital roles in photo reconnaissance, signals intelligence, electronic warfare amongst others.



The Rolls Royce Avon developing 15,000 lbf each were Rolls Royce’s first axial turbojet. In the event they proved to be an excellent engine of which 11,000+ were built across several marks for 13 aircraft both military and civil. In the Kargil war a Canberra on a recce mission was hit by a Stinger IR missile in the starboard engine but returned to base successfully. The Avons powered it to 500 knots {930 kmph} at 40,000 feet and a service ceiling of 48,000 feet. I suspect a lightly loaded Canberra could operate higher.



The classic tricycle gear was prone to metal fatigue and cracking. This was the one weak point in an otherwise outstanding design. I do not know if this was permanently sorted out in later years or not.



The landing gear gave the aircraft a downward stance on the ground. I do not know if this gave the aircraft any aerodynamic advantage while taking off. Usually it is the other way around if you want the gear to add lift on the take-off run.



The crew of two were huddled in a vast Perspex canopy. In some cases a hapless bomb aimer was carried in the nose but without an ejection seat!! It seems the RAF had a thing or two about bomb aimers. The Vickers Valiant a contemporary but much larger bomber also did not have an ejection seat for the bomb aimer.



The bomb bay was about 18 to 19 feet in length. A typical warload would be 6 x 1000 lbs bombs {454 kgs}. The IAF also deployed the block buster 4000 lbs bombs in 1965 but not with much effect. In addition to bombs it carried a gunpack of four 20mm cannons with almost one minute of firing worth of ammunition if needed. Further the aircraft had one or two hardpoints under the wings for bombs or SNEB 68mm rockets. Total warload could be ~3600 kgs



The Canberra and its spiritual successor the Sepecat Jaguar {albeit shown here in RAF colours}



Canberra forever!! It became the very first foreign military aircraft purchased by USA and license built as the B-57. Even today NASA operates 3 Canberras on scientific duties - 74 years after the first flew.

This beautiful detailed model has been assembled by member Basu Roy and painted up by him in a typical IAF colour scheme of 1971. As always Basu Roy has delivered a first class product that now occupies a pride of place in my show case. Only the Dc-3 has flown as long.

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

English Electric Canberra B.66 :: Indian Air Force, Medium Bomber :: 1:72 S&M Models, plastic

Beautiful. Great looking model and a nice & crisp description to read. Congratulations on a historic addition to your collection.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

And for some years indeed the Canberra could fly high enough to avoid the transonic fighters of the early to late 1950s.

Indeed. Right till the 1960, the PAF had nothing to intercept a high flying Canberra. Even their newly delivered F-86s could not climb to the altitude our Reconnaissance Canberras could fly at (it changed an year later when the PAF started receiving its F-104A/Bs in the early 1960s).

I remember reading about this incident in 1959 where an IAF PR Canberra flying at around 50,000 feet altitude over Pakistan(apparently by mistake) could only be shot down by a PAF F-86 only when the Canberra tried to make a sharp turn which resulted in a slight drop in altitude and that was enough for it to get in the gun range of the PAF F-86, which peppered the Canberra with its machine guns. The IAF pilot and Navigator had to eject and were in Pakistan's custody for a day, after which they were sent back to India.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

The crew of two were huddled in a vast Perspex canopy. In some cases a hapless bomb aimer was carried in the nose but without an ejection seat!! It seems the RAF had a thing or two about bomb aimers. The Vickers Valiant a contemporary but much larger bomber also did not have an ejection seat for the bomb aimer.

Yes, the poor Navigator had to jump out of the aircraft WW2 style through a hatch door on the side. Imagine doing this in a doomed Canberra that burning, spinning & going down rapidly. The famed Gp Capt P M Wilson had this to say about the Canberra Navigator's fate -

...which brings me to the subject of IAF Canberra B.58 Navigators. They were unique in the world as aircrew that flew on operations without
having a chance of getting out of the aircraft in an emergency. It was reprehensible that the British aerospace industry should sell such an aircraft and that the Indian Government should buy them.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

The IAF also deployed the block buster 4000 lbs bombs in 1965 but not with much effect.

In the 1965 wat, the same 4000-lb block buster bombs were loaded on Canberras that made the audacious night raid on Peshawar, where PAF's entire B-57 fleet was moved to and lined up neatly on the tarmac. Had luck favoured the IAF Canberra formation that night, the entire PAF bomber fleet could have been wiped out in a single raid. While the raid was a failure as the bombs missed the targets, It shook the PAF as they thought the B-57s were out of reach for the IAF. No one in Pakistan had thought that the IAF would bomb Peshawar with impunity. The raid also forced the American Signal Intelligence base near Peshawar to be evacuated all its personnel with families went to Iran and returned only after cessation of hostilities.