I was able to get a bit more work done on my Gripen while waiting for glue and paint to dry on my other projects.Here are a couple of pics showing some of my progress.
I got the fuselage put together and then added the wing assembly I’d done earlier.
Next, I mounted the landing gear, added the exhaust cone, and the landing gear bay doors.
Now all I have to do is install her canards and get her painted. (Oh man, that almost sounds kinda kinky! [:I][:o)]) I expect her to be done in another couple days.
Looks great so far. Is it a 1:72 or 1:48? I am considering building some of the modern European jets (i.e. Eurofighter and Gripen), and am curious what you think of the build so far. Frank
Thank you very much Rick, Tankmaster, and Lee. I’m glad you like it so far.
Frank, Dragonfire, this is the Airfix 1/72 scale bird. Frank, she’s pretty easy to assemble, although the cockpit seemed a bit basic, the model has some nice detail. There was a bit of a gap between the wings and the fuselage on top, but I got it filled pretty well with some gap-filling super glue. Other than that, there’ve been no fit problems to speak of, and she was a smooth build.
Thanks Mick! Yeah, sometimes I feel like I am an assembly line!
This bird will be wearing the markings of the No. 7 Wing at Satenas (Sorry, no Swedish keyboard)
I don’t have any other markings except the prototype, and I want an operational bird. I don’t know what other countries fly her; I had thought only Sweden flew her.
Speaking of which, perhaps you can give me an idea of what the greys are on the two-tone pattern. The instruction sheet gives me Humbrol numbers (no. 156 top, no. 167 bottom) and I haven’t got a Humbrol color chart to tell me what these greys are. Thanks!
I´m a bit confused, if you have markings of the No. 7 Wing at Såtenäs, it´s not the prototype. The prototype wore the blue and yellow ribbons as in my picture below.(This is my fist model plane ever, the old Revell kit built 15 years ago).
I also got an unbuit Italeri kit (#008) and it got markings for No. 7 Wing with “day-glo”
and the new, gray “non day-glo”(what do you call it?) insignias
The Czech Republic has decided to lease Gripen, In 2001 Hungary signed a contract for a lease of 14 Gripens, On 1998 Nov 18 the South African government announced its selection of Gripen as the preferred fighter
This info is pasted from this site
Thanks for the news on who now flies the Gripen! I might want to get a South African one. That would be cool.
I apologize for the confusion. I know the Bird at Satenas is not the prototype. My kit from Airfix gives the markings for the prototype, (minus the stripes) or for the operational bird based with No. 7 wing at Satenas. The decal markings are the full color ones, not the low-viz ones. I’m building the operational bird, NOT the prototype. I just needed the colors for painting it.
The brand I use is Testors Model Master, with a few Tamiya paints and some old Aeromaster ‘Warbird’ colors. I don’t have much to buy any new colors, so if you can give some ‘close-enough’ choices as well, that would be helpful. I’m looking forward to your color match, as I want to finish this bird fast!
Gripen is swedish for “the griffin”, a mythological beast with the body of a lion, and head and wings of an eagle.
In my humbrol color chart, no. 156 is “Dark Camoufalge Gray”, and no.167 is “RAF Barley Gray”. Strangely enough, there is no translation of those colours for M.M., F.S., or Tamiya. However, in my Italeri kit the recomondation is Medium Gray (top)(M.M.1728, F.S. 36375) and Light Goast Gray (bottom)(M.M.1721, F.S.35237)
From pictures I´ve seen this is a good match, maybe the colours could be somewhat lighter(add some white), atleast the bottom one, but it differs between different individual planes.
Thank you Gilmund and Mick! This information and assistance is great and most helpful. Thanks for helping out.
I can use the Light Ghost Grey since I have four bottles of it. However, my Medium Grey is dried up, so the closest thing I have is Dark Gull Grey to that. Thats what I’ll paint her. Once I do I’ll post pics.
The Hungarian and Czech Gripen are in the grey-grey costume, but I really don’t know how the South African will paint theirs. Hopefully a bit more colourful!
But it would be interesting if some of the negotiations to sell Gripen comes through. Then we might see some Mexican, Indian, Vietnamese or Qatari Gripens …
No, unfortunately I haven’t seen any decals but Swedish yet, but hopefully someone is planning some.
But, even if the negotiations turn out to nothing, I will build a Vietnamese and Qatari Gripen! [8D] Or from another interesting country! [yeah]
