Norwegian
Aircraft
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by Terje
Opsahl, Ragnar Eckhoff, André Kristoffersen, Nils Mathisrud, Jens H. Brandal |
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Norway Constitution Day 2005
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To
commemorate Norway’s Constitution Day, we would even this year like to present
some models of aircraft that have served with the Norwegian Armed Forces. The
photos are taken at various model shows and competitions and by the modellers
themselves.
North
American F-86F Sabre
”Flying Jokers” built
by Terje Opsahl
The
Flying Jokers Acro Team first saw the daylight in January 1957, when it
was established on Rygge Main Air Station, as a part of the 332 Sqn.
In the beginning, and up to summer of 1959 they all flew in the standard
squadron markings, but during this summer the 6 Sabre jets of the
Flying Jokers where all painted in the team’s red, white and blue on the
tail and wingtips. The markings shown here were only used until the autumn
of 1960. This model represents the F-86F AH-Z, 332 Sqn. The kit is
Hasegawa`s 1/48 F-86F-40, with decals from Eurodecals. |
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Northrop
N-3PB built by Ragnar Eckhoff
The
Northrop N-3PB was used by 330 (N) sqn. RAF from June 1941 to December
1942. The type had originally been ordered by the Norwegian government in
March 1940, but Norway had been occupied by the Germans long before
anything could be delivered. The 24 produced examples were therefore
handed over to Norwegian exile authorities in Canada. After discussions
with the British, it was decided to form a Norwegian squadron within RAF
equipped with the N-3PB. The squadron was to operate from Iceland, and the
first aircraft started to arrive at the island in June 1941. |
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The
model is built from a vacuum-kit produced by IPMS Norway in the late
seventies. The interior is completely scratchbuilt, as is the motor
cowling and canopy. The engine and propeller are Aeroclub items. The model
is finished as aicraft no. 22, GS-F. The aircraft was one of two surving
the war, but was unfortunately scrapped during the fifties." |
Northrop
F-5A(G) Freedom Fighter built
by André Kristoffersen
The
F-5 Freedom Fighter was chosen as the replacement for the Norwegian Air
Force’s F-86F Sabre. Between February 1966 and December 1970, the RNoAF
received 78 F-5As,14 F-5Bs and 16 RF-5As. The
F-5s
served in different squadrons until the introduction of the F-16A/B in
1981. |
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Most
of them were returned to the USAF and later distributed to Greece and
Turkey, while some of them continued to serve with 336 Sqn. as lead in
trainers at Rygge Main Air Station for F-16 pilots returning home from jet
pilot training at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas. Today only a few F-5s
still serves with the RNoAF as test beds for missile development. The
model represents AH-P of 332 Sqn. 1970. The kit is Classic Airframes’
1/48 F-5A, built straight from the box. |
Lockheed
Lodestar built by Nils
Mathisrud
During
WW2 the Norwegian Air Force operated 12 Lockheed Lodestars on a courier
route between Leuchars, Scotland and Bromma (Stockholm), Sweden. For
political reasons the service had to be organized as a BOAC route and the
aircraft carrying British civilian markings. The model is converted from
the Koster 1/48 scale PV-1 Ventura, using several parts from other sources
such as both the Sanger and Classic Airframes Hudson kits. Also, a great
amount of scratchbuilding is carried out. Markings are partly painted,
partly self made decals. |
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deHavilland
Mosquito T.III
built
by Jens H. Brandal
The
RNoAF used three of these dual control trainers from 1945
to 1952. The model was made from the 1:72nd scale Tamiya FB.VI by
deleting all armament and filling the holes (rather than simulating
patches - these were built without weapons ), and modifying the
cockpit. The instructor pilot was moved forward so he was sitting
beside the pilot rather than slightly aft as in the fighter and
fighterbomber versions. From what I can see, the seat was a folding
bucket with a short backrest similar to the navigators, but
also moved forward. Pictures are hard to come by , so it
may not be entirely accurate . I made a new stick, a set of
rudder pedals, and a new instrument panel, though not a lot of it can be
seen even through the very clear canopy. The model was
paintd overall Xtracrylix RAF Trainer Yellow and the decals are
KAR-Dekaler no 7206. |
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Lockheed
P-3C Update III UIP
built by Jens H. Brandal
333
Squadron is the sole user of the P-3 in the RNoAF, and four P-3Cs
delivered in 1992 are currently operated from their base at Andøya
together with two P-3Ns. This kit has been stuck in a box since the
late 80s when my motivation ran out of steam. A group build project
revived my interest, and I managed to complete it for last year's Scale
Model World (though I did not enter it in the competition). |
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The
Hasegawa kit was brought up to date by adding chaff and flare dispensers
under the nose and nacelles, a radome under the belly and a small forest
of aerials by combining the Platz etched brass set as well as scratchbuilt
from plasticard. General improvements like deepening the intakes,
sharpening the propellers and adding exhaust pipes from aluminium tube
were also done. The colour is overall Neutral Grey, and weathering
was kept to a minimum as these aircraft are washed after each mission to
get rid of the salt. Decals are from a variety of sources. The
roundels are from Flying Colours, the callnumbers can be found on Vingtor
Decals no 72-001, but they were printed on a laser printer together with
the name and the unit's callsign on the tailfin. Stencilling is from
the original kit sheet, and snuggled down well with Tamiya acrylic thinner
over a Polly S clear coat. |
Supermarine
Spitfire IXc built by Jens
H. Brandal
As
part of a proposed D-Day theme for IPMS S.E. Essex, I built this Spitfire
IXc from 332 (Norwegian) Sqn RAF using the Hasegawa kit. The only
addition to the cockpit was seatbelts from masking tape. In order to
accurately portray AH-Z as it was on D-Day, I had to scratchbuild a
bellytank and the bombrack. The AH-Z code was made by painting the
fuselage sky, then masked off by thin strips of Tamiya masking tape and
applying the Ocean grey and Dark Green. |
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The
decals are from the Norseman Decals sheet, and after a coat of clear flat,
I painted the invasion stripes with a brush using acrylic paints.
The reference photo showed that the stripes were uneven in width, and the
finish would give IPMS judges the creeps. |
General
Dynamics F-16AM built by Jens H. Brandal
This
particular F-16 is the only RNoAF F-16 not to carry the overall grey
FS36270 colour scheme as it was painted up by Lockheed Martin, and they
must have been painting Vipers on autopilot. Still, it makes a nice
change. The kit is the lovely Revell 1:72nd scale MLU kit, to
which I added the fishplates behind the cockpit and on the
wingroot on the upper surface. 299 started life as a Block 10
airframe, and I therefore had to modify it to a partial Block 10 standard. |
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This
means removing the fishplates for the navigation lights on the air intake
and the refuelling light on the fin leading edge, adding an IFF antenna
just behind the air intake lip, and a "lump" just in front of
the nose gear well. The previous F-16 model (featured last year) was
built pretty much straight from the box, but this one I detailed more
extensively using a photoetched set designed for the Hasegawa F-16 family
and details from scratch. The call number on the tail was masked
using Specialtryck decals as negative masks (these did not have the clear
carrier film) as I didn't have any gunship grey numbers in the right size.
The roundels are from Flying Colours, and all other decals were taken from
the kit and Revell's F-16C sheet yielded the ejection seat triangles
and RESCUE arrows. Whereas the previous model was built carrying a
light load, this one was equipped for a live LGB drop training mission
with a fairly typical configuration as flown during peace keeping
operations. AMRAAMs for the wingtips, a Sidewinder on Station 2,
balanced by an Acceleration Monitor Assembly (which is always used during
peacetime) on Station 8, 2x1000lb Paveways, "Dolly" tanks (named
after a well known C&W singer) and an AN/ALQ-131 pod on the centreline.
The Paveway and the ECM pod were robbed from the Revell F-16C kit, and I
would have preferred 500 or 250 lb Paveways, but I was finishing this
model to a deadline, and didn't have any suitable substitutes. |
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Photos and text © by Terje
Opsahl, Ragnar Eckhoff, André Kristoffersen
, Nils Mathisrud, Jens H. Brandal
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