Norwegian Aircraft

by Terje Opsahl, Ragnar Eckhoff, André Kristoffersen, Nils Mathisrud, Jens H. Brandal 

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  Norway Constitution Day 2005 

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.

Photos and text © by Terje Opsahl, Ragnar Eckhoff, André Kristoffersen , Nils Mathisrud, Jens H. Brandal