1/48 AFV Club RF-5E

Gallery Article by Aidy Abdullah on Aug 31 2018

Malaysia National Day

 

      

Malaysia was the launch customer for Northrop's RF-5E Tigereye, acquiring 2 aircraft which were given the serial numbers M29-19 and M29-20 in RMAF service. The purchase gave the Royal Malaysian Air Force a useful aerial reconnaissance platform which remained in use as late as 2017. Assigned to No 12 Skuadron, the Tigereyes spent most of it's service life in three-tone grey camouflage until around 2005 when the RMAF decided to paint all aircraft a single colour. 

Click on images below to see larger images

This model is the AFV Club 1/48 scale RF-5E, built out of the box. Fit and detail is fantastic, but I wish AFV Club had put more effort into the intakes and exhausts. The camera bay is also empty but I left it as is because the available resin set is too expensive for me. 

The model was painted in Gunze lacquer Medium Sea Grey to match what the RMAF call the 'Air Superiority' grey. National insignias and squadron markings are from VFA Productions and decal-la, with kit supplied stencils used where appropriate.

Happy Merdeka 2018.

Aidy Abdullah

Photos and text © by Aidy Abdullah