Persian Thunder...Kinetic 1/48 Northrop F-5A Freedom Fighter, Imperial Iranian Airforce
1/2020
Let the new season begin!
Kinetic kit, needs some filler, a molding issue appeared on the left side of the tail fin in the area of the leading edge. The tip tanks are one piece parts and molded both the same way, to say both for one side and not differently molded for different sides. Some work to make the "wrong" one fit, you may see it on the frontal pic, the tip tanks have a slightly different tilt. Used a resin seat from the Wolfpack edition of the Kinetic kit.
Decals for the main markings from Print Scale, not that bad but took a while to losen from the carrier paper and tended to wrap. Stencils were taken from the kit. MRP White and Dark Aluminium used for the NMF.
Build thread here
In the early 60ies Iran looked for an aicraft to replace the aging F-84 and F-86 fleet. They found it in the F-5. The first batch of F-5A and F-5B were delivered on Dec. 6th 1964, the last ones were delivered in 1971, some in NMF and some already in Asia Minor camo. The NMF ones were soon camouflaged too. iran was the first export customer of the F-5. When the IIAF received the newer F-5E/F and F-4D/E, Iran and the USA negotiated, under project Enhance and Enhance-plus, to deliver most of the old Iranian F-5s to other US allies, especially to South Vietnam. Other recipients were Ethiopia, Jordan, Greece, Morocco and Kenya.
In the early 60ies Iran looked for an aicraft to replace the aging F-84 and F-86 fleet. They found it in the F-5. The first batch of F-5A and F-5B were delivered on Dec. 6th 1964, the last ones were delivered in 1971, some in NMF and some already in Asia Minor camo. The NMF ones were soon camouflaged too. iran was the first export customer of the F-5. When the IIAF received the newer F-5E/F and F-4D/E, Iran and the USA negotiated, under project Enhance and Enhance-plus, to deliver most of the old Iranian F-5s to other US allies, especially to South Vietnam. Other recipients were Ethiopia, Jordan, Greece, Morocco and Kenya.
The model shows an aircraft that was stationed at TFB-3 Shahrokhi. In 1971 it crashed near Vahdati Airbase during an air to ground exercise.
What a lovely build, fantastic finish on the aluminum, very cool indeed.
Beautiful F-5!