Airfix (Esci) 1/48 “Blå Petter”
A blue-yellow beauty!
Hi everyone!
This is my Airfix 1/48 Saab 37 Viggen, carrying the famous "Blå Petter" scheme!
The A/C's serial number is 37432, being the 132 production JA 37, delivered to F 16 wing in 1990.
The kit is a 2002 Airfix rebox of the venerable 1978 Esci initial release.
It was built in 2004 OOB, painted with Humbrol enamels.
This kit is a tad on the basic side regarding details, mostly concerning cockpit, landing gear and exhaust (but, again, it is a 1978 mold).
Hope you like it, my friends!
Happy modeling!
Spiros, @fiveten
This is a BEAUTIFUL looking plane... and I especially like the colors it was finished in. At a quick glance, the colors make it resemble a "Blue Angel's" plane. 🙂 Speaking of the finish, it too is superb. Nice and shiny, spot on to me. It's hard to believe this model was built so long ago, (2004 sounds like it happened yesterday to me) and that it's origins date back to the 1970's as an ESCI kit..
Well done my friend. I was the first to press the "liked" button.
Thanks my friend Louis @lgardner!
Yep, the scheme shades are close the beloved Blue Angels ones!
Great looking plane. That is a very pretty color scheme.
Thanks Amari @themturtles!
I was just typing the same thing as Louis - the very first photo mad me think it was an F-11F Blue Angels Tiger!
Beauty of a finish Spiros, like a Swedish flag with wings.
Thanks George @georgeswork!
Those colors just look great on that beauty of the Viggen shape (but, again any color would look gorgeous on THAT shape...)
@fiveten
It really is a striking scheme, beautiful paintwork on that glossy blue, thumbs up Spiros!
Thanks my friend @holzhamer!
Beautiful; hard to get excellent finishes with these colors. Do you remember what paints you used (yellow and blue)?
Thanks Ilan @ilanortho!
Humbrol 14 and 69 enamels.
Very nice i had that old kit same scheme ?
Thanks Anthony @jacman!
It was a nice kit! I really enjoyed putting it together!
You did it again Spiros! Very nice paint scheme. You did a fantastic job with that old kit. I "liked" it!
Thanks a lot Eric @eb801!
Really nice job, Spiros! Like other's stated, hard colors to paint, especially yellow but you knocked it out of the park.
Any style USN Blue Angel bird would look great next to it.
Thanks Gary @gwskat!
A Blue Angels collection is something I really wish to accomplish one day!
I love the Blue Angels!
Turned out really nice, Spiros. It’s available from Italeri today.
Thanks John @j-healy!
Though no one would object to have a new tool mainstream quarterscale Viggen, and also taking into account that the kit is on the simplistic side cockpit and wheel wells wise, not to mention that it has been reported that the kit has a few shape issues, I have to say I was really happy with it: it was a solid build with a nice final posture that surely looked like Viggen. Seing it reissued by Italeri at a sensible price is nice!
Spiros this is the one aircraft I regret not having in my stash. This is the first time I have seen this commemorative scheme. It definitely catches the eye and enhances the beauty of the Viggen. Your model as usual is masterclass work. Well done!
The Viggen is such an impressive and beautiful jet, Morne @mornem! It was one of my childhood's key aircraft shapes: it looked so futuristic back then, especially when viewed from the top...
I have always desperatedly wanted to build a Viggen, definitely do the forest camo, but, it was not an easy camo to replicate...
When I saw the "Blue Peter", I found it extremely attractive and an easier task than the "forest" scheme: decision taken!
Thanks for kind words, my friend!
Had to look twice myself, thinking it was a Blue Angel scheme, beautifully done!
Thanks Robert @roofrat!. I think it will look great by THE GREAT Blue Angels!
Outstanding Spiros, I love the Viggen's unique shape and design. Saab like their cars when you see one, you can't mistake it to be none other than a Saab. Already mentioned it rings at first Blue Angels. I have the original Esci kit with some extras to someday build. But I also have the more up to date Special Hobby Viggen as well which is the rebox Tarangus kit which looks good in the box. Hmmm maybe a project for the upcoming new year. Thanks for sharing a classic.
Thanks Chuck @uscusn!
I am told (and I agree) that this kit, with the extras, can really hold its own against the much newer Special Hobby / Tarangus one (which is said that also has some shape-ish issues).
I would love to see your Viggen built!
Very nice build! A rocket ship with wings!
Thanks Curt @CRCsquad!
A rocketship with wings it is!
Two words; Well Done.
Such an amazing product, Spiros. Well done!
Thanks Jordyn @1corsair64!
It's not an easy kit I'm told. And a glossy smooth paint scheme to boot. Excellent work.
Someday I would like to finish my Tarangus Viggen. It's currently laughing at me sitting in a dust covered box.
Thanks Dan @dbdlee!
I would say it was not extremely difficult to put together, requiring the usual "old school big kit" attention. Only issue (not for me), is that quite a bit of raised detail is lost in the filling/sanding process and a purist may want to describe - oh my!
I would love to see your Tarangus Viggen built!
You really nailed that paint job, Spiros! Shiny, smooth finish with now seams (that I can see). Very nicely done!
Thanks Robert @robgenev 665!
I tried to fill and sand the quite a few seams. Most disappeared, sadly together with the surrounding raised detail 🙂
The canopy seam is more obvious.
Humbrol 14 French Blue was a great ally in making things shiny and even.
Top job Spiros. You have turned a pretty average kit into a stunner.
Thanks Haslam @haslam55!
I had a good time building it!
That's sensational, Spiros - great clean finish. Absolutely stunning!
Thanks Paul @yellow10!
Cool! A real eye-grabber. All good.
Thanks Bob @bails!
Glad you like it!
Excellent and very inspiring work ?, a pleasure to view, very well done, sir!
Thanks Allon @allonkira67!
Swedish flag colors and the Viggen shape were a good match!
What more to say, Spiros @fiveten
This is a wonderful presentation of a wonderful plane.
With this scheme you even give it more attention than it does by itself.
Besides the Viggen shape, I also like the fact that it can be put in reverse while taxiing.
This scheme indeed suits the Viggen.
I am sure you know it, but please let me state that Swedish knew how to build good planes, in order to fulfil their operational requirements.
Among its many merits, the Viggen could opetate from 500m short runways, road strips included, at low angles of attack, in order not to damage potentially improvised runways. It could even self-maneuver in all directions when on the ground, the thrust reverser being "responsible" for this.
Thanks for liking my build, my friend @johnb!
Indeed a wonderful piece of engineering.
Saw a demonstration of a Viggen in 2019 during an airshow at Volkel near my hometown.
Really impressive plane. @fiveten
1 attached image. Click to enlarge.
I wish I saw a Viggen demo, too, John @johnb!
Great pic of the Viggen!
Great work spiros. Love the look of this. Such an iconic shape. Very nice.
Thanks Glenn @glenn73
So cool, Spiros, just love it.
Thanks George @chinesegeorge!
I have always been fascinated with this aircraft. The No room for small talk Swedes deliver !
Nice tribute ! Great build Spiros.
Stay safe.
Thanks Bernard @bernardbedeur!
Swedes are experts in defining their needs and come up with the appropriate solution.
The Viggen was no exception.
Bonus its amazing looks!
The Viggen is a favorite of mine, but I've never seen it in this livery. Very striking indeed! Nicely done.
Thanks Greg @gkittinger!
When I saw that boxart I couldn't resist!
Impressively smooth finish with Humbrol enamels, Spiros. I can only get that kind of smoothness out of acrylics with additional plastic polish work. That is one intensely patriotic looking Viggen in Swedish flag colors. Great work.
Humbrol gloss enamels, especially the “darker” shades are really producing nice results indeed, Colin.
Thanks for liking, my friend @coling!