From: "Steve Bamford ARC" To: "Sebastian Lim" References: <000f01c3d48b$316a2b50$6578fea9@homepc> Subject: Re: ARC Gallery Submission - 7 Jan 2004 Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2004 11:34:59 -0800 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_01BA_01C3E7EE.49D47940" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Unsent: 1 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_01BA_01C3E7EE.49D47940 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable MessageHi Sebastian, Thanks for sending in your MB-326 article....it looks very nice. I've = got a bit of a backlog due to "Silly Week"....and I'm catching up on my = e-mails which I fell behind on due to Christmas and Silly Week etc. = I'll e-mail you when your article goes on ARC. Steve Bamford Aircraft Resource Center http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com =20 Live like there is no tomorrow; Love like you've never been hurt. Work like you don't need the money. Dance like nobody's watching. Sing like nobody's listening. Live like it's Heaven on Earth. ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Sebastian Lim=20 To: Steve Bamford - ARC=20 Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2004 11:27 AM Subject: ARC Gallery Submission - 7 Jan 2004 G'day Steve, =20 Wishing you a Happy 2004! Here's my first submission of the year! Was = supposed to make it before end of December 2003 but the festive holidays = took me away from my hobby ;) =20 Cheers! Sebastian L -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----- "1/48 Atlas MB-326K Impala Mk. II"=20 by "Sebastian L" -------------------- Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 01.jpg = here=20 =20 Brief History The South Africa Air Force (SAAF) was the largest operator of the = MB-326 Impala Mk.II, and named it after the most common antelope found = in South Africa. Nearly 100 Impala Mk. IIs were manufactured under = licence by Atlas Aircraft Corporation of South Africa. Powered by a = Rolls Royce Viper 540 engine, and spotting larger set of air intakes, = the Mk.II were equipped with a pair of DEFA 30mm guns, along with = various dumb bombs and Matra rocket pods. During the Border War, the = Impala played a major role in air-to-ground operations. Flying a mere = 50ft over flat and featureless terrain, the SAAF pilots became the = pioneer of modern ultra low-level munitions delivery tactics. It was = alleged that Impala pilots could fly 'free & easy' in harsh and flat = terrain, despite equipped with a navigation system...a system they = hardly use! However, a couple of these were lost to ground fire due to their ultra = low-flying tactics. In 1992, several Impala squadrons were disbanded and = its ground attack roles were taken over by Cheetah Es. Many were either = scrapped, served as gate guardians, or sold to overseas buyers. The last = 2 units to operate them were 8 Sqn at Bloemspruit and 85 Combat Flying = School at Hoedspruit. During late 2003, the SAAF acquired the BAe Hawk = Mk.120, replacing the very last Mk.I trainers.=20 About the kit When i first picked up the ESCI 1/48 MB-326K more than 15 years ago, i = was surprised to see those great looking recessed details and a nice = decal sheet. Back then, such quality were almost unheard of. Even = Hasegawa pales in comparision, where most of their kits then were those = of raised panel lines and thick decals(still is!). Being a newbie, my = butter fingers got the better of me, making a mess out of the kit. = Colours were hand painted as i couldn't afford to buy a cheap airbrush. = It sure looked crappy to me and i wasn't happy at all....until last = year, i came across the same kit while on a business trip to Athens, = Greece. Picked up without any hesitation and told myself i will give my = best shot this time round. Ok, enough ranting, here goes : Basically, the kit was built OOB since no aftermarket stuff are = available. The only scratch building done were the Martin Baker Mk.IV = seat, rearview mirrors, Matra F2 68mm rocket pods. Do not use the = kit-provided Matra rocket pods & wing gun pods. These were never used by = the SAAF. Some issues to note: 1) Add noseweight! This kit is a tail-seater. 2) Wing root requires some putty since they don't 'align' with the = fuselage. 3) Decals - though they looked crisp, it shatters when placed in = water! 4) Kit colour instruction - inaccurate. Check your references. 5) Large a/c number below wings to be omitted for late Mk.IIs. Some = early Mk. IIs that i came across excludes that as well. =20 Click on images below to see larger images =20 Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo = 03.jpg here. Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized = version of photo 03.jpg=20 Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo = 04.jpg here. Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized = version of photo 04.jpg=20 =20 The model here depicts the early Dark Earth, Dark Green & Light = Grey(later Blue Grey) underside, which took part in the Border War = operations. Gunze H309 Dark Green FS34079 , H310 Brown FS30219 (mix to = get correct tone) and H308 Gray FS36375 for bottom fuselage. A coat of = Future was required to 'treat' the matt-looking ESCI decals. Weathering = were done using pastel chalk-dishwashing liquid. Since the Impalas were = low-flying over dusty flatlands, i replicated the dusty look with pastel = chalk. =20 Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 02.jpg = here=20 =20 A mixed loadout of 2x Matra F2 68mm rocket pods, 2x Mk.81 250lb bombs = and 2x drop tanks were chosen, along with the internal DEFA 30mm gun = packs attached to both sides of the front fuselage. Click on images below to see larger images =20 Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo = 05.jpg here. Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized = version of photo 05.jpg=20 Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo = 06.jpg here. Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized = version of photo 06.jpg=20 =20 I highly recommend those who are into obscure subjects to grab this if = you see them. Though not Tamigawa by today's standard, it sure looks = good still!=20 =20 Cheers! Sebastian L=20 Republic of Singapore=20 Photos and text =A9 2004 by "Sebastian L" ------=_NextPart_000_01BA_01C3E7EE.49D47940 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Message
Hi Sebastian,
Thanks for = sending in your=20 MB-326 article....it looks very nice.  I've got a bit of a backlog = due to=20 "Silly Week"....and I'm catching up on my e-mails which I fell behind on = due to=20 Christmas and Silly Week etc.  I'll e-mail you when your article = goes on=20 ARC.
 
Steve Bamford
Aircraft Resource = Center
http://www.aircraftresourc= ecenter.com
 
Live=20 like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you've never been hurt.
Work = like you=20 don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like = nobody's=20 listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.
----- Original Message -----
From:=20 Sebastian=20 Lim
To: Steve Bamford - ARC
Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2004 = 11:27=20 AM
Subject: ARC Gallery Submission = - 7 Jan=20 2004

 G'day=20 Steve,
 
Wishing you a=20 Happy 2004! Here's my first submission of the year! Was supposed to = make it=20 before end of December 2003 but the festive holidays took me away = from my=20 hobby ;)
 
Cheers!
Sebastian=20 L

"1/48 Atlas MB-326K Impala Mk.=20 II" 

by "Sebastian=20 L"
--------------------

Steve Bamford=20 will insert full=20 sized version of photo 01.jpg here =
=20

Brief=20 History

The South Africa Air Force (SAAF) was = the=20 largest operator of the MB-326 Impala Mk.II, and named it after the = most=20 common antelope found in South Africa. Nearly 100 Impala Mk. = IIs=20 were manufactured under licence by Atlas Aircraft Corporation of = South=20 Africa. Powered by a Rolls Royce Viper 540 engine, and = spotting larger=20 set of air intakes, the Mk.II were equipped with a pair of DEFA 30mm = guns,=20 along with various dumb bombs and Matra rocket pods. During the Border = War,=20 the Impala played a major role in air-to-ground operations. Flying a = mere 50ft=20 over flat and featureless terrain, the SAAF pilots became the = pioneer of=20 modern ultra low-level munitions delivery tactics. It was alleged that = Impala=20 pilots could fly 'free & easy' in harsh and flat=20 terrain, despite equipped with a navigation system...a system = they hardly=20 use!

However, a couple of these = were lost to=20 ground fire due to their ultra low-flying tactics. In 1992,=20 several Impala squadrons were disbanded and its ground = attack roles=20 were taken over by Cheetah Es. Many were either scrapped, served as = gate=20 guardians, or sold to overseas buyers. The last 2 units to = operate them=20 were 8 Sqn at Bloemspruit and 85 Combat Flying School at Hoedspruit. = During=20 late 2003, the SAAF acquired the BAe Hawk Mk.120, = replacing the very=20 last Mk.I trainers. 

About the=20 kit

When i first picked up the ESCI 1/48 = MB-326K more=20 than 15 years ago, i was surprised to see those = great looking=20 recessed details and a nice decal sheet. Back then, such quality were = almost=20 unheard of. Even Hasegawa pales in comparision, where most = of their=20 kits then were those of raised panel lines and thick decals(still = is!). Being=20 a newbie, my butter fingers got the better of me, making a mess out of = the=20 kit. Colours were hand painted as i couldn't afford to buy a cheap = airbrush.=20 It sure looked crappy to me and i wasn't happy at all....until last = year, i=20 came across the same kit while on a business trip to Athens, Greece. = Picked up=20 without any hesitation and told myself i will give my best shot this = time=20 round. Ok, enough ranting, here goes :

Basically, the kit was built OOB since no = aftermarket=20 stuff are available. The only scratch building done were the = Martin Baker=20 Mk.IV seat, rearview mirrors, Matra F2 68mm rocket pods. Do not use = the=20 kit-provided Matra rocket pods & wing gun pods. These were never = used by=20 the SAAF. Some issues to note:

1) Add noseweight! This kit is a=20 tail-seater.
2) Wing root requires some putty since they don't = 'align' with=20 the fuselage.
3) Decals - though they looked crisp, it shatters = when placed=20 in water!
4) Kit colour instruction - inaccurate. Check your=20 references.
5) Large a/c number below wings to be omitted for late=20 Mk.IIs. Some early Mk. IIs that i came across excludes that as = well.

 

Click on images=20 below to see larger images

Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller = version of=20 photo 03.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo = will bring=20 up the full sized version of photo 03.jpg=20

<= IMG=20 border=3D0=20 = src=3D"http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Article-Templates/03t.jpg"><= /A>

  Steve Bamford will insert a = click-able=20 smaller version of photo 04.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo = will bring=20 up the full sized version of photo 04.jpg=20

<= IMG=20 border=3D0=20 = src=3D"http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Article-Templates/04t.jpg"><= /A>

The=20 model here depicts the early Dark Earth, Dark Green & Light = Grey(later=20 Blue Grey) underside, which took part in the Border War = operations. Gunze H309 Dark Green FS34079 , H310 Brown FS30219 = (mix to=20 get correct tone) and H308 Gray FS36375 for bottom fuselage. A coat of = Future=20 was required to 'treat' the matt-looking ESCI decals. Weathering were = done=20 using pastel chalk-dishwashing liquid. Since the Impalas were = low-flying over=20 dusty flatlands, i replicated the dusty look with pastel=20 chalk.

 =20
Steve Bamford=20 will insert full sized version of photo 02.jpg here =
=20

A=20 mixed loadout of 2x Matra F2 68mm rocket pods, 2x Mk.81 250lb bombs = and 2x=20 drop tanks were chosen, along with the internal DEFA 30mm gun packs = attached=20 to both sides of the front fuselage.

Click on images=20 below to see larger images

Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller = version of=20 photo 05.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo = will bring=20 up the full sized version of photo 05.jpg=20

<= IMG=20 border=3D0=20 = src=3D"http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Article-Templates/05t.jpg"><= /A>

  Steve Bamford will insert a = click-able=20 smaller version of photo 06.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo = will bring=20 up the full sized version of photo 06.jpg=20

<= IMG=20 border=3D0=20 = src=3D"http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Article-Templates/06t.jpg"><= /A>

 
I highly recommend those who = are into=20 obscure subjects to grab this if you see them. Though not Tamigawa by = today's=20 standard, it sure looks good still! 
 
Cheers!

Sebastian = L=20
Republic of Singapore=20

Photos = and text =A9=20 2004 by "Sebastian=20 L"

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