Official Freewing JAS 39 Gripen 80mm EDF Jet

[Miroslav Cerny]

For those who may not be aware, the Gripen is on Canada's "short list"- along with the SuperHornet and F-35- to replace our aging fleet of legacy Hornets. A stop-gap measure of purchasing aging Australian Hornets was/is...never mind, I shouldn't get started.
Anyway, I'm pretending we at some point get Gripens and the boys from the 425th at Bagotville do one up in a demo scheme, as they do each year. There's a bit left to do- panel lines, a clear satin coat to tone down the glossy red paint and decals, some aircraft numbers, but it's basically there, such that it is. I hope too that the scheme helps with orientation- my eyes aren't getting any better.
The pilot figure (from my A-10) is just plonked in there to try the "office" out for size and reports it large enough to accommodate all but his lower legs so an almost full cockpit is next.
Tom

This version is really nice and original. Really nice.

[Airguardian]

The viking jet is at it again!

[SanExup]

The low level aerobatics, high speed passes, and high angle banking are the best. Just to get that visual cue, it probably adds to the feel of the inputs?

[KevinMar]

Here is my completed Gripen! I went for a winter camo scheme taken from Gripen 6002, and added the Ghost symbols used by the No.1 squadron which had been based in Angelholm, in hangers now occupied by the car manufacturer Koenigsegg.

[Evan D]

Nice. Have you flown it?

I really dislike the look of the TVs nozzle.

[KevinMar]

Haven't flown mine with the TV yet. I like your nozzle, but I personally don't hate mine that much. If we were going for perfectly scale, we wouldn't put a 2 axis thrust vectoring system on a Gripen in the first place...

[Evan D]

True. Not much scale about mine anyway. I just didn't like the look of the foam nozzle.

[Pogo]

Here is my completed Gripen! I went for a winter camo scheme taken from Gripen 6002, and added the Ghost symbols used by the No.1 squadron which had been based in Angelholm, in hangers now occupied by the car manufacturer Koenigsegg.

I like that scheme a lot and you've rendered it beautifully! I considered it too but the black bits scared me off due to the popcorning. Where are you at- does it get hot?
Tom

[Pogo]

This version is really nice and original. Really nice.

Thanks for the kind words Miroslav.
Tom

[KevinMar]

I considered it too but the black bits scared me off due to the popcorning. Where are you at- does it get hot?
Tom

Ha! I live in Southern California and fly at a field where it regularly gets above 100F or 37C in the summers 🤪

[Mizer67]

I like that scheme a lot and you've rendered it beautifully! I considered it too but the black bits scared me off due to the popcorning. Where are you at- does it get hot?
Tom

The actual color isn't black, it's a more of a dark blue-grey. I used Vallejo 71.304 recently and that's a close match.

Probably not much better than black, but hoping the 71.304 doesn't popcorn in the FL summers also.

[KevinMar]

The actual color isn't black, it's a more of a dark blue-grey. I used Vallejo 71.304 recently and that's a close match.

Probably not much better than black, but hoping the 71.304 doesn't popcorn in the FL summers also.

Yeah I combed the internet for different pictures of 6002 and it's a dark blueish grey. It changes a lot depending on the light and maybe repaints. It looks a lot like Vallejo 71.304 in some pics, but much darker in ones like this

[Pogo]

Ha! I live in Southern California and fly at a field where it regularly gets above 100F or 37C in the summers 🤪

We get there sometimes too (feels like because of the humidity)- but yours is a dry heat, lol
Tom

[Pogo]

Yeah I combed the internet for different pictures of 6002 and it's a dark blueish grey. It changes a lot depending on the light and maybe repaints. It looks a lot like Vallejo 71.304 in some pics, but much darker in ones like this

Yes, the lighting makes a huge difference. Such a great looking scheme though, whatever the lighting.
Tom

[Mizer67]

Yeah I combed the internet for different pictures of 6002 and it's a dark blueish grey. It changes a lot depending on the light and maybe repaints. It looks a lot like Vallejo 71.304 in some pics, but much darker in ones like this

Agree. Lighting makes it challenging to get a match. I considered Vallejo 71.308 as well. Seemed a little too "purple" to me.

[TangoVector]

...will be flying Cessna 182's with rocket pods...

-Rocket pods!?! You will be lucky! We will be so poor that the air force will use drones, and not the fancy 5" type, nooo, it will be tiny whoops with little rocks on kamikaze-missions for us.

With a reference to Monty Python

[Airguardian]

The low level aerobatics, high speed passes, and high angle banking are the best. Just to get that visual cue, it probably adds to the feel of the inputs?

Thanks!
But what do you mean exactly by 'adding to the feel of the inputs'?
You mean as in the smoke helping to control better the jet?
To some degree, yes... you have more of a 'visual' idea in terms of angle of attack, efficiency of flying and how 'abrupt' the maneuvers or changes in trajectory are, and certainly can use that to fly more smoothly. :)

[SanExup]

Airguardian What I mean is like any man and machine interface, for lack of better terminology, the mind meld with the plane. And yes, maybe some level of feedback in the vortices displayed in the smoke. Maybe?

[SanExup]

KevinMar Your Gripen looks badass!

[kallend]

Airguardian What I mean is like any man and machine interface, for lack of better terminology, the mind meld with the plane. And yes, maybe some level of feedback in the vortices displayed in the smoke. Maybe?

There's a feedback loop: plane - eyes- brain- hand (stick) - radio - control surfaces - plane (repeat).

The tighter and more accurate the feedback loop the better it "feels".

I have a few planes that "feel" really good, and others where the "feel" is rather sloppy.