ndicki

It's OK, Alex - I'm planning to have a go at the MiG-21 myself before long - would you believe that out of all the skins I've seen, hardly any of them represent the typical, two-colour paint-scheme, which is the one we need most? This one is East German, but the scheme was used by a number of African operators, including Angola and Zambia.

Don't worry, you haven't lost your touch! Republic of Zingaro Air Force (RZAF) - a small country landlocked between SA, Zim and Botswana. Difficult to find on the map...

See Bob Mugabe anywhere?

This one is not Zambian, though. Look closely...

Maybe a bit less... Two weeks is a long time in modding! Wait a bit, it won't be long. I want it as near spot-on as possible first.

Ag, Josh, are you trying to tell me you don't have a Zambian MiG? Shame...

I think I'm going to stick that pylon on the Gina, too. Seems a waste not to profit from the technology available...

I saw the Lightnings, too - interesting idea... One mistake, though - the serial numbers. Probably 776 of 2 Sqn, since 7 Sqn flew choppers, and 6 Sqn was a training squadron. (The serials are not difficult to work out, just deliberately obscure...) So they got them to replace the Vampires - OK, but the Lightning isn't a ground attack aircraft. It would have gone to No.1 Sqn to replace the Hunters. But still... And the "R" prefix was not used on the aircraft, even when the serial was, which wasn't often. The TSR would have been 566 from 2Sqn, for similar reasons. Interesting ideas... Nice ideas, though!

Is this lekker, or is this lekker, my chinas! As used ONLY by the Rhodesian Air Force...

You wait - AleDucat has done a REAL Sidewinder pylon - it looks beautiful!

AleDucat, that looks brilliant! Mine is rubbish in comparison - I'd be really grateful if I could use yours - it looks exactly right! I'll PM you with my e-mail address. Many, many thanks!

Thanks! The difference being that the Chileans, Singaporeans and Swiss, among others, used the outboard pylon. The South Africans added a third central pylon, which is the unusual bit. Although the aircraft were Rhodesian - SAAF didn't fly Hunters - they were modified by SAAF techs. By the way, Spinners, as you're into "What-ifs" - have you seen my Rhodesian Gina? Ex-Portuguese AF, the story goes...

Ah, but there wasn't anybody to buy them from, was there? And the South Africans had their own troubles, so they couldn't help much more than they were already doing.

Next stage is visible here: http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?showtopic=37803 Nearly finished. One afternoon to dirty it up and make it look a bit less pristine, and it'll be ready for upload.

Just to tease a bit - I'm quite proud of this. A couple of days work on the part of a relative newbie to SF. With Sidewinders... I admit the aircraft needs weathering and generally making less "regular." That's the next bit of work. SF2 only - don't ask for miracles! And I still need a real modeller to do those pylons/rails, which frankly aren't up to it. But still... And I hope Spinners agrees - it's his mod of the stock FGA.9 which I've used as a starting point. It'll be a full stand-alone, and the tanks are version-specific, so they won't get in the way of your RAF Hunters. Makes life easier.

Not if you look too closely it isn't. It's square edged, start with that! We need a modeller...

You need to reduce the shine, but it's looking good! This where I'm at:

Later... Still not going to win prizes for elegance, but...

OK, so it's blocky, disappears at certain angles (????? Why? Admittedly, it isn't textured, only coloured in MAX) and it's in the wrong place - BUT IT IS THERE! Using the false fuel tank principal. Now I have to read more about that bloody modelling program before I can go much further.

That is one major problem with SF. 3DS MAX. It costs a fortune to buy - we looked while a gang of us were wondering where to go after CFS3 - and even if it is apparently easier to use than GMAX, nobody's going to pay that kind of money just to pass the time. Why TK didn't go for GMAX, I don't know - he'll have his reasons, I'm sure, but I wish... I could do it myself, given probably several hours (!) in GMAX. Or if there were a GMAX exporter... They have a 30-day trial version. In 30 days, with my incredible modelling abilities, I may just work out how to make a cube or something. In GMAX, they have a "make-a-teapot" button. I'm good at making teapots. In fact, that's about all I've really ever managed. The funny thing is that as a rule, the modellers can't paint, and the painters can't model. Wonder why!

It'd be better than the bloody awful stock UI music, in any case!

No probs. That is something I can do. Check this Hunter: http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?showtopic=37734 I need someone to knock out a pylon/rail, though, that I can fit here. It could go in as a fake pilot or as a fixed drop tank, if I've understood the work-arounds. Hey, anybody got "I wish I was a blue job" by John Edmond? Mine's gone funny. I was thinking we could use it somewhere. "I wouldn't have to walk if I could fly..." I should have listened!

OK, except that I said "rail" for "pylon with a rail". Look on the bright side - I've understood how it works! I did hunt through the weapons packs I've got to see what there might be, but there wasn't. Know any easily-tameable modellers?

Spot on. The SAAF never used Hunters, primarily because they'd already been excluded from the Commonwealth for being "unmentionable"; so they got Mirages instead in 1963, to replace their Sabres. This Hunter can only be Rhodesian - and the paint scheme corresponds to what was in service at the time. Goes to show, though!

And fitting it with Sidewinders. Yes, that shocked me, too. At least two Hunters were equipped with IRMs by SAAF workshops in early 1979. I didn't know, either.