JB's Impala 1:48

[JediBoer]

I have decided to build a South African Air Force Impala Mk II from 4th Squadron, Waterkloof A.B.which is just down the road from me here in Pretoria.

The kit I chose for this build is the Italeri 1:48 Kit No 2710 MB326K Impala with Super Decals Sheet. The kit is a 2012 rebox of the ESCI Aermacchi MB-326 kit that first saw the light in 1981. It is therefor a relative old kit but I'm going to give it a good go!



The comes with the usual Italeri instruction sheet in A4 booklet form (no color). The first page has some information about the plane in several languages, sans Chinese and Japanese.



Then there is the sprue map and paint call-out for Model Master and Italeri's own acrylic paint range. The FS numbers are also included and I'm going to use a combination of Akan paints for the upper fuselage camouflage and Mr Aqueous Hobby for the grey underside.



The build instructions start with the cockpit and progresses to the wings and fuselage and finally ends with adding all the bits and bobs you can attach to the underside of a plane.









Finally there are all the different version you can build (6). I'm going for version A.



The Super Decal Sheet was disappointing. The decals are printed by Cartograf but the South African decals have the wrong spelling in most of the readable Afrikaans decals. Words like Gevaar (Danger) was spelt "Gevar" and Loopvlak (Walkway) was spelt "Loopvlac".



There are only supposed to be 3 sprues in the bag. This one broke of with part of the wings.





There are some minor flash and burring issues here and there. The molds are soft with panel lines disappearing close to the edges and on the curves.



The canopy does not look to bad. No scratches and very little distortion. We'll have to see how it fits but it should be easy to mask up.



Always make sure that you check the bag before throwing it away. Part of the ejector seat was missing from the sprue and I found it in the bag, in which all the sprues came.



Next up, I'll have to give the styrene a good wash as the sprues are covered with some oily substance which is probably the remnants of the release agent Italeri used when manufacturing the kit.

/JB

[Aliktren]

nice looking kit, looking forward to seeing it come together

[JediBoer]

South Africa obtained a license to produce the MB-326M (similar to the 'G' model), as the Impala Mk I in 1964 with production starting in 1966.[7] It received 40 Italian-built aircraft followed by about 125 built locally by the Atlas Aircraft Corporation,[8] using them both as trainers and in an armed configuration. Seven examples of the MB-326K were also bought as light attack aircraft, with a further 15 assembled from kits,[9] while around 78 were license-produced and known as the Impala Mk II.[3] Licence production of the single seat version began in 1974.[7] The Impala Mk II, locally manufactured and equipped with French armament, was also advanced with a South African ECM suite.



Atlas Impala of the South African Air Force
The South African Defence Force employed Impalas during campaigns against the Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FAPLA) and Cuban expeditionary troops in Angola between 1975 and 1989. Impala pilots typically flew at 550–650 km/h at a height of 15 m to avoid Angolan air defences. Over the course of the South African Border War, one was downed by an SA-7; another returned with an unexploded missile in its exhaust.[10]
The aircraft had many advantages over expensive supersonic jets. Although slower, it could operate take off from relatively primitive airfields and strike swiftly. The South African Air Force (SAAF) used up to 6 x 120 kg or 4 x 250 kg bombs. The main armament consisted of 68 mm SNEB rocket-launchers (four x 6 or two x 18), and two 30 mm autocannon (with 300 rounds).[11] These cannons were the real bonus for the Impala Mk II, helping to give a superior performance compared to earlier two-seat versions. The latter could also carry a pair of 30 mm DEFA guns in under-wing pods. However, dual capability as trainer-attackers was better appreciated, as was the availability of six hard points and so dual-seat versions were far more common. Six squadrons were equipped with the Impala Mk II in the SAAF during the 1970s and 1980s. Prior to Operation Moduler, most Impalas were withdrawn from their operating bases in South-West Africa, leaving the work to Mirage IIIs and Blackburn Buccaneers.[12]
Impala Mk IIs were also opportunistically used as interceptors. In several encounters in 1985 with Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters, they shot down a total of six. This happened during a crucial phase of the ground war, when Angolan and Cuban troops were checked in an offensive against UNITA bases. This ended in disaster for the Angolan/Cuban alliance when their supplies were cut off by UNITA and the SAAF and front line troops ran out of ammunition. Helicopters were being used to supply the besieged troops and the SAAF cut off this link. Two Mi-24s were shot down in the first encounter while escorting Mi-17s.[13] The MiG-21s that escorted them flew too high to react in time. Two days later the Impala Mk IIs struck again, downing two Mi-24s and two Mi-17s. Attacks on unsuspecting helicopters were carried out with only two guns per aircraft. The single seat Impala Mk IIs were also sometimes armed with Matra R550 Magic air-to-air missiles for self-defence.[7] The Impala Mk II operated at extreme ranges and had to fly very low, climbing only when helicopters were seen at medium altitude. After each attack they returned to low level to avoid interception by enemy MiGs.
The Silver Falcons, the SAAF aerobatic team, were equipped before with Impala Mk Is.
The flying school for Impalas was Flying Training School at Langebaanweg while operational squadrons were 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 Squadrons, with 85 Combat Flying School also having a small number of Impalas to supplement their Mirage trainers.



After four decades of hard work the South African Air Force’s (SAAF’s) Impala MK I & MK IIs finally turned in their wings at their decommissioning parade at Air Force Base Hoedspruit. This occasion, on 30 November 2005, brought together those crews who, since the Impala’s inception in 1966, had the privilege of flying and maintaining this graceful aircraft.

Seven Impalas, consisting of four MK I and three MK II aircraft, made full use of this last opportunity to show off their abilities. The seven pilots who had the privilege of flying this display were the Officer Commanding 85 Combat Flying School, Lt Col Koos “Rapier” Kieck, Maj Jaco “Weasel” Labuschagne, Maj Paul “Cruiser” Coetser, Capt Collin “Stingray” Sparke, Capt Catherine “Siren” Labuschagne, Capt Jacques “Panther” Mouton and Lt Lance “Lancelot” Mathebula.


The display started with a Delta formation fly-past and continued with a sequence of low-level aerobatic displays, a four-ship pitch and fan air-to-ground mock attack, two solo displays by “Weasel” and “Cruiser”, and a last Vic formation fly-past before breaking away to do their final landing on South African soil. After completing a combined shut-down of the Impala’s Bristol Siddeley Viper Turbojet engines, the pilots with their respective ground crew paid their last respects to this faithful aircraft and marched away.

Earlier on the same day, Class 2 of 1968, including Lt Gen Gagiano (CAF), Maj Gen Labuschagne (GOC), Brig Gen Barker (OC AFB Makhado), Brig Gen Hartogh (Inspector General), Lt Col Kieck and Col du Toit (Navigator), who did their pupil pilot’s training on the Impala, also bid farewell to this aircraft with a last backseat sortie.

During the early nineteen-sixties the Air Force embarked on a long-awaited programme of modernisation of its main equipment. It also saw the re-establishment of a South African aircraft industry – the Atlas Aircraft Corporation. The Italian Macchi MB-326 was the first aircraft to be manufactured under licence by this Corporation in Kempton Park. The Corporation recruited skilled aircraft workers from all over the world, including French, Dutch and British technicians, as well as Italians, Greeks, Germans, Poles, Yugoslavs, Czechs, Belgians, Americans, Canadians and South Africans. The 1968 October edition of the South African Panorama magazine described the factory metaphorically as a linguistic Tower of Babel, but without the confusion which characterised the Biblical story. “Notwithstanding the many nationalities, a spirit of cooperation is evident throughout the factory. The factory with all its manifold departments and sections, ranging from air-conditioned instrument laboratories to sizeable metal-pressing units runs as a single well-oiled combination.”

Sixteen Impalas were imported from Italy, ready for assembly at AFB Ysterplaat. Delivery of the first of these (with tail number 476 and now known as an Impala MK I) was taken in November 1966. The official symbolic handing-over to the SAAF took place on 3 June 1966, with the dual-seater MK I (tail number 460). Since that day, 151 MK I (MB-326M) dual-seater and 100 MK II (MB-326KC) single-seater Impala aircraft have been manufactured, the last delivery being that of an MK II with tail number 1099 in 1982.

The Impala aircraft has seen service as an ab initio trainer, a primary jet trainer and an operational light attack fighter. It also served from 1968 for almost three decades as the aircraft of the SAAF’s aerobatic team, the Silver Falcons. In all, the Impalas operated from 10 SAAF bases and both Regular Force and Reserve Force pilots flew this aircraft with great distinction in times of war and peace.

Fourteen Impala MK IIs previously belonging to the SAAF will soon grace Brazilian skies. The Brazilian Air Force recently bought these aircraft together with their support components and are in the process of rebuilding the aircraft with the SAAF’s assistance.

Even though the Impala will always be remembered with nostalgia and affection, this is the dawning of a new era in the SAAF, and the Hawk, which will now have very big shoes to fill, is awaited with great expectation and enthusiasm.

[JediBoer]

I found this inbox review of the kit done by Chris and Alex Modelling on their Youtube channel.

[youtube]RCZZK17beVM[/youtube]

[JediBoer]

Finally had the last missing paints arrive for the GB from http://www.hobbycolours.com.



I also started with the build and an update will follow soon!

/JB

[Pacheco]

Looking forward ro this one.

I´m a huge fan of the Aermacchi.

[JediBoer]

Looking forward ro this one.

I´m a huge fan of the Aermacchi.

I hope I don't disappoint! Thanks mate!

[JediBoer]

The Impala build finally got underway! I spent most of my bench time this weekend getting my Zero for the In The Navy SiG ready for painting.

As mentioned previously, this is a pretty old kit. It suffers from Acute EPMs In All The Places Syndrome! I spent some time cleaning up parts for some of the sub assemblies and filling in EPMs with homemade TET/Styrene filler. Some of the EPMs will need some more filling later.





After sanding down the filler, I gave them a quick coat of Mr Surfacer 1200. I'll let this dry for a couple of days and then sand it down smoothly. It should take care of any evidence left over from the EPMs.



I build up the wing section sub assembly. It went together really well in general. I had some issues with the air intakes and getting them all smooth inside, but it should be OK after some Mr Surfacer.



The wings and part of the fuselage.





That is the first update for now. I hope to go and visit the SAAF Museum at Swartkops AFB in the near future to go and take some photos of the Impalas they have on display. I'm also thinking of doing some scratch building for the first time to liven up the cockpit and ejection seat a little bit. We'll see if time permits. Just have to get some raw materials together.

/JB

[TheWeasel]

looking forward to this one

Good luck with the EPMs. Looks like they put them in the most visible places :|

[JediBoer]

OK, so there is good news and there is bad news. Impala is not happening anymore. I can't find the box. I recently cleaned up the man-cave and I suspect my domestic worker through out the Impala box. Not her mistake, I probably had the box in between the ones that was supposed to be thrown out.

So, I'm going to try and build and finish plan B, the North American Aviation Harvard or North American T-6 Texan, which was used by the South African Air Force as its "pilot maker" until 1991 when it was replaced by the Pilatus PC 9.

Luckily we have a long weekend this weekend here so I'm going to give this a good go this weekend.

This is a 1/32 kit by Kitty Hawk. It is my first ever Kitty Hawk kit.



The plastic used by Kitty Hawk is quite strange, it seems very soft but also brittle. There is quite a bit of flash on all the sprues.



There is very nice rivet details on the wings.



Details on the fuselage is also quite nice. Engine details is a bit soft and there is flash here and there.



Cockpit detail is disappointing so I just had to get a PE set to liven up the interior.



PE and canopy masks from Eduard



Two large sheet of decals and stencils giving you a legion of options. A smaller decal sheet for the instruments and a PE fret for the seat-belts are also included.



The manual is booklet style with the paint/decal options in color which is quite nice.











The SAAF version on the right is the one I'm going to build.



Wish me luck!

/JB