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vehicles .::. civilian aircrafts .::. military aircrafts .::.
miscellaneous .::.---------------------------------------------------------- |
| In 1968 Svensk Flygtjänst started to operate J 32B Lansen towing targets at the Missile test centre Norrland, RFN (Robotförsöksplats Norrland). The Air Force had already done testing with Del Mar equipment in 1963 so the Lansen was certified for it. Three planes were used and were operated by Air Force personnel. One plane was lost in a fatal crash in 1981. A J 32D from Målflygdivisionen (The target flight division) later replaced it. The MBV2S winch used by the AF was replaced with a Del Mar winch. This plane never got a civilian registration. In 1993 the operation was taken over by the Airforce and the planes was returned from the civilian register. |
| For almost 30 years ago I started on an Airforce Target Tug Lansen and had to build the MBV-2S winch but never got to use it. Well it turned out that the plane I'm building now was using an Del Mar winch, so I had to start all over again. For my new winch I am using phoenix missiles from the Italeri F-14 kit. I cut them in two different lengths. That will give me a stronger bond so that I don't break it while sanding. |
| This build is breaking up. I had to break the fuselage apart to be able to mount the walls for the air brakes. On the positive side is that it was easier to mount the etch in the cockpit now. I am using the J 32B conversion from Maestro Models on a Heller kit. |
| I have been tinkering with the load for it. I am building a Del Mar DF4 and DF14 out of misc. parts and plastic. |
| Two Del Mar winches are ready. |
| With a target I need a plane as well, so I finally did start on the Lansen. The DF-4 target is getting some paint. |
| I have started to put the decals on the plane. |
| Most of the decals in place and it is standing on its wheels. |
| The etched air brakes are a bit tricky to build. |
| What's missing now are the landing bay doors and the towing equipment. |
So, it is finished at last. It only took 30 years. The initial plans for it was an Air Force machine.
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| But it doesn't always go as planned. I didn't get to use the parts for it that I built way back then. Well I can use those parts later. |
| This plane was operated by Svensk Flygtjänst at the Vidsel Test Range from 1969. The next one will be a civilian Target Tug machine as well. |
| As you could see in the chequered Lansen pictures I had started on a second one as well. It is a Heller kit with the fighter conversion from Maestro Model. It too will be a J 32B Target Tug. |
| I tried to use the Mr Paint colours, but I got a blotchy result ranging through semi-gloss to gloss. I guess it didn't like the bare plastic/putty surface. I repainted it with Tamiya paint instead. |
| I tried the Mr Paint for the blue with the same result as the last try. The paint is extremely thin, and I needed to put on several layers on to make it cover. Doing so painting a camouflage scheme is a disaster waiting to happen, so I will probably stick to my trusted Tamiya in the future. The blue looks different in the pictures as the light changes. |
| Out in the daylight the blue doesn't stand out as much. |
| Small stuff for two planes. |
Svensk Flygtjänst J 32B Lansen in the second paint scheme used. The plane got a two-colour camouflage and the chequer pattern has changed to solid yellow day glow panels.
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| The target hanging under the wing is a Del Mar DF14. |
| The easiest way to see if it is a J 32B in target towing or a J 32D is to look at the red stroboscope lamps. The 32B has one lamp under the forward fuselage and one placed on the forward part of the fin. |
| This will be a Target tug as well. This is a plane that I wasn't going to build but I decided to rebuild an old J 32B conversion that I wasn't too happy with. It was missing the nose with the gun bilges and the paint work wasn't too good. Instead of scrapping it I brought out the least bad of the noses I tried to cast a long time ago and added it to the model. I also added some pilots to hide the lack of details in the cockpit and this also let me off the hook of adding the air brakes. This will be a J 32D. |
| I am experimenting, trying to get the faded look that the planes eventually got. |
| I wasn't quite happy with the faded blue. It was way to light. It would have been too close to the colour on the bottom. It is much darker and bluer in the pictures than real life. So, I mixed another batch and repainted it. |
| If I had started by painting the leading edges of the wings it would have been much easier to mask it than this. |
| The yellow day glow decal sheet was very old, so it was hard and brittle. This picture was taken outside in daylight. |
The J 32D that replaced the lost SE-DCL. It is marked as it was after the Air Force took over operations.
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| The target hanging under the wing on this one is a Swedish made SM6 that replaced the Del Mar's |
| The J 32D had two red stroboscope lights under the fuselage and one on top of the fuselage. |
| Stockholm September 16, 2016 |  |
Updated September 26, 2017 |
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