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Hi folks,
This is the latest refurb, (from a childhood kit), I have been tinkering with.
It's a 1:72 SAAB Draken, manufacturer unkown, (perhaps somebody could tell me).
The plan is to finish her in a WIF civil NASA white/blue scheme, (similar to the NASA F-104 and T-38 fleets). She will however carry the rego of a "real" civil Draken in the USA....that being N35350.
I have always been impressed by this big, bad-arse, cold war, double-delta, arse-kicking interceptor from the land of ABBA. I remember seeing her star in the movie "Fire Birds" and thinking "holy crap!!!....that friggen jet is just awesome".
On one of our USA Aviation trips, Knotty and I found one abandoned, just sitting out in the middle of the Mojave desert all buy herself.
Anyway, here is where I am up to. I have already fabricated and fitted a new cockpit floor, as well as fabricating some new undercarriage doors:




As can be seen, she has a bit of glue damage etc, but nothing that cant be repaired.
Now for the scrounge.....I am after a complete undercarriage set for her, (as I want to display her sitting on the ground with canopy open....as she would have been at Edwards AFB). Also, I am having difficulty getting close up detail shots/info of the undercarriage arrangement, (even a model instruction sheet would help here). If anyone can help out with undercarriage spares and info for this "born again" Draken, I would be most appreciative.
TOR

I can't help you with any parts you need Tor, but if you youtube "Saab Draken Cobra manouvre there is a 2 seat Draken doing a cobra! It looks really impressive.

Regards,
RHB.

That looks suspiciously like the Airfix kit, Ray.

Kev

kfutter wrote:That looks suspiciously like the Airfix kit, Ray.

Kev

I thought that also Kev, but the original pilot figure does not look typical "Airfix".
Could be the old Revell kit cause the pilot figure looks the same as the old Revell F-8 Crusader.
UPDATE: Just found the "Revell" stamp in the nose gear wheel well....so that's that mystery solved.
I think I might have to build this thing with the gear up . I have looked all over the net and it would seem that there are simply no after-market undercarriage parts available for the Draken in 1:72.
tor

Ray, I have an old Airfix Draken kit in the stash that I'm not likely to ever build. Would you like to have it,even if only for the undercarriage for this one?

Regards,
RHB.

Hi Ross,
Thanks for your kind offer mate......but all good. I have decided to re-build her with the gear retracted, (she will be posed on a stand, in a steep climb with a name-plate inscribed "Screaming out of Edwards"), so no replacement undercarriage now necessary.
I really enjoy the the challenge of refurbing old "lost cause" kits from my childhood, (all of which I have kept for all these decades, with just this intent in mind).These days, with the availability of after-market parts and accessories, it is now a much more viable proposition. The irony is though that the replacement parts and materials used during a typical refurb project end up costing many times more than the original kit ........but that's not the point. It's all about the challenge and satisfaction of bringing an ancient, banged-up, and bruised kit back "from the dead".
Thanks again for your offer mate.....much appreciated.
TOR

Keep up the great work mate

Another very interesting "aeronautical/archaeological" model refurb there Ray! If not a Airfix kit, could it be a Revel or Frog kit? In plan form, very interesting to see the shape of this amazing aeroplane. Representing a Swedish company, I've visited this amazing land on a few occasions - even driven past where the Gripen was being tested on one occasion. Could not see one thing driving past due to the large earthen walls placed all around prohibiting any viewing of the runway or hangars from the road. What staggers me about Sweden is how immensely intelligent everyone I've met there is. They are such a switched on nation.

Keep up the great refurb work Ray!

Cheers

Adam

As it turns out, she is a Revell original, (not the current re-pop of the Hasegawa version). I found the Revell stamp in the nose gear wheel well.
Yep....many great things have come from Sweden including Drakens, Viggens, ABBA, and IKEA
TOR

tor lives wrote:As it turns out, she is a Revell original, (not the current re-pop of the Hasegawa version). I found the Revell stamp in the nose gear wheel well.
Yep....many great things have come from Sweden including Drakens, Viggens, ABBA, and IKEA
TOR

Not so sure about the last two Swedish "products" mentioned above! Not a fan of ABBA at all. Went to a Roger Waters (of Pink Floyd fame) concert a few years ago which was brilliant. He did the typical Floyd thing of having a large screen behind the stage and the concert started with the image of a old fashioned radio belting our Blues classics. You see a wisp of cigarette smoke curl upwards and a hand comes up reaching for a glass of whiskey occasionally, as the listener no doubt is mellowing out listening to the Blues. One Blues song ends and a ABBA song comes on - AAARRRGGGHHH! The listener frantically reaches up and tunes into another Blues song. Well, the crowd erupted in laughter! Great moment!

IKEA - oh gawd, I take anything good I've mentioned back about the Swedes! My wife has dropped the IKEA "nuke" on me a couple of times. I've come home and been presented with several slabs of "furniture" to assemble - "Oh the man said it's easy, all you need is this little tool" (a.k.a - Allen Key!) she says to me, thus questioning/threatening/challenging my manhood and ability as the male of the household to assemble this freakin' nightmare into something that represents a useful piece of furniture!

Yeah, thought your Draken had a Revell look about it.

Good luck with the refurb.

Cheers

Adam