Interestingly I’be just seen that Poland have given Ukraine their Mig-29s, UkAF pilots have gone to Poland to collect them.
As for the digital camo, it doesn’t work at range against radar and IR it is intended more for close in gun range dog fights were it can momentarily confuse the opposing pilot as to its true bearing, is it top side or bottom side on, similar to the false canopy painted on F/A-18s. Like I say momentarily a split second could mean the difference between getting a shot off or not.
Historically, Poland and Ukraine have an… interesting past too. Take my word for it, i work with a Polish man who said he was pleased that Poland was helping so much given past history.
The ski-jump enables the Harrier to launch more safely and efficiently from a carrier deck. Although the Harrier can take off vertically, when given any kind of useful weapon and fuel load, this is impossible and a short rolling take-off is required. It was determined that wind over the deck and a 299-metre runway would be needed to launch a Harrier with a full war load. The RN needed a solution to the Short Take-Off (STO) problem as the Invincible class ‘through-deck cruisers’, then under construction, had only a 200-meter flight deck.
In simple terms, the aircraft does not fly off the ski jump, instead, forward momentum is partially converted into vertical thrust by the ramp. Together with upward thrust generated by the vectored jet nozzles, the aircraft follows a semi-ballistic trajectory for a few hundred yards until it has enough forward speed for the wings to provide all the lift.
A ski-jump is not absolutely necessary, but its safer and more efficient than a flat deck for take-offs with a war load.
There are photos and videos for most of the losses of the Ukrainian Air Force. There are photos and videos of two helicopters lost by the Russian Air Force. There are no more confirmations of Russian losses. Which means it’s just a myth
Russian aircraft losses during the 2022 Russian invasion on Ukraine
Russian Air force – 24 February 2022: Ukrainian officials claim the shooting down of 5 Russian jet aircraft[57], Russian officials acknowledge the loss of a Su-25 in Ukraine operation but to a pilot error.[58]
(2) Russian Air force – 24 February 2022: Video footage from the Kyiv reservoir showed two Russian helicopters targeted by Ukrainian MANPADs, one Mi-8/Mi-24/35 is shot down and fell into the water another helicopter survived enemy fire.[59]Another Russian attack helicopter a Ka-52 was damaged during flight by MANPWDs fire and crash landed. Social media showed the damaged helicopter abandoned near Kyiv.[60]
Russian Air force – 24 February 2022: A Russian An-26 crashed in Voronezh region near Ukraine, killing an undisclosed number of the occupants on board.[61]
Russian Air force – 25 February 2022: Ukrainian forces attack the Russian Air force in Millerovo, destroying at least one Russian Su-30SM on the ground with a Tochka missile salvo.[62][63]
Russian Air force – 25 February 2022: Ukrainian forces shot down a Russian helicopter in Kherson Oblast, by ground fire.[64] Later the wreckage of a Mi-35 is discovered in Kherson.[65]
Ukrainian aircraft losses during the 2022 Russian invasion
Ukrainian Air Force – 24 February 2022 : A An-26 transport is shot down south of Kyiv, five crewmen from a crew of fourteen were killed.[44][45]
Ukrainian Air Force – 24 February 2022 : A Su-27 and a refueling vehicle were burned out by fire after a Russian attack on the military airfield in Ozerne, Zhytomyr District. [46]
Ukrainian Air Force – 25 February 2022 : Loud explosions are heard in Kyiv on early Friday, the Deputy Defense Minister report the loss of a Ukrainian Su-27 shotdown over Kyiv, the crash damaged a residential complex. Its pilot, Colonel Oleksandr Oksanchenko, was killed.[47][48]
(2) Ukrainian Air Force – 27 February 2022 : Two Su-25s “Blue 19” and another unidentified were shotdown in Kherson region. The pilots were presumed dead. Photos of the loss of both Ukrainian ground attack jet were published.[49][50][51]
(6) Ukrainian Air Force – 27 February 2022 : A video emerges showing the outcome of a missile attack on a Ukrainian airfield that left six Mig-29 jet fighters heavily damaged.[52][53]
Ukraine Ukrainian Civilian Aircraft – 27 February 2022 : The world largest aircraft Antonov An-225 Mriya is destroyed in the ground in Gostomel Airport by Russian fire, Ukroboronpon announced.[54]
Its funny you know, as soon as I tried to post anything about Hinds being used to target innocent civilians by a mad man, my post was extensively sanitised and i was told to use some unregulated forum because we wanted to keep politics away from modelling.
After reading several posts on several topics on these forums now, i can only conclude I was wrongly singled out.
Sadly at this rate I can see every topic that mentions in one way or another the illegal and reprehensible Russian invasion of the Ukraine being closed. Unfortunately, some people are fully indoctrinated into the state news and that is the only news and see no other side.
I’m now muting this thread and getting back to sniffing glue and AK paint.
The fact that people are willing to discuss it at all in any context is despicable if you ask me. Anyone linking this invasion with their hobby wants their head looking at.
Lets keep this post focused on the aircraft and how to model them before it gets locked as well.
As to modeling current events, if you are opposed to it, so be it. Just because someone else wants to model them, they shouldn’t be chastised for it. Why does no one get all upset when someone asks about Nazi or Japanese subjects? They killed lots of people too. If you extend out that line of thinking further, no one should build any military vehicle because they have all been used in conflicts where people were killed by them. It is just a lump of plastic and a hobby, get over it.
Bottom line, lets keep the discussion about modeling and leave the politics and finger pointing out of it.
The Iwo Jima class LPHs had a length of only 180m, and a max speed of 22 knots. Yet the USMC was able to operate the AV-8A and AV-8B Harriers, in war and peace, off those decks without a ski ramp. The follow on Tarawa class was much larger and a bit faster, being approx. the size of a WWII Essex class fleet carrier.
Well, I guess that’s me then. Seriously, this war has given me inspiration for kits in my stash. Have a Hind gunship that I was not sure about what marking scheme to build. I had done one in Soviet markings long ago. Now the new Hind I would like to do in Ukrainian markings. Same goes for several AFV kits in my stash. Personally I am inspired by the bravery of the Ukrainians fighting for their land against such odds. I have no way to meaningfully contribute to this fight. But if I can pay tribute by my hobby, so be it.
