HAL Ajeet Mk. I by Special Hobby

1/72 scale
Kit No. SH72370
Decals: Four versions – all Indian Air Force
Comments: Engraved panel lines, detailed cockpit, optional position canopy, under wing stores include rocket launchers

History

Derived from the British designed Folland Gnat, a light attack fighter and trainer for the Royal Air Force, the Ajeet Mk. I (Ajeet translating to invincible or unconquerable), manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), was a modified and improved version that served the Indian Air Force (IAF) from 1977 through 1991. The Gnat, which had been procured in large numbers for the IAF and built under license by HAL from the mid-1960’s, had acquitted itself favourably during its Indian service, in active combat roles during multiple conflicts with Pakistan, including the Indo-Pakistani Wars of 1965 and 1971.

During this period, the Gnat earned the nickname “Sabre Slayer” due to its superiority over the F-86 Sabres of the Pakistani Air Force, of which the Gnats shot down several. It is surprising then that a redesign of this popular lightweight fighter and trainer, geared to fulfill IAF-specific requirements, was in service for a scant 14 years, a relatively short period for such a type.

The Ajeet came about as a result of shortcomings in aspects of the Gnat dealing with maintenance as well as some of its subsystems, including its avionics and hydraulics. These problems affected the Gnat’s overall reliability and led to a number of accidents in which pilots were killed. In 1972, the Indian Air Force issued a requirement calling for an upgraded and more capable variant, leading to the development of the Ajeet by HAL. The adoption of a wet wing (i.e. incorporating internal fuel tanks within the wings) expanded the fighter’s internal fuel capacity and freed-up several underwing hardpoints for other purposes, effectively increasing both its range and payload. On March 6, 1975, the Ajeet took its maiden flight.

Although the original 1972 specification had called for the Gnat to be redesigned as an interceptor, it was subsequently modified to incorporate a secondary ground-attack role for the new model as well. According to a report subsequently commissioned by the Indian Parliament, the IAF officials tasked with overseeing the program lacked realistic concepts of what was involved in the development process, as well as firm ideas on the intended use of the aircraft. For one thing, an aircraft of the Ajeet’s compact dimensions would inherently lack sufficient fuel capacity, and as a result, the range, to be effective in anything other than a point-defense role.

While these were contributing factors to the Ajeet’s short service life, it was an effective military trainer and light strike aircraft, having cured some of the Gnat’s deficiencies. Its avionics were upgraded along with the installation of the all-new Martin-Baker GF4 series ejection seat, and the undercarriage were modified with improved hydraulics systems. Plans were underway to refine it into an improved trainer, but due to changing attitudes within the IAF it fell out of favor.

The IAF’s lack of enthusiasm for the Ajeet was due to the fact that it had allegedly come to oppose the use of single-engine aircraft for safety and other reasons, accompanied by a growing preference for fighters capable of supersonic speeds. The Ajeet, while capable, measured up poorly against these new criteria. It had a relatively brief and unremarkable service life, equipping only a single IAF squadron and being withdrawn from service during 1991.

In the words of British aviation industrialist Sir Sydney Camm, “All modern aircraft have four dimensions: span, length, height, and politics.” The Ajeet simply ran afoul of the fourth dimension, the trickiest by far. HAL built a total of 89 examples.

The Kit

Special Hobby’s Ajeet Mk. I is injection molded in grey and consists of 108 parts, including four clear parts for the canopy and gunsight. Two different canopies are provided, and modelers may select one based on whether the canopy will be depicted open or closed. The one-piece canopy is to be used if the canopy is closed, and the two-part canopy featuring a separate windscreen is used if the cockpit will be open. On the actual aircraft, the windscreen remained in place as the canopy was raised.

The cockpit is very detailed, with a tub and a rear bulkhead featuring raised relief and a choice of main instrument panels bearing engraved details, to be selected based on whether the canopy will be open or closed. Unusual for this scale, there is a highly detailed control yoke, a two-part gunsight, and two versions of the ejection seat, consisting of either four or five parts respectively. One version of the ejection seat has its own warning decals.

This kit incorporates painstaking detail along every inch of the airframe. The two-part nose cone comes in three versions (one of which is ignored by the instruction sheet), with one of them featuring a ventral blade antenna. The nose cone version disregarded by the instructions is clearly for a reconnaissance variant, as it has apertures in the nose tip and on the sides, for cameras and possibily a laser rangefinder. The jet exhaust nozzle is a four-part assembly and includes a nicely detailed exhaust fan face. The jet intakes and landing gear are unusually detailed for this scale. Under wing stores include two versions of rocket launchers and what appears to be an electronic countermeasures pod. An additional two fairly large stores are either auxiliary fuel tanks or ordnance of some kind — the instructions shed no light on them.

Markings

Special Hobby’s Ajeet Mk. I come with decals for one of four versions of Indian Air Force aircraft. The first is for HAL Ajeet serial no. E1997 serving with No. 2 Squadron during the 1980’s. It has a mostly natural metal finish with the rear quarter of the fuselage, including the entire tail section, painted Light Blue. It is unique among the four versions in that it has a dorsal blade antenna just aft of the cockpit painted Radome Tan.

The second version is for serial no. IEI083 serving with No. 23 Squadron circa 1965. Given its vintage, this aircraft is actually not an Ajeet but a Folland Gnat, license-built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, and features an overall natural metal finish. During the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War, this aircraft, piloted by Squadron Leader Brijpal Singh Sikand, was forced down by a pair of Pakistani F-104 Starfighters and landed at Pasrur airfield. Sqn. Leader Singh was taken prisoner, and his Gnat was tested by the Pakistani Air Force and later placed on display at the PAF museum in Karachi.

The third version is also for a Hindustan Gnat, serial no. E256, from an unnamed Operational Conversion Unit of the Indian Air Force. It has a natural metal finish with black and yellow tiger stripes on its spine and vertical tail. The relevant parts of the airframe will have to be painted yellow, since the decal sheet provides black stripes only.

The fourth version is for an HAL Ajeet, searil no. E2024 serving with No. 2 Squadron, the “Winged Arrows” during the 1980’s. This aircraft bears the name “Murali” on both sides of the fuselage below the canopy. Assuming this is a word of the Hindi language, it translates to “Fife,” a musical instrument similar to the piccolo. This aircraft bears symmetrical black stripes (over an otherwise natural metail airframe) on the upper surfaces of the wings which extend to the tail, wrapping around the entire rear fuselage.

Conclusion

This is a highly detailed kit of a trainer and light strike aircraft — a refinement of the Folland Gnat — that appears to have gone largely unappreciated by the service for which it was specifically designed. Highly recommended for its level of detail.

References

wikipedia.org
crewdaily.com