Dassault Rafale B by HobbyBoss

1/72 scale
Kit No. 87245
Retail: $25.00
Comments: Engraved panel lines, recessed rivet detail, detailed cockpit, optional position three-part canopy, APACHE anti-runway cruise missiles, MICA all-weather medium range missiles, option for 1250-liter or 2000-liter fuel tanks

History

The Dassault Rafale is a multi-role fighter bomber designed to replace the venerable Mirage series of fighter-interceptors and the French version of the Jaguar strike aircraft. The result of the French fourth generation fighter program, the Rafale has a delta wing design with canards to optimize aerodynamic efficiency and stability control. It is powered by two French built SNECMA M88-3 afterburning turbofans. The Rafale can operate from 400 meter runways, and its forward canard reduces landing speed to 115 knots. The aircraft is equipped with the multi-mode RBE2 radar which has full air-to-air and air-to-ground capability. It can carry a wide range of weapons, including the APACHE stand-off munitions dispenser and the ASMP nuclear missile.

The two-seat Rafale B was designed as a dual control conversion trainer for the single seat Rafale C. But the Rafale B has now been developed as a fully operational variant with full combat capability. Either an instructor, a second pilot or a Weapons Systems Officer can assist the pilot from the rear seat. The Rafale B and C aircraft entered Armée de l’Air (French Air Force) service in 2002 to replace its older Mirage variants and Jaguars. The type has also begun to replace the Mirage 2000 fighter and fighter-bomber fleet, as well as the obsolescent F-8 Crusader as the Aviation Navale’s carrier-based fighter.

The Rafale carries, for the first time in aviation history, an integrated electronic survival system named SPECTRA which features a software-based virtual stealth technology. The most important sensor is the Thales RBE2 passive electronically scanned multi-mode radar. The SPECTRA electronic warfare system, jointly developed by Thales and EADS France, provides the aircraft with the highest survivability assets against airborne and ground threats. The real-time data link allows communication not only with other aircraft, but also with fixed and mobile command and control centres.

The cockpit uses a Martin-Baker Mark 16F “zero-zero” ejection seat, i.e. capable of being used at zero speed and zero altitude. The seat is inclined 29 degrees backwards to improve G force tolerance. The canopy hinges open to the right. An on-board oxygen generating system is provided to eliminate the need for multiple oxygen canisters.
The cockpit includes a wide-angle holographic Head Up Display (HUD) and two head-down flat-panel colour multifunction displays ( MFDs). Display interaction is by means of touch input for which the pilot wears silk-lined leather gloves. The American General Dynamics F-16 influenced the development of the Rafale, for the pilot flies the aircraft with a side-stick controller mounted on his right and a throttle on his left. These incorporate multiple hands on throttle and stick (HOTAS) controls.

The Kit

The HobbyBoss Rafale B is injection molded in grey plastic and consists of 132 parts, including 5 clear parts for the canopy and gun sight. The kit bears engraved panel lines and recessed rivet detail, and features a detailed tandem cockpit offering a combination of a tub bearing crisp raised detail on the side instrument panels for both the pilot and weapons signal officer, along with decals for the two main instrument panels.

There is a single part for the canard that fits between the upper and lower halves of the fuselage as they are cemented together. The landing gear are well-detailed with boxed-in wheels for the main gear and nicely detailed tires. The canopy can be depicted closed or open, with hinges on the right allowing a good view of the cockpit interior. The kit’s best attraction may be its variety of ordinance, consisting of two short-range heat seeking air-to-air missiles, two APACHE anti-runway cruise missiles, two MICA all-weather medium range missiles, and an option for two 1250-liter or 2000-liter fuel tanks. Small details like an angled refueling probe and arrester hook round out the kit’s offerings.

Markings

The kit decals feature two colorful options. One is for a French Air Force evaluation unit offering “Eye of the Tiger” markings for the vertical tail and upper surfaces of the aircraft that were employed at the 2006 NATO Tiger Meet, with the aircraft otherwise painted on overall Blue Grey. The second version is also for the 2006 NATO Tiger Meet, offering tiger markings for the vertical tail and leading edges of the canards and the delta wing.