F-21A Lion (Kfir Adversary) by Testors/Italeri
1/72 scale
Kit No. 630
Retail: $25.00 (Aftermarket, Out of Production)
Decals: One version – U.S. Navy (VF-43, NAS Oceana, Virginia)
Comments: Engraved panel lines, basic cockpit, two-piece canopy, optional position landing gear, center line drop tank and AIS pods
History
The failure of the Mirage V’s power plant, the French Atar 9 turbojet engine, led to the development of Kfir jets in Israel. IAI built 100 Kfirs including the first series Kfir C1, multirole fighter Kfir C2, single-seat version Kfir C7 and double-seated TC2 Kfir models. These models entered service in 1976 and began operations on November 9, 1977 during an attack on Tel Azia, a terrorist training base in Lebanon, and met with success.
Between 1985 and 1989, the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps leased 25 examples of the Kfir C.1 from Israel. These aircraft were officially designated F-21A and modified for use as unarmed adversaries: mock opponents in dissimilar air combat training (DACT). These aircraft had narrow-span canard foreplanes and two small rectangular strakes, one on either side of the nose, which considerably improved the aircraft’s maneuverability and handling at low speeds.
The Kfir in particular was chosen as an adversary aircraft because it had at least three characteristics in common with the MiG-23 Flogger, which was being introduced in very large numbers in the mid- to late-1980’s: Both were very fast multi-role fighters, capable of Mach 2+, both had fast-accelerating capability, and both had beyond visual range (BVR) offensive capability. However, unlike the MiG-23 the Kfir did not have variable geometry wings, but rather a standard delta configuration. The MiG-23 was of special interest to U.S. forces because it was not only entering service en masse, filling the ranks of the Soviet Union’s air defense squadrons, but it was a very capable multi-role aircraft compared to earlier Soviet types. The USMC F-21 aircraft were replaced by Northrop F-5E aircraft when the F-21s were returned in 1989 — although this left the training units without any aircraft capable of accurately simulating the Mach 2+ and fast-accelerating MiG-23.
Kfirs employ a variety of armament, including 30mm cannon, and can carry up 13,415lb (6,085kg) of mixed ordinance, including air-to-air missiles, bombs and rockets. It uses air-to-air missiles such as Python 3, Python 4, Python 5, Alto, Derby, and air-to-surface missiles such as Gabriel and NT-Dandy. Surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles such as Gil ATGM, MapatzATGM, Spike ATGM and Barak, Barak NG, Barak 8, SPYDER are also used. An integrated electronic warfare self-protection, EL/L-8262 enables the fighter jets to defend against surface-to-air and air-to-air weapon systems.
IAI initially chose two engines for the Kfir, the General Electric J79-GE-17 jet engine and the Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan for manufacturing the Kfir fighter, but later produced Kfirs with just the J79-GE-17 jet engine — the same engine powering the legendary F-4 Phantom II. In addition to Israel and the United States, the F-21 is operated by Colombia, Ecuador, and Sri Lanka.
The Kit
Testors/Italeri’s F-21A Kfir Adversary is injection molded in grey plastic and consists of 42 parts including two clear parts for the canopy and windscreen. The airframe and drop tank feature engraved panel lines, which was not all that common at the time of its initial release in 1988. The cockpit is fairly basic but does feature a main instrument panel bearing raised detail for the instruments, as well as a nicely molded control yoke. The seat is also above average but has a noticeable sinkhole dead center in the middle of the sink itself — this would not be noteworthy but for the fact that the kit does not include a pilot figure.
The kit has three-part jet intakes and a single part for the jet exhaust pipe in the rear. A pitot tube is molded directly onto the nose, so some care will be necessary while handling the fuselage during construction. The landing gear are basic and can be assembled up or down; there is no attempt at detail for the nose gear wheel, but the main landing gear wells feature raised details (piping/wiring) on the inner surface of the upper wings.
As this is an aggressor aircraft, its stores are limited but realistic, consisting of a center line drop tank and two slender AIS (Aircraft Instrumentation Subsystem) pods mounted near the wing tips outboard of the main landing gear. AIS pods are used to train pilots in air combat situations, providing real-time weapons simulation, high fidelity instrumentation data links, and onboard data recording to support post-mission debriefing.
Markings
The markings are by Scale Master and appear to be of the usual high quality modelers have come to expect from this manufacturer. They have a moderate semi-gloss sheen and do not look at all like the type that are prone to silvering around the edges. As this is an Israeli aircraft acquired by the U.S. Navy to be used as a mock adversary, the only decals are for a U.S. Navy aggressor aircraft of VF-43 based at NAS Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia, the Navy’s East Coast Master Jet Base. The national markings are in low visibility black, and the only color is provided by red striping along the wings for the “Dont Step” areas and the danger signs in proximity to the jet intakes. The markings match a VF-43 aircraft with a camouflage paint scheme of Navy Aggressor Gray (FS 36251), Light Sea Gray (FS 36307), and Medium Gray (FS35237).
Conclusion
This looks like a fun weekend build that will be a blast. Highly recommended for those who want something a little different and have an interest in either Israeli or aggressor aircraft.
References
- https://www.iai.co.il/p/kfir-aircraft
- https://cnrma.cnic.navy.mil/Installations/NAS-Oceana/
- www.leonardodrs.com – Air Combat Training Systems
- https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/f-21-kfir-jet/