dewertus
Active member
In 1995, the Polish Air Force was in the midst of major organizational and equipment changes – in 1993, the LiM 5/6 aircraft ended their service, and the Su-20 and MiG-21 (except for the latest "bis" version) were being withdrawn.
The TS-11 Iskra in service had long since become technically and morally obsolete, and the domestic I-22 Iryda that was supposed to replace it fell victim to a dispute over costs and performance between WSK Mielec and the Ministry of National Defense, as well as many "political" turbulencies changes at that time (only 8 aircraft were in service, and further deliveries were a unknown). Ultimately, in the following years, the entire program was kiled, and the final nail in the coffin was the accident in January 1996 and the legal proceedings initiated between WSK and the Ministry of National Defense.
In such circumstances, at the end of 1995, the Federal Republic of Germany offered Poland the purchase of 40-75 Alpha Jet A training/light combat aircraft withdrawn during the wave of disarmament reductions, with the option of modernization to the MS1/MS2 standard. The offer was so interesting that Poland could quickly receive aircraft that could fill the gap not only in pilot training (replacing the TS-11 and I-22) but also have quite good combat capabilities (they could replace the withdrawn LiM 5/6 and Su-20) and even Su-22. Ultimately, due to the protests rised by WSK Mielec, the Ministry of National Defense resignated from the purchase of Alpha Jets, and the withdrawal of the I-22 Iryda aircraft from service in 1997 (despite the agreement to modernize to the M96 version) deprived the old Iskra of a well-deserved retirement for many years...
This is another model in the "what if" (but with the strong background) series. The model is an old ESCI/Italeri set in 1/48 enriched with a few parts from other models (armament, decals). The cammo was inspired by polish LiMs, SBLims, Iskras (Mr.Hobby, Tamiya and Model Master acrylics). The model is present a hypothetical plane from the 61st Aviation Training and Combat Regiment in Biała Podlaska.
The armament set is not a mistake. The Alpha Jet was susceptible to modernization and living proof of the interchangeable use of weapons from both pacts (NATO/UW) are the Nigerian planes (which are probably the only ones that were used in combat operations).
The TS-11 Iskra in service had long since become technically and morally obsolete, and the domestic I-22 Iryda that was supposed to replace it fell victim to a dispute over costs and performance between WSK Mielec and the Ministry of National Defense, as well as many "political" turbulencies changes at that time (only 8 aircraft were in service, and further deliveries were a unknown). Ultimately, in the following years, the entire program was kiled, and the final nail in the coffin was the accident in January 1996 and the legal proceedings initiated between WSK and the Ministry of National Defense.
In such circumstances, at the end of 1995, the Federal Republic of Germany offered Poland the purchase of 40-75 Alpha Jet A training/light combat aircraft withdrawn during the wave of disarmament reductions, with the option of modernization to the MS1/MS2 standard. The offer was so interesting that Poland could quickly receive aircraft that could fill the gap not only in pilot training (replacing the TS-11 and I-22) but also have quite good combat capabilities (they could replace the withdrawn LiM 5/6 and Su-20) and even Su-22. Ultimately, due to the protests rised by WSK Mielec, the Ministry of National Defense resignated from the purchase of Alpha Jets, and the withdrawal of the I-22 Iryda aircraft from service in 1997 (despite the agreement to modernize to the M96 version) deprived the old Iskra of a well-deserved retirement for many years...
This is another model in the "what if" (but with the strong background) series. The model is an old ESCI/Italeri set in 1/48 enriched with a few parts from other models (armament, decals). The cammo was inspired by polish LiMs, SBLims, Iskras (Mr.Hobby, Tamiya and Model Master acrylics). The model is present a hypothetical plane from the 61st Aviation Training and Combat Regiment in Biała Podlaska.
The armament set is not a mistake. The Alpha Jet was susceptible to modernization and living proof of the interchangeable use of weapons from both pacts (NATO/UW) are the Nigerian planes (which are probably the only ones that were used in combat operations).
