The Indian Navy is working on their first domestic carrier building project, known as the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier [IAC] and is to be named INS Vikrant (Courageous) --- after their first aircraft carrier which bore the same name. The IAC will be about 37,500 tons and will carry the Mig-29K fighter among other aircraft. The model itself was fun to build and since online references were not exact, I had to fill in the missing details using my own imagination. I used the hull of a USN Supercarrier in 1/500 scale and also used the tractors from the same kit. The ship is painted roughly as INS Viraat is painted and I have included all the badges that are associated with the vessel - squadrons, command flags and roundels on the base. I have to recommend Trumpeter's 1/350 scale model of the MiG-29K for being really super kits. The Trumpeter's Sea King scale models were also not bad. The Sea Kings were painted similar to the ones used at present on INS Viraat and I found a super reference for the Indian Navy's MiG-29K that are illustrated in these photos. The Indian Navy's Sea Harrier has the same paint job as the Royal Navy's Sea Harrier and it seems that the MiGs will have roughly the same paint layout. The keel of this vessel was laid in 2005 and it will be interesting to see how close I was to the real thing when it gets launched around 2009 and comissioned in 2012.
Copyright BHARAT RAKSHAK. All rights reserved.Reproduction
in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of BHARAT
RAKSHAK is prohibited.