Development of the Saab 37 Viggen began in the early 1960s in response to rising Cold War tensions and fears of Soviet attack. Sweden needed a maneuverable aircraft that could take off and land quickly from small, rough runways, as its main bases were considered vulnerable to attack. In addition, the aircraft had to have a low radar signature to avoid detection by Soviet defense systems. To achieve these goals, Saab adopted a revolutionary design: The Viggen was the first production fighter with canards (small wings in front of the main wing) for improved low-speed handling and takeoff/landing. It also had an innovative thrust reversal system, which allowed landing at very short distances.
The prototype Viggen made its maiden flight in 1967 and was officially introduced to the Swedish Air Force in 1979. It was built in different variants, depending on the role (interceptor, bomber, reconnaissance and electronic warfare, trainer).
The Viggen was phased out of active service between 2009 and 2010. It remains an important landmark in Swedish aeronautical history. Its innovative design and advanced capabilities paved the way for the development of future fighter aircraft.
A remarkable visual feature of the ground attack version was its “splinter” camouflage pattern. This disruptive pattern, composed of irregular shapes and colours, made the aircraft remarkably difficult to spot against the varied Swedish terrain.
The model
The first Saab Viggen kit in 1/48 was produced by ESCI in 1978. Later it was re-boxed by Revell, Arfix and Italeri but the level of detail remained low. Thankfully, in 2014, Tarangus, a Swedish model company released a modern Viggen kit with much better details. A year later, Special Hobby re-boxed the Tarangus kit and continues to offer various versions of it. In 2018, they even updated the kit adding an extra sprue with some missing details.
This is the kit I chose to build, specifically for the Splinter Camouflage. I bought it directly from Special Hobby on their Black Friday sales in 2022 and it cost me around 36 euros. The normal price for the currently available versions is between 65 and 100 euros.
Inside the hard cardboard box there are:
- 8 plastic frames with parts in hard grey plastic.
- 1 transparent plastic frame.
- 1 metal frame with photo-etched parts.
- 1 decal sheets with marking and labels.
- 1 colour 20-page instruction manual.
The parts are finely detailed, with engraved lines. The cockpit comes with nice engraved details. Furthermore the instrument panel, side consoles, mirrors and seatbelts are provided in colour metal photo-etched pieces.
There are no ejector pins in visible places, except on the back of the thrust reverser petals.
Building the kit
The construction was straightforward. As usually, I started with the cockpit. As per my usual procedure, first all parts were primed with GSI Mr. Surfacer 1500 – Black. Then they were painted with GSI Mr. Hobby Grey FS 36375 (H308). The side consoles, instrument panel and instrument panel coaming were painted with Tamiya NATO Black (XF-69) and the photo-etched consoles and instrument panels were added. In the end, everything was treated with Tamiya Panel Liner – Black.
Next were the engine intakes and exhaust. The compressor blades and intake trunks were painted with GSI Mr. Color Super Iron II (SM203) and their details were highlighted with Tamiya Panel Liner – Black. I was not extremely satisfed with my work eliminating the seam lines of the intake trunks so I opted to install FOD covers to hide it.
For the exhaust, I used AK Xtreme Metal – Pale Burnt Metal (AK485) and Tamiya Panel Liner – Black for a more “dirty” look. Regarding the thrust reverser petals, I read that while the engine is off and there is no hydraulic pressure, the petals position is dictated by gravity: the 2 lower petals rest in the open position, while I set the upper one rests in a 40% closed position. I set them like that.
Before I closed the fuselage I added a few small led fishing weights inside the nose with CA glue. According to the instructions, it is not necessary but I wanted to be sure the model would not sit on its tail. The fit of the fuselage and wings was good, requiring a minimal amount of putty.
Painting the kit
After masking the cockpit area and engine intakes, the entire model was coated with GSI Mr. Surfacer 1500 – Grey. Then, Tamiya NATO Black (XF-69) was used for pre-shading, mostly on the panel lines.
The underside of the fuselage and wings was painted with GSI Mr. Hobby Grey FS 36375 (H308). The radome was covered with GSI Mr. Hobby Black (H2). After masking them, it was time for the splinter camouflage!
In order to create the splinter camouflage I decided to create my own masks. I found some photos of masks online and using them, I drew the camouflage patterns. I then used my Cricut Joy cutter machine and some Tamiya A5 Masking sheets to cut the patterns. You can find a download link for the masks at the end of this post.
The first colour to be sprayed was a light green. According to the kit instructions, the colour should be GSI Mr. Hobby Grey Interior Green (H58) but it looked to yelowish to me, so I added 50% of Tamiya Cockpit Green IJN (XF-71). I sprayed it without masking, roughly following the kit instructions.
After masking the first colour, I went to the next one, a dark green. Here the instructions call for GSI Mr. Hobby Green FS 34079 (H309) but I wanted a more worn look so I used a slightly lighter colour: Tamiya NATO Green (XF-67).
The masking process was repeated for the brown colour. Here, I went with the instructions and used GSI Mr. Hobby Brown FS 30219 (H310).
After masking off the brown areas, the final colour left to add was the black. Here, as usual, I used Tamiya NATO Black (XF-69).
After removing all the masks, some touch-ups were needed in some places. After they were done, I masked and painted lips of the engine intakes using GSI Mr. Color Super Iron II (SM203). Actually, the whole right intake was painted in metallic colour as the real one was unpainted on this specific plane.
After I was satisfied with the painting, the whole model was treated with a coat of Tamiya Clear Gloss Varnish (X22), thinned (1:1) with GSI Mr. Leveling Thinner. After letting the varnish dry for one day, I applied the decals, using Microscale MicroSet and MicroSol.
After another coat of Tamiya Clear Gloss Varnish (X22) over the decals, I highlighted the panel lines, using Flory models Wash – Grime (FMW008). I applied it on all surfaces and let it dry for a couple of hours. Then I used moist paper towels and cotton swabs to remove it from the surfaces, leaving it only inside the panel lines.
After that, I went on vacations for 3 weeks. When I returned, I applied a coat of VMS Varnish HD MATT (AX15M) before I continued with the weathering. This consisted of oil leaks, done with AK Interactive Wash for Aircraft Engine (AK2033) and general dirtying-up with soft pastel dust, using KOH-I-NOOR TOISON D’OR 8552 Extra Soft Artist’s Pastels (8552).
It appears that my bad luck with Special Hobby’s clear parts continues (as in my recent T-2E built), as I managed to crack the canopy during the unmasking. I took advantage of their excellent after sales service (3 years of free parts replacement for purchases made on their web site) and had a new canopy within 2 weeks!
The finished model
Products Used
| Kit | Box | Scale | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Special Hobby Saab AJ 37 Viggen “Attack Version” Updated Edition |  | 1/48 | SH48148 |
| Special Mask AJ/JA/SF-37 Viggen |  | 1/48 | M48009 |
| Master Model SAAB 37 Viggen – Pitot tubes & Angle Of Attack probe |  | 1/48 | AM-48-074 |
| Maestro Models SAAB 37 Viggen boarding ladder |  | 1/48 | MMP4801 |
| Maestro Models SAAB 37 Viggen air intake FODs |  | 1/48 | MMP4826 |
| 1/48 Studio Splinter Camouflage Masks (self-made) |  | 1/48 | Download here! |
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