Master Model 1/72, 1/48 & 1/32 NATO Standard Refueling Probe
By Chris Banyai-Riepl
Overview
The ability to refuel aircraft in air has enormous strategic and tactical advantages, and standardizing on one format for allied nations greatly enhances that capability. NATO established a probe & drogue standard and as a result, just about any Western aircraft today has the same type of refueling probe tip. This is good news for the modeler, as it means no worries about which aftermarket set to get. However, there are some challenges, which will be outlined below.
The Sets
As I noted before, though, there are some challenges. Initially, when I got these sets in for review, I figured that these would be a great last-minute change to a model, as the wouldn't even need painting. It's a refueling probe tip, it's gotta be metal colored, right? Nope, not even close! A quick search has revealed that the variation in colors is about as broad as the aircraft themselves. Here's a few I turned up:
Dassault Rafale: gray aft end, black band, greenish gray dome
North American FJ-3 Fury: dark gray aft end, aluminum front
Douglas A-4C Skyhawk: dark gray or black overall
SAAF Cheetah: dull grayish silver aft end, anodized greenish gray front
Saab JAS-39 Gripen: black dome, dull silver band, anodized greenish gray back (and on a polished chrome retractable probe!)
Mirage 2000: gray painted aft end, polished aluminum front
F-16D w/conformal fuel tanks: black dome, dark green body
Undoubtedly, further research would provide even more variations, so while the actual use of this set will be simple, determining the right colors for your particular model will require additional digging. That is a small price to pay, though, for the huge improvement of the kit part. My thanks to Master Model for the review samples.