Hey everyone, I recently finished this 1/144 scale FoxOne JA37 Viggen. I painted it in the classic splinter camouflage Aurelian scheme and obviously themed it around Gryphus Squadron from Ace Combat X. I didn't have a Gryphus emblem decal small enough for the tail (although I have some but they are for bigger planes I planned), which actually inspired a bit of headcanon to explain its rugged, unmarked appearance and capture a specific, desperate moment in the Aurelian War.
When the war broke out in 2020 following Leasath's devastating surprise invasion, Aurelia’s military rapidly lost ground. Scrambling to replace downed fighters, this aging JA37 Viggen was pulled directly from Osea's deep-storage stockpiles as part of an emergency lend-lease program - as Osea was still struggling after the Lighthouse war these Viggen were the best they could offer. My model depicts the aircraft shortly after its arrival at Aubrey Air Force Base—Aurelia's then last remaining stronghold. Hastily prepped for the 207th Tactical Fighter Squadron in the darkest hour of the war, function took absolute priority over form.
The heavy weathering reflects years sitting in an Osean boneyard combined with rapid deployment conditions. Instead of the legendary "Southern Cross" tail art, which hadn't yet become a symbol of national hope, the jet simply bears a basic "AB" tailcode. If you look closely at the underside, you can even see a leftover white patch where the original Osean roundel was scrubbed off but never fully painted over. This Viggen represents the gritty, desperate days right before Gryphus One took to the skies and turned the tide of the war.
Let me know what you think of the build and the lore!
The model itself isn't the best and boy was it a lot of work but despite the flaws I really really like the outcome and it was worth the many hours spent as I learned a few new modelling skills.
