Famous for its distinctive delta wing, the Saab J 35 Draken was the first supersonic European fighter aircraft. It entered service in 1960 and continued to serve as late as 2005. Inspired by a beautiful example (J 35J s/n 35541) at the Estonian Aviation Museum last summer, I decided to make the Draken the subject of my next project.

The goal was to create a scene that not only showcases the sleek delta shape of the Draken but also conveys a sense of speed and perspective. I opted for the same 2.5D approach previously used on Zero and Gripen.
Two Drakens were carved out of 3mm styrene. Panel lines were drawn with a fine marker and a base coat of yellow was sprayed on. Details such as shadows and canopy reflections were added with brush paints and markers. I previously used shadows on The Real Winner and found that they not only lend depth to the subject but also help ‘sell’ the scene.
I decided not to associate these aircraft with any particular air force. The events of the past two years have made it clear that most countries are no longer sovereign democracies. When governments all march in lockstep towards a globalist dystopia, the colours of their flags no longer have any meaning.
For the background, an aerial landscape photo was modified in Photoshop to create a blur effect. The perspective was adjusted to match that of the two aircraft. The photo was mounted on a yellow acrylic plate which was fastened to a frame of translucent gloss brown acrylic. As a final step, the Drakens were attached to the photo.
This is the smallest 2.5D piece I’ve made so far, at 30cm (12”) in width not including the frame.
-Ivar