The HF-24 was an Indian attempt to build an indigenous mach-2 fighter.

Designed by Kurt Tank, the HF-24 showed great promise but the inability to find a suitable engine limited its potential and only 147 were made.

Kurt Tank was invited to India in 1956 to lead design of an indigenous Indian fighter and work commenced in June 1957.

The first flight was made on 17 June 1961 and they began entering squadron service in April 1967.

Overall the Marut was an excellent aircraft but India was unable to make or obtain an engine powerful enough for it to reach mach 2 so development concentrated on the ground attack role and only three squadrons were equipped with it.

It served successfully in wars against Pakistan and none were lost in aerial combat, but they had been withdrawn from service by 1985, replaced by licence built MiG-23s.

This model represents HF-24 BD-830, the third production aircraft, c.1964.

Alliance Models 1/72 kit completed by Leigh Edmonds in November 2009.