Re: Spinners' Strike Fighters Thread

[SPINNERS]

Sukhoi Su-23 'Fastfox-C' - Ukrainian Air Force, 1996













This lovely splinter skin is by 'sundowner' and was originally used for a modern 617 squadron TSR.2 but I've overpainted the markings with Ukrainian national insignia and added some pretty basic Cyrillic numbers that use the same blue as the markings. This Su-23 uses the original TSR.2 3D model with a bit of an upward angle on the long nose pitot tube that was corrected on a later version.

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Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Murangal B.1 - Royal Australian Air Force, 1972













A quick swap-over of the white tail bitmap (covering the fin and stabilators) from the RAF anti-flash skin replacing the green tail bitmap of the RCAF/RDAF skin and adding some WW2 RAAF markings. A suitable backstory would be a bit harder to do!

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BAC Thunderstrike S.2 - No.45 Squadron, RAF Strike Command, 1974









On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the cancellation of the TSR.2 I'll be doing some 'in service' shots with RAF squadrons in a variety of schemes starting with this No.45 squadron machine with markings immediately familiar to anyone whose built the Matchbox Hunter!

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BAC Thunderstrike S.2 - No.58 Squadron, RAF Strike Command, 1975











Lol - Matchbox memories! Just had to do the sister squadron!

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BAC Thunderstrike S.2 - No.12 Squadron, RAF Strike Command, 1971









I like 3-colour RAF roundels on classic post-war RAF Camo and, to my eyes, the TSR.2 looks especially good.

[SPINNERS]

British Aerospace Thunderstrike GR.4 - No.XV Squadron, RAF Germany, 1985















This is a much revised 3D model with fuselage pylons, internal guns and Tornado style chin pods. It also has wing-tip missile pylons, stub missile pylons on the inner wing pylons and additional wing pylons but none of these are shown here as I like a simpler, more classic, TSR.2. Besides, even before cancellation, the 'men from the ministry' were cost-cutting on the weapons pylons so would have been apoplectic when asked to sign off these additional mods. In game, the JP233 is awesome!

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British Aerospace Thunderstrike GR.4 - No.31 Squadron, Royal Air Force, 1991















I was going to do some Tornado style Gulf War nose art and googled 'The Fat Slags' just as the wife walked in with a cup of tea... 

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British Aerospace Thunderstrike GR.4 - No.13 Squadron, RAF Strike Command, 2002















I'm not too current on modern RAF squadrons and heraldry but once I'd seen a No.13 Squadron Tornado GR.4 with that cool nose marking I knew I'd have to use it on the TSR.2!

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BAC TSR.2 - XR220 (Second Prototype), First Flight, April 6th, 1965











Well, if you're going to have a chase plane I suppose XR219 is adequate...

This brings to an end my TSR.2 burst but I will come back to it in the near future. I've got a 'what if' skinning job to do on the Avia S-92 (Me-262) in Ilmavoimat service so there'll be no updates for a few days but at least I'll have Me-262 templates to play with.

[SPINNERS]

Avia S-92 Stormbird - HävLLv 31,Ilmavoimat, 1948











Creating templates for the S-92 has taken a fair few hours but I'm quite pleased with the result. I've used the same colours as the VL Myrsky II skin I created a few months ago and the S-92 will see service with Finno-Soviet forces in a fictional campaign being created by a Swedish guy over at Combat Ace. The piccie below is just to show the markings he'll be using on an early version of the skin.

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Avia S-92 Stormbird - No.117 'First Jet' Squadron, Israeli Air Force, 1948















When making templates for the S-92 this wasn't far from my mind! OK, this camo scheme was from a few years later but I think it looks cool on the S-92.

[SPINNERS]

Avia S-92 Stormbird - 101 Squadron, Israeli Air Force, 1948









Very little time tonight so I've just used the slightly pale green colour seen on Czech and IDF Avia S-99/S-199's.

[SPINNERS]

Hawker Sea Fury FB.52 - 300 Indian Naval Air Squadron, 1956

















There's been a superb Sea Fury released recently and a blank skin makes an INAS Sea Fury a doddle although I have cheated by using some generic 3-digit codes with higher numbers than the later Sea Hawks. I haven't got any 'straight deck' aircraft carriers in my install at the moment so the Vikrant has entered service a bit earlier and with an angled flight deck! The Sea Fury looks like the thoroughbred she is!

[SPINNERS]

Hawker F-87C Nighthawk - United States Air Force, Korea, 1953















Another Hawker thoroughbred!

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Vought F-8E Crusader - No.300 Indian Naval Air Squadron, 1971













Very restricted time at the moment so a quickie INAS Crusader.