Martin-Baker MB.5 - No.5 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, 1946

RAAFMB501 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAAFMB502 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

The MB.5 has always held a fascination for me ever since reading an article about it (and the preceding MB.3 and MB.4) in an old 'Air International'. This skin comes with the MB.5 and I've added RAAF markings and a white spinner but sadly the 3D model has a couple of problems including a tear somewhere that causes decals to bleed out to unwanted areas. Nevertheless, the skins that come with it are excellent and it captures the look of this powerful looking fighter.

BTW Page 42 shows Australia's own 'Mustang copy' - the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation CA-15B Kangaroo.

LTV A-7D Corsair II - No.25 Squadron, Pakistan Air Force, 1975

During the 1973 Yom Kippur War a large number of Pakistan Air Force pilots immediately volunteered to fight against Israel with an initial batch of 16 pilots arriving in Egypt in mid-October and with further batches planned for Syria. This quickly came to the attention of President Nixon who despatched Henry Kissinger to Karachi to meet persuade Pakistan President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to keep Pakistan out of any involvement in the conflict. Whilst the nature of this meeting between Kissinger and Bhutto has never been revealed it is known that Pakistan Air Force pilots in Egypt were immediately withdrawn and those on their way to Syria were turned around. Can it be a coincidence that in early 1974 30 ex-USAF A-7D's were gifted to Pakistan?

PAFA-7DCORSAIR01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

PAFA-7DCORSAIR02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

PAFA-7DCORSAIR03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

PAFA-7DCORSAIR04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

Done as a request for someone over at Combat Ace.

General Dynamics F-111C - No.1 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, 1974

RAAFF-111C01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAAFF-111C02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAAFF-111C03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

A really nice F-111 template makes a retro 'Pig' very easy to achieve and, again, I've confined the white tail to the rudder only (the F-111 tail is seriously broad and would dominate). The nose markings are fictional but incorporate No.1 squadron's badge and the yellow/gold on the checks is from the fin 'flashes' seen on real world F-111C's.

Mikoyan MiG-29O - No.6 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, 1988

RAAFMiG-29AFULCRUM01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAAFMiG-29AFULCRUM02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAAFMiG-29AFULCRUM03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAAFMiG-29AFULCRUM04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAAFMiG-29AFULCRUM05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I was skimming through the archives over at Combat Ace and came across the first of two MiG-29 add-ons that have been released for Strike Fighters. This is the first, by Michael "wpnssgt" Engle, and it comes with the three good Soviet schemes shown above to which I've added a basic set of RAAF decals with a No.6 Squadron tail decal I did for an Aussie B-47 (Page 44).

Yak-41 'Freestyle' - Ukrainian Naval Aviation, 1999

UKRAINEYAK-41FREESTYLE01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

UKRAINEYAK-41FREESTYLE02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

UKRAINEYAK-41FREESTYLE03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

UKRAINEYAK-41FREESTYLE04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

UKRAINEYAK-41FREESTYLE05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I bit the bullet on this and spent a few hours knocking up a simple template for this one. Once I'd selected my 'Swedish Aggressor Splinter' scheme it cried out for Ukrainian markings (a first for me). The whole dissolution of the Soviet Union throws up some fascinating 'real world' incidents and a rich source of what if's! For instance, the Kuznetsov was constructed in a Ukrainian shipyard so what if the Ukrainians didn't want to hand it over.


And along similar lines, this is from wiki...

Early in 1992, part of the Black Sea Fleet personnel had begun to swear allegiance to the people of Ukraine. Starting in January, the Ukrainian oath was taken by the personnel of the Training Company at the Naval Diving School, the 880th Detached Battalion of the Naval Infantry (Marines) Brigade, and various naval surface ships.[8]

The current history of the Ukrainian Naval Forces started on August 1, 1992 when it was formally established by order of the President of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk. This was followed by a long and controversial partition of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet between newly independent Ukraine and the Russian Federation.

One of the episodes of this process was the story of the SKR-112 - effectively the first Ukrainian Navy ship.[9] On July 20, 1992, the crew of SKR-112 declared itself a Ukrainian ship and raised the Ukrainian flag. The Navy headquarters in Moscow considered this a mutiny and attempted to act accordingly. But the ship left its base on the Crimean peninsula for Odessa, causing an armed chase and collision attempts by ships still loyal to Moscow. Soon several other ships, auxiliary vessels, and coastal units of the Black Sea Fleet followed SKR-112's decision but with less violent outcomes.

UKRAINEYAK-41FREESTYLE15 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

UKRAINEYAK-41FREESTYLE06 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

Updated to add radome and the correct Ukrainian Naval Aviation roundel (with anchor).

Yak-41M Freestyle - Ukrainian Air Force, 2004

UKRAINEYAK-41FREESTYLE07 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

UKRAINEYAK-41FREESTYLE08 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

UKRAINEYAK-41FREESTYLE09 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

UKRAINEYAK-41FREESTYLE10 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

UKRAINEYAK-41FREESTYLE11 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

Perhaps the Ukrainian Air Force adopted a 'Flygvapnet' style splinter scheme!

Yak-41M Freestyle - Ukrainian Air Force, 2006

UKRAINEYAK-41FREESTYLE12 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

UKRAINEYAK-41FREESTYLE13 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

UKRAINEYAK-41FREESTYLE14 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

General Dynamics F-16E 'Scamp' - 496th Tactical Fighter Squadron, USAF, 1991

USAFF-16ESCAMP01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USAFF-16ESCAMP02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USAFF-16ESCAMP03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USAFF-16ESCAMP04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USAFF-16XL01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I'm a bit short of time tonight so here is an off the peg 'what if' using the F-16XL created by Michael "wpnssgt" Engle back in the day and it comes with this lovely 496th TFS skin and also a Ferris skin which I'll show at another time but with another nations markings.

General Dynamics Falcon GR.4 - No.6 Squadron, RAF Strike Command, 1989

RAFF-16ESCAMP01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFF-16ESCAMP02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFF-16ESCAMP03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

As mentioned, the F-16XL also comes with this Ferris scheme to which I've added RAF 'B' type and 'Flying Can-Openers' markings. Perhaps this scheme was a temporary washable distemper scheme applied to the RAF's Falcon GR.4's when deployed to Norway. As always, the F-16's curved rear fuselage doesn't lend itself to decals at all.

Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22K Raptor GR.3 - No.17 Squadron, RAF South East Asia Command, 2018

RAFF-22KRAPTORGR301 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFF-22KRAPTORGR302 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFF-22KRAPTORGR303 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFF-22KRAPTORGR304 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFF-22KRAPTORGR305 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

The F-22A add-on for Strike Fighters is a real 'Top 10' all-time best and I found a USAF 'Euro One' (or is it 'Lizard') skin for it to which I've added RAF SEAC markings with No.17 Squadron zig-zags. In game, the Storm Shadows are awesome!

Northrop–McDonnell Douglas F-23E Spiderstrike - 510th TFS, USAFE, Aviano, Italy, 2013

USAFF-23E02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USAFF-23E03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USAFF-23E04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USAFF-23E05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USAFF-23E06 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USAFF-23E07 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

A nice template for the F-23 has enabled me to use a 'Euro One' version of my splinter design and some new lo-viz decals and basic codes. Last piccie shows the addition of 'Buzzards' on the fins.

Northrop-SAAB JAS-41 'Svärd' - F21, Swedish Flygvapnet, 2014

FLYGVAPNETF-23E01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FLYGVAPNETF-23E02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FLYGVAPNETF-23E03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FLYGVAPNETF-23E04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

Not sure about a backstory here. Perhaps, after the axe fell on the YF-23 in 1991, Northrop teamed up with SAAB to offer their design for export or to fulfill a Swedish requirement for a longer-range aircraft than the Gripen.

BAe-Northrop Firebrand FG.1 - 767 Naval Air Squadron, Royal Navy, 2010

RNF-23KFIREBRANDFG101 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RNF-23KFIREBRANDFG102 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RNF-23KFIREBRANDFG103 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RNF-23KFIREBRANDFG104 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RNF-23KFIREBRANDFG105 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RNF-23KFIREBRANDFG106 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

Firebrand as in Blackburn Firebrand lol! Hell, let's bring back the Blackburn name as well by making Blackburn the trading name of BAe and Northrop. I've always liked the Yellow Eagle of 767NAS since having the (diecast) Dinky F-4K as a nipper. The heavily canted fins on the F-23K don't make the best canvas to show off colourful Royal Navy markings.

Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet - Ukrainian Air Force, 2009

UKRAINEALPHAJET01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

UKRAINEALPHAJET02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

UKRAINEALPHAJET03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

UKRAINEALPHAJET04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

UKRAINEALPHAJET05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

The AlphaJet available for 'Strike Fighters' is a cracking 3D model by 'Florian' a German modder who also generously uploaded a nice template making it easy for me to add my 'Aggressor Splinter' wallpaper and add some Ukrainian markings. Perhaps surplus AlphaJets became available as part of the Peace Dividend and were snapped up by a nation eager to break free from reliance on their larger neighbour.

Chengdu J-14X - Ukrainian Air Force, 2017

UKRAINEJ-1401 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

UKRAINEJ-1402 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

UKRAINEJ-1403 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

UKRAINEJ-1404 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

The splendid J-14 3D model (based on images found on the internet) was released by Brazilian modder cadeteBRA earlier this year. I've previously shown Força Aérea Brasileira and Ilmavoimat versions and decided to add it to the Ukrainian Air Force in the near future.