Defender of the Empire: Hong Kong

[Shasper]

This was one of two Tam 1/100 Lightnings I had intended to finish for the 1 Week GB, but unfortunatly my supply of acrylic steel went postal so it had to wait for a LHS run (nearest is 30min away )

Without further adieu:


EE Lightning F.6
No.5 sqn
based at RAF Akrotiri,
Forward based at Kai-Tak airport
Hong Kong 1965


After the escalation of hostilities between Indonesia & Malaysia during the Konfrontasi war Britain sought to reinforce its holdings in the far east in case the war were to engulf the entire region. RAF Hunter & Lightning units that were not needed to defend Europe were deployed to Malaysia, Australia & Hong Kong to deter Indonesia.





Among the units sent to defend the Crown was a detachment from No. 5sqn based on Cypress, which put on QRA at Kai-Tak airport in Hong Kong to ward off Indonesian Tu-16 Badgers.





4 of the Lightnings were finished in the new NEAF camo of desert tan & brown over PRU Blue, with the intake lip retouched in gray to prevent glare.





One evening 2 of the aircraft were scrambled to intercept an unknown contact coming from the south. After identifying the aircraft as an Taiwanese patrol plane the pair turned back to head to base, but due to a glitch in the radio-direction signal receiver the aircraft passed into Chinese airspace. The PLAAF scrambled a dozen Frescos & Farmers to intercept the British fighters. By the time the Brits realized they were far off course the Chinese fighters were swarming all over them. The Lightnings put up a good fight but were overwhelmed by the Chinese MiGs, one of the Lightnings managed to escape the onslaught after taking out 3 of the MiGs, but the other was shot down. While the pilot survived the encounter, he would remain a "Guest of the People" until 1966.







B    

[John Howling Mouse]

Liking the color scheme, Shas.
What did you think of the kit?

[Shasper]

Not Tamiya's best effort I'm afraid, fuselage halves are uneven & filler will be needed around the intake, canopy, ventrals & engines.


Shas