Cuban Bearcat

[comrade harps]

Grumman F8F-1B Bearcat, 3rd Fighter Squadron, Cuban Air Force, San Antonio de los Baños, May 1954

When troubled brewed in Cuban during the early 1950s, the Cuban government received generous military and civilian aide from the USA to quell the prospects of a revolution. By 1954, armed guerrilla groups were operating in the countryside, forcing the government to mount an ongoing series of major counter-insurgency campaigns.



The main combat aircraft used was the Grumman F8F-1 Bearcat, Cuban having acquired 80 ex-US Navy examples in 1952-53. 16 of these were of the cannon armed F8F-1B variety. Armed with rockets and napalm (the yellow tanks seen here under wing), the Bearcats attacked rebel troop concentrations and provided accurate close air support to the Army.

By 1958 the armed rebellion had been crushed, leaving the regime of the corrupt but pro-American Fulgencio Batista in power.

[GTX]

 

[pyro-manic]

Lovely! Very plausible, and it looks fantastic.

[NARSES2]

Nice Bearcat Glenn 

[comrade harps]

Last year I did so much that was heavily camouflaged that this year so far I've brightened things up with high-contrast, silver schemes (except for the olive drab P-40 I'm currently working on, which is a quickie while I figure out the colourful finish on an Argentine P-47D, 1946, Operation Downfall - part of the Candy Coloured Air Force).

[frank2056]

It's a great looking model and not implausible; the Cubans flew the Sea Fury at some point.

[Army of One]

Lovely scheme on a well finished model....well done comrade...extra ration of vodka...or brake fluid...whichever is more abundant....

[ysi_maniac]

Perfect concept and scheme!