What if the Brazilian Air Force had acquired the BAC Lightning instead of the Da

[rudnei]

"In the second half of the 1960s, the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) sought to renew its fighter fleet. With the US refusal to sell the McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom, the FAB made studies for the purchase of the French-made Mirage III and the British Lightning F.6.

Despite the Mirage III have achieved great renown worldwide after its use in combat by Israel in the Six Day War, the British proposal was tempting, in view of the desire of the British government to acquire large quantities of iron ore and rubber; this would allow the Brazilian government to acquire a larger number of aircraft. In addition, the proposal also provided British collaboration for the establishment of a system for control and interception of aircraft, similar to the British GCI.

Another advantage was the in-flight refueling system (both in the F.6 and the T.5 versions), which would be needed for Lightning operation in a country as large as Brazil; that would make the FAB ´pilots able to master this most important technique for the employment of combat aircraft.

All considered, the Brazilian government opted for buying 80 Lightning F.54 fighters and 20 trainers Lightning T.56 (export versions of the Lightning F.6 and Lightning T.5 to Brazil), with which the fighter fleet would be standardized once again and would allow the reequipment of four fighter squadrons, with a number of aircraft held in reserve. Some modifications were made, most distinguishing of all being the UHF antenna blade behind the cockpit.

Designated in FAB as Lightning F-6 and serialled 4900-4979 (the two-seaters T-5s were serialled 4980-4999 ) , the "Relâmpago" , as it became known colloquially in Brazil, equipped the 1st Squadron of the 14th Aviation Group from 1973 onwards. The model represents F-6 FAB 4914, the Squadron "Pampa" CO's personal aircraft."
(Kit: Lightning F.6 1/72 Airfix; decals: by FCM and by the author)

[The Rat]

Lightnings RULE! 

[Hobbes]

Well done, that's nice and unusual.

[Army of One]

That looks great.... ......what's the kit like to put together.....?

[sandiego89]

Nice job- silver paint is so hard to work with and you pulled it off nicely. 

[PR19_Kit]

Airfix don't do a 1/72 Lightning F6.............yet.

They've done an F1 and updated it to an F3, but not an F6. There is one planned for a release soon IIRC. That one looks like the Frog/Hasegawa/Revell one to me.

[NARSES2]

Oh my that is nice

[Go4fun]

Should there be a
WARNING: ADULT CONTENT
at the top of the page with the natural skin with just that little blue stripe?
Nice looking, original and interesting rudnei. 

[Captain Canada]

Lightnings RULE! 

What he said !

Nice job. I really like the look of this one. The second pic is my favourite. With a little background ( even something as simple as a light pole ! ) it would look like the real thing. The belly tank is weathered perfect as well.

[lancer]

Oh that is a real beauty!!!

[Dizzyfugu]

Nice! 

[rudnei]

Guys,
Many thanks, I appreciate your nice comments. Sorry that I really made a mistake, the kit is the old Hasegawa/Minicraft 1/72.
Cheers
Rudnei
PS: it SURELY would have been much better than those Mirage IIIs...