Bloch MB152 (GCI/1 l'Armee d'Air) No8 Squadron, Royals Scots Airforce, Stornoway

[Doug K]

This links to my alternative history here: (https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=40383.msg680083#msg680083) where post WW1 Home Rule for Scotland & Ireland become Independent Dominions, same as Canada, Australia and South Africa).

The Home Nations were in dire straights after the fall of France, men and aircraft were short and Scotland (in particular) hadn't rearmed as quickly as the RAF. The RSAF were still flying biplanes in the main during the phoney war - you'll have seen my Gladiator here https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=46306.msg837227#msg837227 - therefore even slightly more modern monoplanes were begged, borrowed or stolen from anywhere, particularly once the few Hurricane and Spitfire squadrons were moved to the South East of England in anticipation of the invasion.

Among the misfits that were co-opted into the RSAF, was a small flight of Bloch 152 which having escaped France were deemed outclassed by the Luftwaffe over the Channel and were subsequently sent to the Hebrides to help keep the final few nautical miles of convoys clear of Condors. So below you can see a somewhat tired, well worn machine originally from Chantilly featuring hastily applied Scottish roundels straight on top of its worn and damaged French markings.

Quite what the pilots thought of swapping the northern edge of Paris for the North Western edge of Europe, where even English is a second language isn't recorded......

IMG_5295 by doug_alba, on Flickr

IMG_5294 by doug_alba, on Flickr

The model is the ancient Smer kit, pretty much built OOB and Humbrol enamels applied by trowel (I do wonder WTF they make them from these days).

[NARSES2]

I like that 

[Scotaidh]

Your roundels are very intriguing ... how did you come up with them?

[Doug K]

Your roundels are very intriguing ... how did you come up with them?

I basically stole the idea from the Irish Air Corps Celtic Boss, the pre and post war (in my world) are blue and white, from the saltire. The tactical dull blue and red of WW2 is a straight lift from the RAF - for the same reasons of lower visibility.

[zenrat]

Nice.

[AndrewF]

Your roundels are very intriguing ... how did you come up with them?

I basically stole the idea from the Irish Air Corps Celtic Boss, the pre and post war (in my world) are blue and white, from the saltire. The tactical dull blue and red of WW2 is a straight lift from the RAF - for the same reasons of lower visibility.

Yes, this is a good idea for the roundels, rather than the St Andrew's cross which always looks too much like the Spanish Nationalist markings from the Civil War to me... The blue & red Celtic boss also reminds me of the South Korean roundel.

[Doug K]

It is similar to S.Korea but on a vertical axis, bearing in mind the baseline is blue & white

[chrisonord]

Very nice Douglas 

[Doug K]

Very nice Douglas 

Thank you!