My TSR.2 took a sharp turn in another direction

upnorth · July 17, 2006, 08:43:46 AM

Hello all:

I ran into a problem with my TSR.2 not long ago and it looks like the tanker conversion is a no go. I won't go into to many gory details, but I ended up with a big hole in the weapon bay doors.

I was wondering how to remedy the situation when my eyes happened to fall across an Airfix Bloodhound SAM kit at my LHS and an idea for a big wonking semi-recessed missile to fill the hole hit my mind at the same time.

I've got the Bloodhound pretty much worked into a decent looking what-if cruise missile or big boat buster (still deciding which) and I'm looking for a cool sounding name for it, but things like Blue Steel and Red Top are already done.

The name "Black Sun" hit my head today and I'm wondering if the British military ever gave anything that name in real life? If not, that's what this baby's getting for a name.

If Black Sun has been used, I'm open to suggestions, but I'd like to keep it in the typical British pattern of a colour plus whatever.

I'm reworking my backstory, so far my TSR.2 has gone from Eagle K.1 to Eagle GR.4

overscan · July 17, 2006, 10:45:32 AM

"Yellow Sun" was the UK hydrogen bomb, while there were a number of Black codenames. "Red Duster" was the Bloodhound SAM, so maybe "Black Duster" might be a good name

nev · July 17, 2006, 10:50:19 AM

Black Sun? Been rocking to Soundgarden lately? B)

lancer · July 17, 2006, 12:26:38 PM

QuoteBlack Sun? Been rocking to Soundgarden lately? B)

More like reading Star Wars books...

upnorth · July 17, 2006, 12:34:11 PM

O.K. Black Sun might not be the best....

Blue Nova?

Steel Wolf?

Scarlet Hamster?

Scooterman · July 17, 2006, 01:42:41 PM

Green Turd?

Runway ? ... · July 17, 2006, 08:55:02 PM

Maybe not too helpful but here's a list of a lot of the names already taken

http://www.skomer.u-net.com/projects/colour.htm

overscan · July 17, 2006, 11:42:55 PM

Well, if they could use "Green Cheese" with a straight face anything is possible.

TsrJoe · July 18, 2006, 02:04:58 AM

'Black Sun' sounds good to me B)

try Chris's site for some more inspiration re colour/name combinations ..

http://www.skomer.u-net.com/projects/colour.htm

i look forward to seeing how you finally finish her! (what colour scheme you planning?)

cheers, Joe

upnorth · July 18, 2006, 04:50:57 AM

Black Sun it is.

Thanks for the link for colour naming reference.

As for the finish, it will be as I was planning for the tanker, early 70s tactical green and grey over white with full colour roundels and RAF 19 Sqn. markings. I'll just not put all the day glow tanking reference markings on the underside.

The finished model may be a ways off yet (I ain't hurrying her) but hopefully I'll have a reworked backstory for it before long.

GeorgeC · July 18, 2006, 06:58:33 AM

The point of the rainbow codes was that they were entirely random so you could not guess what a secret project was from its nickname. Yellow Sun was actually quite a bad one as it was a (little) sun! Red Beard, a 2000lbs 'Target Marker' or Bomb (Medium Capacity) - because it was only a kiloton weapon - was far better as it is gibberish. Black Sun is great as it sounds really good too.

For security reasons, British military operations are still named after random things PALLISER, TELIC, CORPORATE which must confuse the enemy as they often confuse much of the British military. By contrast, Operation Iraqi Freedom was felt to be a bit of a give away...

Regards

GeorgeC

GeorgeC · July 18, 2006, 07:10:41 AM

Oops - double post - didn't scroll down far enough.

Your Black Sun 'must' be the successor to Blue Steel developed after Macmillan and JFK had their famous row at Nassau in 1962. The need to maintain the British national deterrent in the face of American indifference over skybolt and Polaris overrode cost concerns for the TSR2 and saw its deployment with Black Sun as a successor to the V Force...

Regards

GeorgeC

RLBH · July 18, 2006, 12:51:06 PM

QuoteFor security reasons, British military operations are still named after random things PALLISER, TELIC, CORPORATE which must confuse the enemy as they often confuse much of the British military. By contrast, Operation Iraqi Freedom was felt to be a bit of a give away...

That US tendency came about just before the invasion of Panama in 1989. Prior to that, codenames were random, consisting of an adjective followed by a noun, neither of which had anything to do with either the operation or anything well-known.

When the name "Blue Spoon" was assigned, someone (George Bush?) suggested that it wasn't a good name: something like "Could you tell your grandchildren you were involved in Operation Blue Spoon?" So, Just Cause was substituted, and security doesn't seem to have been of much importance since...

GeorgeC · July 18, 2006, 05:17:57 PM

QuoteSo, Just Cause was substituted, and security doesn't seem to have been of much importance since...

That's the thing about being the only superpower - it's sooo damn liberating!

Nigel Bunker · July 19, 2006, 06:00:09 AM

British forces had their own views of what the operation code names stood for:

TELIC - Tell Everybody Leave Is Cancelled

GRANBY - Gulf Requires ANother Bloody Yomp (from the Royal Marines of course!)