Re: Spinners' Strike Fighters Thread

[SPINNERS]

Lockheed F-104C Starfighter - No.3 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, 1967

The RAAF's search for a Sabre replacement led to a joint evaluation team from the Departments of Air and Supply visiting Europe and North America during 1960 with the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter eventually edging out the Dassault Mirage and Saab J35 Draken.

RAAFF-104CSTARFIGHTER01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAAFF-104CSTARFIGHTER02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAAFF-104CSTARFIGHTER03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAAFF-104CSTARFIGHTER04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

The F-104C in the new A.I. plane pack is really nice with more detailed textures than is normally given to the A.I.'s and I like the probe and array of lumps and bumps on the later versions of the F-104C. What I don't like is my own backstory as I much prefer the Mirage.. and the Draken come to that!

[SPINNERS]

Grumman Tomcat FRS.1 - 803 Naval Air Squadron, Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm, 1982

RNF-14KTOMCATFRS105 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RNF-14KTOMCATFRS106 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RNF-14KTOMCATFRS107 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

[SPINNERS]

Lockheed Starfighter FGA.1 - No.41 Squadron, RAF South East Asia Command, 1968

RAFF-104CSTARFIGHTER01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFF-104CSTARFIGHTER02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFF-104CSTARFIGHTER03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFF-104CSTARFIGHTER04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

[SPINNERS]

North American F-100D 'Firangi' - No.26 Squadron (The Warriors), Indian Air Force, 1966

India's relationship with the USA in the immediate post-independence period was cold at best but things improved following Eisenhower's historic visit in 1959 (the first by a US president) who gave Prime Minister Nehru a solid guarantee that the US would help India to meet further Chinese Communist aggression. To this end, the US Government offered a gift to India of 77 North American F-100D's straight off the Columbus assembly line. These were the very last new-build F-100's produced and this small order proved to be a useful boost to North American who had suffered the cancellation of the F-107 and F-108 programmes.

Entering service with No.26 Squadron in 1961 the F-100D was known as the 'Firangi' (an Indian sword) in Indian Air Force service and the type served in the tactical attack role with four front-line IAF squadrons acquitting itself very well in both the 1965 and 1971 conflicts with Pakistan.

IAFF-100DSUPERSABRE01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IAFF-100DSUPERSABRE02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IAFF-100DSUPERSABRE03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IAFF-100DSUPERSABRE04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IAFF-100DSUPERSABRE05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

[SPINNERS]

Lockheed F-104C Starfighter - No.6 Squadron, Indian Air Force, 1977

"As long as the world is constituted as it is, every country will have to devise and use the latest devices for its protection. I have no doubt India will develop her scientific researches and I hope Indian scientists will use the atomic force for constructive purposes. But if India is threatened, she will inevitably try to defend herself by all means at her disposal." - Jawaharlal Nehru, 1946.

Even earlier than the above statement by India's future first Prime Minister, India had embarked on a nuclear research programme with the establishment of the Institute of Fundamental Research led by Dr. Homi Bhabha. After a low-key start increasing tensions with China, and the subsequent loss of territory to China in the short Himilayan border war in October 1962, the programme to produce nuclear weapons was given the utmost priority as a potential means of deterring further Chinese aggression. Whilst future plans were made for delivery by land-based missiles the urgent priority was for a 'simple' free-fall device to eventually equip the IAF's Canberra force. Code-named 'Shiva-P' (a shortened form of Shiva-Pashupatastra - with Pashupatastra being the mythological weapon used by the deity Shiva) the programme to produce India's first nuclear weapon eventually saw the detonation of a nuclear device in 1974 and the emergency introduction into service of the Shiva-P free-fall nuclear bomb in 1977.

Meanwhile, Lockheed had seen the breakthrough made by the export of North American F-100D's to India and in March 1960 boldly proposed a version of the F-104C to the Indian Air Force who ordered 100 for use in the fighter- bomber role. Entering service with No.6 squadron in 1962 the F-104C's served with four front-line squadrons and was held in high regard in the low-level attack role so it came as no surprise that the Indian Air Force selected the type to carry the first Shiva-P's delivered in 1977 with No.6 squadron being declared nuclear-capable in a bold announcement made to the world in July 1977.

IAFF-104CSTARFIGHTER01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IAFF-104CSTARFIGHTER02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IAFF-104CSTARFIGHTER03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IAFF-104CSTARFIGHTER04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

The stock Third Wire F-104G skin with a re-coloured Mk84 2,000lb bomb masquerading as the 'Shiva-P'!!

[SPINNERS]

Supermarine Spitfire F.22's - No.2 Leinster Squadron, Irish Air Corps, 1948

aka 'The Battle of Three Rock Mountain'

IACSPITFIREF2201 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IACSPITFIREF2202 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IACSPITFIREF2203 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IACSPITFIREF2204 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IACSPITFIREF2205 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IACSPITFIREF2206 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IACSPITFIREF2207 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

My first stab at a 'what if' from the new A.I. Plane Pack - some Irish Spitfire F.22's!

[SPINNERS]

Sukhoi Su-9 'Fishpot-A' - HävLLv 31, Ilmavoimat, 1968

ILMAVOIMATSU-9FISHPOT01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ILMAVOIMATSU-9FISHPOT012 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I've done this one before but this uses the new Third Wire 3D model.

[SPINNERS]

Valmet Aviation VLH-1 'Taifuuna' - Ilmavoimat, 1949

In the immediate aftermath of World War 2 the Finnish Ministry of Defence (Puolustusministeri) embarked upon a bold programme to build two indigenous fighter aircraft for service with the Ilmavoimat with Hävittäjä-A being planned to be an interim piston-engined fighter aircraft to enter service in 1948 whilst the more ambitious Hävittäjä-B was planned to be a jet propelled fighter aircraft to enter service in 1950. To facilitate the indigenous production of these fighter aircraft the Parliament of Finland quickly created the state-owned Valtion Lentokonetehdas aircraft company as part of their new Valtion Metallitehtaat conglomerate. By early 1946 the Hävittäjä-A project had become the VLH-1 (with a design heavily influenced by the North American P-51 Mustang but powered by a Rolls-Royce Griffon 73 engine rated at 2,250hp with fuel injection) whilst the more advanced Hävittäjä-B (VLH-2) project resembled the contemporary Saab 29. However, the VLH-2 was cancelled in October 1946 due to strong Soviet objections voiced during the Paris Peace Conference which had a major impact on the future size and shape of the Ilmavoimat.

With all resources now focused on just one project development moved smoothly during 1947 with the VLH-1 prototype taking to the air on August 15th, 1947 from the small Valtion Lentokonetehdas company airfield alongside the Tampere production line. Entering service as the 'Taifuuna' (Typhoon) in 1948 a total of 60 VLH-1's were produced serving with three Ilmavoimat squadrons until they were replaced by Supermarine Swifts during the mid-1950's.

ILMAVOIMATCA-15BTAIFUUNA01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ILMAVOIMATCA-15BTAIFUUNA02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ILMAVOIMATCA-15BTAIFUUNA03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ILMAVOIMATCA-15BTAIFUUNA04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ILMAVOIMATCA-15BTAIFUUNA05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ILMAVOIMATCA-15BTAIFUUNA06 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

This is, of course, the Australian CAC CA-15 Kangaroo masquerading as the Valmet Taifuuna! The lovely silver skin comes with the sharkmouth and I've simply added some Finnish markings including the 'night fighter' tail marking (which will come in handy when I give them the 'Fiddler').

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAC_CA-15

[SPINNERS]

Saab J32 Lansen - HävLLv 31, Ilmavoimat, 1963

ILMAVOIMATJ32LANSEN01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ILMAVOIMATJ32LANSEN02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ILMAVOIMATJ32LANSEN03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ILMAVOIMATJ32LANSEN04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ILMAVOIMATJ32LANSEN05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I've previously done some RAF Lansens and just recoloured the uppersurface Camo to create a more than passable Ilmavoimat Lansen.

[SPINNERS]

BAC Thunderstrike Mk.56 - No.1 Squadron, Belgian Air Force, 1974

BAFTSR2THUNDERSTRIKE01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

BAFTSR2THUNDERSTRIKE02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

BAFTSR2THUNDERSTRIKE03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

BAFTSR2THUNDERSTRIKE04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

BAFTSR2THUNDERSTRIKE05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

The third party TSR.2 was released a few years ago now but is still an awesome aircraft in game. I like the 'plain' TSR.2 best but this version is for a more advanced ground-attack version with internal guns and weapon pylons galore!

[SPINNERS]

Curtiss Kittyhawk 1A - No.19 Squadron, Royal Air Force, 1938

RAFKITTYHAWK1A01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFKITTYHAWK1A02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFKITTYHAWK1A03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

The XP-40 didn't fly until October 1938 so this 'what if' is stretching things a bit but a lovely Kittyhawk 1A was released recently and apart from the classic No.112 Squadron desert skin with a sharkmouth there is a nice template with these 'BoB' style colours set as the default to which I've simply added some weathering and some No.19 Squadron markings and Spitfire serial numbers.

Spitfires_No19Sqd by Spinners1961, on Flickr

[SPINNERS]

LTV Corsair GR.3A - No.112 Squadron, RAF Middle East Command, 1991

RAFCORSAIRGR3A01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFCORSAIRGR3A02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFCORSAIRGR3A03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I made mention of No.112 squadron in the Kittyhawk post above and thought I'd try a sharkmouthed 'Desert Storm' Corsair.

[SPINNERS]

Curtiss Kittyhawk 1A - No.43 Squadron, Royal Air Force, September 1938

RAFKITTYHAWK1A04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFKITTYHAWK1A05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFKITTYHAWK1A06 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFKITTYHAWK1A07 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

[SPINNERS]

Supermarine Spitfire F.24 - Soviet Air Force, 1949

The 1946 UK-USSR Trade Agreement saw the sale of Rolls-Royce Derwent and Nene jet engines to the Soviet Union along with an unexpected order for 200 Supermarine Spitfire F.24's for the Soviet Air Force for delivery during 1947. Little was known about these aircraft until the Berlin Airlift when they were frequently encountered whilst patrolling the air corridors before gaining infamy on March 24th, 1949 when two USAF C-54's were shot down by Soviet Spitfires.

SOVIETSPITFIREF2401 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

SOVIETSPITFIREF2402 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

SOVIETSPITFIREF2403 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

SOVIETSPITFIREF2404 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

SOVIETSPITFIREF2405 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

The Spitfire IX often appears in game as an 'enemy' aircraft in the early post-war years and the Soviet Green IX skin can be adapted to fit the F.24 albeit with a small amount of work but I really should have lost the 4 x .303's!

[SPINNERS]

Supermarine Spitfire F.24 - No.69 Squadron, Israeli Air Force, November 1956

IDFSPITFIREF2401 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IDFSPITFIREF2402 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IDFSPITFIREF2403 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IDFSPITFIREF2404 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IDFSPITFIREF2405 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I struggled to get my 'checker' decal to cover the whole of the rudder but the last two piccies show it properly.