Re: Spinners' Strike Fighters Thread

[SPINNERS]

Douglas A-4E Skyhawk FGA.2 - No.60 Squadron, RAF South East Asia Command, 1964

RAFA-4ESKYHAWK01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFA-4ESKYHAWK02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr
RAFA-4ESKYHAWK03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

Now why would the RAF need Skyhawks with all those lovely Hunter airframes lying around waiting for conversion? This one hasn't quite worked for me but it's the Kiwi A-4K skin wrapped around the stock A-4E 3D model. Most Skyhawk skins have the garish intake warnings and red paint and whilst I've overpainted the outside of the intakes I couldn't get the insides done and there's a few other differences between the 'humped' A-4K skin and the A-4E leading to an abandonment on this occasion - and it's film night!

[SPINNERS]

Hawker Hunter FGA.9B - No.28 Squadron, RAF South East Asia Command, 1968

RAFHUNTERFGA9B01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFHUNTERFGA9B02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFHUNTERFGA9B03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFHUNTERFGA9B04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFHUNTERFGA9B05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFHUNTERFGA9B06 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

This one is a new skin by me created from one of the excellent templates available for this fine aircraft. No.28 squadron have a fair old 'Far East' history so I've used them on this one and have added a white SEAC identification fin band as seen on many RAF aircraft in that theatre but, for now, I've steered clear of adding these to the wings.

[SPINNERS]

Vought F-8F Crusader - EC 3/10 "Vexin", Armée de l'Air, Djibouti, 1977

ALAF-8FCRUSADER01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ALAF-8FCRUSADER02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ALAF-8FCRUSADER03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ALAF-8FCRUSADER04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ALAF-8FCRUSADER05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

A Crusader with a SEA camo (T.O. 1-1-4) has always been on my to do list but I've shied away from doing the necessary templates from scratch so I was delighted to receive a template for the F-8E created by 'Geary' over at Combat Ace with that camo already on it and requiring just a few tweaks. I'll certainly do a USAF and perhaps a VNAF version in this camo and Belgian and Greek ones too.

[SPINNERS]

Vought F-110A (later F-8F) Crusader - Tactical Air Command, United States Air Force, 1962

USAFF-8FCRUSADER01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USAFF-8FCRUSADER02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USAFF-8FCRUSADER03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USAFF-8FCRUSADER04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USAFF-8FCRUSADER05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I've cheekily used the F-110A designation here for this early USAF Crusader but in an affectionate homage to those USN F-4B's that were loaned to TAC. The tri-service designation system kicked in during 1962 so it became the F-8F. McNamara would have approved! Three points for pedants;

1. The Aim-4D Falcon (shown on the upper 3 piccies) entered service in 1963.

2. Yes, the fin does have a stencil saying F-8E(FN)!!

3. The 'FM' buzz number prefix was apparently allocated to the Fisher P-75 but in other lists is unused so I've used it here (some people get a bit uppity about stuff like that).

[SPINNERS]

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 - Parani Air Force, 1959

In February 1957, Halani Khomar, a Soviet-backed revolutionary leader, stages a bloody coup against the Mushani regime. Once in power, Khomar begins building up the Parani military forces, buying the newest fighter aircraft and tanks from the Soviet Union. King Husani Karmar al'Galbhi of Dhimar, fearing a new war, decides to approach the US for military assistance. Tensions between the two countries culminate in two years of terrorist attacks in Dhimari border cities. In June 1959, the Dhimari ports become subject to a Parani naval blockade, stopping all shipping from and to Dhimar. Prince Fa'ad al'Galbhi, commander of the Dhimari Air Force, starts an emergency buildup of air power by creating several Special Operations Wings, manned by foreign mercenary pilots willing to fight. In July, the US dispatches US Naval and Air Force squadrons to assist their ally. In September 1959, a mass Parani offensive is launched towards the Valley of Kerman and the Mazadran oil fields. War has returned to the desert...

PARANMiG-15FAGOT01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

PARANMiG-15FAGOT02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

PARANMiG-15FAGOT03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

PARANMiG-15FAGOT04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

PARANMiG-15FAGOT05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

PARANMiG-15FAGOT06 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

PARANMiG-15FAGOT07 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

PARANMiG-15FAGOT08 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

The little backstory is from the SF2 Wiki and this uses a newly released Romanian Camo skin, part of an amazing Mig-15 anthology by Paulopanz over at Combat Ace, to create Paran's first jet.

[SPINNERS]

IAI Pugnale - 154 Gruppo, 6 Stormo, Aeronautica Militare Italiano, 1996

AMIFINGER01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

AMIFINGER02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

AMIFINGER03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

AMIFINGER04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

A very nice IAI Finger was released today using the Australian Mirage IIIO with a new nose section grafted on plus a few other refinements. I've just overpainted the Fuerza Aérea Argentina markings on the fin and added some Italian markings including a desaturated version of my 154 Gruppo Mirage fin.

[SPINNERS]

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15bis 'Fagot-B' - Unknown Night Attack Regiment, Korean Peoples' Army Air Force, 1956

KPAAFMiG-15bisFAGOT01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

KPAAFMiG-15bisFAGOT02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

KPAAFMiG-15bisFAGOT03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

KPAAFMiG-15bisFAGOT04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

KPAAFMiG-15bisFAGOT05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I've been enjoying the recent MiG-15 upgrades posted at Combat Ace and decided to make a night attack version of the MiG-15bis by making a quick and dirty 'night' scheme by inverting the stock silver skin to black with an added layer of black at 70% opacity to flatten the brightness down and then the various parts and bits are added back in as a final layer keeping their original colour. Apart from not identifying the pylons it's quite an effective technique and I've done a similar thing with the UB-16 rocket pod. I wanted the national markings to be really subdued and plumped for making a version of the North Korean roundel without the white and then just added a simple bat marking to the fin and some stencilled 4-digit nose numbers.

[SPINNERS]

Fokker D.XXVIII - Jasta 25, Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte, 1950

DLSKMiG-15FAGOT01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

DLSKMiG-15FAGOT02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

DLSKMiG-15FAGOT03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

DLSKMiG-15FAGOT04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

DLSKMiG-15FAGOT05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I've done a couple of Lozenge Camo's before but this is the first one where I've used some flashes of colour with generic WW1 German markings. I've no idea if Jasta 25 used the 'Ace of Spades' marking - it's just my favourite number!

[SPINNERS]

Mikoyan MiG-21bis - Luftstreitkräfte, 1982

LSKMig-21BISFISHBED01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

LSKMig-21BISFISHBED02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

LSKMig-21BISFISHBED03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I'm a bit short on time at the moment so this 'quickie' uses a different lozenge camo with blue undersides (taken from the lozenge camo) and uses stock Luftstreitkräfte decals.

[SPINNERS]

Dassault Rafale C - 831st Tactical Aviation Brigade, Ukrainian Air Force, 2015

UAFRAFALE01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

UAFRAFALE02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

UAFRAFALE03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

UAFRAFALE04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

UAFRAFALE05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

My blue 'splinter on a roll' applied to the sweet-looking Rafale C with some Ukrainian markings which I always apply to this scheme. No politics please!

[SPINNERS]

Republik Rw-47G-3/R5 Donnerbolzen - Luftstreitkräfte, 1946

LSKP-47NTHUNDERBOLT01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

LSKP-47NTHUNDERBOLT02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

LSKP-47NTHUNDERBOLT03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

LSKP-47NTHUNDERBOLT04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I quite like this one although the canopy frame could do with a lick of paint! I've always liked the 'N' and, as someone brought up on Airfix Spitfires and Hurricanes, I can remember being impressed by the huge size of the Heller P-47N.

LSKP-47NTHUNDERBOLT05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr
Edit: Canopy frame painted up.

[SPINNERS]

Dassault Rafale C - Welsh Air Force, 2014

WALESRAFALE01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

WALESRAFALE02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

WALESRAFALE03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

WALESRAFALE04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

WALESRAFALE05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

WALESRAFALE06 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

WALESRAFALE07 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

Happy St. David's Day everyone!

[SPINNERS]

Hawker Fury Mk.I - Eskadrille 722, Royal Danish Air Force, 1949

When the sale of Fury Mk.I's (and two-seat Fury trainers) to Iraq fell through in 1948 the Royal Danish Air Force were grateful recipients and used the type to supplement their small Spitfire force.

RDAFSEAFURY01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RDAFSEAFURY02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RDAFSEAFURY03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

A simple one this with a slightly modified Cuban skin given RDAF markings and stock RDAF Spitfire aircraft numbers (a useful feature of the game).

[SPINNERS]

Bristol Vincentious B.2 - No.617 Squadron, RAF Bomber Command, 1963

RAFTU-16BADGER01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFTU-16BADGER02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFTU-16BADGER03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFTU-16BADGER04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFTU-16BADGER05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I came to do this one via a circuitous route starting with an idea to convert the Bloodhound SAM into an AGM/ASM! That worked easy enough but I needed a suitably large aircraft to carry it. The stock B-52D has no wing pylons so I knocked up a 'trials' Badger but unfortunately the Badger's pylons are not deep enough for the large fins so I decided to use the three large ASM's (Kipper, Kitchen and Kingfish) on a V-Bomber Badger! I've shown the Bristol Vincentious before as a plain bomber and also as a maritime recce aircraft but this version uses the Tu-16K-26 3D model which has underwing pylons. My skin-tinting technique is quick to apply but does blot out some lovely detail on the stock silver skin.

[SPINNERS]

Vickers Vengeance B.3 - No.617 Squadron, RAF Bomber Command, 1965

RAFTU-22KDBLINDER01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFTU-22KDBLINDER02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFTU-22KDBLINDER03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFTU-22KDBLINDER04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFTU-22KDBLINDER05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFTU-22KDBLINDER06 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I've shown the Vickers Vengeance before in it's B.2 free-fall version and this is the B.3 version equipped with the 'Blue Baron' stand-off missile (Kitchen).

Edit: Some shots show the cute little Kipper missile.