Re: Spinners' Strike Fighters Thread

[SPINNERS]

McDonnell F-110CJ Phantom - 302nd Hikotai, Japanese Air Self Defence Force, 1966

The resounding success of the F-4B in the competitive fly-off against the F-106 during 'Operation Highspeed' led to a more comprehensive evaluation of two loaned Navy F-4B's (designated as the F-110A) but McDonnell had already been planning a purpose-built tactical fighter version of the F-4 for the USAF equipped with the F-111's TF30 turbofan engines. Designated F-110B this aircraft promised to be an excellent partner to the F-111A (TFX) and quickly gained the support of Defense Secretary Robert McNamara who authorised production of the type in February 1962. The pre-production prototype first flew in November 1963 and the F-110B entered service with the USAF during the following year prompting the adoption of the type by several allied air forces including the Japanese Air Self Defence Force.











Basically, this is the F-4M with a USN style skin and new jet nozzles to replace the very distinctive Spey nozzles.

[SPINNERS]

McDonnell F-110CJ Phantom - 8th Hikotai, Japanese Air Self Defence Force, 1969









This scheme is more associated with the JASDF's RF-4E's and I can see that I've forgotten to remove the 'slimers' from the forward fuselage having done so on the mid-fuselage and fin.

[SPINNERS]

McDonnell Douglas F-110D Phantom - USAF 'Thunderbirds' Display Team, 1969















'Strike Fighters' includes a couple of in-built 'what ifs' including a Thunderbirds skin for the F-4D which I've used here with some TF30-ish nozzles on the F-4M!

[SPINNERS]

Republic P-72A Superbolt - 380th Fighter Sqd, 363rd Fighter Group, Ninth Air Force, 1944











This is the DAT's P-72A Superbolt with a little nod towards the old Airfix 1/72 scale P-51D kit - a kit I built many times over in the 70's (second only to Spitfire IX JE*J) and just 19p a throw in 1974!!

[SPINNERS]

Gloster Meteor F.8 - 18º Gruppo, 3º Stormo, Aeronautica Militare, 1955











I can't believe I've not done an Italian Meteor before!

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Gloster Meteor T.7 - 9º Stormo, Aeronautica Militare, 1960











I had to double check whether Italy actually did operate the Meteor T.7!

[SPINNERS]

Armstrong-Whitworth Meteor NF.14 - 155° Gruppo, 51° Stormo, Aeronautica Militare, 1957











It may not have been the greatest kit in the world but I loved the Matchbox 'NF' Meteor and especially the crazily long NF.14. I think I still have a couple in the stash.

[SPINNERS]

Hawker Typhoon 1B - 102º Gruppo, Aviazione Cobelligerante Italiana, 1945













A change of pace with the superb DAT Typhoon 1B wearing some pretty generic ACI markings. I understand that the ACI did not actually fight over Italy and only fought over the Balkans (which are looking pretty dry in my piccies  ).

[SPINNERS]

Cessna A-37B Dragonfly - Vietnamese People's Air Force, 1976











I've been having a play with the Cessna Dragonfly and have done my signature VPAF camo on the A-37B which I guess only makes it a partial 'whif' as the must have put the VNAF's Tweets to good use. I wonder if that old brick building is still there at Phan Rang?

[SPINNERS]

Grumman F-14C Tomcat - 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron, United States Air Force, 1974

USAF F-14C TOMCAT.01_zpsbjbwbkmw by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USAF F-14C TOMCAT.02_zpso0pfkeu8 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USAF F-14C TOMCAT.03_zpsf1o4ieuq by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USAF F-14C TOMCAT.04_zpshytpoghz by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USAF F-14C TOMCAT.05_zpsrszeqebr by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USAF F-14C TOMCAT.06_zpsyjgdrx3f by Spinners1961, on Flickr

A sweet F-4E was shown recently over at Combat Ace in the early F-15A 'Air Superiority Blue' so I thought I'd see how it looks on the Tomcat.

[SPINNERS]

Hawker Tempest V - Groupe de Chasse I/4 Dauphine, Armée de l'air, 1947

ADA TEMPEST 5.01_zpsudjqzt0h by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ADA TEMPEST 5.02_zpsb0jnhsfe by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ADA TEMPEST 5.03_zpstkvhmjli by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ADA TEMPEST 5.04_zpsus8pqnym by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ADA TEMPEST 5.05_zpswgvtb5cf by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ADA TEMPEST 5.06_zpsia1il3gm by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ADA TEMPEST 5.07_zpsgszfjaxo by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I've always had a soft spot for the Hawker Tempest and my French version is based on their ex-RAF Spitfires based at Tan Son Nhut.

[SPINNERS]

North American F-100L Super Sabre - Eskadrille 726, Royal Danish Air Force, 1960

RDAF FJ5 SUPER FURY.01_zpsuixge1xx by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RDAF FJ5 SUPER FURY.02_zpsviwmtm7n by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RDAF FJ5 SUPER FURY.04_zpskmdxsrsa by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RDAF FJ5 SUPER FURY.03_zpstnrnim1f by Spinners1961, on Flickr

This is the FJ5 'Super Fury' by Cocas with a simple RDAF skin and markings by me. The USN designations for the Fury and projected Super Fury are all over the place so I've stuck with the 'F-100' designation and 'Super Sabre' name and called it the F-100L which was an unbuilt version of the F-100 with the more powerful J57-P-55 engine.

[SPINNERS]

Hawker Hunter U.16 - Royal Aircraft Establishment, RAF Llanbedr, 1971

RAF HUNTER U16.01_zpshvdkkokh by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF HUNTER U16.02_zpszdcyvslr by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF HUNTER U16.03_zpsbr67x3dj by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF HUNTER U16.04_zpsbrnrs9z7 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF HUNTER U16.05_zpszatyklil by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF HUNTER U16.06_zpsgeiocubs by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I was browsing through one of my favourite books 'The Gloster Meteor' by Edward Shacklady and the only colour image in the entire book is of a Meteor drone in the distinctive scarlet and yellow scheme. So I thought what other classic British aircraft could have the similar 'Llanbedr' treatment? It just had to be the Hunter! If I was doing this again I'd use an earlier Mark (perhaps an F.4) as I think the FGA.9 pictured here would be too valuable to the RAF and, indeed, to Hawker Siddeley who were selling refurbished examples like hotcakes.

[SPINNERS]

Supermarine Swift F.6 - No.111 Squadron, 'The Black Arrows', RAF Fighter Command, 1960

RAF SWIFT F7.10_zpsh5l8hvwh by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF SWIFT F7.09_zpshiaqpsyi by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF SWIFT F7.12_zpsi0i4trag by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF SWIFT F7.11_zpso6f7bbl7 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF SWIFT F7.13_zpshwaxiy7e by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF SWIFT F7.14_zpsxaoxpcna by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I did consider a 'Llanbedr' Swift but the red/yellow demarcation is a bit trickier on the tubby Swift with no real fuselage spine so I thought I'd do a 'Black Arrows' Swift. Ah! Remember when they looped 22 Swifts at Farnborough? Those were the days! Or was that some other 'plane? BTW Sorry for the slow output but other hobbies (well, sports admin) and the footie are taking up my time at the moment.

[SPINNERS]

Supermarine Swift F.50 - F11. Flygvapnet, 1963

FLYGVAPNET SWIFT F50.01_zpsrpbfihl5 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FLYGVAPNET SWIFT F50.02_zpsgdle4s64 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FLYGVAPNET SWIFT F50.03_zpsd6pwgde2 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FLYGVAPNET SWIFT F50.04_zpsuf7xutet by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FLYGVAPNET SWIFT F50.05_zpsj3ox5x2q by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FLYGVAPNET SWIFT F50.06_zpsqssflrs3 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

Apart from inflicting the Swift on the Swedes (who had some pretty damn good aeroplanes of their own) this 'whif' is also dependent on bringing the splinter camo forward by about 10 years!