Re: Spinners' Strike Fighters Thread

[SPINNERS]

Rockwell-MBB Mustang FG.2 - No.6 squadron, Royal Air Force, 1991

RAFMUSTANGFG206 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFMUSTANGFG201 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFMUSTANGFG202 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFMUSTANGFG203 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFMUSTANGFG204 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFMUSTANGFG205 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

Whenever I do a 'Desert Pink' RAF aircraft it just seems natural to make it a 'Flying Canopener' - after all, they did earn that nickname in the (North African) Desert.

[SPINNERS]

The Gloster Gemini - Prototype

Long before the Gloster Aircraft Company had got Britain's first jet aircraft (the E.28/39) into the air the design team had realised that any production jet fighter would need much more thrust than the paltry 750lbs then being offered by Frank Whittle's Power Jets company. Whilst still on the test bench the early W.1 jet engine had sluggish acceleration and was optimistically considered 'marginal' for a production fighter aircraft. Furthermore, this new technology seemed to be totally unsuitable for making any kind of combat aircraft for naval use as operations from an aircraft carrier demand adequate (and near instantly available) power for takeoff and landing. Whilst George Carter looked at a twin jet-enginned aircraft (eventually to become the Meteor) he also studied a composite twin-enginned design using a conventional piston engine for flight but with a jet engine for higher speeds. The composite twin-enginned concept quickly led to the company name of Gloster Gemini.

Despite any official interest the company steadily moved the Gemini project forward. Denied access to the Bristol Centaurus engine Carter sized the Gemini around the 1,700 h.p. Bristol Hercules XVII radial piston engine and allowed space for the proposed Power Jets W.2B jet engine rated at 1,700lbs thrust. First flown (on piston power only) by company test pilot John Grierson on May 1st, 1943 the Gemini failed to attract the interest of the Admiralty but was studied by the Air Ministry who gave Gloster a development contract to produce interceptor-fighter and fighter-bomber versions for the RAF as the Gemini F.1 and Gemini FB.2 respectively.

During late 1943, the Air Ministry asked Glosters to suspend work on the FB.2 version and urgently proceed with the F.1 versions of the Meteor and Gemini to meet "an expected German aerial threat from pilotless aircraft during the Spring of 1944". Whilst Gloster did their best the Gemini soon fell behind this ridiculous schedule and in May 1944 the Air Ministry instructed Glosters to switch priority to the FB.2 version for overseas use and the invasion of Japan. Entering service in August 1945 only 140 FB.2's entered service with most sent to RAF Middle East Command before quickly being replaced by Vampires.

RAFGEMINIFB103 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFGEMINIFB101 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFGEMINIFB102 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFGEMINIFB104 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

This is, of course, the wonderfully oddball Ryan Fireball! This aircraft is produced by a group of modders known as the Development A-Team (DAT) and they bring a refreshingly different aspect to the Strike Fighters community by producing some of the more esoteric inter-war, WW2 and early post-war stuff but they also do some cutting-edge modern stuff too. Anyway, this is their Ryan FR-1 Fireball that comes with a colourful US Navy scheme but I've knocked up my own template to make this Gloster Gemini prototype. I ain't no skinner but it's quite passable and the aircraft just has that 'Gloster' look about it, don't you think?!

RNFIREBALL01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr
Only known photograph of VB234 the Royal Navy prototype.

[SPINNERS]

Gloster Gemini FB.2 - No.33 Squadron, RAF 2nd Tactical Air Force, Germany, 1947

RAFGEMINIFB201 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFGEMINIFB202 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFGEMINIFB203 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

"It's like a single-enginned Beaufighter"

OK, it's a pretty crappy skin by me but I hope it gives a good impression of what a Gloster Gemini FB.2 might have looked like in early post-war service. I chose 'SP' as the code but then realised that No.33 squadron were actually 'SR' - good job we're safe here from JMN's eh?

[SPINNERS]

North American B-45A Tornado - Royal Dhimari Air Force, 1956

DHIMARIB-45A01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

DHIMARIB-45A02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

DHIMARIB-45A04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

Another Development A-Team (DAT) aircraft. I figured that oil-rich Dhimar bought a squadron or two to give the Paranis something to think about.

[SPINNERS]

Bell P-59A Airacomet - No.3 Squadron, Royal Dhimari Air Force, 1948

DHIMARIP-59A02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

DHIMARIP-59A01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

DHIMARIP-59A03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

DHIMARIP-59A04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

Another Development A-Team (DAT) aircraft. I love some of the real esoteric stuff that they produce and this aircraft is of quite historic importance as being, of course, the first USA jet to fly. There's some cracking stuff on YouTube. Extraordinary days!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDHtkm2vW_Y

[SPINNERS]

Sukhoi Su-2 - Republic of Paran Air Force, 1949

PARANISu-201 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

PARANISu-202 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

PARANISu-203 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

PARANISu-204 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I like the look of this often neglected Soviet warplane but must admit that I hadn't realise that it had a (small) internal bomb bay until flying it in Strike Fighters. Luckily this A-Team Skunkworks version comes with a Camo scheme that is OK for the fictional Desert state of Paran with just a change of decals.

[SPINNERS]

Ilyushin IL-28 - Republic of Paran Air Force

PARANIIL-2801 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

PARANIIL-2803 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

PARANIIL-2802 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

In the game, the IL-28 is quite a formidable opponent as it has excellent manoeuvabrility for a bomber (think: lightly-loaded Canberra) and tail guns. Indeed, as it also has forward-firing guns I've been shot down by it from behind on many an occasion.   

[SPINNERS]

Ilyushin IL-28 - EB2/92 Aquitaine, Armée de l'air (on deployment to Tunisia, 1959)

ADLAIL-2801 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ADLAIL-2802 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ADLAIL-2803 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ADLAIL-2804 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

Many, many, many pages back someone suggested an Armee D'Lair 'chocolate' Cranberry and it was a bloomin' good call on their part. So the stock Egyptian Camo looked a suitable candidate for an Armée de l'air Beagle and I think it works. Now I'm going to have to admit that I don't really understand how the French unit designations work so don't shoot me down but I'll try to get into the swing of it along the way. Who knows? Perhaps March will bring St.Louis' finest in Armée de l'air markings!! (Dassault is turning in his grave, Je suis désolé Marcel).

[SPINNERS]

Bell Airacomet FB.2 - No.263 Squadron, RAF 2nd Tactical Air Force, Germany, May 1947

RAFAIRACOMETFB201 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFAIRACOMETFB202 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFAIRACOMETFB203 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

Sadly there a few holes in the 3D model for the P-59A AiraComet meaning that my normal method of decaling doesn't work properly (that's why the Dhimari P-59A's are photographed on the RHS only) but I was lucky enough to be given the blank silver bitmaps for the P-59A by the original skinner (thanks pappychsix) and have added my decals to that. They lose a bit of resolution that way but it does give a good impression of what an RAF Airacomet would have looked like.

[SPINNERS]

Yakovlev Yak-155 'Freebird' - Soviet Frontal Aviation, 1992

SOVIETMIRAGE2000D01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

SOVIETMIRAGE2000D02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

SOVIETMIRAGE2000D03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

SOVIETMIRAGE2000D04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I was going to do this as a Soviet 'Aggressor' but liked the look of the air-to-ground warload that I've decided to make it a 'what if' Soviet design by Yakovlev. The superb Indian Air Force skins are by Ghostrider885 and are very Flanker like so I've added stock Soviet markings and numbers.

[SPINNERS]

Sukhoi Su-9 Fishpot 'B' - HavLLv31 Finnish Ilvamoivat

FINLANDSU-9FISHPOTB01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FINLANDSU-9FISHPOTB02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FINLANDSU-9FISHPOTB03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FINLANDSU-9FISHPOTB04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

[SPINNERS]

Tupolev Tu-128 'Fiddler' - HavLlv11 Finnish Ilmavoimat

FINLANDTU-128FIDDLER01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FINLANDTU-128FIDDLER02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FINLANDTU-128FIDDLER03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FINLANDTU-128FIDDLER04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FINLANDTU-128FIDDLER05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

A great looking aircraft IMHO and especially on plan view. I'll re-visit this one over and over I guess and certainly knock-up an air-to-ground version!

[SPINNERS]

Avro-Tupolev Tu-128K - No.43 Squadron

RAFFIDDLERF201 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFFIDDLERF202 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFFIDDLERF203 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFFIDDLERF204 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I've done a bit of work on this to create some DIY templates but they are not the best but hopefully give an impression of what a Leuchars based Fiddler would look like!

[SPINNERS]

Sukhoi Su-13 'Fleapit' - Soviet Frontal Aviation, Afghanistan, 1980

SOVIETSu-13FLEAPIT01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

SOVIETSu-13FLEAPIT02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

SOVIETSu-13FLEAPIT03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

SOVIETSu-13FLEAPIT04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

SOVIETSu-13FLEAPIT05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

Yep, this is the shapely HAL HF-24 Marut pretending to be the Sukhoi Su-13 tactical fighter (NATO codename 'Fleapit' - I've been itching to use that name).

[SPINNERS]

Grumman F-14A Tomcat - No.26 Squadron 'The Warriors' Indian Air Force, 1980

INDIAF-14ATOMCAT01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

INDIAF-14ATOMCAT02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

INDIAF-14ATOMCAT03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

INDIAF-14ATOMCAT04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

INDIAF-14ATOMCAT05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

One of the very best add-on aircraft for the game/sim is the F-14A and an Iranian version has been modified here to illustrate a 'what if'^TM Indian Tomcat (as unlikely as that sounds). The nose marking is loosely based on a triangular squadron badge that I've seen for No.26 squadron. Third Wire are advertising a 'stock' F-14A for release later this year so expect to see a burst of Tomcat activity from me when it gets released!