Re: Spinners' Strike Fighters Thread

[SPINNERS]

Hawker Hunter F.6 - 'The Red Arrows' Central Flying School, Royal Air Force, 1966

RAF HUNTER F6.01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF HUNTER F6.03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF HUNTER F6.04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF HUNTER F6.05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF HUNTER F6.06 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF HUNTER F6.02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF HUNTER F6.08 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF HUNTER F6.07 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

After doing my 'Getti Tonanti' Starfighters I thought I'd do something a bit closer to home and the 'Reds' are the logical choice and the Hunter is the logical aircraft! This is based on the simpler early Gnat scheme and I've elected NOT to put the Union Flag on the fin and I've chosen to use white serial numbers as they look better than blue (and blue is certainly harder to read on the red background). My serial numbers are from a late batch of cancelled F.6's (so that I can use them on something else) but on the Hunter you have to make two types of serial numbers (fuselage and underwing) so of the 18 serial number decals probably 9 will never be used again.

HunterF6ra_Loading by Spinners1961, on Flickr

[SPINNERS]

BAC Canberra B(I)8 - No.419th Tactical Bomber Squadron, No.1 Air Division, Royal Canadian Air Force, 1964

RCAF CANBERRA B8.01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RCAF CANBERRA B8.03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RCAF CANBERRA B8.02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RCAF CANBERRA B8.06 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RCAF CANBERRA B8.04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RCAF CANBERRA B8.07 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RCAF CANBERRA B8.05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

This is the Canberra B(I)8 - one of my favourites - by the DAT group of modders and the RAF skin has this striking sharkmouth which I thought would look good in RCAF colours. No.419 was a wartime bomber squadron (in RAF Bomber Command) but quickly disbanded in September 1945 and were dormant for nearly 10 years before reforming as an all-weather fighter squadron flying the CF-100 'Clunk' (which apparently is coming to Strike Fighters very soon). I did mean to turn around my Moose head on the starboard fin but forgot!

[SPINNERS]

Dassault Mirage 4000D - EC 1-6 'Occitanie', Armee de l'air, 1989

ADLA MIRAGE 4000.05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ADLA MIRAGE 4000.01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ADLA MIRAGE 4000.04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ADLA MIRAGE 4000.02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ADLA MIRAGE 4000.03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ADLA MIRAGE 4000.06 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

No input from me on this one! An exciting new release today has been the mighty Dassault Mirage 4000 - the F-15-sized big brother to the Mirage 2000. The Mirage 4000 for Strike Fighters has been several years in the making and it was certainly being talked about as far back as 2014. Anyway, it's an absolute cracker and comes with the actual prototype scheme and the 'in service' scheme seen here (btw my 'D' designation is speculative). We're promised additional versions and skins to show the aircraft as if it had entered service and was exported to Mirage users like Belgium. Is it me or does that centreline station look very draggy?

[SPINNERS]

BAC Thunderstrike GR.2 - No.2 Squadron, RAF Germany, 1979

RAF THUNDERSTRIKE GR2.01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF THUNDERSTRIKE GR2.02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF THUNDERSTRIKE GR2.03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF THUNDERSTRIKE GR2.04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF THUNDERSTRIKE GR2.05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

This Lightning F2A style skin is by Sundowner from one of his later advanced TSR.2's which I've applied to an earlier/simpler TSR.2 and knocked up a few 'XZ' serial numbers. Edit: It looks like the undercarriage is missing the right texture - my fault for not checking! I've done a few of these F2A style schemes myself (Starfighter, Phantom, Hunter and Harrier) and reckon the F-100D would look good in it as would the Tornado.

[SPINNERS]

BAC Lightning F.3 - 'The Red Arrows', Central Flying School, Royal Air Force, 1966

RAF LIGHTNING F3ra.02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF LIGHTNING F3ra.03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF LIGHTNING F3ra.04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF LIGHTNING F3ra.05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF LIGHTNING F3ra.06 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF LIGHTNING F3ra.07 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF LIGHTNING F3ra.08 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF LIGHTNING F3ra.01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

Whilst I agree with Kit about giving the Red Arrows the 'lightweight' F.3 I could have saved about 12 hours by using the F.6 for which there is a superb hi-rez 2048x2048 (pixels) template by Sundowner. Because of the different belly and wings I've skinned this one from scratch at 1024x1024 and went a bit rivet crazy - seeing them in my sleep! Anyway, I've gone for the Gnat type fin colours and used red, white and blue on the wings although I did try plain red wings first. The fuselage presents a problem in doing the full length white band as the wings are right in the way so I knocked up a new all white 'treble one' style Lightning flash decal. I think I'll do a 'Black Arrows' version of the F.3 at some time.

[SPINNERS]

BAC Lightning F.3S - F10 Svenska Flygvapnet, 1970

FLYGVAPNET LIGHTNING F3S.02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FLYGVAPNET LIGHTNING F3S.03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FLYGVAPNET LIGHTNING F3S.04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FLYGVAPNET LIGHTNING F3S.05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FLYGVAPNET LIGHTNING F3S.06 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FLYGVAPNET LIGHTNING F3S.07 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FLYGVAPNET LIGHTNING F3S.08 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I needed a break from display teams but still wanted to do a Lightning so chose the odd green and blue Flygvapnet scheme and knocked up some yellow tail codes using what I hope is the correct font (it's actually called 'Flygvapnet 64') and green RedTop missiles.

[SPINNERS]

RNZAF CANBERRA B12.01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

Not a 'what if' but this gorgeous Canberra B(I)12 was released yesterday.

[SPINNERS]

English Electric Canberra B(I)12 - No.75 Squadron, Royal New Zealand Air Force, 1958

RNZAF CANBERRA B12.02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RNZAF CANBERRA B12.03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RNZAF CANBERRA B12.04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RNZAF CANBERRA B12.05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RNZAF CANBERRA B12.07 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RNZAF CANBERRA B12.08 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

From the recent Canberra B(I)12 release there are PRU Blue-ish Peruvian and South African skins and I thought WW2 Kiwi markings would look good including the tall finflash seen on RNZAF Corsairs.

[SPINNERS]

Fiat G91R3 'Gina' - Irish Air Corps, 1966

IAC G91R3 GINA.01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IAC G91R3 GINA.02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IAC G91R3 GINA.04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IAC G91R3 GINA.03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

A little something for St. Patrick's Day!

[SPINNERS]

BAC Thunderstrike GR2 - No.16 Squadron, RAF Germany, 1984

RAF THUNDERSTRIKE GR2.06 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF THUNDERSTRIKE GR2.07 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF THUNDERSTRIKE GR2.08 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF THUNDERSTRIKE GR2.09 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF THUNDERSTRIKE GR2.11 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF THUNDERSTRIKE GR2.10 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF THUNDERSTRIKE GR2.12 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

Really short of time tonight so here's an off the peg TSR2 using Sundowner's superb wraparound camo including sharkmouth - no input from me except serial numbers and screenshots. It's also a chance to show the Blue Water 2 missile, something I'm not familiar with so I've just googled it!

[SPINNERS]

Dassault Aviation Stingray FRS.1 - 899 Naval Air Squadron, Royal Navy, 1991

RN MIRAGE 4000.01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RN MIRAGE 4000.02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RN MIRAGE 4000.03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RN MIRAGE 4000.04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RN MIRAGE 4000.05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RN MIRAGE 4000.06 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

A bit of a temporary skin this that cheekily uses the grey specular map that is included in the recent Mirage 4000 release for which a proper Aeronavale skin has been promised.

Postscript: A much better RN Mirage 4000 appears in this thread in January 2021.

[SPINNERS]

BAC Lightning F.Mk.51 - Eskadrille 726, Royal Danish Air Force, 1965

RDAF LIGHTNING F2.01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RDAF LIGHTNING F2.02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RDAF LIGHTNING F2.03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RDAF LIGHTNING F2.04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RDAF LIGHTNING F2.05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RDAF LIGHTNING F2.07 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RDAF LIGHTNING F2.06 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RDAF LIGHTNING F2.08 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

This is another of my 'cut and shut' skins taking the green uppers of the F.2A and the silver lowers of the F.2 and I've used a rather high demarcation line also applying this to the specular maps so that the lower sides have a bit more shine to them. Just to ring the changes I thought I'd use a small RDAF roundel and I'm quite pleased with the overall look of this. As it appears unused (except by me!) I wonder what the Lightning F.Mk.51 was?

[SPINNERS]

Boeing RF-112C Thunderstrike - RVAH-6, United States Navy, 1975

USN RF-112C THUNDERSTRIKE.01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USN RF-112C THUNDERSTRIKE.02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USN RF-112C THUNDERSTRIKE.03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USN RF-112C THUNDERSTRIKE.04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USN RF-112C THUNDERSTRIKE.05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USN RF-112C THUNDERSTRIKE.06 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USN RF-112C THUNDERSTRIKE.07 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I've been a bit busy of late and TSR Tuesday has come around a bit too quickly for me so here's another off the peg set of screenshots with a superb RVAH-6 skin by Sundowner on a Boeing-developed advanced TSR2 with fan engines, revised undercarriage, deleted internal weapons bay, internal guns, TISEO and, on this version, a ventral recce pod à la Vigilante. The RF-112C designation is by me and follows on from the F-112 designation of the 'fleet defender' TSR2's but a more appropriate designation is required me thinks.

[SPINNERS]

BAC Canberra B(I).78 - No.110 Squadron, Israeli Air Force, 1967

IDF CANBERRA B68.01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IDF CANBERRA B68.02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IDF CANBERRA B68.03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IDF CANBERRA B68.04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IDF CANBERRA B68.05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

There has been a LOT of Canberra activity lately over at Combat Ace which has made me realise just how much I love this aircraft and especially the 'interdictor' versions. Anyway, this is a Peruvian B(I).68 with a dirty black skin that I thought I'd show in IDF service leading the first strikes in the 1967 six-day war.

[SPINNERS]

Panavia Tornado IDS - No.110 Squadron, Israeli Air Force, 1985

IDF TORNADO IDF.01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IDF TORNADO IDF.02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IDF TORNADO IDF.03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IDF TORNADO IDF.04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IDF TORNADO IDF.05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IDF TORNADO IDF.06 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

There's been so many excellent releases recently that the Tornado revamp got forgotten a bit so here's an Israeli Tornado in the Vautour camo scheme. I'm only able to do this thanks to a superb template that was also released at the same time. I've never liked the MW-1 munitions dispenser but as it was available I thought I'd give it a go.