Re: Spinners' Strike Fighters Thread

[SPINNERS]

Lockheed F-104H Starfighter - Grupo 8 de Caza, Fuerza Aérea Argentina, 1982

During the Spring of 1965 the Fuerza Aérea Argentina formally issued an operational requirement for a supersonic fighter-bomber to supplement and eventually replace it's F-86 Sabre force and to operate alongside the Douglas Skyhawks that were just entering service. The BAC Lightning was quickly ruled out as being short on range and undeveloped in the air-to-ground role and by the end of 1965 Fuerza Aérea Argentina officials declared that the choice was between the Dassault Mirage III and the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter. Lockheed had proposed a new variant, the F-104H, a projected export version based on the F-104G but with an optical gunsight and simplified equipment. Following a visit by Lockheed representatives to the Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires in early July 1966 the newly inaugurated President Juan Carlos Onganía announced that 36 F-104H's would be procured for the Fuerza Aérea Argentina. Entering service in March 1968 with Grupo 8 de Caza at the Military Air Base Mariano Moreno the F-104H's served until 2006 when the last Starfighters operating anywhere in the world were finally retired.

FAA STARFIGHTER F-104H.06 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FAA STARFIGHTER F-104H.07 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FAA STARFIGHTER F-104H.08 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FAA STARFIGHTER F-104H.09 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FAA STARFIGHTER F-104H.10 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FAA STARFIGHTER F-104H.04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I thought I'd knock this one out whilst I had the decals to hand. This is the stock Third Wire F-104G with the USAF SEA skin of the F-104C and recoloured wing tip tanks for which I knocked up a mini-template. Just reading about today's Fuerza Aérea Argentina you realise what a shocking mess they are in with literally a handful of A-4AR Fightinghawks remaining in service as their front-line combat aircraft.

[SPINNERS]

Lockheed F-104H Starfighter - Grupo 6 de Caza, Fuerza Aérea Argentina, 2002

FAA STARFIGHTER F-104H.12 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FAA STARFIGHTER F-104H.11 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FAA STARFIGHTER F-104H.13 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FAA STARFIGHTER F-104H.14 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FAA STARFIGHTER F-104H.15 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FAA STARFIGHTER F-104H.16 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I'd already created this skin for my RAF Starfighter F.3 simply by darkening one of the stock skins (RNLAF Grey) and just gave it a further tweak by painting the black intake lips grey. The lo-viz insignia are new decals where the white has been totally removed and the yellow sun on the finflash has been completely desatured to the grey used on the upper and lower bars on the finflash. Serial numbers use the same shade of grey as does 'Eduardo the Eagle' on the fin with all decals reduced to 60% opacity. BTW I've chosen to use roundels but these are, of course, largely absent on the FAA's grey end of service Daggers/Fingers.

[SPINNERS]

Lockheed F-104H Starfighter - Grupo 4 de Caza, Fuerza Aérea Argentina, 1982

FAA STARFIGHTER F-104H.17 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FAA STARFIGHTER F-104H.18 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FAA STARFIGHTER F-104H.19 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FAA STARFIGHTER F-104H.20 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

FAA STARFIGHTER F-104H.21 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

Final FAA Starfighter for now. Grupo 4 were a Skyhawk unit and, whilst this a RNLAF camo, their camo schemes on the Starfighter are an idea for the future.

[SPINNERS]

North American B-45B Tornado - 84th Bomb Sqd, 47th Bomb Group, USAF, 1952

USAF B-45B TORNADO.01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USAF B-45B TORNADO.02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USAF B-45B TORNADO.03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USAF B-45B TORNADO.04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USAF B-45B TORNADO.05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USAF B-45B TORNADO.06 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

No less than three North American Tornadoes have been released recently; a B-45A, a what-if B-45B and a B-45C all by 'Veltro2K'. The B-45B was actually an unbuilt version (just a B-45A with improved radar and fire-control systems) so that designation has been used for this fictional solid-nose attack machine... it certainly packs a punch! I did think about switching to an 'A' designation and might do so for some future variants. Huge what-if potential with this bird.

[SPINNERS]

North American B-45D Tornado - 37th Bomb Squadron, 17th Bombardment Group, United States Air Force, 1952

USAF B-45D TORNADO.01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USAF B-45D TORNADO.03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USAF B-45D TORNADO.02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

USAF B-45D TORNADO.04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

Quite a simple skin this and a doddle thanks to the template and I've re-used the decals I made for my night-attack B-42 Mixmaster.

[SPINNERS]

Dassault Mirage 5PO - Esquadra 201, Portuguese Air Force, 1972

PoAF MIRAGE 5PO.01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

PoAF MIRAGE 5PO.02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

PoAF MIRAGE 5PO.03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

PoAF MIRAGE 5PO.04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

PoAF MIRAGE 5PO.05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

PoAF MIRAGE 5PO.06 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

The Mirage III and V are really well covered in 'Strike Fighters' and this is the Mirage 5P (an export version for Peru) from the DAT Group. It's a beta but there's not much wrong with it and I've placed into Portuguese service as the Mirage 5PO by just removing the bolt-on refuelling probe and adding some decals including new 3-digit and 4-digit serials and I've used roundels on both wings - upper and lower (personal choice).

[SPINNERS]

Dassault Aviation Mirage IIICX - 3 Staffel, Austrian Air Force, 1999

By the late 1970's it was clear that Austria's small force of sub-sonic Saab 105's were completely inadequate to defend Austrian airspace with reports suggesting that the Saab 105's even struggled to intercept stray business jets. In 1980 the Austrian Air Force announced a formal requirement for 30 modern fighter aircraft to replace the Saab 105's in the interception role from about 1985 onwards and allow the Saab 105's to remain in service as advanced training aircraft with a secondary surveillance role.

In response, British Aerospace offered ex-Saudi Air Force Lightning F.Mk53's but the Austrian Air Force immediately rejected this offer due to the poor condition of the airframes and the Lightning's notoriously high maintenance costs. Saab offered Austria reconditioned J 35D Draken fighters and this appeared to be the front runner during 1981 but to everyone's surprise the contract for Austria's new fighter aircraft was awarded to Dassault Aviation for 30 refurbished ex-Armée de l'Air Mirage IIIC aircraft as the Mirage IIICX powered by the uprated SNECMA Atar 09K-50 engine developing 15,900lbs thrust in reheat. Entering service with 3 Staffel in April 1986 the Mirage IIICX's served the Austrian Air Force well and were eventually replaced by ex-Armée de l'Air Mirage 2000's during 2006-2008.

AAF MIRAGE 3CX.01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

AAF MIRAGE 3CX.02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

AAF MIRAGE 3CX.03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

AAF MIRAGE 3CX.04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

AAF MIRAGE 3CX.05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

AAF MIRAGE 3CX.06 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I was having a good trawl through the Combat Ace downloads and found this Mirage IIICJ2 (a rare beast!) by 'The Mirage Factory' group of modders. I've removed the undernose strake and overpainted the painted on markings which were thankfully confined to the fin and rudder. Austrian serial numbers are a nightmare to decipher and it doesn't help that their real world Drakens and leased Tiger II's simply used the codes/serials used by the previous owners! So I've plumped for codes similar to those seen on their Eurofighter Typhoons and they look quite good but are time-consuming to make as was left and right-handed versions of the 3 Staffel disc.

[SPINNERS]

Supermarine Spitfire VB (Trop) - Advanced Fighter Training Group, Imperial Iranian Air Force, 1947

IIAF SPITFIRE 5BTROP.01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IIAF SPITFIRE 5BTROP.02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IIAF SPITFIRE 5BTROP.03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

There's been a real flurry of Spitfire activity recently with no less than five beta releases from the DAT boys consisting of; Mk.VB, Mk.VB (Trop), L.F. Mk.VB (clipped wing), an early Mk.IXC and a later Mk.IXC with the pointy fin (which I love). Anyway, this is a plain grey skin to which I've added Iranian colours to the rudder and spinner, new roundel decals and (game generated) white arabic serials.

[SPINNERS]

Supermarine Spitfire IXC - Advanced Fighter Training Group, Imperial Iranian Air Force, 1947

When Iran ordered Hawker Hurricanes from the UK in 1940 there was never any real hope of the order being immediately fulfilled due to the urgent wartime demands of the Royal Air Force although 10 war weary Hurricanes were transferred from RAF Middle East Command stocks during 1943. When hostilities ceased the Iranian government asked the UK government for more advanced fighters and this was agreed leading to the transfer of 20 Supermarine Spitfire IXC's from RAF Mediterranean and Middle East Command. All 20 Spitfires were delivered to the Advanced Fighter Training Group of the Flying Training School at Doshan Teppeh during 1946.

IIAF SPITFIRE 9C.03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IIAF SPITFIRE 9C.02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IIAF SPITFIRE 9C.04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IIAF SPITFIRE 9C.05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IIAF SPITFIRE 9C.01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IIAF SPITFIRE 9C.06 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I've switched to the Third Wire Spitfire IXC for this one as it includes this lovely desert camo to which I've added the coloured rudder and spinner plus the same decals as the grey one pictured above.

[SPINNERS]

AMD/BAC Taranis FGA.1 - No.1 Squadron, Royal Air Force, 1969

The RAF's search for a Hunter replacement took many twists and turns but by 1962 the focus had come back to a much more basic and austere fighter-bomber but still with supersonic performance. Dassault had previously proposed the promising Avon-Mirage (first flown in February 1961) to the RAF and had also unsuccessfully offered it to both Australia and Switzerland but by 1963 Rolls-Royce and SNECMA were offering their outstanding Sequanna turbofan to Dassault with the potential for 12,000lbs of dry thrust and 18,000lbs with reheat.

However it was not until the cancellation of the TSR.2 in April 1965 that BAC and Dassault could formally combine to offer a version of the Mirage IV delta-winged bomber to the RAF and also the proposed Mirage 'Angleterre' fighter-bomber, both powered by the Sequanna and both immediately accepted by the UK Labour government with a formal order issued in 1965. BAC's involvement was clearly politcal (and initially confined to the production of the UK versions of both aircraft) the BAC Warton team threw themselves into both projects being just grateful to actually have something on the assembly line after the Lightning.

Whilst based on the proposed Mirage V (to meet an Israeli requirement for a simplied Mirage III) the Sequanna powered version of the Mirage required slightly larger intakes and also an additional air inlet installed at the base of the vertical stabilizer for additional cooling air needed for the SNECMA designed afterburner. In June 1965 the 'Taranis' name (after the Celtic God of Thunder) was officially bestowed upon the aircraft and development moved swiftly during 1965 and 1966 culminating with René Bigand flying the first prototype from Istres in early December 1966 whilst the second prototype flew from Warton in the following March flown by Roland Beamont.

The Taranis entered service with EC 1/2 'Cigognes' Armée de l'Air in August 1968 and with No.1 squadron of the Royal Air Force in January 1969.

RAF TARANIS FGA1.01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF TARANIS FGA1.02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF TARANIS FGA1.03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF TARANIS FGA1.04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF TARANIS FGA1.05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF TARANIS FGA1.06 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

This backstory is from 2010 but I only did one piccie for it. This is a much better skin than my 2010 attempt (but not quite perfect) and was created by combining the Lebanese IIIEL skin with the Aussie IIIO skin and then adapted to fit the Kfir. The RAF's search for a Hunter replacement is a theme I regularly come back to and each time I think the Mirage IIIE was probably the perfect solution.

[SPINNERS]

AMD/BAC Taranis FGA.1 - No.54 Squadron, Royal Air Force, 1973

RAF TARANIS FGA1.09 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF TARANIS FGA1.08 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF TARANIS FGA1.10 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF TARANIS FGA1.11 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

You'll have to excuse me for showing the French Mirage IIIC's in this photoset but they look so cool alongside these No.54 Squadron Taranis FGA.1's.

[SPINNERS]

AMD/BAC Taranis FGA.1 - No.6 Squadron, Royal Air Force, 1975

RAF TARANIS FGA1.12 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF TARANIS FGA1.13 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF TARANIS FGA1.14 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF TARANIS FGA1.15 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I don't think I've done a No.6 Squadron machine for a while and they are one of my favourite RAF units since I saw their Phantom FGR.2's back in the early 1970's.

[SPINNERS]

Dassault Mirage IIIEG - 341 Mira, Hellenic Air Force, 1989

When Greece signed a contract for 40 Dassault Mirage 2000's in July 1985 Dassault cannily offered the Greek Government 12 ex- Armee de l'Air Mirage IIIE's to assist with the conversion to the delta-winged 2000C which led to a further order for 20 Mirage 2000's in February 1990. Entering service with 341 Mira in March 1987 the Mirage IIIEG's served until 1996.

HAF MIRAGE 3EG.01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

HAF MIRAGE 3EG.02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

HAF MIRAGE 3EG.03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

HAF MIRAGE 3EG.04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

HAF MIRAGE 3EG.05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I was having a good old rummage around the Mirage files over at Combat Ace and found this fictional Mirage 2000C scheme for the Mirage IIIE. I just needed to overpaint the markings, add some weathering, knock-up a skin for the supersonic tanks and add HAF decals including numbers using the light grey from the camo. The Mirage IIIE 3D model is by 'The Mirage Factory' who really were at the cutting edge back when I started in 2008 and their models and skins still rock today.

[SPINNERS]

Dassault Aviation Mirage F.4 - No.23 Squadron, RAF Strike Command, 1969

RAF MIRAGE F4.02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF MIRAGE F4.03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF MIRAGE F4.04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF MIRAGE F4.07 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF MIRAGE F4.06 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF MIRAGE F4.05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I had started to get to grips with the various Third Wire Mirage variants and skins just before my big data loss in September 2016 and subsequent 18-month sabbatical. I'm going to revisit some of the stuff I did back then and for this RAF interceptor I've used the Belgian 5BA (an odd choice perhaps) and removed the undernose bumps to leave a long slim nose making for a very sleek Mirage! There is an excellent template available for the similar 5F version and to start off with I've gone for a silver 1960's RAF machine and painted on the radome (and also added the gubbins to make the radar work in game). No.23 Squadron markings finish it off with the serial numbers from my Taranis FGA.1... which does not now exist 

[SPINNERS]

Dassault Aviation Mirage F.2A - No.19 Squadron, RAF Germany, 1974

RAF MIRAGE F2A.02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF MIRAGE F2A.03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF MIRAGE F2A.04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF MIRAGE F2A.05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF MIRAGE F2A.06 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAF MIRAGE F2A.07 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I've been planning to do this one for a while now and finally got to grips with an excellent template (actually for the 5F) by 'ludo.m54' a real Mirage fanatic but despite having the template this has still taken a fair few hours to do and I still have a few niggles to sort out. The 3D model is the Aussie IIIO but with a slightly different painted radome. When I do the No.92 Squadron machine I'll do something different with the airbrakes and might also attempt proper silver undersides by making specular maps from my new templates.