Re: Spinners' Strike Fighters Thread

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AIDC F-CK-1A 'Talwar' - No.28 Squadron, Indian Air Force, 2009






A very high quality F-CK-1A (catchy name, eh?) was released recently and I've previously done an Argentinian two-seater using the beta version released back in September. The new release covers the single-seater and the two-seater and I must admit that the single-seater is growing on me a bit. Anyway, this is just a simple decal job onto a grey skin and I've made a small batch of 'VK' serial numbers. I don't understand IAF serials and it appears that sometimes the two letters represent a person like a famous IAF C-in-C (e.g. the BS serials on the IAF's Rafale's are named after ex-IAF chief Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa) so I've decided that Virat Kohli is famous enough to use for the serials!

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Republic Thunderstreak FGA.2 - Various Units of RAF Strike Command 1969-1971









I just love the markings for all three of these RAF squadrons and especially No.45 and No.58 Squadrons who were banged together to form a Hunter wing at RAF Wittering in the early to mid-1970's in order to keep a pool of ground-attack pilots "at operational pitch but also available for operations if necessary" (this quote is from the 1976 RAF Yearbook).

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Republic F-84I 'Sharav' - No.140 Squadron, Israeli Air Force, 1960









I've always liked the rather odd blue & brown uppersurface camo scheme seen on IDF aircraft of the Meteor/Mystere era so I thought I'd apply it to the IDF's F-84's. There is a lovely template for the F-84F and whilst it's for a silver/NMF skin it doesn't take too much effort to make a three-colour camo scheme. I wanted to use a different squadron so chose No.140 'Golden Eagle' Squadron and I've also made my own stencilled numbers by using a pretty standard font (AmarilloUSAF) and making the appropriate cuts - I'm delighted with the results and might well make another set in black for use of a silver/NMF IDF Thunderstreak.

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Republic F-84F Thunderstreak - Various Units, Israeli Air Force, 1956 - 1967










I've decided to abandon the F-84I designation for my Israeli Thunderstreaks as it just looks like F-841 when written down so I'll either stick with F-84F or use the F-84H designation and pretend that the 'Thunderscreech' didn't exist!

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Republic Aviation F-84J Thunderstreak - HävLLv 31, Ilmavoimat, 1963

With Finland being ever anxious to maintain it's neutrality it was surprising when in June 1954 the Finnish government elected to purchase the Republic Thunderstreak. However, in typically Finnish fashion the purchase of 40 F-84J Thunderstreaks was organised via the Swedish government and the version chosen could hardly be called 'state of the art' being essentially a warmed-up Thunderstreak with the General Electric J73-GE5EX engine (non-afterburning and rated at 9,000lbs thrust) shoehorned in. No munitions were supplied and SAAB were chosen to prepare the aircraft for Ilmavoimat service with four British Hispano V 20mm cannon replacing the six 0.5 calibre machine guns of the standard F-84F and giving the F-84J a strong 'neutral' flavour throughout, even to the extent of carrying mainly British, Swedish or Soviet weapons. Entering service with HavLLv31 in 1956 the aircraft equipped two squadrons and at least gave the Ilmavoimat a taste of a 'modern' swept-wing fighter although the F-84J was certainly no F-86 Sabre and, presumably, that was the whole point!





An old backstory (almost certainly from 2009 or 2010) but with a new Ilmavoimat camo skin. When looking on Google Images for the colours I was surprised at how varied the interpretations were especially on the undersides ranging from white to sky blue. I've gone for a light grey and used the same colour for the numbers (RA - Republic Aviation). Well, I'm almost done with the Thunderstreak but there is one more RAF bird that I'm keen to do.

[SPINNERS]

Republic Thunderstreak FGA.2 - No.6 Squadron, RAF Strike Command, 1976







One of the guys at Combat Ace suggested a Thunderstreak with a wraparound camo and it works for me! I took the coward's way out by painting the camo on one wing and flipping it for the underside and also for the opposite wing which makes it look a bit too symmetrical on the plan view. AFAIK wraparound camo on RAF aircraft arrived in 1976 (there's a Harrier in the 1976 RAF yearbook) but the Thunderstreak would have been well obsolete by then although still in NATO service with Greece and Turkey.

[SPINNERS]

Ah! Getti Tonanti!


I gave that a go back in 2019 but I just couldn't get the stripes on the wings to line up correctly (the main wing and the ailerons are seperated on the skin mapping) with the undersides being especially ugly. But my Starfighter was much better!

[SPINNERS]

Republic Aviation F-84E Thunderjet - 1st Fighter Squadron, Royal Libyan Air Force, 1960









This silver/NMF skin comes with the F-84E Thunderjet released by the DAT boys and it's a very good 3D model. Details on the Royal Libyan Air Force from 1959 to 1969 are scarce but they did operate T-33's and also a handful of F-5A's but I'm unaware of unit designations so I've elected to use a very generic but probably fictitious "1st Fighter Squadron" with some generic nosebars too. I think the F-84F's swept-wings and tailplanes would look amazing on the F-84E's fuselage with it's bubble canopy.

[SPINNERS]

Republic Aviation RF-84F Thunderflash - 119 Squadron, Israeli Air Force, 1967




Another lovely 3D model this and a very nice silver/NMF skin too. I've just needed to add insignia, the 119 patch and I've also knocked-up some two-digit stencilled numbers.

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Gloster CXP-1001 - Republic of China Air Force, 1952




I've shown this one before but this revision adds the same sharkmouth that I used on my Israeli Thunderstreak (201 Squadron) and as it's scaleable it will see further use.

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Republic Aviation Thunderflash FR.2 - No.2 Squadron, RAF Germany, 1972






After a break of a few days I've still got the hots for Republic's "lusty and tough" Thunderstreak & Thunderflash (that quote is by the late great Bill Gunston) and whilst I think I might have done an RAF Thunderflash before this one is better as I've knocked-up camo skins for the drop tanks and added serial numbers under the wings - not that straight-forward as there are 5 meshes on each wing and the mesh names are in German!

[SPINNERS]

Republic Aviation Thunderflash FR.2 - No.79 Squadron, RAF Germany, 1965

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Republic Aviation Thunderflash FR.1 - No.4 Squadron, RAF Germany, 1958





A very nice template for a silver RF-84F exists that just needed some weathering and made this silver RAF Thunderflash a doddle - I spent far more time on making my generic No.4 Squadron 'nosebars'.