Re: Spinners' Strike Fighters Thread

[SPINNERS]

Douglas B-26K Invader - Royal Rhodesian Air Force, 1964

RRAFB-26KINVADER01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RRAFB-26KINVADER02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RRAFB-26KINVADER03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

[SPINNERS]

Yakovlev Yak-15 'Feather' - Peoples' Liberation Army Air Force, 1950

PLAAFYAK-15FEATHER01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

PLAAFYAK-15FEATHER02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

PLAAFYAK-15FEATHER03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

PLAAFYAK-15FEATHER04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

PLAAFYAK-15FEATHER05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

PLAAFYAK-15FEATHER06 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

Whilst China did operate the contemporary MiG-9 'Fargo' (also available for Strike Fighters) they did not use the Yak-15 'Feather' or the superior Yak-23 'Flora' but I reckon this looks quite convincing with PLAAF markings.

[SPINNERS]

Northrop F-5I Tiger II - 119 Squadron, Heyl Ha'Avir, 1973

In September 1966 Israel became the launch customer for the new Mirage 5 when they placed an order for 50 Mirage 5J's. However, rising tensions between Israel and their neighbouring Arab states during the early summer of 1967 allied to General de Gaulle's increasingly pro-Arab stance led to a French arms embargo to Israel announced on June 3rd, 1967 just two days before the forthcoming Six-Day war despite Israel having paid for the aircraft in full. Despite the dazzling success of the Israeli Air Force's strikes against Arab runways that were a key factor is Israel's victory the IDF were desperate to replace combat losses and strengthen the Heyl Ha'Avir and Israel looked towards America soon ordering Skyhawks and Phantoms.

The Heyl Ha'Avir had already evaluated the Northrop F-5A in the early 1960's but in late 1968 Northrop offered Israel a version of their proposed F-5E Tiger II as the F-5I and Northrop's success in the 1970 International Fighter Aircraft competition led to renewed interest by the Heyl Ha'Avir and they became one of the launch customers by ordering 72 F-5I's. Deliveries commenced in 1972 and by the time of the 1973 Yom Kippur War both 119 Squadron and 253 Squadrons had been re-equipped with the F-5I with eventually four squadrons serving until the mid-1980's when most of the surviving aircraft were sold to Argentina leaving a small Heyl Ha'Avir 'Aggressor' squadron flying the type until 2003.

IDFF-5ITIGER01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IDFF-5ITIGER02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IDFF-5ITIGER03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IDFF-5ITIGER04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IDFF-5ITIGER05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

[SPINNERS]

Northrop F-5I Tiger II - 201 Squadron, Heyl Ha'Avir 1973

IDFF-5ITIGER06 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IDFF-5ITIGER07 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IDFF-5ITIGER08 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IDFF-5ITIGER09 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IDFF-5ITIGER11 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

This uses the excellent Jordanian skin that comes with one of the many F-5E releases and I've created a suitable 201 squadron fin and rudder marking (as seen on their F-4E's) and a new 201 squadron patch as the one on the web is very small and lo-rez.

[SPINNERS]

De Havilland Sea Vixen Mk.51 - 300 Indian Naval Air Squadron, 1971

INASSEAVIXEN01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

INASSEAVIXEN02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

INASSEAVIXEN03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

INASSEAVIXEN04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

Perhaps HMS Eagle was sold to India during the late 1960's? Anyway, the Sea Vixen is available in FAW.1 and FAW.2 flavours and there are some brilliant skins by sundowner for the FAA squadrons who operated this handsome aircraft. As the national markings are painted onto the bitmaps I've overpainted them and on the opposite side of the fuselage I got the colours mixed up so it looks Iranian-ish! I used to hate the offset canopy of this and the Canberra B(I).8 but now love them both - a wonderfully esoteric British thing. Did anyone else do the offset canopy thing?

[SPINNERS]

Bedek Aviation Company Hoopoe T-1 - 201 Squadron, Heyl Ha'Avir, 1973

Founded in 1953 the Bedek Aviation Company progressed from maintaining Heyl Ha'Avir aircraft to the licence production of the French Fouga Magister in 1959. By late 1961 they had commenced their first original design the Hoopoe advanced jet trainer a fairly conventional and conservative design but planned to have a reserve role of light attack and by 1965 had several prototypes flying with production machines beginning to roll off the Lod assembly line. After the French arms embargo of 1967 Bedek proposed a single-seat attack variant with an uprated engine but this was rejected in favour of the Douglas Skyhawk. Hoopoe's served with all major Heyl Ha'Avir training squadrons plus 201 Squadron who operated the aircraft in the light attack role during the 1973 Yom Kippur war.

IDFL-29DELFIN01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IDFL-29DELFIN02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IDFL-29DELFIN03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

This is, of course, the Aero L-29 Delfin with Egyptian Camo.

[SPINNERS]

Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Firefly - Aircraft Research and Development Unit, Royal Australian Air Force, 2007

RAAFFIREFLYARDU01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAAFFIREFLYARDU02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAAFFIREFLYARDU03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAAFFIREFLYARDU04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

Just popping in with something Fanta Can-ish! This is the MBB Lampyridae and is a top notch 3D model by 'russouk2004' - a fellow South Walian. Russo's template made it easy for me to create this ARDU style skin and it probably took me longer to do the ARDU fin decal (note to self: re-use).

Anyway, see you the other side of the Olympics. Go Team GB!![/i]

[SPINNERS]

McDonnell Douglas F-4M - No.323 Squadron, Royal Netherlands Air Force, 1988

RNLAFF-4MPHANTOM01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RNLAFF-4MPHANTOM02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RNLAFF-4MPHANTOM03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RNLAFF-4MPHANTOM04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RNLAFF-4MPHANTOM05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I've given the new Third Wire 'Ferris' scheme a tweak to fit the F-4M by editing a couple of the bitmaps to show Spey engines, RWR and a black radome and decided to put it in service with the RNLAF's famous 323 Squadron with some new toned down markings.

[SPINNERS]

Grumman A-6I Intruder - 109 Squadron, Heyl Ha'Avir, 1973

IDFA-6IINTRUDER01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IDFA-6IINTRUDER02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IDFA-6IINTRUDER03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IDFA-6IINTRUDER04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IDFA-6IINTRUDER05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

No input from me except for the screenshots but this is an amazing 'what if' IDF Intruder by 'Home Fries' a real A-6 fan.

[SPINNERS]

McDonnell Douglas F-4P Phantom - Combat Commanders School, Pakistan Air Force, 1979

PAFF-4DPHANTOM01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

PAFF-4DPHANTOM02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

PAFF-4DPHANTOM03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

PAFF-4DPHANTOM04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

The stock F-4D with my favourite stock skin! The 'FGR.2' skin just needed a tweek on one bitmap to show J79 burner cans.

[SPINNERS]

British Aerospace Matador - 3ra Escuadrilla Aeronaval de Caza y Ataque, Comando de Aviación Naval Argentina, 1980

COANMATADOR01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

COANMATADOR02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

COANMATADOR03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

COANMATADOR04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

COANMATADOR05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

COANMATADOR06 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

COANMATADOR07 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

[SPINNERS]

McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom - No.6 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, 1975

The Australian Government's decision to back the recommendation of Air Vice Marshal CF Read to lease 24 brand-new McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantoms received warm support from the Royal Australian Air Force and especially from the crews of the Canberra squadrons. Entering service in September 1970 the Phantom was extremely popular with RAAF aircrews and groundcrews alike and by 1972 the Australian Government had started negotiations with the US Government to purchase 18 of the remaining 23 F-4E's plus the leased ground support equipment and by early October 1972 an agreement was reached. Whilst F-111C's re-equipped No.1 and No.2 squadrons the F-4E's remained in service with No.6 squadron, receiving a new Mirage style camo scheme in 1973, and remained in service until 2002.

RAAFF-4EPHANTOM01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAAFF-4EPHANTOM03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAAFF-4EPHANTOM04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAAFF-4EPHANTOM05 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAAFF-4EPHANTOM06 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAAFF-4EPHANTOM07 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

This is the stock F-4M skin tweaked to fit the early F-4E and with a new No.6 squadron fin marking and new 'A69' serials - never applied in real life.

[SPINNERS]

McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom - No.1 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, 1971

RAAFF-4EPHANTOM09 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAAFF-4EPHANTOM08 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAAFF-4EPHANTOM10 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAAFF-4EPHANTOM11 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

Only a partial 'what if' as No.1 Squadron really did operate the F-4E but for a precious short time and never with serials, colourful markings and 'proper' size roundels... on both wings! I'm not too sure of the position of the fuselage roundel on my version and might move it back but that darn red engine line shows through decals unless you ramp the opacity right up.

[SPINNERS]

McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom - No.3 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, 1974

RAAFF-4EPHANTOM12 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAAFF-4EPHANTOM13 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I'll need to re-write my backstory to accommodate No.3 Squadron getting the F-4's so perhaps No.1 and No.6 converted to the F-111C (one of my all-time favourites) and an enlarged No.3 Squadron inherited the 23 remaining F-4E's to become the RAAF's long-range interceptor force.

[SPINNERS]

McDonnell Douglas F-4EZ - No.2 Sqd 'Flying Cheeters' SAAF, 1979

SAAFF-4EZPHANTOM01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

SAAFF-4EZPHANTOM02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

SAAFF-4EZPHANTOM03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

SAAFF-4EZPHANTOM04 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I was fortunate to have this great SAAF Phantom skin passed onto me by 'Stratos' over at Combat Ace and just added the drop tank skins and decals.