Re: Spinners' Strike Fighters Thread

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General Dynamics Merlin GR.2 - No.6 Squadron, RAF Near East Air Force, 1975

After the Merlin GR.1 (F-111K) the RAF received the Merlin GR.2 with long-span wings and Rolls-Royce Spey RB.225 engines.

RAFMerlinGR201 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFMerlinGR202 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFMerlinGR203 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFMerlinGR204 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I've used three shades of brown and a 'washed out' sky blue for the undersides, a bit WW2 but appropriate for RAF Middle East Command.

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North American Mitchell III - Desert Air Force

RAFMitchell301 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFMitchell302 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFMitchell303 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

I'm not sure if the Mitchell III did serve in North Africa but, in any case, this is a USAAF scheme with some RAF markings. The Mitchell is one of the few classic aircraft I've never built as a kit and the B-25J is a pretty powerful attack platform.

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BAC Lightning F.Mk.54 - JG71 "Richthofen", German Air Force, 1968

LuftwaffeLightningF601 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

LuftwaffeLightningF602 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

LuftwaffeLightningF604 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

LuftwaffeLightningF603 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

'What If'^TM BAC, backed by the UK Government, had just pushed for export sales just a little bit harder...

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BAC Lightning F.Mk.54 - JG71 "Richthofen", German Air Force, 1968

LuftwaffeLightningF605 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

LuftwaffeLightningF606 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

LuftwaffeLightningF607 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

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Lockheed Constellation C.1 - RAF Transport Command, 1951

RAFConstellationC101 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFConstellationC102 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFConstellationC103 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

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Lockheed Constellation C.2 - RAF South East Asia Command, 1962

RAFSEACConstellationC201 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFSEACConstellationC202 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

IMHO the 'Connie' just has to be in anyone's all-time Top 10 of graceful-looking aircraft.

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English Electric Canberra B.2 - Armée de l'Air, 1955

ADLACanberraB201 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ADLACanberraB202 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

France became the second export customer for the Canberra purchasing six in 1954 for trials and testing work but 'what if'^TM they had operated the Canberra in service? Anyway, a good Canberra template exists so I've knocked up a simple silver skin and added some French markings including the 'Gascogne' fin badge.

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Don't forget the later Sand and Chocolate desert scheme used in Africa.

English Electric Canberra B.2 - Armée de l'Air, 1955

ADLACanberraB203 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ADLACanberraB204 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ADLACanberraB205 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

ADLACanberraB206 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

Best I could do Geoff (I really am crap at 'skinning'  )

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English Electric Canberra PR.3 - No.58 Squadron, Operation Firedog, 1957

RAFCanberraPR301 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFCanberraPR302 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFCanberraPR305 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

No.58 squadron was a real world^TM PR.3 user but not in Malaya and never in overall PRU Blue!

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English Electric Canberra PR.3 - No.17 Squadron, RAF Germany, 1957

RAFCanberraPR304 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFCanberraPR306 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFCanberraPR303 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

The 3D model is actually of the B.2 which was fractionally shorter than the PR.3 and PR.7. The B.2 comes with the cracking PRU Blue with Camo uppers. Sweet! I knocked up the No.17 Squadron zig-zags this evening (a very steep learning curve) and must put them to good use on something else... perhaps an RAF Voodoo FR.1!

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Westland Woodpecker I - Royal Auxiliary Air Force, 1938

Westland followed up the Wapiti and Wallace with the rather pedestrian Woodpecker designed to an Air Ministry requirement for a 'general duties' aircraft for overseas use, meaning an aircraft that could perform a variety of tasks for the 'air policing' role in Iraq. Introduction to service was relatively quick and the Woodpecker served alongside the Hawker Hardy in Iraq before being slowly withdrawn from early 1938 onwards. The Woodpecker had one last hurrah in RAF service by being pressed into service with several Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadrons in an 'anti-invasion' role during the Munich Crisis of September 1938 and continuing in service until finally replaced in early 1940.

RAFWoodpecker01 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFWoodpecker02 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFWoodpecker03 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

This is actually the Czech Letov Š-328 masquerading as a 'what if'^TM Westland Woodpecker. The Letov Š-328 was released by a talented guy called 'MontyCZ' over at Combat Ace and is just exquisite!

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Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm Firefly FG.2 of No.20 Squadron, RAF Germany, 1988.

RAFFireflyFG201 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFFireflyFG202 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFFireflyFG203 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

Over at Combat ACE 'russouk2004' has released a superb template for his MBB Firefly so, with not much time on my hands at the moment, I've done a simple Green scheme. I've cocked-up somewhere as the ejection seat is white but, hey-ho.

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Westland Warrior FB.2 - No.3 Squadron, RAF Germany, 1950

In late 1941 the Westland Aircraft Company were asked to produce an aircraft to Specification E.6/41B calling for a fighter aircraft powered by the proposed H.1 jet engine (later to mature as the De Havilland Goblin) and the Westland design team elected to use a similar twin-boom arrangement as the De Havilland Vampire so as to keep the jet pipe as short as possible to minimise power loss. Distracted by the disappointing Welkin high-altitude interceptor-fighter programme Westland's E.6/41B proposal, now called the Westland Warrior F.1, was soon running about six months behind the contemporary Vampire and in September 1943 the Ministry of Aircraft Production (MAP) threw another spanner in the works by changing the requirement to that for a ground-attack fighter.

Despite these setbacks, Westland managed to get the prototype Warrior F.1 airborne in July 1944 although the production Warrior FB.2 did not fly until March 1946 and, with all urgency now out of the programme, the first unit to re-equip with this useful fighter-bomber was No.3 squadron of the Second Tactical Air Force who received their Warrior FB.2's in April 1948. Most Warriors served abroad with the Second Tactical Air Force and also RAF Middle-East Command and the type was withdrawn in 1954 when No.208 squadron disbanded in Egypt.

RAFWarriorFGA201 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFWarriorFGA202 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFWarriorFGA203 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFWarriorFGA204 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

As you've probably guessed, this is the Saab J-21R masquerading as the Westland Warrior. The Saab J-21R is available as an add-on aircraft and I've knocked up a pretty basic post-war camo scheme for it.

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Westland Warrior FB.2's - No.6 and No.208 squadrons, RAF Middle East Command.

RAFWarriorFGA205 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFWarriorFGA206 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFWarriorFGA207 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFWarriorFGA208 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

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Westland Warrior FB.2's - No.98 Squadron, RAF Germany 1952.

RAFWarriorFGA209 by Spinners1961, on Flickr

RAFWarriorFGA210 by Spinners1961, on Flickr