Rutan AT-1B TERMINATOR

[dragon]

Approximately an hour later they arrived at the Main Gate.  Mr. Green showed his credentials and was given a large manila envelope.  This he handed to Velez.  "These are your instructions, orders and anything else you may require.  Hand over your cell phone"
Velez did as instructed.  Mr. Green opened the glove compartment and handed Velez yet another phone.  "The numbers you will need have been pre-set.  That's where you will be staying.  Keys are in the envelope.  Further orders are in your quarters.  Read them tonight. 

[dragon]

Upon finding his Quarters, Velez tossed the envelope on the desk.  He opened the suitcase and found some of his own civilian clothes and a shaving kit.  These he put in the drawers.  Where to put the suitcase?  Velez opened the closet and was surprised to find several sets of his own uniforms, including his own flight suit.  He read the contents of the envelopes and found out he was just in time for Dinner- a map and ID were included in the envelope.  Velez put on his BDUs and headed out for dinner. 

[dragon]

Many thanks to Pyro-Maniac and John Howling Mouse for helping me settle my "existentialist" argument between my computer and I regarding my camera



Velez regarded his choices in the mess hall.  A voice with a Colombian accent said in Spanish, "The meatloaf and mashed potatoes are a bit on the heavy side, but not bad at all."
"Antonio!  They drag you here too?" said Velez.  Lieutenent Antonio Guzman had been his weapons officer a couple years ago, when Velez flew the Super Tucano before transitioning to the Kfir.  Guzman pointed to a table and motioned Velez to go there once he had made his meal choice.  He was surprised to see other members of the FAC sitting at the table.
"Panchi!  Weren't you supposed to be at RED FLAG?"  Said Lieutenant Ramon Cordoba.  He was also an expert Kfir pilot.  He and Velez had had a friendly rivalry since the academy.
"I was just going to ask you the same question" said Velez.  "Anyone have any idea of what's going on?"
There was a collective shrug around the table.
"All we know is that we meet at the shuttle van stop and wait for a vehicle marked War College- Military Accounting class at approximately 07:00am wearing our Class A uniforms and carrying note taking materials."  Said Guzman.  He looked at his watch.  "Might be a good idea to turn in soon, there is no telling what tomorrow is going to bring."
"Yeah, all this Secret Agent stuff is getting old" said Cordoba.  The table nodded in agreement.

[BlackOps]

Dragon, this turned out great! The paintjob suits the shape of the aircraft which suits your story  Well done! 

[ysi_maniac]

^^^^^ Absolutely agreed

[John Howling Mouse]

Just look at the subtle transition up on the nose-----you, Sir, have the touch of a true artist!!   

[Sisko]

Funky digi camo job!

Nice kit bash! Reminds me of something that someone did at our club expo some years back.

[Rafael]

Loco, loco, loco, loco!!!!!

This is really a great interpretation of a digi camo, and one I am liking more and more while I stare in awe at your build.

Rafa

[dragon]

It turned out to be a squadron's worth of Colombian personnel.  Present were pilots, weapons officers, crew chiefs, and mechanics.  The tourist type bus drove the Colombians to a large hangar- its rear half was closed and its front contained folding chairs and a podium.  Flanking the podium were US and Colombian flags.  USAF enlisted personnel were busy arranging printed material on a table in front of the podium.

F-22 Raptors were parked neatly on the tarmac.  Velez and Cordoba noted that the main speakers were obviously not present yet.  They walked to the front of the hangar to observe the runway.  In the skies above them a strange forward swept aircraft performed aerobatic maneuvers that seemed to defy the laws of physics.
"Is that what I think it is?"  Asked Velez.  Cordoba looked at the plane too.
"Yeah.  Sukhoi Su-47MKV CAIMAN"  Said Cordoba.  "You don't suppose that's the CAIMAN?  You know, the actual one that..."
Velez's answer was interrupted by the arrival of a USAF Colonel in Class A uniform and what appeared to be a Military Policeman with a radio backpack.
"Tell him to knock it off, he has work to do."  Said the Colonel to the Policeman.  The Policeman spoke into his radio.  He motioned to the Colonel and showed a five fingered palm.  The Colonel shook his head and showed the policeman three fingers.  The policeman spoke into his radio and gave the Colonel a thumbs up.  The Colonel walked up to the podium and spoke in correct but accentless spanish "Please take your seats"

[dragon]

"I am Colonel Charles Williams, United States Air Force.  My handle is CHUCKY.  I am in charge of this program, however I will not be your instructor.  Your instructor is a civilian contractor."  Said Col. Williams.  The Su-47MKV landed while he spoke and was rapidly taxiing towards the hangar.  "We took an impossible amount of secrecy and misdirection to get you here safely.  For every change of clothes you had to do, we had a body double going in a different direction.  This will make sense once you understand the mission."
The Su-47MKV parked just long enough for the pilot to climb down from the cockpit.  Just before stepping off the ladder, the pilot caressed the side of the plane in much the same way one would caress a favorite horse.  It was difficult to see the pilot's features since the sun was shinning behind him.  He took off his helmet and carried it in the crook of his arm and walked with a purposeful stride towards the podium.
"I would like to introduce your instructor.  Pay attention to him because the Pentagon does."  Said Col. Williams he nodded in the direction of the pilot.  The pilot put his helmet down on the table and tapped the microphone.
"My name is Jose Luis Martinez Perez, formerly of the Venezuelan Air Force where I held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.  My handle is MATADOR and I will be your instructor."  A murmur went around the room.

[dragon]

"Yes, I am that MATADOR.  The one who shot down Chavez.  Because of that I can't return to my country- at least until things quiet down some more.  Until then I earn my keep as a Defense contractor and get to fly my old Caiman every so often."  MATADOR rolled up the sleeves of his pixelated flight suit and took off his gloves.  "Why are you here?  I will tell you."
MATADOR took a deep breath and paced to the rear of the hangar.  "For nearly half a century, your country has not had a chance to grow to its full potential.  Narcs and Guerillas of all types from both sides of the political spectrum have caused unbearable misery to the common person who just wants to live."  MATADOR paused.  "The majority of the Narcs and the right-wing guerillas have been subdued, however the FARC (Editor's note: Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) are the only obstacle to peace in your country."
"We know that already" said Lieutenant Velez.  MATADOR smiled.  This one mighty have potential. "What does being here in the USA do to help matters in Colombia?"
"What if I told you that a Top Secret Operation has been set up by both the Colombian and US governments to take down the FARC?"
"Happens every day."  Commented Velez.  "These FARC A-holes always find a way to get away."
"Lieutenant Velez, right?"  MATADOR took on the air of a College professor trying to impart a valuable lesson to a bright student.  "What have you been using to resolve the situation?"
"Troops, Super Tucanos, Helicopters...."
"Small stuff, slow stuff, not enough stuff" said MATADOR disdainfully.  "The Super Tucanos can't carry enough ordnance and cannot deliver with laser accuracy they are also somewhat slow.  Helos are too slow and usually unarmed.  History has shown us that territory only counts if there is a grunt with a gun on the ground holding on to that territory.  We flyboys usually don't capture territory, but we help those who do.
MATADOR nodded to an USAF Airman.  The Airman pressed a button on the wall.  The doors at the rear of the hangar slowly parted.  "This is the other reason you are here...Meet your new mounts."
The parting doors slowly revealed a slender airframe with twin booms, canards, a gatling cannon and lots of hardpoints to hang ordnance from.
"Meet the Rutan AT-1B TERMINATOR.  Rutan Aerospace sells or at least will sell this aircraft to Canada and the European Union as the PERSUADER- something to do with marketing."

[dragon]

"Come along, don't be shy.  She will do 610 mph fully loaded.  With twelve hardpoints, three guns and precision ordnance delivery electronics, this is the reason it is called TERMINATOR.  Hasta la vista, baby!"  Lectured MATADOR.  Velez was looking at the plane in doubt.  "The AT-1A had a pair of 7.62mm gatlings in the stinger.  However combat experience showed that these were mostly deadweight since anything that was still alive after the first pass was merely in the process of dying- hence the TERMINATOR moniker."
"Hasta la vista, Baby!"  Said CHUCKY.  MATADOR noted that Velez looked a lot like a child faced with the certainty of Liver and Spinach and Brussel sprouts for dinner.  "Even Arnold Schwartzenegger was there when the plane was unveiled."
"Sir.  Until today I did not know this beast existed."  Said Lieutenant Guzman.  "Where was this tested in combat?"
"That's classified" said CHUCKY. 
"Lieutenant Guzman, correct?  The answer is most likely CIA or Special Ops, somewhere picturesque where no one would dream of setting up a golf course nor a bowling alley."  Responded MATADOR dryly.  "In 90 days a mission is going to go down.  You have 70 days to get to know your plane's capabilities and do some mission related training.  That is the main reason for all this secrecy.  We don't know if anybody is compromised, so we had to treat everybody as if they are.  When you get back to Colombia, you will get mission specific training.  We regroup here in one hour.  Pilots and Weapons Officers head to room A.  Maintenance Personnel, a bus will be picking you up for training elsewhere."
"Attencion, Arrr!"  Said the military policeman in barely passable spanish. 
"Dismissed."  Said CHUCKY quietly.
"I came out all this way for a freaking mud-mover" mumbled Velez. 

[dragon]

Approximately a week later, MATADOR sat in CHUCKY's office.  A stack of dossiers sat on the desk between them.  Highball glasses with a couple ice cubes, the rest containing whiskey, sat on the desk also.
"So what do you think of your young padawans" said CHUCKY.  MATADOR frowned and finished the rest of his glass.  He motioned for more.  CHUCKY shrugged and reached into his lower desk drawer, pulled out a bottle and refilled MATADOR's glass.  "That bad?"
"Quite the opposite, they are good military pilots" responded MATADOR.  "And yet.."
"And yet not one of them is as much of a pain in the butt as you are."  Replied CHUCKY.  Both Pilots laughed.  "This I am thankful for."
"The problem is Lieutenant Velez" said MATADOR as he swirled his glass.  "His dossier, the times I have flown with him, class time, they all say..."
"That he should be King of the Hill, Top of the heap, A number one?"
"Yeah.  Just don't start singin NEW YORK, NEW YORK.  I am just not drunk enough yet"
"And I have a healthy respect for Frank Sinatra, you were saying?"
"CHUCKY, remember that movie we watched with your wife and kids a couple of weeks ago?"  CHUCKY nodded in assentment.  "What was that phrase you used?  Something about the actor not likeing the character and doing the bare essentials?"
"Phoning it in."
"Yes.  That's it!"
"Usually when an actor does that, it is because they are not happy with the role."
"What the heck should I do?"
'"Jose Luis, you do know that now you are more of a Professor than a military man..."  Chucky sipped on his whiskey.  "What does a mentor do in this case?"
"Call in the student and see what is going on?"
"See?  And here you were thinking you weren't Mentor material."
"So, if this succeeds?"
"I am planning on a regional version of STRIKE.  A Latin American TOP GUN, if you will...Call it AGUILAS LIBERTADORAS.."
"CHUCKY, Good concept, but that name just ain't catchy."

 

[Hman]

Stunning...why arn't I that talented

[ysi_maniac]

Flying battlecruiser