Atlantic darkness: MTR - JNQ and Skyknight FGA.1

[comrade harps]

Left: Union Defence Cooperative MTR - JNQ Fizzer P, Black 32, Comrade Badowski Regiment, Polish International Air Force, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Socialist Republic of Scotland, 3 Jan 1954
Right: Douglas Skynight FGA.1, "W" 3 Sqdn Royal Air Force, RAF Sumburgh, Shetland Islands, United Kngdom, 3 Jan 1954


Scenario
When Red revolution swept through Britian in May 1950, Royalist forces and their American allies retreated north, finally holing up in Northern Ireland to the west and the Orkney and Shetland Islands in the north east. At the end of long and fragile supply lines and constantly under attack from the mainland (and, in the case of North Ireland, the Socialist Union backed insurgency of the Irish Republican Army), the United Nations held on to these outposts until the mid 1960s.

MTR - JNQ Fizzer P Black 32

Although it was never decorated with kill symbols, Black 32 was the personal mount of a killer team. Together, Combat Pilot Mateusz Gucman and Naviagtor Dominik Zycki were credited with 57 air to air victories, 46 of which were achieved in this plane. Most of these kills (31) were against transport aircraft supplying Northern Ireland, but the total also included fighters (9), bombers (12) and maritime patrol aicraft (5). They were credited with another 16 probable kills.

On the night of the 3/4 January, 1954, the pair were credited with shooting down a Douglas C-124C Globemaster II, their 9th confirmed kill.



Skyknight FGA.1 "W"

Seen here when credited with 5 probable and 4 confirmed kills, this was the personal mount of pilot Squadron Leader Ben Ainslie and radar operator/navigator Flight Lieutenant Mark Cavendish. Together, they would go on to be credited with 56 confirmed kills, including 23 bombers (mostly Beagles and Beavers - the Red version of the Canberra), 18 fighters (mostly Fizzers), 9 martime patrol aircraft, 3 transports and 3 Firefly harrasment attckers. Another 17 kills were list as probables.

On the night of the 3/4 January, 1954, the pair were credited with the shooting down of a Beaver that was attacking UN ships in Scapa Flow.

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The kits:

MTR - Xtrakit Meteor NF 11/12/14 - built as a 14 - with Humbroll Matt 25 Matt Blue overall with Matt 87 Steel Grey detail.

Skyknight - Matcbox Douglas F3D-1 Skyknight - Humbrol Matt 33 black overall with Revell Matt 9 on radomes.

[Hman]

Nice

What scale are they 1/72?

I bought the Airfix Meteor 8, I was going to build it otb...not sure now

[Doc Yo]

 Very striking builds, especially the NF Mk 12? 14? This is the old Matchbox kit, yes?

[Brian da Basher]

Love the camo scheme on your "Fizzer" Comrade Harps! Yet another winner from The Peoples' What-If Co-operative!

Brian da Basher

[cthulhu77]

Glorious !   

[sotoolslinger]

Wow Both cool builds and I love the backstory

[The Rat]

  Not enough smilies for this one!

Did you use an aftermarket canopy for the SkyKnight? I can't see that evil seam that runs down the middle of the kit one. Or, you've done a great job of hiding it!

[noxioux]

And excellent looking pair of birds. . .

[BlackOps]

Love them both! Really like the camo on the Fizzer  Story works for me too.

[comrade harps]

Sorry, forgot to mention the scale: 1:72nd.

The Xtrakit Meteor NF11/12/14 kit is the same as the old Matchbox one, so essentially they're both Matchbox kits. They were assembled OOB (excluding decals), canopy included.

I spent a lot longer on the MTR than the Skyknight, messing around with camo options until I rescued it and got it right. It was really horrible there for a while.

Thanks for the kind words.

[Taiidantomcat]

The Schemes and Markings just really fit well done 

[McGreig]

I spent a lot longer on the MTR than the Skyknight, messing around with camo options until I rescued it and got it right. It was really horrible there for a while.

It looks great now - I'm glad that you stuck with it 

[kitbasher]

I feel a Skynight in pukka 50's RAF NF Meteor colours coming on.........!

[ysi_maniac]

Nice pair of models! 

[AeroplaneDriver]

Graet looking pair (of models) you've got there!  I love the camo on the Meteor.