THE EMPIRES TWILIGHT

[chrisonord]

Nice as ever Tim, The mig certainly looks the part in those colours.
Chris.

[Pablo1965]

Agreed 

[thedarkmaster]

Well it's that time again and it's been a busy week and if i cann get past the snow for photos i have 1 Soviet, 1 Italien and 1 argentine all from around 1956 

[thedarkmaster]

Sukhoi Su5, PVO Strany, North Eastern Siberia 1956

Developed in the last few month of the Second world War as a Dogfighter to challenge the then new jet aircraft of Nazi Germany, the Su5 was more or less a developmental dead end.

Powered by both a standard VK-107 engine she also had a VRDK boost propulsion engine , with 10 mins fuel the Su5 carried 1 23mm cannon in the propellor hub and 2 12.7 mm guns over the engine cowling with around 400 round carried.

Put into limted production by the Soviets with only 190 airframes produced, the Su5 saw swevice in the PVO in mainly secondry areas where their presence could free up more of the valuable Migs and Lavochkins.

They served until aroung 1960-61 and at this time no airframe is known to exist, espcially since the destruction of so many Soviet airfields and cities during the 91 disaster


























model 168

[thedarkmaster]

Fiat colpo DI filming II, Italian Air Force, Venice 1956

The first Jet engined aircraft to be built in Italy postwar the Clop DI filming or Thunderbolt II was a marriage of Italian and British engineering.

Initially work started in 1945 and was part of the UK's effort to stop the slide of Italy into communisum, the engine technology was freely given as it was to many nations at the time but the UK also gave airframe knowledge and operational experience with top line jets.

The design was always going to be pedestrian and the first step on the road to a new aircraft industry, the thunderbolt was quickly moved from paper to prototype and on to operational status, equipping front line squadrons by 1954 but sering only 3 years before it was replaced by much more capable home grown and US types

Operating as a simpleday fighter the Thunderbolt was mainly concerned in it's short operational carear with protecting Italian airspace from intrusion from Yugoslavian forces, mainly in the North and over the Adriatic.



























Model 169

[thedarkmaster]

Argentine automotive Águila con cresta, fuerza aérea de Argentina 1956

The crested Eagle was the first aircraft to appear from Argentine automotive, but as we know it was not the last. Based upon German and stolen soviet technology it bore a resemblance to the Lav ochkin11 but was of differant dimensions and had a differant weapon and avionics fir as well as a copy of a German engine, none of which was licence produced but more acquired on the open post war market.

the regime in Argentina was not the most trusted of places even after the declaration of war against Germany and this showed it it's lack of US and UK surplus and lack of supplies to keep them running so the Crested eagle became more important in Argentine plans than this mediocre aircraft deserved Produce in numbers that by 1959 had reached 350 it was thankfully never tested in combat and disappeared very quickly after 1960 as the USA moved in to replace the UK as supplier of choice following the post Suez split, leaving Argentina firmly in the US camp.



































a/c 170

[thedarkmaster]

L'Arsenal VG59,L'Armée de l'Air tunisienne, Tunis 1956

A developement of the L'Arsenal Vg30 the Vg59 was an uprated export version for the post war world, however it failed to acheive any real sucsess and ended up as an aircraft given to french colonys upon independance.

The V59 was with the Corsair the only combat aircraft in the tunisian air force upon it's formation and was used for around 10 years in frontline and secondry units with the last flight in early 1966






















a/c 171

[Pablo1965]

I love the Arsenal    

[McColm]

Great work, Merry christmas.

[NARSES2]

I love the Arsenal    

Me to, favourite of a great bunch 

[PR19_Kit]

Oooh yes! 

What kits did the La11 and the VG59 come from though?

[James]

Wonderful stuff as always. 

[Taiidantomcat]

I really like the Tunisian plane. Camo and markings really stand out   

[thedarkmaster]

Another busy week and hopefully camera willing will have 1 Mexican , 2 Soviet and 1 New Zealand......though 2 are sort of slight cheats !!!

[thedarkmaster]

Tsybin long range reconnaissance bomber, full size prototype, Northern Siberia 1959

As with many nations the Soviet Union dabled with Rocket power for it's aircraft hoping that the possible fantastic speed would help them get through the enemy's air defences.

The Tsybin OKB was tasked with making the dream of the old men in the Politburo a reality, using captured German designers and engineers the hugeaircraft was ready for it's first flight in 1959.

Powered by 10 engines on the craft and a take off sledge containing a further 4 the Ts5 dbr-NM-2 was launched from a raised rail section which terminated in a ski jump to impart lift onto theaircraft

The Nm-2 variant or full scale model was an unmanned radio controlled version  with fuel taking the crew positions as soviet engines were at the time notoriously short legged.

A series of over 50 flight was run from the research facility culminating in the official report that the Rocket base aircraft was not suitable for service in the VVS or PVO due to the extended time required for fueling and the inability to hide the Launchers from enemy surveillance, but it was considered that the Long range aviation units may find a use for it after furtherwork on range and payload.











































kit is a pegasus sci-fi kit....points for the film? ....but i thought it would look good soviet, little lorries are for scale


kit 172