THE EMPIRES TWILIGHT

[thedarkmaster]

Liberator fr2

The USA and the USSR had been to space and the UK and the New Commonwealth where not about to be left behind in this race.

The UK on it's own just coudn't afford this effort , and so it approached the members of the New Commonwealth for support, be it monetry, technology or any support the country could give. The responce was imediate and thankfully positive, with as one Canadian minister put it " Canada and it's New Commonwealth partners, stand ready to particeipate in this effort to put a Britain in Space ".

The inital work on the rockets to get them there was based upon the various marks of the Black Prince Ballistic missile. Finally culmanating in the Black Prince 12 which launched the first Britain into space in 1974 from the Commonwealth space centre in Kenya.

From now on missions into space where a regular feature of Commonwealth news broadcasts and newsreels, with Pilots and navigators from Canada, Australia, Singapore, South Africa to name just a few taking part in the programme.

Later in the 1970's reports circulating from the USA ( NASA was riddled with foreign spies and no secret could be kept ) made the Uk aware of the new plans for the Space Shuttle. The UK at the time could not afford this type of comitment but it was decided that they could afford a single seat craft of this type, a craft that could be used to protect the New Commonwealth's sattelite system and to degrade and possibly destroy others should it become necessary.

The programme to produce the UK's space plane was a hard one, with false starts and failurs but with technology transfers from NASA ( I mentioned the spying thing earlier ) the team was able to push the P2000 to  production and service entry by 1987.

The P2000 entered RAF Space Command under the name of Liberator, she was named for the craft used by Blake in the hugely popular Blakes 7, and recieved a warm welcome from space geeks and tv heads throughout the new Commonwealth.

As a single seater the craft could only be trusted to the most able of the RAF's pilots and it is perhaps ironic that the first 5 missions were flown by Royal Navy pilots seconded to the RAF, but she proved a tame ride and no misshap is recorded anywhere.

The only known military service she performed was during the 91 disaster when two Liberator's sowed mines in US and Soviet sattelite orbits ( for mines read steel cubes, each capable of doing enough damage to a ROSAT to render it unserviceable ) and one instance of using its Purdey designed smoothbore ball-bearing airgun on the space shuttle Endevour, though no record of any damage exists.

Neither craft was recovered after the disaster and no more were launched, the only example extent at the moment resides in the Imperial war museum at the Capitol city of Oxford.

























She is portrayed as ZF138 on her next to last mission, just aftr touch down ih Australia. She displays the usual sooty look of these craft after re-entry and the charactoristic ( spelling ) loss of markings. ZF138 is the craft that Commander Hugh Spencer RN used during the 91 disaster and was responsable for the attack upon USS Endevour.


Hope you all like this one, I'm afraid i just couldn't resist BRITS IN SPACE

[pyro-manic]

That's awesome, TDM! I love it. Is the model of that little Mig spaceplane (I forget it's name)?

Talking of Brits in Space, have you read Ministry of Space? Very highly recommended indeed. I'm going to build at least one vehicle from it at some point...

[thedarkmaster]

oh yes , it is the Mig. i believe it is Product 105-11, an aerodynamic test plane by the Mig berau

[sideshowbob9]

Once again an intriguing backstory. So it can be inferred that we go Dr. Strangelove on the U.S. AND the U.S.S.R (taking out RORSATs sounds pre-emptive to me) and that at least London & Birmingham (2nd city?) are glowing in the dark.

I also presume Endeavour was on a military mission for us to be taking pot-shots at her?

Consider my curiosity well and truly piqued.

[thedarkmaster]

Arcadian's. Chasseur Tours Climats Mk6

The new Commonwealth was formed in 1958 and almost imediatly fell foul of the US, for without the baking of the mighty Dollar much of these countries defence spending was very thin. Particulary badly hurt was Canada with the production of the CF-100 stopped due to cancelation of NATO orders.

France at this time was in the position of being a close allie of the United Kingdom and a close friend to the New Commonwealth. She also found herself a the time in the need of a True all weather fighter fully able to operate in zero visibility for operations in it's empire. She stepped forward and took over the cancelled Belgium order for 58 aircraft, kick starting  the Avro companies fortunes and making sure that the company did not fold before the Arrow was produced.

Initially it was thought that the aircraft wold be called the Quebecois in French service but , France,  for once considerate of other govenments feelings decided to name it after the French culture of the North Eastern coast of Canada.

She entered service in 1959 and served until French production Mirages could take over in 1968. Then passing into second line sevice and finally and sadly to be used as instructional airframes and targets on live fire ranges.





















Hope you like this departure from the New Commonwealth , feeling like i should bulk out the world a bit.

[pyro-manic]

Nice! Looks really sharp. May I suggest a black wash on the engine fans? It would make them "pop" a bit.

[sideshowbob9]

Very nice Canuck 

[thedarkmaster]

Rhodesian Ridgeback II. GR6

The Royal Rhodesian Air Force operated the old Hawker Sea Hawk suitably modified as a ground attack aircraft well into the 1980's, ( see earlier posting in this thread ) by this time the craft was long in the tooth and no matter what the ground crew and maintainance technitions did it's seeviceability was slipping.

The RRAF was worried, they where locked in a gurilla war with Bahgdad Pact sponsered rebels and they needed that air support, the only viable option was an off the peg purchase. As the procurment commision scoured the world looking for the best price the inherant weakness of the American system came to their rescue.

The RRAF staff where aproached by the US manufacturer Fairchild-Republic and told that they where willing and able to offer the RRAF 25 A10 aircraft. (The US Govenment would be unable to alter or even to stop this tranaction for in this timeline the Dollar is king in the US and business rules! ) These would be the last A10's produced and would incorporate many of the improvements so far included in the project, the price would be cheap as the USAF was no longer buying the aircraft and spares need to be used up.

The RRAF jumped at the chance to operate a state of the art aircraft and one which at the time the rebels had no means of contering, so two years after the deal was signed ( 1986 ) the A10, named the Rhodesian Ridgeback II fully replaced the venerable Sea Hawk in service.

The aircraft we see here is resplendant in the new four colour scheme introduced by the RRAF in 1990 and represents the craft used in action against Cuban forces in Angola during the fighting of the 91 disaster. This particular aircraft fell foul of a Mig 23 of the Angolan Airforce whilst trying to return home following attacks upon the 256th Cuban Motorised Regiment, considerable casualities where reported from the unit and the survivors were attached to other units along the front.

[sideshowbob9]

Now that I like! 

[ChernayaAkula]

Absolutely love the Ridgeback!  Great back story and camo!  The grey really adds a nice touch to the SEA wrap-around.

[Jschmus]

I like that Ridgeback, but it looks decidedly naked.  What's a Hog without all the toys?

[Steel Penguin]

nice looking, and looks right as well

[Sisko]

Arcadian's. Chasseur Tours Climats Mk6

I like this one the best. Nice finish and nice clean lines! 

It is also nice to see you doing subjects from other countries in your alternate world.

[rallymodeller]

Nice Clunk!

[Mossie]

Never realised until now how much the Clunk resembles a Vautour with a straight wing & the engines pinched in.  Love the camo on the ridgeback too!