THE EMPIRES TWILIGHT

[Kerrillc]

Thanks Tim

That is a really good looking paint scheme. It is also an interesting idea about Suez and the falling out between the UK and the USA. A place and a time where the things we now know as history took a right turn into a nightmare.

Cheers

Kerrill

[thedarkmaster]

Oh that opens up so many possibilities - Israeli Harriers, Buccaneers etc, etc...

I see you have seen through my cunning plan, more from the UK/Commonwealth relationship with Israel to come soon.

It is also an interesting idea about Suez and the falling out between the UK and the USA. A place and a time where the things we now know as history took a right turn into a nightmare

the whole " Empires Twighlight " thread is based upon that one departure from out timeline, it all flows from Eden having bigger ones !!! and MacMillam realising the US could only cripple the UK if it was willing to cripple itself.

[Kerrillc]

My apologies Tim

I just reread the thread. So the schism, which finally occurred at Suez, had been building for some time. A commercial and political rivalry not unlike OTL's Cold War? So were proxies used to hinder the New Commonwealth's diplomatic, political and commercial enterprises?

I read about the Suez Crisis at school, but no emphasis was placed upon it, but I then read a recent book about it (the title of which I think is Suez: the double war, but with my stroke addled brain I am not even sure about that!) and I then realised what a howling mess was made of it. The Crisis was supposed to be a warning of how NOT to do things, not a dratted blueprint!

Thanks for the insight.

Kerrill

[thedarkmaster]

I just reread the thread. So the schism, which finally occurred at Suez, had been building for some time. A commercial and political rivalry not unlike OTL's Cold War? So were proxies used to hinder the New Commonwealth's diplomatic, political and commercial enterprises?

It's nice to have someone pay attention to the thread, the changes i have made start about a year before suez with more compatant planing of the event and a full and frank study of the USA's threat to sell off sterling bonds. It was realised that though this would destroy thr uk economy it would also so damage the usa and the rest of the western world that it would hand victory to the ussr on a plate.

After the forming of the New Commonwealth most of the usa's reaction is confined to monetary penalties initially, ie cancelling of orders and withdrawl of defence funds, however as time progresses and the butterflies set in we see a 4 power cold war develop, 1 the New Commonwealth/ French Republic and territories 2 the USA, Brazil, and NATO 3 the USSR, the Warsaw Pact and the Bagdahd pact 4 the Red Chinease.

One of the major changes is the USA, where the Dollar is king and big business has far fewer controls upon it than otl ( i get to use more models this way ) and a readyness to sell to anyone whom is not a commie  .

But the USSR is also cash strapped and will sell on the open market if the price is right, witness the New Zeland aircraft earlier in the thread.

Also in this world there is no apartheid in south African,( it was something so filthy i just didn't want it in the timeline) and economicly Africa is better off with really only the former Portugese colonies suffering like they did in our timeline.


Hope this helps, but if you do have any questions etc please feel free to ask, much of the timeline is developed but i'm always open to ideas and insperation 

[Kerrillc]

Okay Tim thank you for the clarification,

I'll think about this and if anything else occurs to me, I will seek the wisdom of the British Empire's prophet! I LOVE that addition to the signatures that you have.

As an aside I recently went shopping in M&S and saw cuff links shaped like Spitfires! Yes I bought them and they DO look much better with OUR roundels! Did I mention the Union Jack keyring? Yes got that too!

Sad, not a bit, obsessive, just a tad!

Cheers

Kerrill

MY EDIT: You may have realised by now I have what my wife endearingly calls "a really really REALLY strange sense of humour".

There was also the comment: "Tongue in cheek! More like tongue THROUGH cheek". I then opened my mouth and "Asked which one?" The swelling around my eye went down in a week! Me? Argue with the wife? What was I thinking?

[thedarkmaster]

Just so you don't all think I've gone away, we're still awaiting our delivery of decals for the 6 yes six finished aircraft i have waiting to go on the thread.
I may finish one more tonight but i have the decals for that one so should be posted by Friday at the latesr.



PS only one of this 7 will be RAF or major commonwealth member.

[Kerrillc]

TDM,

I am starting to fell terribly deprived!

Okay ONLY ONE! of six!

You have thrown me a wobbly. Six finished YES?

PS only one of this 7 will be RAF or major commonwealth member.PS only one of this 7 will be RAF or major commonwealth member.

"PS only one of this 7 will be RAF or major commonwealth member."

UM SEVEN, okay now I am really DESPERATE!!!!

It's only Wednesday, DRAT! Or as Dick Dastardly would say BLAST! Or was that The Hooded Claw?

I really have dated myself with that!

Cheers

Kerrill

[sideshowbob9]

Alternate......Suez...... Great! Now I'm thinking of a WHIF where the Valiants brought along the wrong bomb 

A belated  to the Israeli Panther!

[thedarkmaster]

They came today........not just the decals but........also my family, so now i have decals to put on seven aircraft but not the time to do it till after the weekend. 

I tell you the god's of "what if" are laughing at me   

But i do have parts 1,2 and 3 of Zotzs  "  Roundels of the world " thats 65+ countries , so it's not all bad   

[Kerrillc]

Hi Tim

These things are sent to try ones soul and patience. It builds character and soul!

Sorry I am babbling .... withdrawal symptoms, don'cha know.

Kerrill

[thedarkmaster]

Well when they all went to bed i stopped up to decal these two, also did some quick photos whilst breakfast cooked.

Back story to follow with the third aircraft of this group .

Royal Swasiland Defence Force Chipmonk armed Trainer

Commonwealth of Kenya.......Strikemaster TG59

well it's a barbecue today so may get a bit done tonight   


Got a Cuban to go with these and then Belize and Guatamala to follow that, with RAF and Indonesian as another pair to bring up the rear, I'm also toying with a late 1950's colonial Portugese aircraft pair so busy busy busy

[sideshowbob9]

Very nice! 

Wait... you're gettting a Cuban?!! 

[Mossie]

Like those both, esepciallythe Strikemaster, it jst looks 'right'.

[ChernayaAkula]

Oooh, those are nice! 

[thedarkmaster]

Industrias de Castro, pequeño diablo....Castro Industries, Little devil

This aircraft is the first indigenous product of Cuba's small but efficiant aerospace industry,.

Based upon the readily available parts of Mig 19's and 21's it also uses US weaponry brought to Cuba by long term operatives in the US military.

Called the " Little Devil " by the F.A.R. it has seen service in Angola where it made an imediate name for itself by becoming the only aircraft to wipe out an air force in one sorti ( All six aircraft of the Royal Swaziland defence force and two Kenyan, all unarmed when contacted ) over the Namibian border. see previous posts for these aircraft.

At this current time no airworthy airframes are known to exist, None have survived in Cuba after the Nuclear strikes, but recently two airframes have been reported found on the edge of an ex forward airstrip in Angola and the South African air museum is believed to be attempting to aquire them.