THE EMPIRES TWILIGHT

[Sauragnmon]

Oi, don't forget the boys of Kingston, Ontario, and good old Fort Henry!!

[chrisonord]

sounds favourite to me Tim 

Chris.

[Mossie]

Blackburn Kingston upon Hull....

Thought about it, but who could you get to fly something called that     

Well, in your scenario I'm guessing that although Hull was pummeled in WWII, the Cod Wars never happened, so the heart was never ripped out of the City's industry.  So in the Empire's Twilight, it'll have been a thriving, hip & happening place.  So you've actually saved the place, that is, until you nuked it!

[thedarkmaster]

So in the Empire's Twilight, it'll have been a thriving, hip & happening place. 

yes mate In the Empire's Twighlight Hull is so hip it's dislocated     

[NARSES2]

[  So in the Empire's Twilight, it'll have been a thriving, hip & happening place.  So you've actually saved the place, that is, until you nuked it!

Now I know we are a WIF site for sure 

[ElectrikBlue]

I love the Wyvern, certainly one of your best models!  

[Mossie]

I went to Bolton West service station once (just the once & managed to avoid Bolton, thank The Lord), it was shut at 7pm!  Lots going on there then....

[thedarkmaster]

fun aside, the Kingston ( I'm going with that name, just for Mossie      ) is finished painted and decaled.......just hoping tomorrow is fine for a coat of varnish then day after it's photos.

Started on the 101st biuld tonight and worked out what 102 will be, it never stops     

[thedarkmaster]

Oh my god........just spreyed the varnish and it's bloody well reacted with the paint below.........at this point don't know what to do          got to wait for it to dry and seeif i have to strip it........fingers crossed.

[sideshowbob9]

Fingers also crossed!

[thedarkmaster]

Blackburn Kingston B3

It is an old adage within the New Commonwealth that anything is for sale within the USA and for once it seems that this was completely true.


The UK intelligence community was approached by a  frustrated design engineer shortly after President Carter announced that the B-1A would be cancelled in favour of ICBMs, SLBMs, and a fleet of modernized B-52s armed with ALCMs ( June 1977 ) with an offer to provide the UK with a full set  of design plans and flight data so far collected and a full and continuing supply of all material that came across his desk.


All that this gentleman asked for was the lump sum of £ 20 million and £1 million a year thereafter, He also asked for a passport, a new identity and protection for the rest of his life, all easily grantable requests.


The work on the aircraft was to be rushed through and it was given to the Blackburn company whom had experience with larger aircraft  (after their Black beard ) and close ties with the French Dassult company.


Work commenced well and by the time of President Reagan's 2 October 1981 announcement that a new version of the B-1 was being ordered to fill the LRCA role. The UK had it's own flying copy and still a direct conduit it the Rockwell design office.


Numerous changes were made to the design  By Rockwell to better fit it to real-world missions, resulting in the new B-1B. These changes included a reduction in maximum speed, which allowed the variable-aspect intake ramps to be replaced by simpler fixed geometry intake ramps in the newer design. This reduced the B version's radar signature because the compressor faces of the engines, major radar reflectors, would be partially hidden. Low-altitude speed was somewhat improved, from about Mach 0.85 to 0.92


The now renamed Blackburn Kingston, following the long UK tradition of naming bombers after cities, was now upgraded to the full B1B standard and ready to fly, and it was decided to show the USA what the UK had on the one day to rub salt into the wounds and cause the maximum of publicity and fuss.


As usual on July 4th 1985 the US navy was holding televised events from its carriers around the world, part of a series of events to celebrate the US's independence from the UK and something taking on a new and more inflammatory note as rivalry with the New Commonwealth continued to rise.


The USS Enterprise was cruising off the coast of Malta dragging it's coat tails well within site of the Royal Navy and well within TV lens range of  the harbour. The Admiral in charge couldn't believe his luck, and with his escorts tucked in close he continued this game for the next couple of hours.


The TV crew upon the carrier were getting some classic pictures, especially of the Royal Navy's lack of response, and they had been interviewing wildly excited naval ratings all morning with it seems the same response when suddenly klaxons roared into life and men ran everywhere over the flight deck. The stunned TV crew stood on the deck unsure what to do when unexpectedly eight large white painted bombers swept low over the formation of US ships, dropping flares from their open bomb bays.





The world had caught it's first glimpse of the Blackburn Kingston, In Squadron service some 3 months before it's US equivalent and to the embarrassment of the US Navy and Air force all caught live on TV around the world.


Whilst this happened the UK was good to it's word and a joint SAS /MI6 team extracted the engineer and took him to his new life in the UK.


The Blackburn entered limited service with the RAF with 36 airframes produced and operated by 87, 94 and 193 squadrons in the Nuclear deterrent role, right up to the 91 disaster were they saw service over North America and China, the 15+ survivors stayed in RAF service post Disaster and helped form the core of the Reconstructed UK armed forces.





The Kingston did have subtle differences from the B1, the canopy layout was different and of course British and French systems and electronics filled the airframes , no airborne refuelling capability was initially available to the Kingston but this was remedied in later marks.





Flying in the Standard Anti Flash White of the New Commonwealth's Atomic armed aircraft the Kingston was never seen in any other colours until well into the reconstruction period.





The American B1 also saw service within the 91 disaster and many of the aircraft which survived the conflict went into service with the countries which arose from the fractured USA.













































Well there it is the 100th aircraft in the thread.        It's been hard work but thanks to the encouragement recieved from you guys I've loved every bit of it,   thanks a lot for all your kind words and here's to the next 100, thought to be fair already working on those    
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[Mossie]

Got a love a B-1 in anti-flash roundels!  Great stuff Tim & happy 100th!

[NARSES2]

Fantastic 

[pyro-manic]

Excellent! What's the new canopy from?

[Cobra]

Superb Job The B-1 looks Right in Anti-Flash White!!!!!!!! What Other Sweet Wings are we going to see In Action? :cheers:Dan