THE EMPIRES TWILIGHT

[chrisonord]

what were the moomins smoking anyhow???

[thedarkmaster]

Petlyakov Pe-8, Republic of Egypt Air Force, Syria 1958

After the fall of the Nasser regime following the Anglo-French assault in 1956 and the restoration of the Monarchy by the victorious powers a small but significant number of officers left the Egyption armed forces and gradually made their way to Nasser whom was in exile in the USSR and Syria.

After negotiations with the Soviets Nasser was able to proclaim a " free " republic of Egypt in exile during the early part of 1958, just as the last part of the unrest in Egypt proper had died down. Based for it's entire existance in Syria the republic of Egypt operated a mix of high and low technology from the USSR. The Pe-8 being a case in point. The squadron of 8 aircraft looked good in photos and gave many the illusion that they could strike back at the UK/France on Egyption of cypriot soil but in reality it is uncertain if more than one aircraft ever flew and it is known that qualified pilots were in short supply.

Operating in this unusual cammo for the three years of the republics existance ( it fell apart due to internal bickering after the assasination of Nasser and his cabinet by Israli commandos ) the aircraft that were airworthy were flow back to the USSR and scrapped on Nasser's death with the other airframes destroyed on the ground by Soviet advisors a few months later.








































A/c  147

[NARSES2]

A Model kit ? Nice build 

[sideshowbob9]

That Pe-8 is nice! I really must get one. 

[hurricanemk1c]

Belated birthday to Empire's Twighlight  and great little models!

[Mossie]

Yeah, nice, the Pe-8 is definately good whiff fodder, surprised we haven't seen many here now Zvezda have a kit out.

[thedarkmaster]

Kit ia actually 1/144 scale by a company called IXO they are a dicast and plastic combo come ready painted and include in the  range Lancaster, Halifax and various Italian and Japanese bombers. This one was in a number of peices ( Brocken ) and i had to put back the wings repair the undercarrige and props, but hey it was the right price !! Was going to leave it Soviet but it needed so much of a repaint to be repaired decided to whif it instead

[Taiidantomcat]

That is excellent! 

[beowulf]

nice job...i like the camo, works well

dont know how you can work in such a small scale....i couldnt with my pudgy fingers 

[NARSES2]

Kit ia actually 1/144 scale by a company called IXO they are a dicast and plastic combo come ready painted and include in the  range Lancaster, Halifax and various Italian and Japanese bombers.

Thanks, one to note

[thedarkmaster]

Should have an Avro Canada product on over the weekend as she is nearly done 

[thedarkmaster]

Avro Canada Victoria mk111, Royal Canadian Air Force, Gibralter, Late 1956

Shortly after the end of the Second World War the Canadian Govenment issued a spesification for a new flying boat, to have an extended range and endurance over the Sunderland's now in service, and to carry one of the new Canadian developed Searchwater radars.

the spesification matured into the Victoria flying boat which by 1953 had begun to equip 5 front line squadrons of the RCAF, operating in the northern Atlantic. Loosely based upon the Short Sunderland and on information gleamed from captured german research the Victoria was at the time the biggest aircraft ever produced in Canada and the most complex, stretching the manufacturing base of the country considerably.

Powered by six engines, and having a copy of the Canadian Searchwater airbourne radar the Victoria was optermised for maritime work but because of it's size it did have a secondry transport role.

Armed with an aray of depth charges and homing torpedoes aswell by the end of its service air to surface missiles the Victoria was also defended by a single 20mm cannon in an upper turret and two single remotly controled turrets in the wings.


The aircraft illustrated is flying from Gibralter, taking the place of RAF patrols busy at this time with the Suez operations. The aircraft was later to see service in Bermuda and Newfoudland before ending it's carear in 1974 at Halifax.



















































Another of those IXO kits in 1/144 scale , came damaged so mended and repainted.



C/C 148

[Taiidantomcat]

Thats pretty Epic!

[GTX]

 

[royabulgaf]

IXO kit of what, it looks BV222ish.  Another model on my to do list, I think.  Some day I'll start building again.