A little work in progress

[Martin H]

I like it, AND the backstory too. 

How much of your stash are Harrier kits OGL? 

27 of all flavours remaining
Around half the number I have of Phantoms...............................

[Rick Lowe]

I like it, AND the backstory too. 

How much of your stash are Harrier kits OGL? 

27 of all flavours remaining
Around half the number I have of Phantoms...............................

So I guess we'll see a slew of 'Tooms soon? 

[PR19_Kit]

27 of all flavours remaining
Around half the number I have of Phantoms...............................

Jeepers, that's AMAZING! 

[NARSES2]

27 of all flavours remaining
Around half the number I have of Phantoms...............................

Jeepers, that's AMAZING! 

That's one word for it 

I like that Martin, it looks very smart in that scheme  Although I swear I saw Arnold Schwarzenegger flying it in True Lies the other evening 

[Martin H]

I like that Martin, it looks very smart in that scheme  Although I swear I saw Arnold Schwarzenegger flying it in True Lies the other evening 

That would have been one of these Chris 


An AV-8B Harrier II of the Indian Navy any time in the last 10-12 years.

Back in the early 2000's India was looking to replace its aging carrier with a rebuild of a Russian Kiev class light VTOL carrier into a mini version of the Admiral Kuznetsov. About halfway through the work the shipyard in Russia more than doubled the price, thinking they had the Indians over a barrel as they had already paid out massively for the original contract. The Indians called the ship yards bluff and walked away. leaving them with a half compleated ship nobody wanted.
This left the Navy with a problem, their carrier wasnt getting any younger and it would take years to build their own. Then around 2008 the Brits made them an offer. The seaHarrier had already been retired and the RAF was about to axe its own Harrier fleet. The offer was the immediate sale to India of HMS Ark Royal which had just come out of refit to replace the ageing ex Hermes.
The Ark was ideal as it was built around operating SeaHarriers. The Indian Top brass started thinking bigger. and also asked about HMS Illustrious and the soon (as they thought) to be available RAF Harrier GR-9's.
The sale of Lusty post refit was readily agreed. But, They were told that the Harriers had already been sold to the Americans as spares doners. But after a quick chat with the U.S. a new deal was struck. The USMC really wanted to put the ex RAF birds into service as they were better kitted out than their own birds. In exchange for new deal allowing the ex UK Harriers to be put into service (as the AV-8D) the U.S.would "trade in" 24 AV-8B's and 6 TAV-8B's that could be sold as is to the Indian Navy. This turned out to be ideal for all concerned. And after a quick refurb at BAe Warton the new Indian Harrier II's embarked on the now ex Ark Royal for the journey to her new home. This now left what to do with the old Indian Sea Harriers. Enter Thailand. They had been very happy with their ex Spanish Seaharriers and were eager for more.  After a little horse trading between Bangkok and Delhi the surviving first Gen Indian Harriers were sold to Thailand, some to enter service the rest as parts doners.

Hasegawa AV-8B kit built OOB. Paint job is over all RAF Medium Sea Grey, as per the last scheme the Indian SeaHarriers wore before retirement.
Decals from a CtA sheet of first gen Harriers. and the odd looking air to air missile of the the outbord pylons is the Isreali Pyhon IV. The Indians have been known to use some Isreali hardware recently. Plus it makes a change from the usual Aim 9.

[NARSES2]

Are you running out of grey paint yet Martin ? 

No, seriously, another neat one for the collection 

[Martin H]

Nah! still got loads of grey to use up......................

And the first non VTOL build of 2021 coming up........





Introducing the Douglas A-26B Boston FB-7 of 4sqn RAF circa 1949-1952.
Despite having a surplus of home grown Mosquito's for the light bomber role, their use was pretty much limited to Europe as the wooden airframes had a nasty habit of delaminating mid air in humid climates of the far east and eastern Africa. Needing something that was not going to spontaneously disassemble itself at 8,000 feet the RAF turned to the Americans to see what they had to offer in the form of light bombers while the UK cracked on with developing the Canberra into a useful workhorse.
Douglas came up with a very cheap offer of re furbed A-26 Invaders that had proved themselves over Europe and elseware. The RAF as always was strapped for cash and liked the sound of "Cheap",  enough to sign up for three squadrons and an OCU's worth of airframes.
Realising that these aircraft were most likely to be used for keeping natives in line in various imperial possesions, the RAF reused the old Douglas Boston name as future news reports that "RAF Invaders" had attacked insurgents in "XYZ territory" was likely to be read as very bad PR..................

Italeri Kit built OOB. This kit was given to me by the Wooksta several years ago, and I couldn't quite work out what to do with it.
When I started working on it ,it was going to be a real world U.S. A-26. But the idea of a post war RAF bird entered my head and away it went.
Paint job is Halfords black primer for the undersides and CJ aerosols medium sea grey for the upperworks. Decals from Modeldecal and the kit.

[PR19_Kit]

Very nice OGL and wholly plausible too. 

Didn't the RAF really have a few A-26s for evaluation at one time? But probably not painted grey.............

[Martin H]

Didn't the RAF really have a few A-26s for evaluation at one time? But probably not painted grey.............

I think your right Kit. Im sure the A-26 was looked at, even if only to keep up with what was new from across the pond

[Pellson]

Nah! still got loads of grey to use up......................

And the first non VTOL build of 2021 coming up........





Introducing the Douglas A-26B Boston FB-7 of 4sqn RAF circa 1949-1952.
Despite having a surplus of home grown Mosquito's for the light bomber role, their use was pretty much limited to Europe as the wooden airframes had a nasty habit of delaminating mid air in humid climates of the far east and eastern Africa. Needing something that was not going to spontaneously disassemble itself at 8,000 feet the RAF turned to the Americans to see what they had to offer in the form of light bombers while the UK cracked on with developing the Canberra into a useful workhorse.
Douglas came up with a very cheap offer of re furbed A-26 Invaders that had proved themselves over Europe and elseware. The RAF as always was strapped for cash and liked the sound of "Cheap",  enough to sign up for three squadrons and an OCU's worth of airframes.
Realising that these aircraft were most likely to be used for keeping natives in line in various imperial possesions, the RAF reused the old Douglas Boston name as future news reports that "RAF Invaders" had attacked insurgents in "XYZ territory" was likely to be read as very bad PR..................

Italeri Kit built OOB. This kit was given to me by the Wooksta several years ago, and I couldn't quite work out what to do with it.
When I started working on it ,it was going to be a real world U.S. A-26. But the idea of a post war RAF bird entered my head and away it went.
Paint job is Halfords black primer for the undersides and CJ aerosols medium sea grey for the upperworks. Decals from Modeldecal and the kit.

Supernice!

[Mossie]

Very smart in that scheme.

[NARSES2]

Very smart in that scheme.

It is indeed 

[TheChronicOne]

SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET. 

[kitbasher]

Didn't the RAF really have a few A-26s for evaluation at one time? But probably not painted grey.............

I think your right Kit. Im sure the A-26 was looked at, even if only to keep up with what was new from across the pond

3, in fact, and IIRC were natural metal.

And nice build, Martin 

[Old Wombat]

'Tis rather nice!