Hardcorps Tornado

[Weaver]

Well it be a changeable ol' time fer the modellin' weather mateys, but Oi be givin' thanks t'day fer it bein' a good'un so farrrr.... Firstly Oi raided the local model train shop, 'eld up their locymotive at th' point o' me trusty pistol, an' relieved 'em of all manner o'loot from their big box o'bits. Boxes, crates, bags, drums, all manner o'swag ter be loaded onto this 'ere Torynado, fer what kind o'pirates would they be wi'out loot, eh?

Next Oi made a wheelie bar fer the back o' the thing ter stop it scrapin' it's nethers, an' then Oi made a Big Decision. Oi've given up on paintin' the Torynado wi' me hairbrush. Why you be askin? Well seems ter me that evry time Oi picks it up, some new strange an' terrible thing 'appens, an' wi' that there deadline loomin' like an unlit rock in a stormy channel, Oi can't be 'avin' that. So Oi'm paintin' it wi' a good ol' fashioned brush. Oi was goin' ter 'ave the paint faded on top from bein' too long unner the Araby sun, but that can't be done now. Still an' anyways, mebbe if th' Hardcorps 'ave got time ter paint their planes, mebbe they've got time to re-paint 'em eh? Or mebbe this 'un did'na larst long enough ter get faded.....

[Weaver]

:tank:armuhr?

*cough* yarr!

No me 'earty, just any ol' sheet steel what they can "salvage"......

[Weaver]

Roight! Picituers!

Warpaint:




Wheelie Bar:




Loot n'Gear:

[Taiidantomcat]

Great paint!

[Weaver]

LOL - terrible paint actually, but I reckoned that if this thing was painted in a hurry, in the open, in a desert, by a team of soldiers, then it probably would be pretty rough....

[Weaver]

Arrrgh, it be done me 'earties, but not afore a last drama! The model were finished up an' ready fer it's piciture ter be taken at ten o' the clock this eventime, but when Oi comes ter do the deed, mi' scurvey camra battr'y were flat as a flounder!  Oi had ter wait fer it to fill up fer an hour, then tek the picitures, then get 'em on this 'ere box o'tricks, which an' all Oi did, mind, but wi' only fifteen minutes ter spare!

[Weaver]

As the Resource Wars of the Mid 21st Century spread chaos throughout the Middle East, a number of ragtag mercenary bands arose. Most of these were the usual pretty sordid collection of robbers and deserters, but a few had more style (and more resources) and have acquired, particularly in rose-tinted hindsight, a kind of glamour. Of these, the HardCorps are undoubtedly the most famous.



Led by a glamourous (and murderous) black woman styling herself "Commandant Dawn Pharaoh, Queen of the Desert" this group had, at it's height, control of at least one oil well, and an extraordinary collection of damaged and obsolete jet fighters which they used for their unique style of desert raiding. The aircraft were stripped of their wings, fitted with oversize tires, and ground-taxied like giant, jet-propelled dune buggies at speeds of up to 100mph. Many of them were also fitted with weapons and equipment from the endless wrecked military vehicles that littered the region. This tactic proved highly successful: since the "vehicles" ("aircraft" hardly seems appropriate) wern't flying, they didn't show up on air defence radars and attract professional attention, and fuel usage was far lower too.



Individual histories of  people and aircraft in the HardCorps are almost impossible to determine at this remove. Even the identity of Dawn Pharaoh herself has never been convincingly resolved, although any number of theories have been advanced. Most of the HardCorps were deserters or criminals to start with, the Big Fiasco devastated most of the region (and probably brought about their end), and the repressive nature of the subsequent Pangean regime would have dissuaded any former members from coming forward.



This model is based on a couple of photographs which came to light a few years ago, apparently in the effects of the grandson of a HardCorps member, but subsequent investigation called the chain of ownership into question, and, like most things to do with the HardCorps, the matter vanished into a fog of accusation, counter-accusation, rumour, speculation and downright fantasy.



It's known that the HardCorps had a number of Tornados on strength, and it has always been assumed that they came from Saudi Arabian stocks, but these photographs call that into question. On one side of the fin is a slogan which reads "Da Fin's Da Fing". "The Fin" was a uniquely RAF nickname for the Tornado.



On the other side of the fin is a cartoon-like stick-man, in a diamond shape, which appears to be a parody of the logo from an old TV program called "The Saint". The figure in the logo had a halo, but the one on the Tornado has a bottle, some kind of cigarette (possibly drugs) and a female figure at his feet, and is titled "SINNER". The Saint logo was used by the RAF's No.16 Squadron, and it's known that the squadron suffered heavy losses in this area, so could this aircraft and it's crew have been survivors of No.16? Such records as are available seem to indicate that all pilots and aircraft lost were accounted for (i.e. recovered or seen to crash), but the situation was chaotic and room for doubt remains.



More evidence of a British connection comes from the colour scheme. This is not the only HardCorps vehicle which appeared in this yellow and black striped scheme, all of them were wholly or partly British types, and all of them featured a red "B", the most well known being the Lightning "Killer B". It has been speculated that British crews or crews of British planes formed a kind of sub-group or clique within the HardCorps, the "B" standing for British and the colour scheme being that of a Bee.



One intriguing theory is based on the fact that at one point, No.16 squadron had to abandon a forward operating location due to advancing Pan-Slavian forces, and that a number of ground crew were lost or captured. It's also known that the HardCorps had a number of run-ins with the Pan-Slavian expeditionary force, so the theory goes on to suggest that a number of captured RAF ground crew were "liberated" by the HardCorps and "invited" to join up (romantic myth aside, such "invitations" were compulsory and refusal frequently fatal). Their expertise would have been very useful in operating the Saudi Tornados, and they may even have been given a machine of their own, once they'd earned The Commandant's trust. Alas, seductive though this theory is, there is no hard evidence to back it up, and it must therefore remain categorised as speculation for the moment.



This vehicle certainly shows more technical adaption that many HardCorps conversions, featuring improvised armour, a wheelie bar, external tanks (complete with their own armour), crude intake screens and Russian-pattern rocket pods. Note also that the pattern of stripes on the airbrakes (which don't appear to close fully) doesn't match the surrounding stripes or each other, and that the yellow on them is discoloured, apparently by smoke. This suggests that there were at least two other yellow/black Tornadoes at one point, and that this craft was repaired using salvage from them.



The ultimate fate of the Hardcorps is, of course, unknown. When the Big Fiasco resulted in nukes hitting the region they would have had to flee or die, and their craft, so well adapted to the flat, hard Arabian desert, would have been almost useless elsewhere. A number of wrecked craft have come to light over the years, but many areas remain off-limits due to radiation levels, and the Caliphate discourages exploration.



History Professor ^AD/WEV-12 MK34
New London School of Peace Studies
Month 10-2176

[Weaver]

Model: Scrap Italeri Tornado GR.1 with bits missing and no decals or instructions
Front wheels, gun ring, jerry cans, searchlight and 0.50 cal: Airfix M3 half-track
Main wheels and mirrors: Revel Spahpanzer Luchs
Smoke dischargers: Airfix Sheridan
Rocket Pods and AKMs: Hasegawa Hind D
Armour, various struts, blanking panels in wing & heat-exchanger, MG ammo bracket and wheelie-bar: Evergreen sheet & section
Pipes and wires: fuse wire
Intake screens: brass mesh
Luggage/Loot: from LHS's railway-orientated bits box
Luggage straps: 0.5mm masking tape
Wheelie-bar spring: a real spring!
Aerial: brass wire
Paint: Humbrol enamels & Windsor and Newton inks


Thanks to:

Ken Steacy, author and illustrator of Tempus Fugitive, the inspiration for the model. http://lambiek.net/artists/s/steacy_k.htm
http://www.kenspublishing.com/

Alvis, for putting me in touch with Ken.

The Darkmaster for getting me a nosewheel bay (one missing part I couldn't do without!) with another whole scrap Tornado kit thrown in for good measure!

GTX for running the show.

SMTF models for having a bits box!



And yes, the wheelie-bar "boings" very nicely, thank you...

[buzzbomb]

Well that just rocks

Super effort to finish this and it just... rocks

[philp]

Know what I will be voting for.

Where did the AK come from?

[Taiidantomcat]

  wow!    You nailed it 

[Weaver]

Cheers Folks! 

Know what I will be voting for.

Where did the AK come from?

Hasegawa Hind D that's been in the spares box for 20 years. It comes with four Russian soldiers to go in the crew compartment, and they have separate arms and weapons. There are two actually: one tucked behind the "pilot's" side armour and one on the back wall of the rear cockpit.

[Mossie]

It's a beauty Harold, great build!

[James]

Love the idea and the paint scheme rocks. 

[Weaver]

Cheers again!

Now then folks - has anyone spotted the "deliberate" (ahem) mistake yet? (That's something actively done wrong, not merely missed out through lack of time).