Aeronvale Seahawk

[NARSES2]

Just to show I am making some slow progress, here's my Aeronvale Seahawk part way through the transfer process. The blue is a little brighter then I'd wanted so I've concocted a back story about the 2 "Oiseau Bleu" display aircraft being hastily transferred for service at Suez.

Hopefully she will get finished next week, along with my Telford builds and a Me 110 and Spitfire Mk I 

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

Mmmm, can see what you mean, Chris, that's definitely a couple of shades on the light side but still a beautiful looking machine. Hope to move my 1:48 one nearer to the workbench next year..... Ahhh who am I kidding 

Ian

[pyro-manic]

Ooh, that's pretty. More photos please!

[thedarkmaster]

Like that very much, I like anything in Suez stripes, don't know why 

[NARSES2]

Ooh, that's pretty. More photos please!

Once she's finished...next week I hope 

[GTX]

Nice.

Regards,

Greg

[NARSES2]

This is turning into one of "those" models . I'm making lots of silly, schoolboyish mistakes, mainly through impatience. It's one of those models that has got to me 

Still it will be finished tomorrow...I've told it that it will be or else  Don't like it so it will go straight into the reserve collection, but it will be finished

An exceptionally frustrated Chris

[NARSES2]

Well it's finished, I don't like it and it's gone straight into the "reserve collection". Not the kits fault...all mine  

In 1956 the Seahawk was the Aeronvales newest acquisition and as such and to show the hard pressed French tax payer what their hard earned Francs had bought two of the batch of 12 were repainted in a rather fetching overall blue colour and branded as "Les Oiseau Bleu" had performed all over France as a display duo. These displays had continued almost right up to the launch of the attack on Egypt caused by that nation's nationalisation of the Suez Canal in order to try and avoid alerting the Egyptian's that anything out of the ordinary was happening.

Thus during the middle of October 1956 the latest show planed for the duo over the Southern port of Marseilles was suddenly cancelled and the pair quickly rejoined their home unit 14F.2 at sea.

Still bearing their rather bright display colours these two aircraft were mainly used in the CAP role right up to the withdrawal of the Anglo/French fleet in November. Apart from the odd scare they saw no real action although this particular aircraft did fire it's guns in anger (as can be seen by the doped patches over the gun ports) when it was tasked to intercept a surface target on November 5th at the very end of the conflict. The target turned out to be a small fishing vessel which it latter transpired was carrying a film crew for a US TV station. Luckily for the crew the Seahawk was initially ordered to fire some warning shots to see if this would have the desired effect of scaring the boat off. Just as the aircraft was turning to make it's second run, which was to be "real" rather then a warning the Cypriot skipper of the fishing boat realised his life was rather more valuable then the "Yankee Dollars" in his pocket and turned through 180 degrees and headed home. He was latter arrested along with the news crew by British authorities when he returned to his home port.

On their return home the two aircraft were repainted in the standard overall dark blue worn by the rest of the Seahawks in Aeronvale service. They remained in service until the mid 1960's although were replaced in the front line role earlier then that.

It's the MPM kit with transfers from the spares box. Mostly from a High Planes F4U-7 I think.

[ysi_maniac]

WOW 

[Geoff]

I like that!

[Slerski]

You're wrong Mister NARSES2. It's a very nice plane  , blue is not a perfect camo, but she looks lovely with that paint.

And if I can make a little remark...

the pair quickly rejoined their home unit 14F.2 at sea.

The unit is just 14F (for Flottille 14). The number 2, is the plane number code. Something like individual letter. But if you use in whiffery the code like that, it might be the 2nd flight of the Flotille 14. (Ah ah, I'm a troublemaker !! And sometime a little bit irritant with my remarks...)

[Taiidantomcat]

I like it  dont hide that away somewhere!! Its way too good for that   

[NARSES2]

the pair quickly rejoined their home unit 14F.2 at sea.

The unit is just 14F (for Flottille 14). The number 2, is the plane number code. Something like individual letter. But if you use in whiffery the code like that, it might be the 2nd flight of the Flotille 14.

Thankyou Slerski. I thought that was what the 2 meant but I wasn't certain. That is good to know for the future as I have some more Aeronvale aircraft to build. I tend to be a bit of a "Francophile" and like most things French