Blackburn Skua III

[Leading Observer]

Finally finished! May I present the Anglo-French Blackburn Skua III

[Go4fun]

WOW!  Just wow. What else can I say?

[Rheged]

Most impressive!  An aircraft the new RN carriers  should  be operating  in squadron strength by the end of the decade

[Tophe]

Is this a British Rafale? or some mix with Typhoon II parts?

[rickshaw]

I wasn't aware there'd been a Skua II! 

[andrewj]

Nice build, nearly as ugly as the Skua I , but very nice all the same.

[Rheged]

I wasn't aware there'd been a Skua II! 

Probably went the same way as TSR1

[andrewj]

I wasn't aware there'd been a Skua II! 

Probably went the same way as TSR1

That would be the Fairey S9/30 TSR 1 torpedo bomber of 1933.


Andrew

[Rheged]

I wasn't aware there'd been a Skua II! 

Probably went the same way as TSR1

That would be the Fairey S9/30 TSR 1 torpedo bomber of 1933.


Andrew

OOOPS!!  One nil to you!  I'd  totally forgotten about that one.

[PR19_Kit]

Yes, that really looks the part, excellent work.  

As Tophe says are there some swapped parts from other aircraft involved in the build?

As I recall the Blackburn Skua II was the Centaurus engined version that they built right at the end of WWII to provide some dive-bombing capability for the British Pacific Fleet against the Japanese. Blackburn built around 30 Skua IIs from new build airframes but they ran into trouble almost straight away. Initial tests aboard HMS Furious showed a lamentable tendancy for the entire engine 'power egg' to depart the airframe when opened up for take-off. After three such incidents in as many weeks the trials Squadron, NAS 700(S), evolved a technique where the catapult was fired with the engine at 70% power and  only opened up to full power after the aircraft had left the deck. However this proved troublesome with a full weapon load as a couple of launches resulted in the aircraft striking the sea forward of the carrier and one of the crews was lost as a result. The Skua II was therefore struck from the BPF's aircraft iventory and all the remaining airframes were put into store and NAS Brawdy.

They may even still be there, but would you want to try flying one?  

[pyro-manic]

Looks like a straight Rafale to me. Nice one, LO.

[Leading Observer]

Spot on Pyro - straight out of the box Italerai Rafale coupled with some Harrier markings Paint was mixed in the old Chicken Tonight lid I use as a palette until it looked about right and applied by brush.

[rickshaw]

Kit, thanks for that potted history of the Skua II.  I knew I had a gap in my personal knowledge when the Skua III appeared!   

[Jay-Jay]

Awesome! 
The Rafale with such a livery is simply all but awesome....
I think a Typhoon with french roundels alongside your model will be a nice comrade
A french wacky-wacky modeller