FROG/Eastern Express Blackburn Skua dive bomber, Swiss Navy.

[CSMO]

With the winds of war blowing in Europe, the Swiss were getting jumpy. Their precious neutrality was in jeopardy. They felt their borders were leaky as they had big lakes on the borders. There was the Bodensee(Lake Constance, Germany), Lake Maggiore(Italy). and Lake Geneva(France). The government decided it was time to form a Navy for protection against invasion and or any other funny stuff. The brass decided on patrol torpedo boats and dive bombers. They bought Blackburn Skuas because the were available and cheap. They put Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp motors on them because they were reliable. The Swiss Skuas were also built under license.
 


I bought the E.E./FROG kit because it was cheap. The rivet counters hate this model, so I thought "whiffer" builders wouldn't care. I replaced the crappy cowl and motor with stuff from my scrap-box, adding exhaust pipes.



The paint is Xtracrylix RLM80 Grun and RLM78 Hellblau. The markings are FROG Hunter Swiss crosses applied over hand-painted Tamiya Gloss Red fields. The anchors were leftovers from a Smer LeO.451 that I had just finished.



The Swiss Navy is no longer a tired old joke. I have brought it alive. I am really chuffed with my results.



Thanks for looking.

Adios, Larry.

[Dizzyfugu]

Nice one. Doesn't look THAT weird with these marking... 

[Knightflyer]

Well I LIKE it!  I think it looks great. Nice and original as well (though some-one is bound to produce lot of photos of Swiss Navy aircraft now I said that!) 

[sandiego89]

Well done, like the markings a lot. And from a frog kit!  can't. Beat frog for prices! Now hang some weapons on there and you are all set for those lake battles.

[Rheged]

Unexpected, extremely competently made and opening up a whole new range of whiff possibilities.  Well done, sir!!

[Weaver]

Nice one - looks good in those markings.

The irony is that although most people assume the "Swiss Navy" is a joke, it actually isn't: they really do have quite a lot of patrol boats for those lakes and rivers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_of_Switzerland

[CSMO]

Nice one - looks good in those markings.

The irony is that although most people assume the "Swiss Navy" is a joke, it actually isn't: they really do have quite a lot of patrol boats for those lakes and rivers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_of_Switzerland

I did not know that. I guess I am just a hick Yankee with too many gaps in ,my education. Thanks for the info.

Adios, Larry.

[PR19_Kit]

The irony is that although most people assume the "Swiss Navy" is a joke, it actually isn't: they really do have quite a lot of patrol boats for those lakes and rivers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_of_Switzerland

Do they have any carriers though? 

[rickshaw]

Yes.  They are underground though... 

[PR19_Kit]

Yes.  They are underground though... 

Hehehe, Mrs_PR19 is looking at me as if I've finally lost it as I'm laughing so much! 

[kitbasher]

Hehehe, Mrs_PR19 is looking at me as if I've finally lost it as I'm laughing so much! 

'finally' or 'again', Kit?

[PR19_Kit]

Hehehe, Mrs_PR19 is looking at me as if I've finally lost it as I'm laughing so much! 

'finally' or 'again', Kit?

Well, lost it more than usually perhaps? 

[NARSES2]

Hehehe, Mrs_PR19 is looking at me as if I've finally lost it as I'm laughing so much! 

'finally' or 'again', Kit?

Well, lost it more than usually perhaps? 

Don't worry mate we'll help you find it 

I like this a lot, well done sir

[kitbasher]

Me too.  And a pleasant change to see a Swiss subject.

I had fun whiffing a NOVO Skua some time ago - I've said it before and I'll say it again, don't knock old obsolete kits 'cos they can often be found at low prices and are perfect canvasses for one's individual 'flights of fancy' where state of the art accuracy, etc, is not an issue.  And FROG kits were generally sturdy creatures that allowed for a lot of cutting and rearranging.

[Captain Canada]

Nice one. Looks good in those colours and markings !