RAF Thunderbolt II

[darthspud2]

When the early Kestrel failures became too obvious to ignore the RAF and R.N. both cast around for an off the shelf aircraft.
in the RAF's  case, they went for the relatively exotic  A-10. Cheap and readily available straight from the production line the 112 aircraft purchased went on in RAF service for nearly 40 years and only extreme fatigue started to ground the older airframes in the early 2000's. A small cadre was put through a late life extension program by Westland & GKN Aerospace. New engines and software were installed along with new avionics allowing more modern weapons systems to be used on one of 14 hardpoints fitted to the RAF version.
Pics to follow.

[JayBee]

Now this sounds interesting.
I look forward to seeing the pics. 

[TheChronicOne]

Same here. I wonder sometimes about why the US is so stingy with the A-10. I guess even letting our most trusted allies have access was off the table over concerns of one falling into enemy hands.....

I shall be looking forward to this.

[ChernayaAkula]

Should look good in any of the RAF schemes. In fact, you're probably gonna have to build several, displaying all the different schemes it would've flown in. 

<...> I wonder sometimes about why the US is so stingy with the A-10. I guess even letting our most trusted allies have access was off the table over concerns of one falling into enemy hands..... <...>

Nothing to do with export restrictions. They actually did try to market it. Truth is nobody was interested in getting them when they were new (since they were essentially a one trick pony) and people aren't exactly lining up to get them now.
And what if one had fallen into the enemy's hands? There's nothing terribly sophisticated about an A-10.

[TheChronicOne]

Should look good in any of the RAF schemes. In fact, you're probably gonna have to build several, displaying all the different schemes it would've flown in. 

<...> I wonder sometimes about why the US is so stingy with the A-10. I guess even letting our most trusted allies have access was off the table over concerns of one falling into enemy hands..... <...>

Nothing to do with export restrictions. They actually did try to market it. Truth is nobody was interested in getting them when they were new (since they were essentially a one trick pony) and people aren't exactly lining up to get them now.
And what if one had fallen into the enemy's hands? There's nothing terribly sophisticated about an A-10.

I see! Thanks for correcting me.

[kerick]

IIRC the last time the USAF wanted to get rid of the A-10 South Korea was begging for them.

[Weaver]

The major objection to the A-10 by European air forces was it's lack of night/all-weather capability. WWIII in Europe wouldn't have ground to a halt for the rainy season the way the air war in Vietnam did.

[darthspud2]

A few more pics
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A really bad Kitech Kit, had to bin all but the Mer's and use Hasegawa X48 A,B,C & D sets along with spares from an old Airfix GR1A Tornado.

[zenrat]

Nice.

[JayBee]

The major objection to the A-10 by European air forces was it's lack of night/all-weather capability. WWIII in Europe wouldn't have ground to a halt for the rainy season the way the air war in Vietnam did.

What rainy season? Here in the UK the difference is that in Summer the rain tends to be vertical and in the Winter it is horizontal!

[NARSES2]

Some load out. I like that 

[TheChronicOne]

Very nice! Thanks for the additional pics. She looks great! Mean and clean at the same time.

[darthspud2]

Tried to remember what the Harriers had on 3 Sqñ or 4 Sqn back in RAFG, and what I've seen on footage from Afghanistan with the USMC Harriers and F/A 18's.
I decided on an asymmetric loadout and to not go with a centreline fuel tank.
If I do another in this scale I may just put a refuelling probe (like the Harriers/ Buccaneers ), but I think this one is done for now
The kit was by Kitech, and like I think I said, all the kit weapons got ditched as they were so poor.
The fuselage was almost as straight as a pretzel and nearly got launched out of the mancave window after three days of spirited defiance against being made useable.

[overscan]

Nice, but your backstory has a few timing holes. The A-10 wouldn't be available until 1978 at the earliest, which is ten years too late for it to be a "off the shelf" Kestrel/Harrier replacement.

[PR19_Kit]

Nice, but your backstory has a few timing holes. The A-10 wouldn't be available until 1978 at the earliest, which is ten years too late for it to be a "off the shelf" Kestrel/Harrier replacement.

I think that's called 'Alternative History'.....................