Focke Wolf FW190D9. Southern Air Patrol. Iron Knob Air Station.

[zenrat]

Focke Wolf FW190D9.  Southern Air Patrol.  Iron Knob Air Station.  SAFS.  December 1949

FW190D Souther Air Patrol 7 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
By early 1949 it had become apparent to even the most insular political apparatchik that ignoring the piracy in the Great Australian Bight wasn't making it go away.
An extraordinary TriSSeC (Tri-State Security Committee) meeting resulted in the signing of the Southern Military Treaty (SMiT) between the People's Democratic Republic of Victoria, the South Australian Free State and Tasmania.  Under the treaty a combined military organisation was formed, known as SMiTForce, consisting of detachments from each of the member states.
By autumn the paperwork had been filed, chains of command forged, reporting lines run out and materiel allocated for SMiTForce's first operations.
FW190D Souther Air Patrol 5 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
Based at the SAFS town of Iron Knob the Southern Air Patrol's mission to target Sky Piracy with each member country providing combat aircraft and support services.  While Tasmania and the SAFS sent regular air force units the PDRV outsourced their contribution to zenrat industries, which since the end of WW2 had been buying up surplus military aircraft.
Flown by mercenary pilots from all four corners of the world zi's contribution to the SAP consisted of fighters, photoreconnaissance aircraft, bombers and freighters.  All refurbished by one of number of zi's many subsidiaries, some modified, all civilian registered and most armed (legal under the terms of the SMiT so long as zi remained under contract to the PDRV government).
FW190D Souther Air Patrol 6 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
The aircraft shown here is a Focke Wolf 190D9 acquired by zi in 1946 and refurbished by Jenkins Engineering based at Walwa on the South bank of the Murray river.  It carries a drop tank in order to have the range required for extended patrols over the Nullarbor Plain and in addition to the original armament of twin 13mm machine guns mounted above the engine and twin 20mm cannon in the wing roots it carries 70mm underwing twin rocket pods.
FW190D Souther Air Patrol 4 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
At the time the aircraft was photographed the SAP had yet to decide upon a common roundel design for their aircraft and so interim identification marks were in use consisting of a single white band around the left wing and a horizontal white stripe on the rudder.  Unfortunately the placement of the white stripe in many cases obscured the underwing registrations that on PDRV aircraft were also painted on the left wing.  Oddly, these identification marks were suggested by zi who you would have thought would have realised that they would render their aircraft unidentifiable from below...
FW190D Souther Air Patrol 10 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
The model
1/72 Hasegawa Focke Wolf FW 190D.
Rocket pods from Academy Cessna A37A.
Painted with car paint and Vallejo acrylics.
Home made decals.
Pilot from the crew stash.
FW190D Souther Air Patrol 9 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

[Rick Lowe]

Cool! The Dora looks quite striking in NMF.

[PR19_Kit]

That looks VERY smart Fred. 

[zenrat]

Thanks folks.

[Old Wombat]

At the time the aircraft was photographed the SAP had yet to decide upon a common roundel design for their aircraft and so interim identification marks were in use consisting of a single white band around the left wing and a horizontal white stripe on the rudder.  Unfortunately the placement of the white stripe in many cases obscured the underwing registrations that on PDRV aircraft were also painted on the left wing.  Oddly, these identification marks were suggested by zi who you would have thought would have realised that they would render their aircraft unidentifiable from below...

Now, why would zi be so-o silly as to forget such an important detail?

Nice looking erryoplane, Fred.

[zenrat]

 

Those paying attention may have noticed that I have recycled the back story (almost verbatim) from my earlier Southern Air Patrol Bf 109G build.
http://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php/topic,43027.msg750601.html#msg750601

[TheChronicOne]

Fantastic!!!   I've one gripe: more pics with the SAP 109!!!   

I love the colors and looks of these....   not sure which is my fav.   

[Dizzyfugu]

That looks sexy, and fast. More like a Reno Racer than a quasi miltary service aircraft?

[PR19_Kit]

That looks sexy, and fast. More like a Reno Racer than a quasi miltary service aircraft?

It's to lull the opposition into a false sense of security. Before the bullets start flying........

[Snowtrooper]

"5 inch rocket pods"? Those are 70mm rocket pods - not only do the holes look a bit small for 127mm, but only the 70mm rockets are carried in 19-shot launchers - 127mm "Zuni" rockets are carried in 4-shot pods (2-shot pods, which were simply two tubes attached to each other and mounted on Sidewinder rails were also used in Vietnam by USMC F-8's and F-4's to launch Zunis).

Otherwise, nice work and a great concept

[NARSES2]

Nice work mate 

[Tophe]

I like the detail of the red color on one blade among three, is there an explanation about this?

[b29r]

Very neat Fred, I like this a lot!  Especially so as I have a Revell 1/32 in nearly identical configuration except 30mm ILO the rocket pods  .  I guess I better get her finished up now that I have seen yours. 

Cool storyline and of course I totally missed the 109 but it looks good on the flight line here.

Something else I have missed and still can't put my finger on . . . . over on HS I saw photos from a model show (can't remember when, where, or why CRS disease) and on the table was a fairly large what-if with ZI markings and what kind of looked like a Bristol Sycamore or some such for the forward fuselage???  Care to reveal or admit to such a thing?    I can't find it now to save my life.

In any case, a great SAP build.

Best regards,
Kem

[PR19_Kit]

I like the detail of the red color on one blade among three, is there an explanation about this?

Having single colour tipped blade draws the eye as it rotates better than having yellow or black and white tips on all the blades. Having the colour on all the blades tends to look like a blurred coloured ring when the props turning, whereas just one tip is much more noticeable.

RAF ASR helicopters in the UK had one yellow blade so they could be seen better from above is there was another chopper in the area. I assume the present day civvie ASR choppers have them too, and if they don't they SHOULD do!

[DogfighterZen]

Cool scheme...