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RN Phantom FG.1

Started by TallEng, March 04, 2020, 01:47:54 PM

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TallEng

Phantom FG.1
In 1964, 140 Phantoms were ordered for the Fleet Air Arm to serve as the Royal Navy's primary fleet air defence aircraft, with a secondary strike capability. These were to be procured to replace the Sea Vixen then in service in the role, with the intention that they operate from the decks of four brand new or modernised aircraft carriers. At the time, the Royal Navy's carrier force consisted of five fleet or light fleet carriers of differing sizes and ages. Of the five in service, only Eagle and Ark Royal, each displacing approximately 50,000 tons, were big enough to accommodate the Phantom in sufficient numbers, so plans were put in place to rebuild the two ships to enable the operation of the aircraft, and two brand new carriers (CVA-01 and CVA-02) were to be ordered. (Possibly to be named HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Duke of Edinburgh)
However, as we all know it didn't quite happen like that....
In the end the Royal Navy received 28 phantoms, the two new carriers were never built and only HMS Ark Royal was modernized for Phantom operations, and one squadron saw service on a carrier, and that was 892.

I expect their Warships where a 'tad' disappointed.

But whatif.....

Presumably the Sea Vixen squadrons (890,892,893 and 899) would have transitioned on to the Phantom. 892 wouldn't have been the last fixed wing FAA squadron, so no Omega sign on the fin.
I'm guessing it would be some version of their crest. Although their Sea Vixens carried a stylized Vixen in black superimposed over a white outlined yellow disc. So maybe they would have adopted the British version of the Phantom spook? Who knows?
Does anybody know the reason why the fin flash was red? Was that 892's squadron colour? Or was it Ark Royals colour?

Not exactly decided which squadron I'll do, but the general idea is to build an Airfix Phantom FG.1
what could possibly go wrong?

Regards
Keith
The British have raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved". Soon though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross". Londoners have not been "A Bit Cross" since the Blitz in 1940 when tea supplies ran out for three weeks