Westland Mako naval attack fighter.

[chrisonord]

Designed  originally to  carry a single  torpedo  at high speed and at low level, the Westland Mako  nearly  got cancelled  half way through its production  run. The original order of 30 aircraft was halved  and the aircraft  procured  sat in storage  from 1946 until 1950, when  the outbreak of the Korean war, gave  the aircraft a  new lease  of life.  The torpedo  equipment  was removed  and 4 20 mm cannons  were  fitted  into a  modified wing. The aircraft  can carry rockets  bombs and fuel tanks. The aircraft  was fast and could carry a sizeable  bomb load and was used extensively against  supply  columns and  trains.  As well as being  a good ground attack aircraft, it could  hold its own against  North Korean  fighters  and had on several occasions, locked  horns with mig -15's.
The kit is the 1/72nd scale  RS models  Me 509. Quite a  crude kit which  needs  lots of  sanding down and reshaping to get it to fit properly.  The instructions  are a bit vague too. Also I  couldn't get enough  ballast in to it to make it  stay on its wheels, as there isn't enough  room thanks to the  front  wheel  well. I considered  taking  the front  wheel  out and sealing  the well up and making it a  tail dragger,  seriously.
Chris
https://photos.app.goo.gl/2xj7uofweR75yNncA
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Sy7ETPJBqcrvbvN58
https://photos.app.goo.gl/SViK9u9vrQ9Zq6n38
https://photos.app.goo.gl/L4Ys63wDjZZTzee26

[NARSES2]

Oh that really works Chris, well done 

[Dizzyfugu]

Agree, that works well. At first I thought it was a mid-engine Mustang (there's a conversion set available), but wondered about the front wheel and it design. Nice, and surprisingly conclusive. 

[kerick]

Nice view for the pilot over the nose!

[Captain Canada]

Big and ugly ! But you made it work lol. Always a fan of this colour scheme, and she looks like an entirely different beast now !

[chrisonord]

Cheers  everyone, I  liked the  look of the aircraft as soon as I  saw it and knew that I could make  something  a bit different with it. I  am just dissapointed that I couldn't get enough  weight in the front.
Chris

[Rick Lowe]

Nice work, Chris. 

[Leading Observer]

Nicely done

[NARSES2]

Cheers  everyone, I  liked the  look of the aircraft as soon as I  saw it and knew that I could make  something  a bit different with it. I  am just dissapointed that I couldn't get enough  weight in the front.
Chris

I ended up gluing mine to a base. One of the few kits I've ever had to do that with.

https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=43702.15

[chrisonord]

Cheers  everyone, I  liked the  look of the aircraft as soon as I  saw it and knew that I could make  something  a bit different with it. I  am just dissapointed that I couldn't get enough  weight in the front.
Chris

I ended up gluing mine to a base. One of the few kits I've ever had to do that with.

https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=43702.15

I am  considering doing  that too Chris, I  have a piece  of plastic  that was in the bottom of a holdall  that is black and textured like tarmac, I  i think  I will  have look for it and stick it to some of that.
Chris

[Doug K]

Oh I do like that, very well done

[NARSES2]

I am  considering doing  that too Chris, I  have a piece  of plastic  that was in the bottom of a holdall  that is black and textured like tarmac, I  i think  I will  have look for it and stick it to some of that.
Chris

I got a load of circular and rectangular drinks "mats" in my local Pound Store and combined with railway scatter material and white glue they make ideal and cheap bases  I also use them for temporary bases at shows as well as permanent ones for "tail sitters" 

[chrisonord]

Marvellous idea Chris, I have  more than my fair share of tail sitters  on my shelf, so something a bit more permanent and  aesthetically pleasing  than blue tac is needed.
Chris

[DogfighterZen]

That scheme looks good on anything. Nice work, Chris!