Vickers-Armstrong Fireball FAW.1

[Leading Observer]

Vickers Armstrong Fireball FAW.1
The rejection of the reports which would have led to the 1957 Defence White Paper by the MacMillan Government [and the subsequent resignation of the Minister of Defence Duncan Sandys] coupled with the catastrophic failure of the United States Thor missile programme, resulted in new perspective on orders for manned interceptor aircraft for the RAF to counter the Soviet Bomber Fleet.
One of the aircraft ordered to counter the perceived Soviet Bomber threat was the Vickers Armstrong 559 which entered service in 1962-3 and was given the service name of Fireball following comments made by the then Marshall of the Royal Air Force, Sir Thomas Geoffrey Pike, GCB, CBE, DFC & Bar, during a demonstration of the pre-production aircraft at Farnborough in 1962 that the aircraft "looked like that Fireball rocketship thing in the TV series that my grandchildren love watching" – indeed on a QRA take off, with both afterburners lit and the twin rockets adding additional thrust, the sight and sound was remarkably like XL5's launch!
The Fireball FAW.1 first entered service with 111 Squadron, but was generally unpopular with RAF ground crew due to the complicated procedures needed to refuel and re-arm the aircraft. It's pilots however revelled in the superb performance on take-off and climb to height, especially when the twin rockets were ignited for that little extra boost.

[NARSES2]

Marvellous 

[Dizzyfugu]

Wohoo!

[kitbasher]

 

[buzzbomb]

Lots of big on that, what a beast.

Love the Dalek on the base. Perimeter guard ?

[Caveman]

Cor! what a beast!

[Glenn Gilbertson]

What a mighty beast - a great model!

[Leading Observer]

Lots of big on that, what a beast.

Love the Dalek on the base. Perimeter guard ?

Latest 1960's RAF Regiment kit

[comrade harps]

It's all beast mode 

[Tophe]

Impressive!
I wondered if it is all scratchbuild but Google told me there is a Fantastic Plastic kit 1/72 of the VA559:
https://fantastic-plastic.com/vickers_armstrong_559.html
while making it "in service" is a great whif addition, congratulations!

[Wardukw]

Now thats just plain yummy 
Awesome build 

[The Wooksta!]

Nicely done although (pickiness alert!) I'd question the black tailfins as it doesn't sit with the period, and the insides of the fins would have fin flashes too - all RAF twin finned aircraft have flashes on both sides of the fins.

Mine has got about as far as the fuselage being assembled.  The canopy is not a good fit, it wiggles about like a prick in a sock.  Still undecided as to squadron, so an ex-Javelin one is likely.
Being the last Supermarine design, I may dub it the Skyflash.

The Dalek is nice too. One of the old Citadel Miniatures ones?

[The Rat]

Gerry Anderson, move over! 

[Wurgerman]

Fabulous ! 👍

[Leading Observer]

Nicely done although (pickiness alert!) I'd question the black tailfins as it doesn't sit with the period, and the insides of the fins would have fin flashes too - all RAF twin finned aircraft have flashes on both sides of the fins.

Mine has got about as far as the fuselage being assembled.  The canopy is not a good fit, it wiggles about like a prick in a sock.  Still undecided as to squadron, so an ex-Javelin one is likely.
Being the last Supermarine design, I may dub it the Skyflash.

The Dalek is nice too. One of the old Citadel Miniatures ones?

All good points, but I had to work with what I had to hand hence no inside fin flashes and whilst I was aware that the black fins aren't right, I was trying for something between the Javelin and the Lightning in style. As for the Dalek, its plastic, probably from a Doctor Who magazine my son had