1/72 D.H. 100 'Vampire' FB.56, Royal Ceylon Air Force, 1971

[Dizzyfugu]

1:72 De Havilland DH.100 'Vampire' FB.56; 'CA 324/D', Royal Ceylon Air Force (RcyAF; රාජකීය ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව / ராயல் சிலோன் விமானப்படை) Jet Squadron; Katunayake AB (Colombo, Sri Lanka), during the JVP Insurrection, April 1971 (What-if/Heller kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr



Some background:
The Royal Ceylon Air Force (RCyAF) was formed on 2 March 1951 with RAF officers and other personnel seconded to the RCyAF. Ceylonese were recruited to the new RCyAF and several Ceylonese who had served with the RAF during WWII were absorbed in the force. Initial objective was to train local pilots and ground crew, early administration and training was carried out by exclusively by RAF officers and other personnel on secondment. The first aircraft of the RCyAF were de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunks used as basic trainers to train the first batches of pilots locally while several cadets were sent to Royal Air Force College Cranwell. These were followed by Boulton Paul Balliol T.Mk.2s and Airspeed Oxford Mk.1s for advanced training of pilots and aircrew along with de Havilland Doves and de Havilland Herons for transport use, all provided by the British. By 1955 the RCyAF was operating two flying squadrons based at RAF Negombo. The first helicopter type to be added to the service was the Westland Dragonfly.

Following Prime Minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike's negotiated the closure of British air and naval bases in Ceylon in 1956, the RCyAF took over the former RAF stations; Katunayake and China Bay, becoming RCyAF operational stations while ancillary functions were carried out at Diyatalawa and Ekala. The RAF headquarters, Air HQ Ceylon, was disbanded on 1 November 1957. However, RAF officers remained with the RCyAF till 1962.


1:72 De Havilland DH.100 'Vampire' FB.56; 'CA 324/D', Royal Ceylon Air Force (RcyAF; රාජකීය ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව / ராயல் சிலோன் விமானப்படை) Jet Squadron; Katunayake AB (Colombo, Sri Lanka), during the JVP Insurrection, April 1971 (What-if/Heller kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 De Havilland DH.100 'Vampire' FB.56; 'CA 324/D', Royal Ceylon Air Force (RcyAF; රාජකීය ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව / ராயல் சிலோன் விமானப்படை) Jet Squadron; Katunayake AB (Colombo, Sri Lanka), during the JVP Insurrection, April 1971 (What-if/Heller kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 De Havilland DH.100 'Vampire' FB.56; 'CA 324/D', Royal Ceylon Air Force (RcyAF; රාජකීය ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව / ராயல் சிலோன் விமானப்படை) Jet Squadron; Katunayake AB (Colombo, Sri Lanka), during the JVP Insurrection, April 1971 (What-if/Heller kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


In 1959 de Havilland Vampire jet aircraft were acquired, five fighter bombers and five trainers. The Vampire was developed and manufactured by the de Havilland Aircraft Company and its development as an experimental aircraft began in 1941 during the Second World War, to exploit the revolutionary innovation of jet propulsion. From the company's design studies, it was decided to use a single-engine, twin-boom aircraft, powered by the Halford H.1 turbojet (later produced as the Goblin). Aside from its propulsion system and twin-boom configuration, it was a relatively conventional aircraft. In May 1944 it was decided to produce the aircraft as an interceptor for the Royal Air Force (RAF), but it came too late for operati9onal use in the war. It was eventually the second jet fighter to be operated by the RAF, after the Gloster Meteor, and the first to be powered by a single jet engine. In 1946 the Vampire entered operational service with the RAF, only months after the war had ended.

The Vampire quickly proved to be effective and was adopted as a replacement of wartime piston-engined fighter aircraft. During its early service it accomplished several aviation firsts and achieved various records, such as being the first jet aircraft to cross the Atlantic Ocean. The Vampire remained in front-line RAF service until 1953 when its transfer began to secondary roles such as ground attack and pilot training, for which specialist variants were produced. Many of these aircraft were sold to foreign air forces. The RAF retired the Vampire in 1966 when its final role of advanced trainer was filled by the Folland Gnat. The Royal Navy had also adapted the type as the Sea Vampire, a navalised variant suitable for operations from aircraft carriers. It was the service's first jet fighter.
The Vampire was exported to many nations and was operated worldwide in numerous theatres and climates. Several countries used the type in combat including the Suez Crisis, the Malayan Emergency and the Rhodesian Bush War. By the end of production, almost 3,300 Vampires had been manufactured, a quarter of these having been manufactured under licence abroad.


1:72 De Havilland DH.100 'Vampire' FB.56; 'CA 324/D', Royal Ceylon Air Force (RcyAF; රාජකීය ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව / ராயல் சிலோன் விமானப்படை) Jet Squadron; Katunayake AB (Colombo, Sri Lanka), during the JVP Insurrection, April 1971 (What-if/Heller kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 De Havilland DH.100 'Vampire' FB.56; 'CA 324/D', Royal Ceylon Air Force (RcyAF; රාජකීය ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව / ராயல் சிலோன் விமானப்படை) Jet Squadron; Katunayake AB (Colombo, Sri Lanka), during the JVP Insurrection, April 1971 (What-if/Heller kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 De Havilland DH.100 'Vampire' FB.56; 'CA 324/D', Royal Ceylon Air Force (RcyAF; රාජකීය ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව / ராயல் சிலோன் விமானப்படை) Jet Squadron; Katunayake AB (Colombo, Sri Lanka), during the JVP Insurrection, April 1971 (What-if/Heller kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 De Havilland DH.100 'Vampire' FB.56; 'CA 324/D', Royal Ceylon Air Force (RcyAF; රාජකීය ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව / ராயல் சிலோன் விமானப்படை) Jet Squadron; Katunayake AB (Colombo, Sri Lanka), during the JVP Insurrection, April 1971 (What-if/Heller kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The Ceylonese Vampires received the official export designation FB.56, but they were in fact refurbished Fairey-built ex-RAF FB.9 fighter bombers, the last single seater fighter bomber variant to be produced. As such, they were tropicalised Goblin-3 powered F.5 fighter-bombers with air conditioning and retrofitted with ejection seats. They had the ability to carry bombs of up to 1.000 lb (454 kg) caliber under each wing, drop tanks or up to eight unguided 3-inch "60 lb" rockets againts ground targets. The trainers were newly-built T.55 export machines with ejection seats.
Following a RCyAF superstition, the machines were allocated tactical codes that the single numerals did not sum up to "13" or a multiple of it, a "tradition" that has been kept up until today. Even more weird: codes that openly sported a "13" were and are used - as long as the whole code number conforms to the cross total rule!

This small fleet formed the 'Jet Squadron' was soon supplemented with five Hunting Jet Provosts obtained from the British, and ten more Vampire FB.56 fighter bombers in 1959. In the 1960s, various other aircraft were procured, most notably American Bell JetRanger helicopters and a Hindustan HUL-26 Pushpak given by India. The force had grown gradually during its early years, reaching a little over 1,000 officers and recruits in the 1960s.


1:72 De Havilland DH.100 'Vampire' FB.56; 'CA 324/D', Royal Ceylon Air Force (RcyAF; රාජකීය ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව / ராயல் சிலோன் விமானப்படை) Jet Squadron; Katunayake AB (Colombo, Sri Lanka), during the JVP Insurrection, April 1971 (What-if/Heller kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 De Havilland DH.100 'Vampire' FB.56; 'CA 324/D', Royal Ceylon Air Force (RcyAF; රාජකීය ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව / ராயல் சிலோன் விமானப்படை) Jet Squadron; Katunayake AB (Colombo, Sri Lanka), during the JVP Insurrection, April 1971 (What-if/Heller kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 De Havilland DH.100 'Vampire' FB.56; 'CA 324/D', Royal Ceylon Air Force (RcyAF; රාජකීය ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව / ராயல் சிலோன் விமானப்படை) Jet Squadron; Katunayake AB (Colombo, Sri Lanka), during the JVP Insurrection, April 1971 (What-if/Heller kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The Vampires' service did not last long, though. The trainers were replaced by the more modern and economic Jet Provosts and mothballed by 1963. In 1968, the Royal Ceylon Air Force started to look out for a more capable multi-role aircraft to replace the Vampire FB.56s and evaluated foreign types like the F-86 Sabre, the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, the Hawker Hunter and AMD's Mystère IV as well as the SMB.2. The decision fell on the supersonic Super Mystère, which was offered as a bargain from French surplus stock since the fighter was at that time in the process of being gradually replaced by the 3rd generation Mirage III. A total of eight revamped SMB.2s were procured, which conformed to the Armée de l'Air's standard. The machines arrived in early 1971 and were allocated to the newly established No. 3 Squadron, even though it took some months to make them fully operational, and the Vampires (eleven FB.56s were still operational at that time) soldiered on as a stopgap measure, due to innerpolitical tensions.

These got more and more tense and the Ceylonese Vampires were eventually deployed in a hot conflict in 1971. Together with the Jet Provosts, which had been mothballed since 1970 and quickly revamped, they were used in COIN missions  during the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) insurrection, since the new SMB.2s were not ready yet and deemed too valuable and unsuited to be deployed in guerilla warfare. The JVP insurrection was the first of two unsuccessful armed revolts conducted by the communist JVP against the socialist United Front Government of Ceylon under Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike. The revolt began on 5 April 1971, and lasted until June of that year. The insurgents held towns and rural areas for several weeks, until the regions were recaptured by the armed forces, following strong support from friendly nations that sent men and material. Vampires and Jet Provosts flew from RCyAF Chinabay to RCyAF Katunayake, attacking rebel locations en route, and on the 12 April following a bombing run on a target in Polonnaruwa, one Jet Provost lost power and crashed on its approach to RCyAF Chinabay killing its pilot. Several weeks later, the Jet Provosts were joined by the Bell 47-G2 in ground attacks. After three weeks of fighting, the government regained control of all but a few remote areas. In most cases, the government regained control of townships; insurgent groups melted away into the jungle and continued to operate, with some groups operating into early 1972.
With Ceylon becoming a republic in 1972, the Royal Ceylon Air Force changed its name to the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF), along with all insignia, and the last RCyAF Vampire was retired in summer 1972.


1:72 De Havilland DH.100 'Vampire' FB.56; 'CA 324/D', Royal Ceylon Air Force (RcyAF; රාජකීය ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව / ராயல் சிலோன் விமானப்படை) Jet Squadron; Katunayake AB (Colombo, Sri Lanka), during the JVP Insurrection, April 1971 (What-if/Heller kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 De Havilland DH.100 'Vampire' FB.56; 'CA 324/D', Royal Ceylon Air Force (RcyAF; රාජකීය ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව / ராயல் சிலோன் விமானப்படை) Jet Squadron; Katunayake AB (Colombo, Sri Lanka), during the JVP Insurrection, April 1971 (What-if/Heller kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 De Havilland DH.100 'Vampire' FB.56; 'CA 324/D', Royal Ceylon Air Force (RcyAF; රාජකීය ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව / ராயல் சிலோன் விமானப்படை) Jet Squadron; Katunayake AB (Colombo, Sri Lanka), during the JVP Insurrection, April 1971 (What-if/Heller kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 De Havilland DH.100 'Vampire' FB.56; 'CA 324/D', Royal Ceylon Air Force (RcyAF; රාජකීය ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව / ராயல் சிலோன் விமானப்படை) Jet Squadron; Katunayake AB (Colombo, Sri Lanka), during the JVP Insurrection, April 1971 (What-if/Heller kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr





General characteristics:
    Crew: 1
    Length: 30 ft 9 in (9.37 m)
    Wingspan: 38 ft (12 m)
    Height: 8 ft 10 in (2.69 m)
    Wing area: 262 sq ft (24.3 m²)
    Airfoil: root: EC1240/0640 (14%); tip: EC1240/0640 (9%)
    Empty weight: 7,283 lb (3,304 kg)
    Max takeoff weight: 12,390 lb (5,620 kg)

Powerplant:
   1× de Havilland Goblin 3 centrifugal-flow turbojet engine, 3,350 lbf (14.9 kN) thrust

Performance:
    Maximum speed: 548 mph (882 km/h, 476 kn)
    Range: 1,220 mi (1,960 km, 1,060 nmi)
    Service ceiling: 42,800 ft (13,000 m)
    Rate of climb: 4,800 ft/min (24 m/s)
    Wing loading: 39.4 lb/sq ft (192 kg/m²)

Armament:
    4× 20 mm (0.79 in) Hispano Mk.V cannon with 600 rounds total (150 rounds per gun)
    8× 3-inch "60 lb" rockets or  2× 1.000 lb (454 kg) bombs or two drop-tanks



The kit and its assembly:
A subtle what-if model, and despite the xotic markings the CeyloneseVampire is closer to reality than one might think. In fact, Ceylon actually received Vampire fighter bombers and trainer from the RAF when the country became independent and the RCyAF was founded, but they were never put into service. So, this whif depicts what might have been, and the type's use until the early Seventies is purely fictional.

The kit is the venerable Heller Vampire FB.5, which has been released under various brand labels (including Airfix and Revell) through the years. While it is a very simple model kit, the level of detail is not bad. You get a decent cockpit with a nice dashboard, separated canopy sections and even the landing gear wells feature details. You can hardly ask for more, even though the fit is rather mediocre - but this might be blamed on the molds' age. PSR was necessary on almost any major seam, and the fit of the tail booms to their adapters on the wings was really poor - the kit's engineers could have copme up with a better and more stable solution for the tail assembly. Another issue is the cockpit: while it's detailed, everything is much too small and tight - it turned out to be impossible to insert a pilot figure for the flight scenes, even just a torso!


1:72 De Havilland DH.100 'Vampire' FB.56; 'CA 324/D', Royal Ceylon Air Force (RcyAF; රාජකීය ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව / ராயல் சிலோன் விமானப்படை) Jet Squadron; Katunayake AB (Colombo, Sri Lanka), during the JVP Insurrection, April 1971 (What-if/Heller kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 De Havilland DH.100 'Vampire' FB.56; 'CA 324/D', Royal Ceylon Air Force (RcyAF; රාජකීය ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව / ராயல் சிலோன் விமானப்படை) Jet Squadron; Katunayake AB (Colombo, Sri Lanka), during the JVP Insurrection, April 1971 (What-if/Heller kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 De Havilland DH.100 'Vampire' FB.56; 'CA 324/D', Royal Ceylon Air Force (RcyAF; රාජකීය ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව / ராயல் சிலோன் விமானப்படை) Jet Squadron; Katunayake AB (Colombo, Sri Lanka), during the JVP Insurrection, April 1971 (What-if/Heller kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Since I wanted to build a standard export Vampire fighter bomber, the kit was built OOB. I just added a gunsight behind the windscreen, replaced the rather massive pitot on the left fin and added some ordnance for the machine's COIN missions using the JVP insurrection. These comsist of a pair of vintage 500 lb iron bombs (from a Monogram F8F Bearcat) on pylons which probably come from an Academy P-47 Thunderbolt, plus four unguided 60 lb rockets and their launch rails from a Pioneer/Airfix Hawker Sea Fury.


Painting and markings:
Conservative. A real RCyAF Vampire would during the late Sixties probably have been painted overall silver, but I found this rather boring and thought that the role as s strike aircraft would justify camouflage. With its origins in the RAF I gave the Vampire consequently the British standard paint scheme in Dark Green/Dark Sea Grey from above, using Humbrol 163 and 156 (Dark Camouflage Grey  BS381C/629, the latter on purpose as a lighter alternative to 164, for more contrast). For a slightly odd look I painted the undersides in RAF Azure Blue (Humbrol 157), what also makes a good contrast to the colorful RCyAF roundels.
The cockpit interior was painted in very dark grey (Anthracite, Revell 09) while the landing gear and the respective wells were painted in Humbrol 56 (Aluminum Dope), a metallic grey.


1:72 De Havilland DH.100 'Vampire' FB.56; 'CA 324/D', Royal Ceylon Air Force (RcyAF; රාජකීය ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව / ராயல் சிலோன் விமானப்படை) Jet Squadron; Katunayake AB (Colombo, Sri Lanka), during the JVP Insurrection, April 1971 (What-if/Heller kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 De Havilland DH.100 'Vampire' FB.56; 'CA 324/D', Royal Ceylon Air Force (RcyAF; රාජකීය ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව / ராயல் சிலோன் விமானப்படை) Jet Squadron; Katunayake AB (Colombo, Sri Lanka), during the JVP Insurrection, April 1971 (What-if/Heller kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The kit received a light black ink washing and some panel shading, especuially from above to simulate sun-bleached paint - after all, the model depicts an aircraft that would soon be retired.

The roundels come from an Xtradecal aftermarket sheet for Jet Provosts, the fictional serial number was created with 3 and 10mm letters in black from TL Modellbau. A personal addition are the RAF-style white individual aircraft code letters on the fin and the front wheel cover. Due to their size, the fuselage roundels had to be placed under the cockpit, but that does not look bad or out of place at all - early Swedish Vampires used a similar solution. Unfortunately, the kit came without decal sheet, so that other details had to be procured elsewhere - but the decal heap provided ample material. The few stencils and the "No step" warnings were taken from a Model decal Vampire sheet; the ejection seat markings came from an Xtradecal Vampire trainer sheet.

After some light traces with dry-brushed silver on the wings' leading edges the model was eventually sealed with matt acrylic varnish.




1:72 De Havilland DH.100 'Vampire' FB.56; 'CA 324/D', Royal Ceylon Air Force (RcyAF; රාජකීය ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව / ராயல் சிலோன் விமானப்படை) Jet Squadron; Katunayake AB (Colombo, Sri Lanka), during the JVP Insurrection, April 1971 (What-if/Heller kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 De Havilland DH.100 'Vampire' FB.56; 'CA 324/D', Royal Ceylon Air Force (RcyAF; රාජකීය ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව / ராயல் சிலோன் விமானப்படை) Jet Squadron; Katunayake AB (Colombo, Sri Lanka), during the JVP Insurrection, April 1971 (What-if/Heller kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 De Havilland DH.100 'Vampire' FB.56; 'CA 324/D', Royal Ceylon Air Force (RcyAF; රාජකීය ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව / ராயல் சிலோன் விமானப்படை) Jet Squadron; Katunayake AB (Colombo, Sri Lanka), during the JVP Insurrection, April 1971 (What-if/Heller kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 De Havilland DH.100 'Vampire' FB.56; 'CA 324/D', Royal Ceylon Air Force (RcyAF; රාජකීය ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව / ராயல் சிலோன் விமானப்படை) Jet Squadron; Katunayake AB (Colombo, Sri Lanka), during the JVP Insurrection, April 1971 (What-if/Heller kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr




Simple but exotic, and like the whiffy Sri Lankan SM2.B I built some time ago a very plausible result. I really like the fact that the model is, despite the camouflage and the subdued colors, quite colorful.  outcome a lot. The paint scheme already looks unusual, even though it has been patterned after a real world benchmark. But together with the colorful SLAF markings and some serious weathering, the whole package looks pretty weird but also believable. A classic what-if model! 😉

[Rheged]

Another excellent offering from Dizz!!

[Wardukw]

Mr Fugu strikes again 
I have a thing for twin tailed / boomed aircraft and Dizzy did a bloody good job on a fav of mine ever since i had the chance to sit in a real one here .
Love it dude 

[Tophe]

I agree: twin-boom models, and well done like this one, are marvellous

[Dizzyfugu]

Thank you. It's a very simple whif/project, but I like how it turned out with the RAF-style cammo and the colorful roundels. 

[comrade harps]

Brilliant 

I'm about to embark on a Vampire T.55 also fitted to COIN operations as a fast FAC, so thanks for the extra inspiration.

By rhe way, what are the weights you have packed in there?

[zenrat]

 

About time I built another Vampire.

[NARSES2]

Nice and simple and looks so right 

[Dizzyfugu]

Again, thanks a lot, everyone. 

[zenrat]

I've just realised, it's the Arsey (RCy) Air Force...

[Tophe]

I've just realised, it's the Arsey (RCy) Air Force...

I asked Google Translate, trying to understand, but there was no translation with a Y but before I typed it, I got the translation of a$$, ahem...

[Wardukw]

About time I built another Vampire.

Never built one Fred..when i was building planes that was one i cant remember ever seeing here ..if did it was properly far to expensive so i didnt pay any attention to it after that.

[Glenn Gilbertson]

Plausible story, beautiful model & great pictures - well done!

[su27rules]