Irish Air Corps

[Geoff]

So rereading a book I have on the IAC I realised there were a number of project cancelled and wifs in it.
Such as -
Spitfire IXs in place of Seafires
They had a Meteor IV demoed to them, but had just spent the money on obsolete Seafires.
MB-326  in place of the Fougas
Hawks or Alpha Jets in place of the PC-9s
S-70 [n place of S-61
Bulldogs in place of SF-260s
Shorts Tucano


As a wif a Whitley which force landed the wrong side of the border. But I cannot decide if it should be a standard bomber , or one of the freighter conversions as they did buy the Anson as a make shift troop carrier as well as an MP aircraft

[PR19_Kit]

They could have kept the Whitley as an MR aircraft if it was a Mk VII?

A forerunner of their CN-235s.

[Weaver]

Random thoughts:

Hawks would make huge sense, of course, maybe a squadron of Hawk 100s for training/light attack and another of radar-equipped Hawk 200s if they wanted to get serious about policing their own airspace. There's a PC-9 with a Hawk-compatible cockpit too: Saudia Arabia bought it.

Going back to the 1960s, Gnats in single and two-seat configurations would make sense, and be 'naturally' replaced by Hawks 20 years later.

Since they're neutral and outside NATO, the Czech L-39/L-59/L-159 Albatros series could have been an affordable and credible replacement for the Magisters at various points.
Carrying on the Eastern European theme, PZL Wilgas for light transport and LET-410s for medium transport/coatal patrol would make sense.

The Irish Navy could choose Lynx rather than Dauphin to operate from helo-capable OPVs, if they had more than one of the latter and they had hangers.

They could choose Breguet Atlantiques instead of the CN-235s.

[PR19_Kit]

They could choose Breguet Atlantiques instead of the CN-235s.

So long as they kept that lovely 'blue with a pale blue stripe' colour scheme. 

But an Atlantique would never be as pretty as a CN-235, mind you.

[Weaver]

Doh - buy Strikemasters instead of the Magisters: obvious and right time frame too.

OR, if they want to buy from neutral or non-aligned countries, how about SAAB Sk-105s instead of the Magisters?

[Geoff]

They did evaluate the L-159 alongside the Hawk and Alpha Jet

Also the Whirlwind in place of the Alouette III

They wanted Havard 1s but they were not available

I do like the idea of Jet Provost/Strikemaster   

[Dizzyfugu]

1:72 BAC P.84 "Jet Provost" T.51; aircraft "204" of the Irish Air Corps (An tAerchór) Light Strike Squadron; Casement Aerodrome/Baldonnel, 1968 (Whif/Airfix kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

I like the idea of an L-159, though, could be a modern day successor for the Jet provost? There's a nice KP kit...

[Weaver]

How about they take some of the Fiat G.91Rs built for the cancelled Greek and Turkish orders that were taken over by Germany then passed on to Portugal in real life?
If Germany was a bit more reluctant in whiff-world, then they might get touted around to other customers at a bargain price.

[Geoff]

1:72 BAC P.84 "Jet Provost" T.51; aircraft "204" of the Irish Air Corps (An tAerchór) Light Strike Squadron; Casement Aerodrome/Baldonnel, 1968 (Whif/Airfix kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

I like the idea of an L-159, though, could be a modern day successor for the Jet provost? There's a nice KP kit...

 

How about they take some of the Fiat G.91Rs built for the cancelled Greek and Turkish orders that were taken over by Germany then passed on to Portugal in real life?
If Germany was a bit more reluctant in whiff-world, then they might get touted around to other customers at a bargain price.

Yes I think that is a very good idea

By the way they did evaluate the Lynx against the Dauphane, and the Bell-212 against the Puma

[AeroplaneDriver]

[Geoff]

Love the Hawk

[PR19_Kit]

I'm WELL into Whiffed IAC aircraft, to be sure I am that............. 

[AeroplaneDriver]

[Zero-Sen]

Mutant airplanes:

• Bearcat
  
  
• MB-339
  
  

[Mossie]

Ireland's neutral status leads to military cooperation with Sweden.  Saab Tunnan, 105's, Safirs, 340 instead of the CN235.

Alternatively, the US views Ireland as being strategically important to patrolling the GIUK gap.  Ireland joins NATO with US basing rights in return for military and economic aid. Ireland receives T-33's and P-2's early on, later F-5's and P-3's.