Irish Air Corps

[NARSES2]

Pre-war US single-engined bombers as replacements for the DH-9s.
Various Northrop/Consolidated/Vultee types available, mostly from Special Hobby.

That could present the UK Cabinet with a bit of a dilemma ? I've no idea what the RAF had based fighter wise in Ulster during the mid-late 30's, but they might well need to increase it, especially if the Government of the day needed the Unionist vote to survive.

[Mossie]

One alternative I can think of for the Anson from RAF stocks would be the Albermarle.  Longer ranged and capable of maritime recce it also had the troop capacity. Might be available to replace the Anson's mid war when the RAF realised it didn't fit in.

[Weaver]

One thing I notice is that their first helo was the turboshaft Alouette III in 1963. Good choice, but that means they entirely skipped the piston helicopter era. What if they didn't?

We know they had a look at the Whirlwind. The Sikorsky Dragonfly looks like a possible prospect, at least for trials, and the Bell 47 would also be a natural (and cheap!) choice. Going a bit larger, Sweden used Piasecki H-21s for ASR/ASW before swapping them for Sea Knights, so maybe Eire could try the same thing.

Going back even further, what if they'd played with autogyros (as many armed forces did) in the 1930s? The Avro-built Cierva would be the obvious choice, but there were others.

[Weaver]

Easy suggestion: give them a de Havilland Heron (easily available Airfix kit) to go with all those Doves.

[kitbasher]

I'm sensing a potential 2023-2024 GB theme developing here!

[Geoff]

Well I've found an Alpha jet in my stash and can make either version. Thinking of second hand ex-Luftwaffe ones as they are more useful than the basic trainer.
Also dug out a Roden He-III E (shudder) - I was thinking taking the bomb bays out and doing it as an armed transport, with the under fuselage bomb shackles in case they need to, well bomb something

[Nick]

Pre-war US single-engined bombers as replacements for the DH-9s.
Various Northrop/Consolidated/Vultee types available, mostly from Special Hobby.

That could present the UK Cabinet with a bit of a dilemma ? I've no idea what the RAF had based fighter wise in Ulster during the mid-late 30's, but they might well need to increase it, especially if the Government of the day needed the Unionist vote to survive.

The only RAF station in NI before 1940 was Aldergrove - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_Helicopter_Command_Flying_Station_Aldergrove

It's the usual hodge-podge of types to be found in the RAF in those days:
Bristol F2B
Vickers Vimy
Handley Page Hyderabad
Vickers Virginia
Westland Wallace
Blackburn Botha
Avro Anson
Hawker Hind
Hawker Hurricane

Let's be honest, NI was a backwater as Ireland had no aircraft to attack with. Bombers and transports were more useful.

[NARSES2]

Let's be honest, NI was a backwater as Ireland had no aircraft to attack with. Bombers and transports were more useful.

Very much so Nick, which is why obtaining some of the types Weaver suggests could force the UK Government down a different path.

[Nick]

Let's be honest, NI was a backwater as Ireland had no aircraft to attack with. Bombers and transports were more useful.

Very much so Nick, which is why obtaining some of the types Weaver suggests could force the UK Government down a different path.

A squadron of Hawker Fury or Bristol Bulldogs. Maybe Gloster Gladiators or the Gloster F5/34.

[Weaver]

By no means filled out, but here's a rough concept of an IAC which had a little more money and was willing/able to buy American:

(note that even though some of these aircraft come from other users, they'd  still need US-approval for the transfer)

Late 1930s:
Harvards bought new
Curtiss Hawk 75Hs (fixed gear) bought new

Early WWII:
Curtiss Hawk 75A-4s bought new (retractable gear: diverted from French order)
Grumman Ducks (handful of disarmed aircraft donated by US for SAR duties)

Late WWII:
More Hawks (exchanged for force-landed Hurricanes)

Late 1940s:
Hawks replaced by surplus Mustangs
Ducks replaced by surplus Catalinas

Mid 1950s:
T-33s bought new
Bell 47s bought new

Late 1950s:
F-80 Shooting Stars bought (US surplus)
Harvards replaced by new T-28 Trojans

Early 1960s:
Sikorsky S-55s bought new

Late 1960s:
Catalinas replaced by surplus Grumman Albatrosses

Early 1970s:
Bell 47s replaced by new JetRangers

Mid 1970s:
F-80s retired without immediate replacement
T-33s refurbished & armed

Early 1980s:
F-80s replaced by surplus NF-5As (from Dutch stocks as they swap to the F-16)
T-33s replaced by surplus NF-5Bs (from Dutch stocks as they swap to the F-16)
Trojans replaced by surplus Cessna A-37Bs (from US stocks)

Mid 1980s:
S-55s replaced by Bell UH-1s (US surplus)

Mid 1990s:
Albatrosses replaced by new S-61s
Hueys replaced by Bell 412s

Early 2000s:
NF-5As replaced by surplus F-5Es (from Switzerland)
NF-5Bs replaced by surplus F-5Fs (from Switzerland)
A-37Bs replaced by surplus Hawks (from Switzerland)

[Weaver]

A problem to note if you're looking for decals:

The easiest source of post-war 3-colour roundels are Magister kits, but because of the aircraft's V-tail, they don't include the rectangular or trapezoid tail-flashes seen on SOME, but by no means all IAC aircraft with conventional fins.

[NARSES2]

All of these procurement options are based on the assumption that Eire stays on the political path that it did in the "real world". What however if you had a Sein Fein Government in the 30's that went just a tad farther to the left than the party historically is and they purchase from the Soviet Union ? Unlikely in the "real world" but this after all is "Whiff World".

[Dizzyfugu]

A problem to note if you're looking for decals:

The easiest source of post-war 3-colour roundels are Magister kits, but because of the aircraft's V-tail, they don't include the rectangular or trapezoid tail-flashes seen on SOME, but by no means all IAC aircraft with conventional fins.

Max Decals did/does some sheets for Irish vehicles from various eras, for aircraft (1:72) and also for military vehicles (1:35).

[zenrat]

All of these procurement options are based on the assumption that Eire stays on the political path that it did in the "real world". What however if you had a Sein Fein Government in the 30's that went just a tad farther to the left than the party historically is and they purchase from the Soviet Union ? Unlikely in the "real world" but this after all is "Whiff World".

Could also expand to a presence in Spain.

[Geoff]

All of these procurement options are based on the assumption that Eire stays on the political path that it did in the "real world". What however if you had a Sein Fein Government in the 30's that went just a tad farther to the left than the party historically is and they purchase from the Soviet Union ? Unlikely in the "real world" but this after all is "Whiff World".

Could also expand to a presence in Spain.

Both sides had Irish volunteers in Spain


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQbXO828Vio