Royal Navy Skydiver FU.2 - FINISHED!

[The Wooksta!]

Technically speaking, Skydiver was the sub, the fixed wing component was Sky 1.

Nice job on a very basic kit.  I did it in 1991 and did a plastic card cockpit and just used Krystal Kleer for the glazing.  It now resides in Canada with my cousin.

[Captain Canada]

This is really something ! Love that pudgy looking Lightning wannabe ! I'll have to look into that 'thing' lol. Cheers

[Weaver]

This is really something ! Love that pudgy looking Lightning wannabe ! I'll have to look into that 'thing' lol. Cheers

Three minute primer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcAN7szkqrE

[Weaver]

Cheers all!

I've managed to tone down the sparkliness with a weathering wash, and I'm hoping the matt coat will tone it down some more.

Topside decals all on (and I found a cracking squadron badge for it!). Underside decals later tonight. I made a couple of mistakes, but given how inconsistent and asymetrical real service aircraft can be, I'm just going to roll with them.

All assembled into five sections now. I've decided to leave the nose section, hydroski and rocket pods off until after the matt coat's gone on because it makes it easier to hold and paint.

Matt coat in the morning, assembly in the afternoon, then it's done.

[Weaver]

Matt coat on, now fingers crossed and wait. The varnish allegedly dries in two hours, so I'm going to give it until mid afternoon just to be safe. I was almost tempted to leave this step out because the gloss spray paint underneath is gorgeous, but it's too much in-scale, and anyway, I want to seal the decals on for once.

Since the first one was so popular    , here's a pic of the upside-down jig:

[PR19_Kit]

The jig itself almost deserves a Whiffie Nom!

Actually it looks remarkably like the first ever Bailey Bridge test section, which lives about a mile from my house!

[Weaver]

Global Dynamics-British Aerospace Skydiver FU.2

Following the Alien-assisted attempt by Argentina to take-over the Falkland Islands in 1982, it became impossible for the United Nations to maintain it's previous policy of keeping the Alien threat secret from the general public. Clearly, the S.H.A.D.O. organisation that it had set up to deal with the problem couldn't command the resources neccessary to defend the planet while maintaining it's excessive secrecy. The policy was heavily criticised, the Secretary General resigned, and S.H.A.D.O. was broken up, its resources and technology being distributed amongst those nations who could utilize them to produce the kind of mass, global defence that was neccessary.

One of the most remarkable technologies developed by S.H.A.D.O. was the Skydiver submarine-launched interceptor system, and the Royal Navy, given it's small number of light carriers, was keen to exploit this technology. At the time of the 1982 crisis, S.H.A.D.O. had been on the point of introducing the improved Skydiver 2 system, and this was what the Royal Navy adopted. In S.H.A.D.O. service, the vessels were simply numbered,e.g. "SkyDiver 1" and the aircraft and submarine were known as "Sky 1" and "Diver 1" when separated. However the Royal Navy was keen to maintain it's traditional names for submarines, and so the aircraft alone was named the Fighter, Underwater Mk.1, Skydiver or Skydiver FU.1 for short.

Compared to the first generation Skydivers, Skydiver 2 introduced several improvements. A major limitation on Skydiver 1 operations was the need for very calm seas on which to land for an at-sea re-docking with the submarine, one test-pilot saying that sea conditions needed to be "as calm as a fish tank" to get it down safely. Skydiver 2 introduced a retractable, shock-absorbing hydro-ski and wingtip floats (which doubled as convenient extra fuel tanks), and moved the weapon/booster pods above the wing, all of which allowed landings in much higher (but still relatively calm) sea states.

Another innovation was the ability to replace the weapon/booster pods underwater, thus allowing multiple launches. Each submarine carried twelve pods in two revolver-drum magazines which lined up with the Skydiver when docked and could both supply and retrieve pods to the aircraft. This also meant that pods with expended rocket boosters (used every launch) but unused ordnance could be retained for refurbishment ashore. The tube-launched, laser-beam-riding missiles which S.H.A.D.O. had developed were retained, since no alternative guidance system could withstand the brutal launch forces exerted on the nose of the missile. The four 30mm ADEN cannon were retained since they were a British service item anyway.

The service trials aircraft were dogged by technical problems, some of which lead to two fatal crashes, and the number of fixes eventually multiplied to the point where the first full service standard aircraft were designated the FU.2. Service entry was in 1986, the "parent" unit being 898 Squadron FAA, although, of course, aircraft were operated in single-aircraft detachements assigned to a particular submarine. The system arrive just too late for the Battle of St. Helena, but RN Skydivers distinguised themselves in the Battle of Fiji (1989) and the Battle of Skye (1996) where their surprise interception of Alien reinforcements allowed General Storr's forces to retake the island with remarkable speed. Following this, the Aliens seemed to abandon their tactic of taking over whole islands and went back to snatching people from isolated houses and farms inland, something which Skydivers were, of course unable to prevent.

Skydiver FU.2s remained in service until 2009, when they were controversially replaced by Stingray submarine-launched hypersonic SAMs, guided by the much improved Extraterrestrial Landing Observation Network satellites, which were much cheaper to operate. The accidental shootdown of a misidentified Fireflash airliner by one such missile in 2014 was heavily criticised by former Skydiver pilots who pointed out that a manned interceptor would have been capable of making a visual identification, thereby avoiding the tragedy.

The model depicts the Skydiver FU.2 (of 898 Sqn FAA, of course) assigned to HMS Defiant, which together with that from HMS Botha, conducted successful interceptions over Montserrat in 1992.

The model:

Model kit: IMAI Sky-1 stock code: B-1241-700. Scale uncertain, but not far off 1/72nd.
Rocket pods: 1/32nd Revell Hunter MATRA 155 pods (gifted by somebody on here years ago - thank you.)
Hydro-ski struts: Italieri 1/48th F-19 Stealth Fighter weapon-bay rails.
Intake trunking: Airfix 1/72nd F-4B Phantom nose cone (don't panic: it's the crappy old kit)
Greeblies: spares box (mostly 1/35th tank parts) and Evergreen stock.
Gun barrels: aluminium tube.
Scratchbuilding: new backplate, faired-in ventral pack to make boat-shaped hydro-ski

Spray Paint:
Wilko's (RIP) white primer.
PlastiKote Grey Primer.
PlastiKote 1030 Night Blue.
PlastiKote Matt Sealer.
Black from some car shop ages ago.

Brush Paint:
Humbrol enamels
Windsor & Newton black ink

Decals (all 1/72nd):
Fantasy Printshop RAF Type 111 Roundels (35" & 36")
Fantasy Printshop Ejection Seat Triangles
Fantasy Printshop Rescue Markings (these proved very fragile, not sure if that's because they're old or not)
Fantasy Printshop White RAF letters and numbers
Fantasy Printshop Black Luftwaffe letters and numbers
Xtradecal X72-136 Sea Hawks (898 Sqn markings)
Xtradecal X72-158 Royal Air Force White Numerals & Titles ("ROYAL NAVY" markings)
Revell English Electric Lightning (serials)
Airfix F-4 Phantom (intake warnings)

Assembly Jigs: LEGO

There's a mistake on the model somewhere: see if you can find it...

[Rick Lowe]

Not concerned about any mistakes - that looks really good! 
And the backstory's not too shabby, either.

[Weaver]

Not concerned about any mistakes - that looks really good! 
And the backstory's not too shabby, either.

Thanks. The mistake is fun though, and the clue's in the text.

[su27rules]

  

[zenrat]

 

There's some asymmetry in the transfers.  But that just means the erks were distracted when painting the fuselage roundels and the two missile/boosters come from different batches.

Good job mate.   

[Weaver]

There's some asymmetry in the transfers.  But that just means the erks were distracted when painting the fuselage roundels and the two missile/boosters come from different batches.

Good job mate.   

Yeah, you got it. 

The red spots are separate decals, so I didn't notice until after I'd put them on that I'd put a 35" roundel base on one side and a 36" one on the other. Likewise, the ROYAL NAVY legend is further back on one side that the other. This was because the decal flatly refused to slide further forwards and I was scared of breaking it, so I left it. Both of these are the sort of thing you find on real aircraft.

I did actually have two identical DANGER arrow markings for the boosters, but one of them broke as I applied it, so I used the red outline one from a Microdecal sheet (it might be from a Wessex helicopter?). I also gave that side's white tube two coats of black ink weathering to make it look more used than the other one.

The flying fish badge of 898 Sqn was too good to pass up. That whole Xtradecal sheet is a goldmine, and lovely quality.

[NARSES2]

That looks really good   

[Joe C-P]

I like this, that series was a favorite of mine back in the day.   

[The Rat]

CRACKERJACK!