Irish Army Air Corps what-ifs???

[Bryan H.]

to see who salutes.

My ideas...

Mirage 2000 or Mirage 5
Fiat G.91R
Douglas A-4
IAI Kfir
SEPECAT Jaguar
BAe Hawk 100/200
MiG-29
MiG-17
Lockheed F-16
Northrop F-5 or F-20
Alenia/Embraer AMX
Aermacchi MB.339 or MB.326
NA OV-10 Bronco
Hawker Hunter

Bryan

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

I could see a Hawk T1 in training green and orange....

I H-G
Saluting !

[Martin H]

hmmm maybe i will finish that heritage PC-12 in Irish markings

[Radish]

Don't forget those aircraft built by the Irish themselves.
The Mick Coyne consortium built the MiC-15, MiC-17, MiC-19, MiC-21, etc.. in lots of different versions.
Somewhere I have my Mick Coyne MiC-21 Wicked Wizard in Wild Weasel format, built from a 1/48th Academy MiG-21PF whis is surprisingly similar!!
 

[Radish]

F-86 Sabres, etc

F-104s of course        

A-4s....naturally

F-4s essential  

F-18s obligatory  

[TsrJoe]

the Aer Corps did seriously look at possibly aquiring (second hand?) Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jets at one time, altho i think they settled upon the Pilatus instead.
I dont think the Hawk was seriously looked at tho it being an expensive bit of kit!

so far iv not found any other possible 'real' potential aquisitions but as this is 'what if' anything goes i guess!

cheers, joe    

[lancer]

How about Drakens, Viggens and Gripens?? All good multi role a/c and with Ireland and Sweden being 'neutral' i.e non NATO, it might make some sense.  

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

How about Drakens, Viggens and Gripens??

I'm not sure the Irish Air Corps have a runway long enuff to take a heavily loaded Draken     , but what the h*ll, eh ?

I H-G

[AeroplaneDriver]

though not known by many, Ireland did in fact purchase 26 F-15s in 1976.  Irish pilots were dispatched to St Louis to pick up the fighters, but at last report they were still waiting for the propellers to be installed.

OKOKOKOK... on a less ethnically offensive note....how about a world where Britain's socialist-leaning politics of the 50s and 60s progressed to a socialist state that is either neutral or WARPAC-aligned?  In this world Ireland becomes a NATO state and base to a number of US forces, which serve alongside Irish F-4s, F-5s, AH-1s, etc...

[NARSES2]

I think Geoff P has a very similar scenario including an Irish Wall - over to you Geoff

[lancer]

How about Drakens, Viggens and Gripens??

I'm not sure the Irish Air Corps have a runway long enuff to take a heavily loaded Draken     , but what the h*ll, eh ?

I H-G

Well I suppose you could always build one that runs the lenght of the country. It could always double as a motorway, that'd make the Swedish birds fell right at home..      

[Gary]

I had though that Ireland had teamed up with the Republic of Newfoundland on a group purchase of several types, most notably being the F-20's that were license built in Bonavista. The engines were built in Dublin and both forgot the avionics.

The really neat thing was when Patty O'Lantern got the wing plans for the Grumman X-29. Something about a disgruntiled Ironworks employee who got peevish after the US congress canned both the Lavi (the next license build project), and the X-29.

Then they shoved the forward swept wings on the F-20 chassie and they really had some fun.

[Radish]

In earlier times the Irish were offered various P-35, P-36 and P-40 variants.

I thought of a P-40 (I've already done an Irish AC P-40 Nightfighter sans nose guns) in day fighter camo, but the colour scheme mis-interpreted, so Sky UPPER SURFACES and Dark Green/Dark Earth UNDERSURFACES!!

Eh??

My Very Short Sunderland (now deceased) was Irish Air Corps, all black with heavily tinted windows for the Nosferatu Sqn B)  B)  

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

I'm having a flash..... of inspiration !

Hmmmm, can anybody point me in the direction of Irish roundels ??

I H-G

[nev]

Max Decals at Hannants