What if

Picture Post => Current and Finished Projects => Aircraft => Topic started by: nönöbär on April 19, 2015, 07:44:02 AM

Title: Luftwaffe Hawker Seahawk, Carrier Graf Zeppelin, April 1956
Post by: nönöbär on April 19, 2015, 07:44:02 AM
Hawker  F.101 Seahawk

This time, it is only a "half-What-If". The Bundesmainre used Seahawks in reality, but of course never on a own carrier. However, some planes did training mission on US carriers.

The Plane:

After World War II, the aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin was among the few German ships that survived the war. With the rise of tensions between the east and the west shortly after the war and the rearmament of Western Germany in 1948, the Graf Zeppelin was one of the ships that formed the core of the Bundesmarine.
(See http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,37705.0.html)
Put into service again with only minor modifications (mainly a removal of the 15 cm guns), the Bundesmarine first continued to operate the Corsairs and FW190. But it soon got obvious that those old propeller planes were outdated.
As some tests were made with Me262T jet fighters in 1944, the potential of those kind of planes were clear, but this was not the right aircraft for carrier operations.

After the introduction of Grumman F9F Panther in March of 1950, the Bundesmarine aquired 36 Hakwer F.101 in November 1951. Like the Panthers, those planes were used as fighters and fighter bombers. Normally, up to 12 of those planes were stationed on the Graf Zeppelin simultaniously.

The Bundesmarine used those plane over 10 years on board of the carrier. But with the advancing technology, the aircraft were put ouf of service in 1965 and sold to India.

The model shows a F.101 Seahawk on the Graf Zeppelin in April 1956 during the NATO excercise "Sleepy Weasel" in the Arctic Sea.
 
(https://www.german-navy.de/web/ScaleModels/ScaleModel20150419154054.jpg)
(https://www.german-navy.de/web/ScaleModels/ScaleModel20150419154112.jpg)
(https://www.german-navy.de/web/ScaleModels/ScaleModel20150419154134.jpg)
(https://www.german-navy.de/web/ScaleModels/ScaleModel20150419154220.jpg)
(https://www.german-navy.de/web/ScaleModels/ScaleModel20150419154214.jpg)

Marineflieger planes on board of the Graf Zeppelin in the mid 1950s
(https://www.german-navy.de/web/ScaleModels/ScaleModel20150419153858.jpg)

The Model:
It is a Hobbyboss 1/72. Build OOB, the only variation is the color scheme, which is a modifed German Marineflieger paint as I used it for other Marineflieger "What-Ifs"

Title: Re: Luftwaffe Hawker Seahawk, Carrier Graf Zeppelin, April 1956
Post by: NARSES2 on April 19, 2015, 08:30:52 AM
That looks really nice  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Luftwaffe Hawker Seahawk, Carrier Graf Zeppelin, April 1956
Post by: sandiego89 on April 19, 2015, 11:57:09 AM
Great job, like this a lot. 
Title: Re: Luftwaffe Hawker Seahawk, Carrier Graf Zeppelin, April 1956
Post by: Mossie on April 19, 2015, 12:05:45 PM
Yeah, me too, subtle. :thumbsup:  Lovely little kit, I've got one on the go at the moment.  I like it's partner too.
Title: Re: Luftwaffe Hawker Seahawk, Carrier Graf Zeppelin, April 1956
Post by: Weaver on April 19, 2015, 12:08:20 PM
Spooky: I've just been looking at that very kit in the attic....

Great build: the Marineflieger scheme always looks good.

May I ask how you did the base?
Title: Re: Luftwaffe Hawker Seahawk, Carrier Graf Zeppelin, April 1956
Post by: nönöbär on April 19, 2015, 12:12:51 PM
Quote from: Weaver on April 19, 2015, 12:08:20 PM
Spooky: I've just been looking at that very kit in the attic....

Great build: the Marineflieger scheme always looks good.

May I ask how you did the base?

Thanks :)

It is a Italieri kit called "Carrier Deck Section", see here: http://www.italeri.com/scheda.asp?idProdotto=2163&idCategoria=5&idSottocategoria=29 (http://www.italeri.com/scheda.asp?idProdotto=2163&idCategoria=5&idSottocategoria=29)

Title: Re: Luftwaffe Hawker Seahawk, Carrier Graf Zeppelin, April 1956
Post by: Weaver on April 19, 2015, 12:57:30 PM
Quote from: nönöbär on April 19, 2015, 12:12:51 PM
Quote from: Weaver on April 19, 2015, 12:08:20 PM
Spooky: I've just been looking at that very kit in the attic....

Great build: the Marineflieger scheme always looks good.

May I ask how you did the base?

Thanks :)

It is a Italieri kit called "Carrier Deck Section", see here: http://www.italeri.com/scheda.asp?idProdotto=2163&idCategoria=5&idSottocategoria=29 (http://www.italeri.com/scheda.asp?idProdotto=2163&idCategoria=5&idSottocategoria=29)



Ah yes, I've seen it in the shops. Nice, but rather expensive, I thought.
Title: Re: Luftwaffe Hawker Seahawk, Carrier Graf Zeppelin, April 1956
Post by: Captain Canada on April 21, 2015, 08:31:49 AM
That came out very nice ! Lovely little aeroplane eh ? Looks awesome on your deck section, really brings it to life.

:bow: