Intruder Alert!

[BlackOps]

I say give it that nice weathered look and add some French or Royal Navy markings.  

[AeroplaneDriver]

Isn't it amazing how a build can change so much after it starts?

My Intruder is almost done, painted, heavily weathered, on its stand, just waiting new ejection seats (the originals were robbed for other projects), and the weapons.  I wont say how it's finished yet, I'll leave that until I post the finished article tomorrow, but I will say it is far different from my original idea.

So...for those who care here is the original idea, which may find its way onto one of the Italeri A-6s in my stash.

Again, this is NOT the backstory for how this build ended, just what I originally intended.  If anyone else wants to use hte story, be my guest.



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On March 3rd 1975 a US NAvy A-6E from VA-65 suffered a bird strike at low level during an exercise in the North Atlantic.  One engine failed immediately, and the other was damaged.  With the closest USN carrier over 100 miles away, the crew initially thought ejection into the icy waters of the North Atlantic their only option.  Fortunately HMS Ark Royal was on staTion less than 20 miles away, and a dramatic recovery was competed aboard the RN carrier.

With two ruined engines and an incompatible catapult system, the Intruder was stuck aboard Ark Royal until she returned to port 10 days later.  Once offloaded by crane in the UK, the Intruder was taken by truck to RNAS Yoevilton for repair.  A team of US Navy mechanics were detached to the Royal Navy base to repair the aircraft.  Repairs were completed on March 30, and to celebrate the hard work of their USN comrades, RN personnel treated the Americans to an ungentlemanly amount of beer at several local pubs.

While neither the USN or RN need an excuse to drink, there was a plot at work behind the scenes.  Once the US sailors were off the base, the RN went to work, hastily repainting the Intruder in Extra Dark Sea Gray, and adorning the bomber in the markings of 736 NAS, an operator of the Intruder's greatest rival, the Buccaneer.

When the US flight crew arrived ar Yoevilton to retrieve their aircraft on April 1st, they found a Royal Navy Intruder S.1 wiating for them.  In the spririt of the 'Zap" the US pilots treated the RN to an impressive 10 foot/400kt pass before departing the field.

The Intruder involved in this "incident' went on to serve in combat during the 1991 Persian Gulf war, and when it was retired in 1993 it was repainted by the USN in 736 NAS colors and presented to the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yoevilton, where it still resides today.


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So that was what was meant to be.  You'll see the actual result of this restoration tomorrow.

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

The Intruder involved in this "incident' went on to serve in combat during the 1991 Persian Gulf war, and when it was retired in 1993 it was repainted by the USN in 736 RNAS colors and presented to the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yoevilton, where it still resides today.


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So that was what was meant to be.  You'll see the actual result of this resotration tomorrow.

Wonderful back-story..... you tease !

Ian