Re: Spinners' Strike Fighters Thread - AFDS F-100D's

[SPINNERS]

Nanchang Q-5 'Fantan' - Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force

The overthrow of the Shah of Iran and the Islamic Revolution of early 1979 did not immediately lead to a settled situation for the people of Iran. The economy was in ruins and the government and military were in disarray, initially with fear and reprisals and then by the savage opening of the Iran-Iraq war in September 1980. However, by early 1982 the Khomeni led Revolutionary Council had started to plan the build-up of Iranian forces and met various Soviet and Chinese delegations in their quest for cheap military equipment. One such offer came from the Nanchang Aircraft Company of China who offered their Q-5 supersonic attack aircraft (NATO codename 'Fantan') and a total of 277 were delivered from 1982 to 1988 but only equipping just four squadrons such was the rate of attrition during the Iran-Iraq war.















I like the Fantan. It just looks so fast with it's swept wings and swept fin and luckily the add-on Fantan for Strikefighters (from a Chinese modding team) is nice and comes with the Chinese green scheme seen above but I've also knocked up a homemade 'Desert' scheme.

[SPINNERS]

BAC Thunderstrike F.3 - No.111 Squadron, RAF Strike Command, 1985













Sundowner has done loads of skins for the needle-nosed wonderbird so I've used his smashing lo-viz grey but added my No.111 bars and toned-down national markings. The Skyflash missiles, Tornado 'Hindenbergers' and Sidewinders give it a real Tonka ADV look!

I'm sure many of us have read that wonderful 'Wings clipped and cancelled' article by Derek Wood in the 1976 RAF Yearbook that playfully suggests a purchase of 60 TSR.2 long-range 'Air Defence Variant' aircraft for the RAF. If only! Anyway, we all know the radar dish is too small or whatever but just suspend your disbelief and imagine 'what if'^TM.

Like the Tornado ADV I'm deleting the outer wing pylons and sticking with Sparrows/Skyflash as the Thunderstrike F.3's principal weapon (perhaps the RAF looked at the cost of the Phoenix and thought better of it) and using Sidewinders on the inner wing pylons like the Tornado F.3 but Red Tops will fit there also. Naturally, two 27mm Mauser cannon have been fitted in the lower forward fuselage also  .

[SPINNERS]

MiG-17F - HavLLv31 'Aggressor Flight' Finnish Ilmavoimat

During 1956 'D' Flight of HavLLv31 became the Ilmavoimat Aggressor Flight and their MiG-17F's wore this distinctive scheme.







Sorry pyro-manic but even though there are some four-part templates for the Fresco I just haven't got the time and/or the patience at the moment so I've used this superb VPAF Camo scheme (by comrad) instead.

[SPINNERS]

MiG-17F - No.323 Squadron, People's Netherlands Republic Air Force, 1964









Perhaps the orange centre would be replaced with a red star?

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MiG-17F - No.322 Sqd, People's Netherlands Republic Air Force

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Dassault Mirage F.3A - No.23 Squadron, RAF Middle East Command, 1983









A superb Israeli Grey scheme for the Mirage IIICJ 'Shahak' was released yesterday by a modder (callsign Wilco) so I've done a 'what if' RAF Mirage F.3A with No.23 'Red Eagle' squadron markings, a squadron I overlook I suppose. Mind you, don't look too close - the stencilling is in Hebrew! Oh, and my starboard eagle is back to front. Doh!

[SPINNERS]

North American P-51D - No.13 Squadron, Royal Dhimari Air Force







Ooooh, this takes me back to the early 1970's and buying the old Airfix 'Fool's Paradise' Mustang and being amazed at the specifications stating a top speed of 442 mph!! And there's me thinking that JE-J was the fastest propeller-driven plane in the world.

[SPINNERS]

Sud-Ouest Farandole II - EC2/11 Vosges, Armee de l'Air, 1955

When the straight-wing Sud-Ouest Farandole I lost out to the Dassault Ouragan they quickly schemed an improved swept-wing version known as the Farandole II utilising the same Hispano-Suiza Nene 104B engine. Working at speed the Sud-Ouest team flew the first prototype in October 1950 and the scintillating performance soon attracted the Armee de l'Air who ordered 150 production aircraft almost immediately (leading to the cancellation of the Dassault Mystere IIC). Entering service in November 1952 the Farandole II soon became considered as an interim type (as Dassault had got his own back by getting the Mystere IV selected by the US Government for off-shore procurement) but served until 1960 with the Armee de l'Air and until 1974 with the Heyl Ha'Avir of Israel (the only export customer).







This is, of course, the MiG-15bis masquerading as a totally fictional French rival to the Mystere IIC.


Now available for download at Combat Ace!

[SPINNERS]

Sud-Ouest Farandole III - EC2/11 Vosges, Armee de l'Air, 1956

Even before the first flight of the Farandole II in October 1950 the Sud-Ouest designers were planning the follow-on Farandole III with more sweepback, a lower thickness/chord ratio, a completely new tail design and powered by the Hispano-Suiza Verdon 350R engine producing 7,500lbs of dry thrust and 9,000lbs with reheat thanks to a crude but effective afterburner. First flown in May 1953 and entering service in January 1955 the Farandole III gained only small production orders and served with the Armee de l'Air mainly overseas seeing service in the 1956 Suez crisis.

[SPINNERS]

SAAB/Hawker Draken F.1's - No.56 Squadron, RAF Middle East Command (on UN deployment to East Africa, 1966)











A superb new terrain was added today - East Africa and Madagascar. I thought I'd use to give a different look to these RAF Draken F.1's.

[SPINNERS]

Saab-Hawker Draken F.1's - No.74 Squadron, 'The Tigers', RAF Fighter Command, 1965








Now available for download at CombatACE!

[SPINNERS]

Saab-Hawker Draken F.2A's - No.25 Squadron, RAF Strike Command, 1983








Now available for download at CombatACE!

[SPINNERS]

The Draken in an overall green camo (like the Danish ones) and with Portuguese roundels would look amazing....  

Saab Draken J35P - Esquadra 301, 'Jaguares', Portuguese Air Force

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Dassault Mirage 5 - 'Lion' Squadron, Kenya Air Force, 1986

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Saab-Fairchild F-13 Draken - 125th FIS, Florida Air National Guard, 1968

During mid-1965 with attrition rates rising as the Vietnam conflict progressed (sic) the USAF's plans for re-equipping the ADC and ANG interceptor squadrons with F-4C's fell apart. Undaunted they launched a quick study into an off-the-shelf purchase of an alternative interceptor looking at the BAC Lightning F.3, Dassault Mirage IIIC, Saab Draken and the homegrown Lockheed Starfighter 'ADC' (a 'G' optimised for air-defense duties). With some considerable weighting given to low cost in the detailed analysis the Saab Draken soon became the front-runner being the only aircraft with a fly-away price below $1M but, in fact, the USAF study team scored the Draken highly in most areas.

In July 1966 the USAF announced that Saab's outstanding J-35F was the winner of the competition and that Fairchild, who had recently taken over Republic Aviation, were to partner Saab in producing the aircraft by now redesignated F-13 (despite objections from Fairchild to the 'unlucky' number although Saab didn't seem too bothered). Entering service with the Florida Air National Guard in March 1968 the F-13 was initially viewed as the poor relation by the F-106 squadrons, a situation that soon changed with the success of the F-13 in the 1969 and 1970 William Tell competitions. F-13's served until the mid-1980's when they were replaced by F-16A's although one squadron remained in service until 1990 at Tonopah, Nevada in a ruse designed to mask operations of the F-117 Stealth Fighter.












Before doing the full lo-viz I thought I'd stick the hi-viz FANG markings on the lo-viz skin.