Month: Mar 2021

Model Review: EF-2000 Typhoon UCAV

On By knight6831In Model ReviewsLeave a comment

The EF-2000 Typhoon UCAV

As we saw in Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown video game there were F-18F Super Hornet and Su-35s Flanker-E UCAVs but what if there was another Fighter converted UCAV well thanks to W879SP2 we have this

EF-2000 Typhoon UCAV or Typhoon U.5: https://preview.redd.it/glval0nqkje61.jpg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=623a090d2d97ce6d278778c44ce1ef1ba3738f7d

What you are looking at is a Eurofighter Typhoon if it were converted into a UCAV and somehow I could see UK using this by taking retired Typhoon Trainer Mk.1 & Mk.1A and Fighter Mk.2 airframes and converting them into UCAVs

This Model is very well created and painted and I do like how the paint scheme of the USAF’s QF-16s has been applied really sells that this is an old clapped out combat jet converted into a drone.

The weapons are a nice touch too as it could hit as an Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle even though that is highly unlikely given the probable expense

I’ll admit the Typhoons name in the Ace Combat games is confusing as is it EF-2000 Typhoon or just Typhoon ugh its annoying sometimes

Model Review: Hawker Siddeley HS.681

On By knight6831In Model ReviewsLeave a comment

The Hawker Siddeley HS.681 formerly the Armstrong Whitworth AW.681 and its unofficial name was the Aldershot and odds are had it been but put into production it would probably would have had the name Aldershot C.1 or Cargo Mk.1 as the UK designate them.

HS.681 Aldershot C.1: https://preview.redd.it/d148aqc3ss661.jpg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6cccacecd5a28e19245e5a209b89066836886e5d

Think of this aircraft as the British’s answer to the USA’s experimental YC-14 and YC-15 aircraft

It was designed to meet Operational Requirement number 351 which called for a Transport to replace the ageing and growing obsolete Blackburn Beverly and Handley Page Hastings and the design drew heavily on NATO Basic Military Requirement number 4 so it was decided to make it a Short Take-Off and Landing Transport but it was cancelled in 1965 and the UK bought the C-130E as the C-130K Hercules or Hercules C.1.

That’s enough of a history lesson now time talk about the model which is very good especially the detail of the vector thrust nozzles and the livery which is the design used on the Hawker Siddeley HS.780 Andover light Transports.

credit to W879SP2 for the amazing model

Now I’ll leave a question for ya

Had HS.681 Aldershot C.1 been produced and gone into service would the Brits have bought the C-130 Hercules?

Personally odds are yes the UK would probably have never bought the US C-130s had they had the Aldershot C.1

New Model Review Series

On By knight6831In Announcements, Model ReviewsLeave a comment

Hi everyone

Today I’m announcing a new blog series starting on Monday called Model Reviews where i will take a model of an aircraft or ship I found and review it

What to expect

You can expect with these reviews a little history of what the model is and my thoughts on it

I’m planning to start the series on Monday with every Monday, Wednesday and Fridays at 4PM GMT but this series will have an end unless i find more models to talk about

So I hope you all enjoy it, those who look at this blog that is

Malta Class Aircraft Carrier

On By knight6831In Unbuilt WarshipsLeave a comment

The Malta class aircraft carrier or the UK’s answer to the US Midway class was a proposed aircraft carrier design of the 1940s.

The powerplant was to be eight admiralty three-drum boilers with four shafts and four parson geared steam turbines creating 200,000 shaft horsepower giving a speed of 33 knots and a range of 8200 miles and was to have a capacity of 80 to 108 Aircraft and her armament was to be eight 2-turret 4.5-inch QF dual-purpose Naval Guns totalling 16 and eight 6-turret 40mm Bofors Anti-Aircraft Guns totalling 55 but she was cancelled in 1945

Link to the image of the ship

https://preview.redd.it/aucc8iktpv861.jpg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=daafe26c8b6373a61198ebb5e6040606a2d8768c
but now we move into speculative history of this ship or fan made history of this ship

had the Malta been built and enter service then she probably would have had Supermarine Seafire Fighter and Reconnaissance planes, Blackburn Firebrand Fighter and Strike Fighters and Fairey Barracuda Bombers with Fairey Firefly Anti-Submarine Warfare, Night-Fighter, Reconnaissance planes and Trainer aircraft

Had the ship been active in the 1950s then it likely would’ve Hawker Sea Fury fighter and Strike Fighters with Westland W.35 Wyvern S.4 Strike Fighter with the Douglas EA-1D Skyraider AEW.1 Airborne Early Warning Aircraft with the Fireflys being switched for General Motors TBM-3S Avenger AS.4 Anti-Submarine Warfare aircraft.

The ship would probably have gotten helicopters likely Westland WS-55 Whirlwind Anti-Submarine Warfare and Search and Rescue Helicopter with Westland WS-58 Wessex Utility and Cargo Helicopter.
The ship probably would have undergone a similar upgrade to the Audacious class carriers or the US Midway class using De-Havilland Sea Vampire and Sea Venoms then going to Hawker Sea Hawks, Supermarine Attackers and Scimitars and De-Havilland Sea Vixens before her likely load out till its retirement probably before or around the time of the US Midway Class.

And this likely refit loadout would have been Boeing F-4K Phantom 2 or FG.1 fighters and Blackburn B.103 Buccaneer S.2B Strike aircraft with Fairey Gannet Anti-Submarine Warfare, Airborne Early Warning and Carrier Onboard delivery Aircraft with Sea Vixen or Scimitar buddy tankers eventually older S2 Buccaneers taking over that role.
As for the Helis well the Westland Whirlwind and Wessex Helicopters would’ve likely had their roles filled by the Westland WS-61 Sea Kings like the USN’s H-3 Anti-Submarine and Utility Sea King which took the roles of the SaR, ASW and Utility H-2 Seaprite, H-19 Chicksaw and the H-34 Seabat and Seahorse.
As for the defence armament, I believe had the ship been refit then its 16 4.5-inch QF dual-purpose Naval Guns have been more than halved or eliminated completely along half or all of the 40mm Bofors Anti-Aircraft Guns to allow four 4-rail Guided Weapon System 20 for 40 Seacat Ship-Based Surface to Air Missile and two 2-rail Guided Weapon System 30 for 40 Sea Dart Ship-Based Surface to Air Missile.
Probably in 1980s had the ship still been around would probably have the older 4-rail GWS-20 for the Seacat Ship-Based SAM and two 2-rail GWS-30 for the Sea Dart Ship-Based SAM and any 4.5-inch QF dual-purpose Naval Guns be replaced by the 2-rail 2-rail Guided Weapon System 31 for 40 Seadart-Mk.2 Ship-Based Surface to Air Missiles while any remaining 40mm Bofors Anti-Aircraft Guns be replaced by the 20mm Goalkeeper Close In-Weapon System.
I know most of this is fanfiction history but cancelled ships are more fun as you can make up a plausible history for a cancelled ship is what I find more fun