Falklands War 40th Anniversary GB

It is one of the great aviation stories. I've read descriptions of the Victors taking off in waves from Ascension- quite a big noisy deal in the middle of the night.

I must be in the minority but I enjoyed building the old Matchbox kit back in the day.

I built mine as a bomber, which took a lot of modifications.

Along with the Airfix Vulcan and the Mach 2 Valiant (total crap), had a white V Force.

All three are intake-hell builds. But I have a bunch of books about all three so if anyone needs something looked up just let me know.

Bill

Its lucky there are not many people living on Ascension. I have stopped on the island a few times heading north and south, its amazing how they fitted all those big aircraft on the apron.

Bish

Its lucky there are not many people living on Ascension. I have stopped on the island a few times heading north and south, its amazing how they fitted all those big aircraft on the apron.

 

Yes it sure was.

Throw in some C-141's and VC-10s as well.

Bill

Nice photo Bill. Thats not even half the Vicor fleet, it might have been taken early on as the Victors started arriving over a week before the Vulcans. then there was the Nimrods, as you mention, plus the Phantoms.

I am pretty sure the area in your pic is where our aircraft parked and the terminal is now in the space between those closet buildings and the tarmac. we usually had a 2 hour stop over there.

Hmmmm I have the Kinetic Pucara on order.... comes with Tombas markings

Bish

I am pretty sure the area in your pic is where our aircraft parked and the terminal is now in the space between those closet buildings and the tarmac. we usually had a 2 hour stop over there.

 

Bish. These are my kits.

Tamiya 1/48 Sea Harrier FRS.1

Italeri 1/48 A-4 Skyhawk.

I like the badge .. 

GMorrison

 

 

Bish

I am pretty sure the area in your pic is where our aircraft parked and the terminal is now in the space between those closet buildings and the tarmac. we usually had a 2 hour stop over there.

 

 

 

 

Just enough time to hit the town...

 

 

There isn't much of a town there. We did have one over night stay and were put up on the base near by.

Nice combination there Nick. And thanks. It took a while to get it right.

Interesting fact I recently paid attention to.

During the war there were 12 extended range Nimrod patrols from Ascension Island; 4 more than Black Buck missions.

Each of those patrols required an inflight fueling mission of 12 Victor K2s.

And I would guess at least one reserve Nimrod.

If you ever want to really add flight hours to your ticker, build the Airfix kit.

Bill

I really had my heart set on Takom's AML-90 in Argentine markings, but I can't justify the price of that kit right now.  It looks good, so I will still keep an eye out for one on sale.

Fate was kind to me and I nabbed Dragon's 1/700 25th Falklands Anniversary kits of the HMS Invincible and HMS Sheffield at fair prices.  I will probably build up both assuming they arrive in the mail and if all goes to plan through June '22.

For ARA builders, there are a couple of ways to go.

There are a number of Brooklyn class cruiser kits in plastic or resin. Any of those could be built up as the ARA General Belgrano with a little research.

There's only one kit that I am aware of of a Colossus class aircraft carrier; the one boxed by Heller on 1/400 scale. It is a good kit and could be made up as the ARA Veinticinco de Mayo with a little research. 

Bill

GMorrison

Interesting fact I recently paid attention to.

During the war there were 12 extended range Nimrod patrols from Ascension Island; 4 more than Black Buck missions.

Each of those patrols required an inflight fueling mission of 12 Victor K2s.

And I would guess at least one reserve Nimrod.

If you ever want to really add flight hours to your ticker, build the Airfix kit.

 

Bill

 

I think thats often forgotten about. And after an encounter with an Argentin survaliance airccraft, at least one Nimrod was armed with sidewinders. But they never got to fire them.

I have the Airfix kit, which includes the sidewinders, but i didn't get decals with mine and i could not find any AM ones for 82, so have had to settle for an Op Granby set of markings.

Robert, pity about the AML-90, i saw that kit on scalemates but didn't look at the price. Would be nice to have more ground vehicles. But its good to ahve some ship involved, and hopefully we can get some ARA ships.

Yeah, I wanted to build a ship but frankly, I'm buried in ships right now. It's nice to have a plane on occasion to knock something out so you feel like you've done something. I was looking for several of Her Majestys ships for quite some time. I either looked at the wrong times or something, but never found what I was looking for. Too bad the Duke Class wasn't there, I have one of those.

Bish

 

 

GMorrison

Interesting fact I recently paid attention to.

During the war there were 12 extended range Nimrod patrols from Ascension Island; 4 more than Black Buck missions.

Each of those patrols required an inflight fueling mission of 12 Victor K2s.

And I would guess at least one reserve Nimrod.

If you ever want to really add flight hours to your ticker, build the Airfix kit.

 

Bill

 

 

 

 

I think thats often forgotten about. And after an encounter with an Argentin survaliance airccraft, at least one Nimrod was armed with sidewinders. But they never got to fire them.

I have the Airfix kit, which includes the sidewinders, but i didn't get decals with mine and i could not find any AM ones for 82, so have had to settle for an Op Granby set of markings.

 

Another interesting subject is the P2 Neptune that did forward control on the Exocet mission against Sheffield while acting as SAR for any survivors of the General Belgrano sinking.

Bish

Robert, pity about the AML-90, i saw that kit on scalemates but didn't look at the price. Would be nice to have more ground vehicles. But its good to ahve some ship involved, and hopefully we can get some ARA ships.

 

I was seeing it for $55 at the cheapest on Ebay, most higher.  It is just such a small vehicle, I reckon roughly the size of a large 1/72 tank, I'd be a buyer at the $35 to $40 price range.  None of the US sites seem to even list it either, tragically.

If I know what I was doing, I could probably rework the Sheffield into the ARA Hércules, but I will just do it OOB because scratchbuilding is not my strong suit.

It may even be a Supermarine/Vickers crossover...the Sheffield and Hércules were built by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd!  As was the Invincible.

keavdog

Hmmmm I have the Kinetic Pucara on order.... comes with Tombas markings

 

I see it now arrived John, so what you reckon.

Couldn't pass this one up. I'm siding with the Argentines with this one. A Heller 1/72nd scale Super Entendard with exocet missile.

Got you on the roster Mark, welcome aboard.

keavdog

Hmmmm I have the Kinetic Pucara on order.... comes with Tombas markings

 

Sure, laugh, but that was done in real time with ladders.

Now, at 1/48; following the law of cubes you'll have eight times as much space up front for weight and eight times as much air in the tail, give or take any plastic thickness differences.

Might just work.

Bill

3 days to go guys, GB kicks off on Fri.

Bish

3 days to go guys, GB kicks off on Fri.

 

Holy smoke, that came up quick!

Time flies doesn't it.

The older I get the faster it flies. It's currently at Mach 2 for me.

Ain't that the truth. I look at models i have built and it feels it was only a few months ago, then i realise it was 2 or 3 years ago.

Wait. What. What happened to New Year's?

fotofrank

Wait. What. What happened to New Year's?

 

That was last week.

Put me down for Dragon's 1/700 Type 42 Destroyer.  It's their Falklands War 25th anniversary release.

They give the decals and flags for the HMS Sheffield or ARA Hercules, it will be a hard decision to make...

Will do Glamdring, either of those will work. Our first ship.