The Sea Kestrel - The UK's X-Wing Fighter!

[Spinners 15,966]

BAe Sea Kestrel FRS.1 - 899 Naval Air Squadron, Royal Navy, 2002

 

The cancellation of the proposed CVA-01 in 1966 left the Royal Navy with no replacements in sight for both HMS Eagle and HMS Ark Royal and thus began a slow and painful run down in the Fleet Air Arm's fixed-wing capability. But in April 1973 the Admiralty were given a glimmer of hope by being allowed to procure three 'anti-submarine warfare' carriers of the Invincible class. Whilst primarily designed to take large numbers of medium sized ASW helicopters the Admiralty allowed for the deployment of the V/STOL Harrier and quickly followed up the order for the carriers with an initial order for 24 Sea Harriers (later increased to 34).

 

Entering service in 1978 (but not declared operational until 1981) the small Sea Harrier force performed remarkably well in the 1982 Falklands Conflict and with confidence high the Admiralty immediately planned for the attrition replacement of the six Sea Harriers lost, the speedy introduction of an improved version and also the design and development of a supersonic V/STOL successor. The first two elements of this plan were immediately approved but, in January 1983, the Admiralty were informed that the Sea Harrier replacement would have to be part of the RAF's Air Staff Target 403 (AST403) essentially for a planned successor for the Jaguar and Harrier in RAF service.

 

During this time the British Aerospace (BAe) design team at Kingston (formerly the Hawker design team) had been sketching advanced V/STOL designs to meet AST403 and could see that the involvement of the Royal Navy would lead to a larger UK programme and also open up a larger export market for an aircraft designed for land-based and carrier-based use. By March 1983 the Kingston design team had dusted off their P.1214 project and offered several versions to the UK Ministry of Defence. The build-up to the 1983 British General Election saw the Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher, make capital of the UK's victory in the previous year's Falklands War and on the promise of 'strong defence' they announced the decision to procure a successor to the Sea Harrier on June 2nd, 1983 with an order for 50 P.1214's for the Fleet Air Arm and a further 150 P.1214's for the RAF with initial deliveries going to the Royal Navy. Development moved smoothly and, as a nod towards the P.1214's lineage, the BAe design team renamed the aircraft Kestrel II.

 

Entering service in May 1988 with the newly reformed 892 Naval Air Squadron the Sea Kestrel FRS.1 served with four frontline Fleet Air Arm squadrons seeing service in both Gulf Wars and also the Second Falklands War of 2002.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you Cocas!

Edited April 13, 2013 by Spinners

[Vavavava 10]

That jet and the skin look awesome..will they be released ? Cocas and Spinners ? :)

[mdatelmi 124]

OMG!!! Simply stunning!!!

[+Coupi 4,279]

Superbe!!!

[dsawan 613]

Outstanding!

 

perfect for Falklands War 2.0. Chasing Argentine A-7R's

[B52STRATO 215]

Nice X-Wing ancestor one !

[+KnightWolf45 1,147]

has soon has decals and skins done it can be uploaded!

you can do it if you want Spinners

[Spinners 15,966]

Thank you Dan - I'm suffering with a nasty tooth abcess at the moment but will try to finish things off asap.

[+KnightWolf45 1,147]

get well frist man!

[Stratos 3,167]

Is really a VTOL aircraft? The skin looks great! Looking forward to a release. Any chance of a RAF Kestrel GR.3 for the 2nd Falklands war?

[+KnightWolf45 1,147]

its a ASTOVL type

need to check whit Spinners but land and sea versions will should be available whit the same LOD

[Stratos 3,167]

Interesting! Will be nice to land on a british carrier with it!

[CNAF 5]

May be cocas should speed up the work on the M4K ! Looking forward to it ! Thanks !

[Spinners 15,966]

May be cocas should speed up the work on the M4K ! Looking forward to it ! Thanks !

 

Me too! It's an exciting time on 'Planet Strike Fighters' at the moment.

[+KnightWolf45 1,147]

M4K his just waiting for FM to be made not my call on that part of the work

[CNAF 5]

Me too! It's an exciting time on 'Planet Strike Fighters' at the moment.

 

Can I say that you mean a whole map of the world is unde development ?

[Spinners 15,966]

Only in a galaxy far, far away....

[+crisisloaner 784]

Looks fantastic , what price a soviet T.I.E fighter ? !!!

[Spinners 15,966]

Sea Kestrel FRS.1 - 893 Naval Air Squadron, Royal Navy, 1998

[Spinners 15,966]

Hovering trials...

 

Tricky but dooable!

[Stratos 3,167]

Coooool! Think will look nice as a soviet Yak style SVTOL, hint hint...

[Spinners 15,966]

Hint Hint There is already a Soviet YAK style SVTOL...

[Stratos 3,167]

Yeah, the real one lol

[Spinners 15,966]

McDonnell Douglas F/A-19C - VMFA-333, United States Marine Corps, 1991

 

 

 

[Spinners 15,966]