Absolutely The Last Starfighters!

[Spinners]

Lockheed F-104H Starfighter - Grupo 8 de Caza, Fuerza Aérea Argentina, 1982

During the Spring of 1965 the Fuerza Aérea Argentina formally issued an operational requirement for a supersonic fighter-bomber to supplement and eventually replace it's F-86 Sabre force and to operate alongside the Douglas Skyhawks that were just entering service. The BAC Lightning was quickly ruled out as being short on range and undeveloped in the air-to-ground role and by the end of 1965 Fuerza Aérea Argentina officials declared that the choice was between the Dassault Mirage III and the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter. Lockheed had proposed a new variant, the F-104H, a projected export version based on the F-104G but with an optical gunsight and simplified equipment. Following a visit by Lockheed representatives to the Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires in early July 1966 the newly inaugurated President Juan Carlos Onganía announced that 36 F-104H's would be procured for the Fuerza Aérea Argentina. Entering service in March 1968 with Grupo 8 de Caza at the Military Air Base Mariano Moreno the F-104H's served until 2006 when the last Starfighters operating anywhere in the world were finally retired.

 

 

 

 

 

[+Wrench]

So, that's Alex Rogan and Grig???

------

would have thought they might have bought re-furbished 104S from Italy and Turkey, to replace the G (H) as their airframes timed out

[Spinners]

 

“Greetings, Starfighter. You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the frontier against Xur and the Ko-Dan armada.”

[Mike Dora]

These would have been great in the 1982 Falklands/Malvinas War. Even better than the Mirage IIIEA.

For the SHARs...

 

BTW do not misunderstand, I have 4 friends who served in that unfortunate conflict. Two on each side, one each navy, air force. All highly respected (though of the 2 navy friends, I liked Carlos; less sure of David..  )

Edited March 21, 2021 by Mike Dora

[KJakker]

 

[dsawan]

Begging for a standalone release.

[snowburn]

On 21/3/2021 at 5:01 PM, Mike Dora said:

These would have been great in the 1982 Falklands/Malvinas War. Even better than the Mirage IIIEA.

it would be great to try, i was thinking about the '82 conflict with an alternative lineup, i know it will not be practical but it can be fun :)

 

Argentine Air Force

A4B / A4C for  F-8

Mirage III for F-104

Mirage V for F-5

Canberra for Vautour

Pucada for OV-10 

 

Argentine Navy

A4Q for F-8

Super Etendard for A-7

Turbo Mentor for Alpha Jet

 

Royal Navy

Harrier FRS1 for F4K

Harrier GR.3 for Buccanneer

 

Please feel free to suggest any changes :)

Edited March 23, 2021 by snowburn
Typos

[Mike Dora]

Don’t forget:

RN

“nothing” for Gannet AEW3

 

Which, combined with the Phantom FG1’s superb BVR capability, would perhaps give the British a very unfair advantage?

...in other words, exactly the way the British prefer to fight😉

 

Of course this assumes that the old Ark Royal could make it that far. I was on her for a couple of weeks in early 1978, by when only 3 of her 4 main engines were working, and halfway across the Atlantic she broke down altogether. Luckily it was fine, calm weather, but even in peacetime it felt very odd sitting there motionless while the engine room team frantically fixed things. Reminded us of a key scene from “The Cruel Sea”.

Edited March 23, 2021 by Mike Dora

[snowburn]

1 hour ago, Mike Dora said:

Don’t forget:

RN

“nothing” for Gannet AEW3

You're right!!!

and the last one:

RAF (Stanley / Puerto Argentino Airport)
"nothing" for Hunter F.6M  (Spinners made an excelent skin for this)

The AEW can be a game-changer i dont know if SF2 simulates it or they are only for visual-candy but it is worth a try :)
 

 

I was thinking about an argentine landing on West Falklands / Gran Malvina on Late 70s / Early 80s, keeping Port Stanley / Puerto Argentino on British hands for political reasons

Luckily this time the battle will only occurs on our screens 

Edited March 23, 2021 by snowburn
lots of typos :)

[Spinners]

I'll release this FAA F-104 later this week.

[Mike Dora]

Hunter F.6M?

Just looked that up,  a Spinners SF2 job with Firestreaks. Interesting. However, having crawled over Lightnings, and seeing the size of the alternate internal systems packs for their Firestreak and Red Top missiles, am fairly sure that the only way the Firestreak pack would fit in a Hunter would be to use the space allocated for the Aden gun pack. Meaning, no guns.

BTW Snowburn, by your suggested timescale those Hunters would have been replaced by ex-RAFG Lightning F2As. Which in the real world were by then parked around RAFG airfields as decoy targets. Finally! A role for which the “Frightning” had adequate  range..   (that ac was so fuel-desperate, it had fuel tanks in its flaps. Really).

 

Changing angle slightly, I see that Spinners “assigned” his Hunters F.6M to 1435 Flt, which since 1982 has operated Phantoms, Tornados and now Typhoons from the Malvinas/Falklands. Nice piece of historical continuity there on the part of my former service. The original 1435 Flt operated 3 Sea Gladiators in defence of Malta in 1940. So it is therefore our “remote island defence flight”.

Those Gladiators were famously named “Faith”, “Hope” and “Charity”. Today’s 1435 Typhoons (as were the Phantoms and Tornados before them) are correspondingly marked “F”, “H”, “C”, and “D”.

 

“D”?

 

“Desperation”...

 

 

Edited March 24, 2021 by Mike Dora

[Spinners]

8 hours ago, Mike Dora said:

Hunter F.6M?

Just looked that up,  a Spinners SF2 job with Firestreaks. Interesting. However, having crawled over Lightnings, and seeing the size of the alternate internal systems packs for their Firestreak and Red Top missiles, am fairly sure that the only way the Firestreak pack would fit in a Hunter would be to use the space allocated for the Aden gun pack. Meaning, no guns.

BTW Snowburn, by your suggested timescale those Hunters would have been replaced by ex-RAFG Lightning F2As. Which in the real world were by then parked around RAFG airfields as decoy targets. Finally! A role for which the “Frightning” had adequate  range..   (that ac was so fuel-desperate, it had fuel tanks in its flaps. Really).

 

Changing angle slightly, I see that Spinners “assigned” his Hunters F.6M to 1435 Flt, which since 1982 has operated Phantoms, Tornados and now Typhoons from the Malvinas/Falklands. Nice piece of historical continuity there on the part of my former service. The original 1435 Flt operated 3 Sea Gladiators in defence of Malta in 1940. So it is therefore our “remote island defence flight”.

Those Gladiators were famously named “Faith”, “Hope” and “Charity”. Today’s 1435 Typhoons (as were the Phantoms and Tornados before them) are correspondingly marked “F”, “H”, “C”, and “D”.

 

“D”?

 

“Desperation”...

 

 

if you checked out my Hunter F.6M you will have noted the numbers list;

XG480 - F - Faith    
XG482 - H - Hope
XG483 - C - Charity
XG484 - D - Desperation
XG495
XG497
XG498
XG499

I've also done Hunters with No.1417 Flight (Belize)

 

[crisisloaner]

GunStar fighters...

 

Now with added "laser"...

 

Edited March 26, 2021 by crisisloaner
additional content

[Spinners]

Getting back on topic....

Grupo 6 Starfighters - circa 2005

NB I'm using roundels through personal choice. I'm not trying to exactly replicate the Daggers & Fingers that were virtually devoid of national markings.

[Spinners]

Lockheed F-104H Starfighter - Grupo 4 de Caza, Fuerza Aérea Argentina, 1982

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 24, 2021 by Spinners