Spinners

Katie Price

Supermarine Spitfire F24 - No.69 Squadron, Israeli Air Force, November 1956

Supermarine Spitfire F.24 - Soviet Air Force, 1949 The 1946 UK-USSR Trade Agreement saw the sale of Rolls-Royce Derwent and Nene jet engines to the Soviet Union along with an unexpected order for 200 Supermarine Spitfire F.24's for the Soviet Air Force for delivery during 1947. Little was known about these aircraft until during the Berlin Airlift when they were frequently encountered whilst patrolling the air corridors before gaining infamy on March 24th, 1949 when two USAF C-54's were shot down by Soviet Spitfires.

I've always had a soft spot for the Skyray since building the Airfix kit in the 1970's but it's fair to say that it's original J40 engine let it down badly and by the time it came right it was no longer cutting edge. At one time there was a shore-based USN squadron at San Diego that was the only non-USAF interceptor squadron in the United States and which was run by the colourful Cdr Eugene Valencia who picked up the prestigious NORAD Trophy in 1957 and again in 1958 which must have really hurt the boys in light blue!

Curtiss Kittyhawk 1A - No.19 Squadron, Royal Air Force, 1938 Inspired by the classic Spitfire picture below my 'what if' needs Curtiss to have got the XP-40 into the air a lot earlier...

Curtiss Kittyhawk 1A - No.43 Squadron, Royal Air Force, September 1938 'Munich Crisis'

For a quick thrash in any AI aircraft you can amend your Options.ini to include the following line; FlyAll=TRUE This goes in the [singleMission] section and you just need to change FALSE to TRUE. This then makes all aircraft flyable by giving your AI aircraft the A-4B pit. It's no substitute for a dedicated pit or a suitable substitute but it's a nice little 'quick and dirty' mod.

LTV Corsair GR.3A - No.112 Squadron, RAF Middle East Command, 1991

Yes, I know all that. That's why I commented that Curtiss would have needed to have got the XP-40 into the air a lot earlier.

Phantom Phrenzy!

4-Up

On borrowed time

Defender of the Faith

Snow Patrol

I thought that came in much, much earlier.

Canadian Tourist

BAC Thunderstrike Mk.56 - No.1 Squadron, Belgian Air Force, 1974 (Stock Third Wire Mirage Serial Numbers are used).

Saab J32 Lansen - HävLLv 31, Ilmavoimat, 1963

Trial and error. You'll get quicker with experience.

When I saw the title I thought you'd joined DCS... and how lonely must that be?

Valmet Aviation VLH-1 'Taifuuna' - Ilmavoimat, 1949 In the immediate aftermath of World War 2 the Finnish Ministry of Defence (Puolustusministeri) embarked upon a bold programme to build two indigenous fighter aircraft for service with the Ilmavoimat with Hävittäjä-A being planned to be an interim piston-engined fighter aircraft to enter service in 1948 whilst the more ambitious Hävittäjä-B was planned to be a jet propelled fighter aircraft to enter service in 1950. To facilitate the indigenous production of these fighter aircraft the Parliament of Finland quickly created the state-owned Valtion Lentokonetehdas aircraft company as part of their new Valtion Metallitehtaat conglomerate. By early 1946 the Hävittäjä-A project had become the VLH-1 (with a design heavily influenced by the North American P-51 Mustang but powered by a Rolls-Royce Griffon 73 engine rated at 2,250hp with fuel injection) whilst the more advanced Hävittäjä-B (VLH-2) project resembled the contemporary Saab 29. However, the VLH-2 was cancelled in October 1946 due to strong Soviet objections voiced during the Paris Peace Conference which had a major impact on the future size and shape of the Ilmavoimat. With all resources now focused on just one project development moved smoothly during 1947 with the VLH-1 prototype taking to the air on August 15th, 1947 from the small Valtion Lentokonetehdas company airfield alongside the Tampere production line. Entering service as the 'Taifuuna' (Typhoon) in 1948 a total of 60 VLH-1's were produced serving with three Ilmavoimat squadrons until they were replaced by Supermarine Swifts during the mid-1950's.

Runs smoothly for me and without stuttering.

Finnish Fishpot