Spinners

I must admit to thinking about the F-104 in ADA service and the decals included in the Mirage IIIC DLC make this easier than you might think.

GIMP is free and you'll find tutorials at the Simmers Paint Shop and probably on YouTube. With respect, a tutorial would take someone hours to write so please see what you can find on the web. It's all if you bother to look!

Dassault-Convair F-114A Mirage - 119th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, New Jersey ANG, 1965 During the Spring of 1961 the incoming Secretary of Defence Robert S. McNamara left no stone unturned in his search for efficiencies in procurement and operational costs and his attention soon turned to the Air Defence units of the Air National Guard (ANG). At the time the ANG units were operating a mix of early 1950's jet fighters such as the F-84 and F-86 alongside the hot ships of the 'Century Series' with some fanciful and expensive plans on future re-equipment by advanced versions of the F-106 and, looking further ahead, the F-108. But McNamara soon put these plans in jeopardy by setting his whizz-kids to work on a lower cost solution. Adoption of the F-4 Phantom II by the USAF was all well and good but this was an expensive beast even when considering 'commonality' and with several hundred aircraft to replace another solution was needed. Envious eyes were soon turned to Europe where two excellent single-engined Mach 2 interceptors were entering service - the Saab Draken and the Mirage III and 'Project Zeus' was an exhaustive study into the operational effectiveness and expected cost-savings of both types measured against re-starting the recently closed F-106A production line. Studies continued through 1961 and early 1962 and, when published in May 1962, 'Project Zeus' revealed that the Mirage IIIC offered the best combination of price and performance. Crucially, it further outlined that only a minimum change version would yield sufficient cost savings as plans to re-engine the Mirage with the J-79 and to introduce the Hughes MA-X radar (essentially a scaled-down version of their MA-1 integrated fire control system as fitted to the F-106A) reduced the gains to zero. With Convair's hopes of further F-106A production dashed they readily agreed to partner Dassault and licence-produce the Mirage IIIC for the USAF soon designated as the F-114A. Production commenced in late 1963 and the type entered service in May 1964 with the 119th Fighter Interceptor Squadron of the New Jersey ANG. The F-114A served until the early 1980's with most replaced by the F-16A (ADC).

New toy for the ANG.. Dassault-Convair F-114 Mirage - 119th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, New Jersey ANG, 1965

lol - giving the baggage handlers even more time to screw up!

Check mate...

In the stock game it's not a flyable aircraft and therefore wasn't flyable before you patched to June 2011. Unless, of course, you had a flyable 'mod' and therefore the June 2011 patch overwrote your flyable F-104G.

BAe Thunderstorm F.3's - No.19 Squadron, RAF Germany, 1989

British Aerospace Thunderstorm F.3 - No.92 Squadron, RAF Germany, 1987

The Shenyang F-8M Finback masquerading as the... British Aerospace Thunderstorm F.3 - No.92 Squadron, RAF Germany, 1987 Tracing it's ancestry back to the Supermarine Scarab design started in the mid-1950's the Thunderstorm F.3 was the final version of the Scarab/Thunderstorm family of interceptor-fighters and the last all-British combat aircraft. Scramble! Erwin_Hans lovely F-8M 'early'

Good work! Back in the day I thought this one would reach reality.

@ ravenclaw_007 - sensational!

Agreed!

I thought he was one of the Marx brothers...

Nice work Ed. Good to have you back.

Nope. If it's just the flight badge you're after I'll pm you after work.

Supermarine Scarab F.1's - No.74 Squadron 'The Tigers', RAF Fighter Command, 1961.

The Shenyang J-8 'Finback' masquerading as the... Supermarine Scarab F.1 - No.74 Squadron, 'The Tigers', RAF Fighter Command, 1961 During early 1955 the expected transition of the English Electric Lightning from research aircraft to front-line interceptor troubled senior RAF officials who urgently demanded an alternative design as insurance and to also take advantage of the early lessons learned from the P.1A which had first flown during the previous year. Despite the epic failure of their Swift design Supermarine were entrusted with this project as the Air Ministry were aware that they had been designing a supersonic interceptor as a follow-on to their submission to Specification F.4/48 and by March 1955 their Type 557 had evolved into a twin-engined tailed delta with a nose intake and translating shock cone housing a Ferranti AI.23 AIRPASS radar and fire-control system and Operational Requirement OR.333 was drafted around this design. Work on the new design progressed well at the Hursley Park design offices during 1955 and 1956 and soon metal was being cut at the South Marston works leading to a first flight in October 1957 which put the programme only about six months behind the P.1B Lightning. Powered by two Rolls-Royce RA.24R Avon engines rated at 11,250lb thrust dry and 14,500lb with reheat the Type 557 appeared at the 1958 Farnborough airshow where the rather unflattering name 'Scarab' was officially bestowed upon the type. Prototype and pre-production testing went well during 1958 and 1959 and by early 1960 Scarab F.1's were being delivered to Air Fighting Development Squadron before entering operational squadron service in June 1960 with No.74 squadron at Coltishall. This is, of course, the Shenyang J-8 'Finback' by Erwin_Hans in it's early nose intake configuration.

Top tip!

http://www.insky.cn/...47-fpage-4.html Then play around with the decals.ini and the texture.ini

Sukhoi Su-50 - 302nd Hikotai, JASDF

We don't need the LOD's but OUT files would be nice

Phantom FGR.3 - No.1417 Flight, RAF Belize, 1975