allenjb42

Thanks for the info Kevin. I'll look into it, unless of course.....

I've been toying with the idea of a Libya\Egypt install. They fought a brief war in the 1970s and a 1980s scenario would be doable too, either a straight fight between the two or part of a wider NATO\Warpac conflict in the Med, maybe set at the time of the USN\Libyan confontations. The planeset matchup is quite interesting, and we have pretty much all of the aircraft, and many of the skins, required - Libya has MiG-21, -23 and -25, Mirage 5 & F1 and Su-22s, and Egypt would have MiG-21, Su-7 & 20 and Mirage 5 to start with, and then also F-4E, F-16A and Mirage 2000 in a 1980s scenario. Tu-16s and Tu-22s could also be included for Egypt and Libya respectively. For helicopters, both sides have Mi-8s, and the Libyans have Mi-25s too. What sort of ground objects (tanks, APCs, AAA and SAMs) would be needed for each side in 1970s and 1980s scenarios? Do they both have Soviet equipment? The Libya map is not really useful because it doesn't have the border with Egypt, but if we had a modernised North Africa terrain based on Edwards\Wrench's WW2 version that would be perfect. What do you think?

Looks like something that Ernst Stavro Blofeld would like for Xmas, or maybe Dr Evil

HP Hampden?

There's a map at the front of the book showing where Ras Assanya is located. If you don't have a copy handy I can scan the page from mine. In 'The Warbirds' the 45th TFW had 3 squadrons of F-4Es (377th TFS, 378th TFS and 379th TFS). The tailcodes were AX (at Alexandria South, Egypt) and SW (at RAF Stonewood, England). I'm not sure about when they were at Ras Assanya, I'd have to read through the book again in detail, but if it's not in there would they change the code on deployment to something like RA, or keep the SW code? The cover of my copy of the book shows and F-4 in the grey scheme, which should be about right for the late 1980s when the story is set. The wing gained a detachment of F-4Gs and a squadron of F-15Cs. Saudi and IIRC Iraqi support is also mentioned. Other US support aircraft metioned are C-130s, KC-135s and a stealth recon fighter (maybe the F-19?) The Iranians are specifically mentioned as having MiG 23 Floggers. It shouldn't be too difficult to mod either a stock TW Flogger or a MF one to represent an Iranian bird, and presumably the Iranians would also have their stock aircraft from the IranIraq mod (F-4, F5, F-14 etc). Let me know if you need any more info. BTW, the Grain King rescue at the beginning of the book would make a nice quick mission - 2 F-4Es with wing tanks and gun vs 2 fully armed Libyan MiG 23s intercepting a USAF C-130 famine relief flight.

Excellent news! Any chance of adding the airbase at Ras Assanya and the prison and airstrip at Kermanshah as easter eggs? I'd like to have a bash at some Richard Herman missions in homage to your work in Janes FA. Maybe a Warbirds campaign and Force of Eagles mission pack?

And the Germans do have experience of building good submarines...

I'm getting the same problem.

Just uploaded on behalf of Sundowner: Thanks Ant!

View File BAC TSR.2 - Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (Grey Scheme) Iranian TSR.2 skins by Sundowner. Just drop into Objects\Aircraft\TSR2 in your mods folder and go fly. Enjoy Allenjb42 Submitter allenjb42 Submitted 04/20/2010 Category Fictional/What If Skins  

View File BAC TSR.2 - Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force Iranian TSR.2 skins by Sundowner. Just drop into Objects\Aircraft\TSR2 in your mods folder and go fly. Enjoy Allenjb42 Submitter allenjb42 Submitted 04/20/2010 Category Fictional/What If Skins  

View File BAC TSR.2 - Imperial Iranian Air Force Iranian TSR.2 skins by Sundowner. Just drop into Objects\Aircraft\TSR2 in your mods folder and go fly. Enjoy Allenjb42 Submitter allenjb42 Submitted 04/20/2010 Category Fictional/What If Skins  

Exercise PERSIAN FIRE - RAF BAC Thunderstrike S.2s participate in joint exrcises with the Imperial Iranian Air Force, deploying to Bushehr in July 1973. This time the Thunderstrikes wore more appropriate camoflage. The British jets flew with a number of Iranian types, including F-4 Phantoms and F-5 Tigers Once again there were rumours that the British aircraft crossed the border into the Soviet Union on reconnaisance missions and recently declassified former-Soviet Air Force signal data does show that fighter interceptors were scrambled on a number of occasions during the course of the exercise. For a short time upon it's return to the UK the aircraft pictured below sported a red star below the cockpit, signifying an air-to-air 'kill'. As the Thunderstrike carried no air-to-air missiles at this time, nor has it been equipped with a gun, the origin of this maerking can only be speculated upon, and the crew of the aircraft have never publicly commented on their activities during the period of Exercise PERSIAN FIRE in anything more than general terms. The pilot, Squadron Leader P Smeal, left the RAF in 1975 to take up a position in the air force of the former British colony of Dhimar and was instrumental in negotiating an order for the Thunderstrike for that service, flying the aircraft himself on a number of combat missions in the long running border conflict with neighboring Paran. Smeal's navigator/weapons operator during PERSIAN FIRE was a USAF exchange officer, Captain F C Harold. His exchange tour finished soon after the exercise and he rejoined his F-111 unit in the UK. Like Smeal he became an advocate of the Thunderstrike and strongly lobbied his superiors to consider acquiring the aircraft. Harold left the USAF and became a famed designer of aircraft and weapons systems. Ironically, in the 1990s several of his designs were stolen by Iranian agents and later re-surfaced in the Saeqeh (Thunderbolt) fighter. From Osprey Air Combat 105: RAF BAC Thunderstrike Units in Combat author S Pinners, illus. S U Ndowner (2012)

Kol HaKavod!

Many happy returns Yuri.

1969: RAF Thunderstrike S.1s deploy to Iran for Exercise PERSIAN FLAME, a series of joint exercises with the Imperial Iranian Air Force: The exercises included low recon, defence supression and level penetration missions using both conventional and nuclear weapons: There were persistent rumours that RAF aircraft carried out cross-border recce missions into the southern Soviet Union, but military authorities in both the UK and Iran would offer no comment, although it is interesting to note that the operational records relating to this exercise have remained sealed under a special 50-year ruling. The Shah of Iran was particularly impressed by the performance of the British jets in both this exercise and the later Exercise PERSIAN FIRE in 1973, involving Thunderstrike S.2 aircraft, and personally directed the commander of the air force to investigate the possibility of procuring enough aircraft to equip several squadrons. From Osprey Air Combat 105: RAF BAC Thunderstrike Units in Combat author S Pinners, illus. S U Ndowner (2012)

Fast work my friend

My parents were supposed to fly from Liverpool to Spain this morning. They got up at 03.30 to be there at 05.30 and arrived to be told the flight was cancelled. There were huge queues to re-book so they went home. I think they're going to re-book over the net, but no-one is sure when the flights are going to be re-started in any case.

Many happy returns guys

That sorted it. Thanks Kev. BTW the screens are up to your usual standard

Had my first flight in this one tonight in my BoB install. It was very realistic and pretty historically accurate. 16 of us took off to intercept an inbound raid but got bounced by the escort (Fiat Cr-42s). The first fighter was shot down by our gunners, ptrobably thought he was bouncing a squadron of Hurricanes! After that it was a wild melee and the final result was that none of the bombers were touched, the enemy lost only that first fighter and we had 4 shot down, including me(!), and another 7 damaged. It would have probably been worse if I hadn't hit esc to report back to you guys. A couple of points: - I edited the data.ini to change the start date from 1942 to 1939, when the plane actually entered service. - I think there might be a LOD problem, because in the external view the Defiants disappear when you zoom out a short distance from them. When you look at the flyby view it's as if they have a Romulan invisibilty cloak that keeps switching on and off. Although it didn't affect the enemy fighters' aim. Having said all that it was a nice plane to fly. Any chance of a night fighter skin?

Many happy returns mate.