Friday, July 27, 2018

Project CF-188 A and B 410 TFS "Cougars"


Part of a large order that includes several special Royal Canadian Air Force liveries, Torbram Satinier requested four aircraft from the 410 Tactical Fighter Squadron "Cougars" in their standard colors. The project was made ahead of the release of market place versions of RCAF CF-188 A and B standards that will belong to another squadron, since this client has the 410 TFS standards exclusive. The two versions, A and B, of the Canadian license built F/A-18's known in Canada as CF-188 are out of factory aircraft without too much wear and tear, hence the almost pristine blue-gray tones on their liveries.

The B models are 410 Cougars replicas and the A models are alternate renditions of the single seat as if flown by the Cougars. Note that serial 188761 is usually a 425 TFS aircraft often used by the RCAF demo team - as was the case with the Battle of Britain demo aircraft in 2015 ( see here! ). Since all the specials ordered by the client were "Cougars" a decision was made to create alternate liveries of the CF-188A's with the requested serials 188757 and 188761.
 
Click images to enlarge.

410 "Cougars" CF-188 Hornets by Asra Kron.

Both models, A and B, were supplied with all payload options available for cruise and VICE combat models of Shana's F/A-18 single and two seat aircraft.

Real life Cougar 901 all points clean on the tarmac.
 
410 Tactical Fighter (Operational Training) Squadron is the home of Canadian Forces CF-18 Hornet pilot training. Its mission is: "To Train World Class Fighter Pilots to Meet Canada's Needs."
410 "Cougar" Squadron runs two ab initio Fighter Pilot Courses (FPC) each year, training up to 20 fighter pilots. Each course comprises seven intense months of academics, simulator flights and flying missions. Graduates are taken from 419 Tactical Fighter (Training) Squadron (also known as NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) Phase IV) and then provided with the tools to develop a solid foundation in both air-to-air and air-to-ground fighter combat.

Real life CF-188A 188757 still with 401 TFS in 2014 deploying landing gear.
 
Areas covered in depth include basic and advanced aircraft handling, instrument flight, formation flying, night flying, all-weather interception, air-to-air refuelling, Basic Fighter Manoeuvres (BFM - "dogfighting skills") and air combat. The latter half of each FPC comprises academic air-to-ground weapons delivery and Close Air Support (CAS), as well as advanced Air Interdiction (AI) tactics - the former usually completed during a squadron deployment to the south-western United States in the late spring and early fall due to the significantly better weather and the sheer number of bombing ranges available.

Concurrent with this significant mandate, 410 Squadron is also responsible for training and re-certifying approximately five former CF-18 Hornet pilots annually. These are pilots who are returning to the CF-18 cockpit after a ground or exchange tour. Furthermore, 410 Squadron also trains newly arrived foreign exchange officers who will be joining one of Canada's two operational fighter squadrons. As their backgrounds can differ significantly, each course is tailored to the individual based on their experience and demonstrated competencies.



LIVERY COST:
The cost of a Shana Aircraft F/A-18C unique custom livery is 3,000 L$ with guaranteed exclusive and support for 12 months. Auto paint delivery system included. Pilot name modification by the client is possible, though usually included in the work. Additional liveries of this design licensed by the buyer to others will involve a 600 L$ fee due by each of the chosen recipients. A pack of two liveries ordered at the same time for this livery model applied to its F/A-18D counterpart varies from  4,000 L$ to 5,000 L$, depending on the work involved in the transposition of the C model to the D model. Same warranty applicable in all cases.

AIRCRAFT PROFILE COST:
The cost of a Shana Aircraft F/A-18C unique aircraft profile using the unique livery ordered is 500 L$. Supplied with frame. Permissions: no mod, copy, no transfer.

TIME TO COMPLETION:
48 hours from start, 72 hours with profile. Start depending on lined up and ongoing work.

AIRCRAFT INFO:
!SC : F/A-18C and F/A-18D Hornet - v1.3.5
Shana Aircraft does not have a SL Market Place store. You will need to find the F/A-18C Hornet in a vendor at Shana Carpool's store in Meridas (SLUR here).

Note: Color schemes for this aircraft without U.S.N. Third Fleet S.L. markings but using generic Navy markings are available on demand. U.S.N. Third Fleet S.L. orders have a special discount on this type. See Third Fleet price list here!


Disclaimer:
All references in this entry refer only to the item illustrated. 

Sunday, May 20, 2018

Royal Navy F/A-18D 892 NAS 005

  
Available on the MP - CLICK HERE TO SEE!

This is my impression of what a F/A-18D Hornet would look like if the 892 Naval Air Squadron had adopted it to replace the Phantom F4K's were it not disbanded in 1978.
The livery has most of the old F4K elements down to the canopy ejection line and it also includes a homage to the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle that took place on the very day this livery was painted on the aircraft and flown for the first time as part of a 100 RAF group grid flight. You can find the inscription with the Royal Wedding crest on the aft door of the frontal landing gear. The date (19MAY2018) also shows on both "anvils" over the wing extensions.

Click images to enlarge!
 









With the Homebase at RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset, England, and the HMS Ark Royal as the Mother Ship, 892 Naval Air Squadron operated from 1969 to 1978. The first record of service places the squadron at RNAS Yeovilton from 31 March 1969 to 18 October 1969, followed by short sea trials aboard the USS Saratoga from 16 October 1969 to 24 October 1969. The last RN catapult launch was from Ark’s waist cat' at 15.11hrs. The honours fell to Flt Lt M.MacLeod RAF & Lt D. McCallum in Phantom F4K "012". McCallum was the deputy Air Engineer Officer (DAEO). It was his first flight in a Phantom F4K. On 04 December 1978 the Ark Royal returned to Devonport to pay off and 11 days later 892 Sqn disbanded at RAF Leuchars. This F/A-18D honors the Sqn and its Mother Ship, painted in the same colors as the 892 Squadron Phantom F4K’s. The Squadron's badge is prominent on the fin in red, white and black; the black letter "Omega" was chosen for the marking as it is the last letter of the Greek alphabet, and at the time of its formation it was thought that 892 would be the last fixed-wing Naval Squadron. The white letter "R" is the code for HMS Ark Royal and the white "005" on the nose is the individual aircraft identification number. The Squadron's Phantoms carried codes between 001 and 017.

From Eight Shades of Blue aircraft profile (included with the Paint Kit).




JASDF Mitsubishi F-3B 8TFS (F/A18D)


 
Available on the MP - CLICK HERE TO SEE!

Click images to enlarge!
 









What if the Japanese had chosen Hornets to upgrade their air self-defense force? Currently flying Mitsubishi license built F-16's, the 8th Tactical Fighter Squadron, based at Tsuiki, Japan, was the unit chosen to lend their colors to this WHAT IF series Hornet. Just as with the F-15 and F-16, had the F-18 been chosen the most likely manufacturer to produce them in Japan would be Mitsubishi, so this model represents a Mitsubishi F-3B (F/A-18D). The choice of the F-3 type comes after the real life F-16 Mitsubishi type, named Mitsubishi F-2A (single seat) and F-2B (two seat).