Jump to content

RNZAF A-4K Kahu+


Gekko_1

Recommended Posts

#1 and #6... awesome... and what it the Kiwis traded their A-Ks... for newer A-4Ms...???

Actually the A-4K Kahu upgrade would have been at least the equivalent to the A-4M, probably closer to an F-16A. The RNZAF was due to upgrade to 28 F-16A/B Block 15 Fighting Falcons, but their Government had a brain fart and cancelled, then got rid of their Strike Wing too! :wacko:

Richard.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah.... too bad about the F-16s... and I just thought had history taken a different turn, and they never had done the Kahu upgrade, a more modern looking Skyhawk like the "M" would look good in your markings as well... I'll definetly be getting your decals when they come out...! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah.... too bad about the F-16s... and I just thought had history taken a different turn, and they never had done the Kahu upgrade, a more modern looking Skyhawk like the "M" would look good in your markings as well... I'll definetly be getting your decals when they come out...! :D

The option to not doing kahu was to purchase F16s in the 80's. I know the whole thread is what-if, but the aircraft were too new in the late '70's to be replaced by the M, and by the time replacement or upgrade was considered the M was not enough of a step up from the E to be worthwhile.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please keep us up to date with your decals, I know a few chaps who will be very interested over here.

Will do!

Cheers

Richard.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awesome scooter profiles richard I really like N#s 5, 9 but the one that really stands out for me would be N#13 that afghan scheme is the business B)

Cheers Steve! :thumbsup:

11.

TA-4Kmokomoko.jpg

Cheers

Richard.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
5,9,14 and #2 of the 2 seaters..

Decals??

Harald

Not sure if I'll produce decals for these. Producing decals is an extremely time consuming and expensive process and I have neither the time nor the cash to put into it at the moment. Ultimately I'd love to produce a decal sheet(s) for these though. We'll see.

Richard.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Richard, anything further on the final style A4-k decals as mentioned in post #25 above. I'd happily donate my left wotsit for a decal sheet in 1/72 for them. :lol:

Steve

And I 'd happily let Steve donate, it if you did them in 1/48th as well. :thumbsup:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And I 'd happily let Steve donate, it if you did them in 1/48th as well. :thumbsup:

At this stage it looks like I will release the 48th scale sheet as an addendum sheet to go with GG48-001 as it already has all the roundels and data etc for the all green scheme, all that is really needed is the names under the cockpit and a few extra stencils for the two seater so I will print this out on my Alps and sell it on its own or combined with GG48-001. So that will cover all of the all green scheme Kahus right up to their last day in RNZAF service.

The 1/144, 1/72 and 1/32nd scale sheet will have to wait until I raise enough money from the 48th scale sheets. As to when. Well, providing life stops throwing me endless curve balls hopefully by the end of July.

Cheers

Richard.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 years later...
1 hour ago, iainpeden said:

Wonderfully thought provoking as usual. Is it a case of New Zealand occupying its larger neighbour?

 

Nah, just helping out. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 09/02/2017 at 10:11 AM, Gekko_1 said:

A new one for 2017.

6f441a34-f6a0-4f39-a667-9f0e88ff6736.jpg

 

Cheers

 

Richard.

 

Ooooo I do like this......pity I didn't see this before I did the Euro scheme on my F-16!!  Though the masking would be a nightmare...I still haven't gotten over the 4 colour schemes of my Sukhoi's and they were much bigger!  Keep this up and I may have to get a Skyhawk!

 

DSCF3680_zpsexgifqmn.jpg

DSCF3485_zpsyjciggx3.jpg

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Operation: Wallaby Trap

 

Corporal Dave Treweek had always been artistic. He was amazed as he stared out of the lowered ramp of the RAAF Hercules he was travelling in, at the colours of the Northern Territory. Bright greens and red dirt, mixed with drab and dry desert colours, he’d never seen anything like it before. Little did he know but that moment was going to have ramifications for him and his Squadron, more than he could have ever thought possible.

 

Tensions between the U.S. and China were inevitably going to come to a head. Few could have anticipated just how badly the U.S. and her allies were going to fare against the mighty Dragon!

 

Royal Australian Navy and Royal New Zealand Air Force Skyhawks had been requested to immediately deploy to a newly constructed bare bones air base at a secret location in the Northern Territory. Nobody had foreseen this eventuality and the deployment order came as a struggle for both countries to get their jets north as soon as possible.

 

Both the RAN and RNZAF had recently taken delivery of refurbished A-4F Skyhawks from U.S. stocks. American strategists realising that both countries had a good track record with the type and would be able to bring them online relatively quickly. The RAN received twenty and the RNZAF twenty six. Both forces also received spares, engines, weapons, ground crew and pilots. Many of these from both active, Reserve and retired Marine and Navy personnel.

 

One of the first things realised upon deployment of the first wave of jets was the colours the jets were painted in. The RAN Skyhawks had a mix of gull gray and white and the air superiority colours of light admiralty grey and mid grey and both stood out like the proverbial dogs balls over the terrain of the Northern Territory. The Kiwi’s

A-4K’s looked right out of place in their European 1 scheme. With the RAN and RNZAF tasked with providing ground support for Army and USMC troops deployed to defend the North a suitable camouflage scheme was going to be needed and re-painting done as soon as possible.

 

To help with this would be a USMC Harrier deployment. Three Squadrons of AV-8B’s were on their way with everything needed to get the job done! Corporal Treweek, knowing of the urgency of the situation put forward several proposals for camouflaging the Skyhawk fleet. The Aussies already had at their disposal enough water based paint to paint three Skyhawks. As it so happened there were only four Skyhawks deployed to the based by the time Corporal Treweek and his team had arrived and two of the new RNZAF A-4K+ Skyhawks and one RAN A-4G were designated to be the first three jets to begin the camouflage trials schemes.

 

First to get the treatment was RNZAF A-4K+ NZ6222. On its first trial all four Skyhawks were to try to survive an attack by two USAF F-16’s and two F-15C’s. The pilot of No.22 decided to separate from the formation and stay low, but not too low as his shadow would betray his position. It worked! The USAF pilots gloated at how easy it was to bag the Skyhawks only to be told that both the F-16’s had been shot down by the as yet unseen No.22!

 

f73f75ce-c229-4117-8188-a77eec464262.jpg

 

Cheers

 

Richard.

https://twitter.com/gekko_graphics

 

https://www.facebook.com/Gekko-Graphics-243955695733324/

 

https://au.pinterest.com/gekkographics/

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...