Blackburn Skua - camo is on

[dahut]

and she's complete !

Very nice. Excellent work and wonderful build along website. I commend you.

Now from the Dumb Yank Department: What's a Skua?

[Mentalguru]

Hmmm...............

And what exactly does hmmmm mean?

Does it mean- gosh thats nice..?

[bexwh773]

Stephane, shes totally gorgeous, excellent job

Bex

[rdxtnt]

Superb work Steph

[KiwiSteve]

Great looking build Stef

[periklis_sale]

Stef this in one great painted and weathered model!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BRAVO!!!!!

[Alan P]

You managed to make an unremittingly ugly aeroplane look quite nice!

I hear Jade Goody's looking for a make-up artist, you should apply......

[miduppergunner]

Superb!!

[Ian]

You managed to make an unremittingly ugly aeroplane look quite nice!

I hear Jade Goody's looking for a make-up artist, you should apply......

I wish to be associated with the comments of this speaker ! - superb work, Stephane just superb.

Ian

[Stéphane]

Hello, boys,

Well, thanks a lot for the kind words, I'm glad you like my beau-gly plane.

I was discussing elsewhere about what the engineers/designers at Blackburn were adding to their tea to design such .... well, er, planes with such a strong hum ... personality ...

For the Yank : the Skua is a kind of small sea gull, If I'm not wrong :

Of course now, you come to understand why the name : a kind of family look, between these two birds .

Cheers

Stef (#6)

[dahut]

For the Yank : the Skua is a kind of small sea gull, If I'm not wrong :

Of course now, you come to understand why the name : a kind of family look, between these two birds .

Cheers, Stef (#6)

Agree'd Steph. An odd bird to name a plane after. I'll bet it has some redeeming quaility we know nothing of.

[Antoine]

Well done once again, Steph.

Is there a specific story behind this aircraft?

[Antoine]

Ok, found it.

L2963, 7F, from 803 sqn FAA, lost on the disastrous attack on the German cruiser Scharnhorst, Norway, 13 june 40.

Crashed at Orkanger, Frosetskjaeret, due to fighters (Maybe 109 from II./JG77) or flak.

Crew Lieutenant Cecil H. Filmer, RN and Midshipman Thomas A. McKee, DSC, RN, both safe and becoming POW.

L2963 was one of eight Skua lost out of an attacking force of fifteen, from 800 and 803 sqn FAA from Ark Royal.

Edited December 12, 2007 by Antoine

[perry]

lovely work on an unusual and till recently largely forgotten plane. Nice to see that the crews of these aircraft who often flew what were little more than suicidal missions are beginning to be remembered in the modelling world.

[dahut]

Nice to see that the crews of these aircraft who often flew what were little more than suicidal missions are beginning to be remembered in the modelling world.

Id be curious to know if that was coincidence or deliberate.

[Stéphane]

Hello,

To Perry, Antoine and Dahut, thanks for your appreciative comments.

When I'm making a model, the history background for me, is as much important as the plane type. And the research that goes along with it is as interesting as the kit building is fun ...

The use of that plane in very dangerous (close to suicidal, indeed) operations was instrumental to gain time to prepare mobilization of the Commonwealth forces.

Skuas, Swordfish and Fulmars did bear the burden of the early war operations at sea, and they paid the time gained in sheer blood.

So, indeed these crews are to be remembered. That this rememberance is now more coincidental than before, I'm not the one to judge.

But that was a fun build, of plane that can't enter competition for sexyest of the year, but indeed it's an interesting machine. The kit itself is not the easiest to build, but what, are we modellers or hairdressers ??!!!

cheers, I'm on for one (or more) celebration Jack Daniel's

Stef (#6)

[InFlames]

you did a great job, Stef! I like the weathering!