RAF Lightnings over Africa (profiles)

[John]

Hi John,

'What if's' over Africa is one of my favourite modelling subjects. The reason why is that I can concentrate on my two most loved topics, those being weathering and camouflage schemes. Looking at a satellite map of Burkina Faso showed the typical African mix of dry arid land, in this case landlocked, so I chose colours that would best suit in such a harsh environment, with enough contrast to help break-up the shape of the Lightning whilst on the ground and flying at low level.

Because Africa is such a harsh environment weathering would come into play very early on in the aircrafts operational career. Therefore chipping, re-sprays and paint fading would all be taking place at various times and therefore make for a more interesting model on the display table.

Hope this answers your question.

Cheers

Richard.

Indeed! I wonder what the aircraft would have looked like when it emerged from the shop at St Athan, or what might have been specified on the paintshop drawings. Lets see if I can have a guess!

The BS381equivalent of the US SEA scheme was, IIRC, Dark Green 241 (or 641 at that time), Middle Bronze Green 223 and Dark Earth 350. I think that's how the Singapore Hunters were painted. Now, I think we can keep the 2 greens but what about the brown/tan? Dark Earth would be a bit too dark for our needs and Light Stone, as Mike Starmer has pointed out, had evolved into a darker colour not too far from wartime Middle Stone, so probably too yellow. Maybe a quick order to ICI for a supply of 338 Beige to the corrct spec might be the answer.

If I was painting the model "out of the shop", I'd probably use Humbrol 116, 158 and 148. It's certainly a better Whif than the Transport Command TSR-2 on the XtraDecal sheet!

John

[Jon Kunac-Tabinor]

Also Jon what is a "bluestocking"? Sorry mate but I'm an Aussie and such a term I've never come across before.

Cheers

Richard.

Hi Richard - I can believe that story.

A bluestocking is a US derogatory phrase - it actually means a rather over-academic and boring woman so just think of the opposite of Dame Edna!!

I was using it about myself - not through any desire to hint at cross-dressing of course But more to apologise for being a bit of a party-pooper by asking such a strait and possibly not in the 'whiff spirit of things' question.

Cheers for the background story - you should change your surname to Clancy

Jonners

[Gary West]

if we're doing a background to the whif scheme - in 1978 - I dont think the RAF had gone wraparound (they were just on the point of - granted).

1978 would be spot on for wrap around - 1975 approx was when the Jag/Harriers/Bricks and Vulcan's started to switch.

[Gekko_1]

Indeed! I wonder what the aircraft would have looked like when it emerged from the shop at St Athan, or what might have been specified on the paintshop drawings. Lets see if I can have a guess!

The BS381equivalent of the US SEA scheme was, IIRC, Dark Green 241 (or 641 at that time), Middle Bronze Green 223 and Dark Earth 350. I think that's how the Singapore Hunters were painted. Now, I think we can keep the 2 greens but what about the brown/tan? Dark Earth would be a bit too dark for our needs and Light Stone, as Mike Starmer has pointed out, had evolved into a darker colour not too far from wartime Middle Stone, so probably too yellow. Maybe a quick order to ICI for a supply of 338 Beige to the corrct spec might be the answer.

If I was painting the model "out of the shop", I'd probably use Humbrol 116, 158 and 148. It's certainly a better Whif than the Transport Command TSR-2 on the XtraDecal sheet!

John

Actually John, due to the urgency in getting a Fighter element to Burkina Faso the re-spray work had to be done at Ouagadougou airport by the RAF personnel there. The painters were working off a paint mixing chart created by Wing Commander Oliver Dunn using locally bought car paint. So unfortunately there was no BS381 or Federal Standard 595 Paint Spec chart to go by.

However two Canberras were deployed to Burkina Faso a few weeks into the Lightning deployment and these two jets were camouflaged at St Athan to approximate BS381 colours.

Cheers

Richard.

[dylan the rabbit]

Perfect!!

Keef

Prefer it as a wraparound scheme myself. Looks more aggressive.

You've got me thinking about doing this scheme you know!

Cheers,

Nick

[Gekko_1]

Some questions:

If RAF Canberras were deployed to Burkina Faso for photo reconnaissance work in 1978 what version would they have been?

What Squadron would they have come from?

Will Airfix be brining out the relevant version?

What if Denmark were to support the UK in her efforts in Burkina Faso, and deploy a squadron of Drakens to help out? Unlikely I realise, but imagine a Draken camouflaged like the Lightnings in a wraparound camo scheme!

Cheers

Richard.

[Gekko_1]

You've got me thinking about doing this scheme you know!

Go on, do it! Ya know you want to!

Actually I most certainly am going to be doing it, and possibly a Canberra and an RAAF Mirage and a Danish Draken too. All in the same basic camo scheme as applied to the Lightning.

Cheers

Richard.

[Gary West]

If RAF Canberras were deployed to Burkina Faso for photo reconnaissance work in 1978 what version would they have been?

What Squadron would they have come from?

Will Airfix be brining out the relevant version?

Either PR7 or PR9 - 39 Squadron for the PR9 and 100 Squadron for the PR7....I think. There may have been more than that in 78 though. Airfix are releasing the PR9 quite soon, but a PR7 would need to be scalped from a B2, which Airfix are releasing too.

[Jon Kunac-Tabinor]

1978 would be spot on for wrap around - 1975 approx was when the Jag/Harriers/Bricks and Vulcan's started to switch.

The I could well be wrong - but I have an old Scale Models from around October 78 with a look at the RAFs "new wrapround schemes for harriers and Jaguars".

Jonners

[keefr22]

What if Denmark were to support the UK in her efforts in Burkina Faso, and deploy a squadron of Drakens to help out? Unlikely I realise, but imagine a Draken camouflaged like the Lightnings in a wraparound camo scheme!

Cheers

Richard.

Is Denmark neutral? If so I doubt they'd get involved. Unless..........things had turned particularly ugly in Burkina faso shortly after the RAF had been forced to withdraw the Lightnings & Canberras due to the increasing build up of Soviet forces near the Fulda gap. Fearing a total breakdown of law & order (& the loss of the oilfields!), the UK & USA manage to force through a vote in the United Nations that leads to a Scandinavian peacekeeping force being deployed to the country. For logistical purposes, both Sweden & Denmark send Drakens, and having seen the efficiency of the RAF developed camo schemes, paint their aircraft the same way, whilst retaining their national markings, but with the addition of white squares containing pale blue UN markings on fuselage & wings......

Oh rats, you've got me at it now.....!!

Keef

[John]

Actually John, due to the urgency in getting a Fighter element to Burkina Faso the re-spray work had to be done at Ouagadougou airport by the RAF personnel there. The painters were working off a paint mixing chart created by Wing Commander Oliver Dunn using locally bought car paint. So unfortunately there was no BS381 or Federal Standard 595 Paint Spec chart to go by.

However two Canberras were deployed to Burkina Faso a few weeks into the Lightning deployment and these two jets were camouflaged at St Athan to approximate BS381 colours.

Cheers

Richard.

Like it!

John

Is Denmark neutral? If so I doubt they'd get involved. Unless..........things had turned particularly ugly in Burkina faso shortly after the RAF had been forced to withdraw the Lightnings & Canberras due to the increasing build up of Soviet forces near the Fulda gap. Fearing a total breakdown of law & order (& the loss of the oilfields!), the UK & USA manage to force through a vote in the United Nations that leads to a Scandinavian peacekeeping force being deployed to the country. For logistical purposes, both Sweden & Denmark send Drakens, and having seen the efficiency of the RAF developed camo schemes, paint their aircraft the same way, whilst retaining their national markings, but with the addition of white squares containing pale blue UN markings on fuselage & wings......

Oh rats, you've got me at it now.....!!

Keef

Or maybe the Swedes would use a variation of the African scheme they already had for the Congo SAAB 29s?

John

[keefr22]

Or maybe the Swedes would use a variation of the African scheme they already had for the Congo SAAB 29s?

John

I thought of that - but then decided I preferred the new RAF version....!!

Keef

[hatchet]

Great profiles Richard!

Is Denmark neutral? If so I doubt they'd get involved.

We've been a member of NATO since 1949.

[JosephLalor]

I'm being pedantic here of course, but wouldn't it be more likely that the French would be involved, a la Djibouti or Chad?

Joseph

[Antoine]

I am not a real fan of whifs, but those are greats, especialy the Rhodesian and the Burkina ones.

Just a thought, in 1978, Burkina Faso was known as Haute-Volta (In French) and this till 1984 after the coup.

Was it already known as BF in English?

Edited June 28, 2008 by Antoine

[daz greenwood]

I would have thought being a French colony it would have been French forces sent to the area. Like the Belgians in Congo.

[keefr22]

We've been a member of NATO since 1949.

Thanks Martin - I really should have looked it up though!!

So, will you send some Drakens....??!!

Keef

Edited June 28, 2008 by keefr22

[hatchet]

So, will you send some Drakens....??!!

Feck yes!

Or Viggens, if you really wanna whiff it up!

[Gekko_1]

Either PR7 or PR9 - 39 Squadron for the PR9 and 100 Squadron for the PR7....I think. There may have been more than that in 78 though. Airfix are releasing the PR9 quite soon, but a PR7 would need to be scalped from a B2, which Airfix are releasing too.

Thanks Gary!

39 Squadron PR.9 it is!

Cheers

Richard.

[Gekko_1]

Is Denmark neutral? If so I doubt they'd get involved. Unless..........things had turned particularly ugly in Burkina faso shortly after the RAF had been forced to withdraw the Lightnings & Canberras due to the increasing build up of Soviet forces near the Fulda gap. Fearing a total breakdown of law & order (& the loss of the oilfields!), the UK & USA manage to force through a vote in the United Nations that leads to a Scandinavian peacekeeping force being deployed to the country. For logistical purposes, both Sweden & Denmark send Drakens, and having seen the efficiency of the RAF developed camo schemes, paint their aircraft the same way, whilst retaining their national markings, but with the addition of white squares containing pale blue UN markings on fuselage & wings......

In this "What if?" world of mine the United States, like Switzerland, is neutral, they have enough Oil of their own and don't tend to bother too many people. The reason for this is simple, this way I can explore other geopolitical possibilities that don't involve the USA. A perfect example of this is the spirit of closeness and cooperation that forms between the peoples of Denmark and the UK.

Though I won't go into it here, the situation post WWII between Denmark and the UK was one of continued growth both politically and economically and militarily. The United Nations however is much like what it is in the "real world"....pretty useless. With the Soviet Union forming an alliance with China and Pakistan decades before they actually did and throw-in America's neutrality you have a very rich recipe to which I can add things to this story.

Therefore the British and Danish Royal families decide on a course of action that does indeed see Danish Drakens going to Burkina Faso flying combat operations alongside RAF Lightnings, Canberras and eventually Royal Navy Buccaneers! As well as RAAF Mirage IIIC (yes IIC not IIIO!) fighter jets in the ground attack and air superiority roles and Canadian Voodoos in the Air Superiority role too!

Suffice to say this story is growing. AND YOU LOT ARE TO BLAME!

Oh rats, you've got me at it now.....!!

Keef

Its infectious innit!

[Gekko_1]

I'm being pedantic here of course, but wouldn't it be more likely that the French would be involved, a la Djibouti or Chad?

Joseph

Well, in my "What if?" world, after independence from France in 1960, the Republic of Upper Volta not only changed its name to Burkina Faso, but began a political dialog with the UK. This lead to increased trade and British Petroleum (BP) exploration of Burkina Faso. The discovery of the size and quality of the Oil found there lead to the Soviet/Chinese intervention through Niger, then Mali and eventually bringing-in Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.

Cheers

Richard.

[Gekko_1]

I am not a real fan of whifs, but those are greats, especialy the Rhodesian and the Burkina ones.

Just a thought, in 1978, Burkina Faso was known as Haute-Volta (In French) and this till 1984 after the coup.

Was it already known as BF in English?

Your right, in the "real world" the Republic of Upper Volta claimed independence from France in 1960 and changed its name to Burkina Faso on August 4, 1984, by President Thomas Sankara.

However, in my "What if?" world after independence from France in 1960, Upper Volta began a political dialog with the UK and re-named itself then too.

Cheers

Richard.

[Gekko_1]

I would have thought being a French colony it would have been French forces sent to the area. Like the Belgians in Congo.

Your right Daz, Upper Volta was a French colony up until 1960. Then in my "What if?" world, after independence from France in 1960, Upper Volta began a political dialog with the UK and re-named itself to Burkina Faso years earlier than it actaully did.

Cheers

Richard.

[Tiger41]

Hey Richard i am loving the RAF in Africa thing its great i love how you included the Canadian Vodoos too very cool are you going to do a paint scheme from them too what squadron are you going to get them from.

[Gekko_1]

With increasing airspace violations from Soviet and Chinese Fighter aircraft flying in Niger and Mali markings, the RAF had no choice but to further experiment with suitable camouflage schemes, but this time for Air Superiority schemes, as more and more often RAF Lightnings, now numbering a total of 27 jets, were being scrambled for air-to-air interceptions.

Even though RAAF Mirage IIIC fighters, Canadian Voodoos and Danish Drakens were on their way to assist, the RAF had to battle-on as best it could. Word had just come-in that Royal Navy Buccaneers were soon to make their presence felt taking on the ground attack role, easing some of the pressure from the Lightning crews who were by now flying around the clock, seven days a week!

Here we see Squadron Leader Simon Woodward's F.6 Lightning following his third air-to-air kill over Northern Burkina. Two of the kills were Niger MiG-19s, the other was a Mali Su-22 trying to make its way, one early dawn, to the Lightnings FOB (Forward Operating Base) in the North of Burkina Faso.

Cheers

Richard.