vulcanxm603 Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 (edited) Here are some pics of my collection on 1/48 scale Rhodesian Air force aircraft & helicopters. No 1 Sqn hunter FGA.9 (based at Thornhill AFB, Gwelo) No 2 Sqn Vampire T.11 (Based at Thornhill AFB, Gwelo - note underwing rockets mounted below air intakes) No 2 Sqn Vampire FB.9 (Based at Thornhill AFB, Gwelo) No 3 Sqn C-47 (Based at New Sarum AFB, Salisbury - done as with aerial photography camera in doorway and base to represent Grand Reef FAF 8) - decals were home made. No 4 Sqn Reims-Cessna 337FTB [Lynx] (based at Thornhill AFB, Gwelo) - weaponry [Mini golf bombs, SNEB pods with polystyrene noses, 0.303 brownings in the pods obve the wing were home made. Also the various mods to change an 0-2 Skymaster into a Cessna 337 such as angled wing tips, fences on the upper wing, curved where the tails meet the tailboom (top & bottom), anti strela exhaust modifications, bulged window on left side front, landing lights moved from wing to nose. No 5 Sqn Canberra B.2 (based at New sarum AFB, Salisbury) - still busy making the ramps as used when bombing up the Canberra. No 6 Sqn SIAI Marchetti SF-260C [Genet] (based at Thornhill AFB, Gwelo) No 7 Sqn Alouette III 'K' car & 'G' car (based at various FAFs and New Sarum AFB, Salisbury) - both the cannon and machine guns were after market white metal, the Elephant ear intake filters are scratch built, as is the anti strela engine and exhaust shrouds. The interior of each helicopter has been modified to the RhAF variation. Antennas scratch built. Steps by rear door on 'G' car scratch built and so are the ammo and link/cartridge catching boxes. 'K' Car - Alouette III with MG151-20 cannon mounted out of left side rear doorway. No trooping capability. 'G' car - Alouette III with twin 0,303 Brownings out of left rear door, also carries 4 - 5 troopers. No 8 Sqn Agusta Bell AB.205A [Cheetah] (based at New Sarum AFB, Salisbury as well as various FAF's) - exhaust shroud and air intake file covers scratch built, various antennas made and fitted. Edited September 30, 2012 by vulcanxm603 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tango Fox Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 Some fascinating types there from a rarely studied air force. Commonwealth SIG? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Womby Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 Great collection of one of my favourite air forces. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jynski Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 Very nice. I've always liked small, obscure air forces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulcanxm603 Posted September 30, 2012 Author Share Posted September 30, 2012 Some fascinating types there from a rarely studied air force. Commonwealth SIG? Unfortunately I do to belong to any SIG's. The interest comes from living in Gwelo, Rhodesia and aviation is one of my hobbies. These models (along with my Southern Rhodesian AF 1/48 models) are now on loan and displayed at the Rhodesian Forces Collection, the RAFA club, Bedford, UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbuna Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 A great collection of builds of one of the less well known airforces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truro Model Builder Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 Wonderful collection. The Rhodesian Air Force certainly had an interesting history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gajman Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 Nice kits of aircraft of a great air force. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOUSTON Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 Really lovely.. Nice .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arie Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 Fantastic lineup. I especially like the Cessna Lynx, the mods are spot-on and she looks great in camouflage! Well done mate... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bri48 Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Show stoppers one and all, a superb collection! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avgas Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Nice collection. I particularly like the C-47. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plasticbutcher Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Interesting collection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corporate Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Very interesting indeed, and well done for assembling such a wide variety of types. I too have a personal interest in the Rhodesian Air Force, though I was never there (strongly tempted to go and help out though, back in the late '60s & early '70s, wish I'd taken the plunge...) and I'd like to build some similar 1/48 RhAF types. One disincentive is the remarkably drab colour schemes! These were very practical, but not terribly appealing now to the modeller, especially since there were often virtually no insignia. I particularly like your Lynx - I have a couple of O-2A kits, intended as USAF Vietnam FAC types, but sometimes think of adapting one of them as a Lynx... Also like your Alouette K-Cars and G-cars. I have a number of RhAF aircraft photos, though there are disappointingly few sources of really good quality photographs - the Rhodesians had other things on their mind than documenting their Air Force, of course. An excellent book I managed to find is "Winds Of Destruction" by PJH Petter-Bowyer, very good account of this man's career in the RhAF, lots of photos (poor-ish repro quality...) and fascinating accounts of all those special aircraft mods they did, locally made spare parts, the creative air-ground munitions they invented, and so on. Recommended to anyone wishing to build RhAF models. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulcanxm603 Posted October 4, 2012 Author Share Posted October 4, 2012 (edited) .I have a number of RhAF aircraft photos, though there are disappointingly few sources of really good quality photographs - the Rhodesians had other things on their mind than documenting their Air Force, of course.An excellent book I managed to find is "Winds Of Destruction" by PJH Petter-Bowyer, very good account of this man's career in the RhAF, lots of photos (poor-ish repro quality...) and fascinating accounts of all those special aircraft mods they did, locally made spare parts, the creative air-ground munitions they invented, and so on. Recommended to anyone wishing to build RhAF models.Tony I have a lot of photos of the RhAF aircraft as well as access to the photos in the RhAF section of the Rhodesian forces Collection, as well as a fair collection of DVD's on the Rhodesian Forces (one DVD on the RhAF only with three films)Book wise the following are very useful:Air Force 81- no authorWar in the Air (Rhodesian Air Force 1935-1980) - Dudley Cowderoy & Roy C NesbitCanberra in Southern African Service - Michael Hamence & Winston BrentA brief history of the Rhodesian air force 1947 - 1980 - Winston BrentA Pride Of Eagles, the definitive history of the RhAF 1920-1980 - Beryl SaltCounter strike from the sky - J.R.T. WoodI also managed to obtain a PDF document from Riems-Cessna, France on the Riems-Cessna 337FTB as supplied to the RhAF complete with drawings of some of the modifications. Have it on another hard drive, so will have to relocate it Edited October 2, 2013 by vulcanxm603 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corporate Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 I have a lot of photos of the RhAF aircraft as well as access to the photos in the RhAF section of the Rhodesian forces Collection, as well as a fair collection of DVD's on the Rhodesian Forces (one DVD on the RhAF only with three films) Book wise the following are very useful: Air Force 81- no author War in the Air (Rhodesian Air Force 1935-1980) - Dudley Cowderoy & Roy C Nesbit Canberra in Southern African Service - Michael Hamence & Winston Brent A breif history of the Rhodesian air force 1947 - 1980 - Winston Brent A Pride Of Eagles, the definitive history of the RhAF 1920-1980 - Beryl Salt Counter strike from the sky - J.R.T. Wood I also managed to obtain a PDF document from Riems-Cessna, France on the Riems-Cessna 337FTB as supplied to the RhAF complete with drawings of some of the modifications. Have it on another hard drive, so will have to relocate it I'm impressed by your Rhodesia library! I've never tried hard enough to accumulate one, in part because these books tend to be expensive - though I could kick myself for failing to buy one (might have been a Cowderoy) on sale s/h at the Army Air Corps Museum for £4 a few years ago! There's a copy of the Beryl Salt book currently on Ebay, rather too expensive for my taste though. You did well to get those documents from Rheims-Cessna - my Petter-Bowyer book includes an account of the subterfuge necessary to get those planes out of France and fly them down the West Coast of Africa, a great story. If you could ever be persuaded to share any of this stuff I'd be first in line... Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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