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*Eyes and ears GB For anything recon related Air land & sea. Ready for the ballot


hgbn

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So let's move forward through time a little and into the 30s. Perhaps I'm being stupid here and if so feel free to wade in with information but reconnaissance seemed to have fallen from fashion in favour of fighter and bomber types. Are we really into the 40s before the dedicated PR types reappear?

Hi Col, I don't think reconnaissance ever went out of fashion, it's just that the aircraft used in the 20's (in particular), were seen as being multi-purpose. As an example, the Chaco War Potez 25 that I entered into the Close Air Support GB (legitimately I should add!), would have spent as much of its time on recon missions as it did on bombing ones. In fact, it was also sometimes used as a resupply transport, once famously dropping a huge block of ice onto (?!) beseiged ground troops who were at risk of dying of thirst - true story.

In the mid 30s we did get things like the Henschel Hs 126 appearing, which were clearly purpose designed for recon, so perhaps this is the birthday of the specialist type?

I'm really not trying to be anal about this, but it's legitimate to think about whether this GB would be for stuff that was merely used for recon (an almost infinite list) or stuff that was designed to be used for recon? Most GBs seem to go through a similar soul searching phase!

Another curved ball: warships used as pickets to protect the Falklands Task Force. Eyes and ears of the fleet? Good for the GB?

My own entry would probably be the civil registered Lockheed Electra Junior used to take clandestine aerial photographs over Europe in the lead-up to WWII. It had some mods (including cameras) fitted so should hopefully qualify, whatever ;)

Cliff

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Hi Col, I don't think reconnaissance ever went out of fashion, it's just that the aircraft used in the 20's (in particular), were seen as being multi-purpose. As an example, the Chaco War Potez 25 that I entered into the Close Air Support GB (legitimately I should add!), would have spent as much of its time on recon missions as it did on bombing ones. In fact, it was also sometimes used as a resupply transport, once famously dropping a huge block of ice onto (?!) beseiged ground troops who were at risk of dying of thirst - true story.

In the mid 30s we did get things like the Henschel Hs 126 appearing, which were clearly purpose designed for recon, so perhaps this is the birthday of the specialist type?

I'm really not trying to be anal about this, but it's legitimate to think about whether this GB would be for stuff that was merely used for recon (an almost infinite list) or stuff that was designed to be used for recon? Most GBs seem to go through a similar soul searching phase!

Another curved ball: warships used as pickets to protect the Falklands Task Force. Eyes and ears of the fleet? Good for the GB?

My own entry would probably be the civil registered Lockheed Electra Junior used to take clandestine aerial photographs over Europe in the lead-up to WWII. It had some mods (including cameras) fitted so should hopefully qualify, whatever ;)

Cliff

Excellent examples of types that has filled in a gap in my knowledge of this subject Cliff :thumbsup: Your mention of the Hs 126 reminded me that Army Cooperation and Artillery Spotting are also forms of reconnaissance that I'd completely forgotten about.

I'll think picket ships must be considered as scouts on equal terms as the AEW aircrafts. Same must be said on pesky Russian spy trawlers during the cold war

Wholeheartedly agree with you there Henrik.

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Something like a Nimrod be allowed? If so I'm in!

The R.1 most certainly as it was a dedicated reconnaissance platform and the MR.1 & 2 were Maritime Reconnaissance. The AEW.3 is also eligible so that's pretty much Nimrods covered.

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If the Ju 86 P or R (high altitude craft designed specifically for recon) are allowed, then I'd definitely be in! (I have the RS Models kits of both somewhere in the stash, and am just looking for an excuse to make one (or both) of them...)

Philip

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Can I join in please?

Would an ordinary strike aircraft be eligible, provided it was fitted with a recce pod and used on an Army Co-operation squadron? I am thinking about II(AC) Jaguars and Phantoms or IV(AC) Harriers.

Edited by Enzo Matrix
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A fine selection of great ideas coming through again.

Would a confederate cavalry figure be acceptable? Cavalry were meant to be the eyes of the army.

My figure painting skils are not great, not sure how they will cope with a horse, but would be up for the challenge.

Nice thinking JB. The great thing about this GB is the diversity of potential subjects as you're showing with this one.

Can I join in please?

Would an ordinary strike aircraft be eligible, provided it was fitted with a recce pod and used on an Army Co-operation squadron? I am thinking about II(AC) Jaguars and Phantoms or IV(AC) Harriers.

So long as the subject is modelled in recce configuration then I can see no reason why it doesn't deserve to be included.

A few off the top of my head...

Y-8EW
An-12PPS
An-26REP
An-71
Beriev A-50
Beriev Be-12
KJ-200 / KJ-2000
KJ-1 / Tu-4
M-55
Mig-25R
Mil-8PP
Tu-16RM-2
Tu-126
Tu-142
Yak-28
Yak-33

A good list of potential Soviet/Russian subjects there Radleigh. You got a particular favourite amongst them?

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Uuuh Mish there is quite some recon variants of C/KC-135 family available. At least i 1/72nd scale.

https://www.scalemates.com/products/product.php?id=120705

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