1/72nd Special Hobby Blackburn B-24 Skua MkII

[Heather Kay]

Blackburn B-24 Skua MkII, L2991/Q of No 803 Squadron FAA

Operating from HMS Ark Royal from April to July 1940. On 13 July, L2991 was shot down during an attack on Scharnhorst. It force-landed at Langvik, Norway, and the crew of Lt Cdr J Casson and Lt P E Fanshawe were taken as prisoners of war.

 

 

The first operational Royal Navy all-metal monoplane, Britain’s first naval dive-bomber, first deck-landing aircraft with flaps, retractable undercarriage and variable pitch propeller. A pretty impressive list of firsts for the Blackburn Skua, which certainly can’t claim to be among the most attractive of aircraft.

 

 

 

 

 

The prototype Skua flew in February 1937, powered by a Bristol Mercury IX of 840hp. It proved satisfactory, and was sent off for intensive tests at the A&AEE Martlesham Heath. Orders were placed for 190 aircraft before the prototype had even flown. All the Mercury engines were earmarked for the Bristol Blenheim, the 890hp Bristol Perseus XII was chosen for the production Skua, which became the MkII. All the ordered aircraft were delivered between October 1938 and March 1940, with the first FAA squadrons to see the new planes being Nos 800 and 803 in late 1938. Both squadrons were soon embarked on HMS Ark Royal.

 

The Skua was a two-seat naval fighter/dive-bomber. It was armed with four forward-firing 0.303in Browning machine guns in the wings, and a Lewis gun on a flexible mount in the rear cockpit. Beneath the fuselage was a recess that could be fitted with a crutch mechanism to carry a 500lb bomb. During a dive-bombing manoeuvre, the crutch let the bomb swing away from the aircraft’s propeller arc. Underwing racks could also carry eight 30lb bombs. The wings were designed to fold, saving space in the hangar decks of carriers. The Perseus sleeve-valve engine could get the Skua to 225mph at 6,500ft, gave a service ceiling of just north of 20,000ft and a useful range of 760 miles.

 

As a fighter at the outset of the Second World War, the Skua was already obsolete. As a dive-bomber, however, the type was surprisingly good. Skuas and Rocs were deployed during the Norway campaign in April 1940, and claimed the sinking of the German cruiser Königsberg in Bergen harbour. Many aircraft were lost in a later operation against Narvik. Skuas and Rocs also flew from RAF Detling in Kent, covering Operation Dynamo, the withdrawal of troops from Dunkirk.

 

Skuas were withdrawn from service in 1941, their squadrons being equipped with the Fairey Fulmar and Hawker Sea Hurricane. There is no complete Skua airframe, but a wreck has been salvaged from a lake in Norway, and can be seen on display at the FAA Museum, Yeovilton.

 

Built from the Special Hobby kit, straight from the box, painted with ColourCoats enamels, Revell and Humbrol acrylics for detail painting, and using the kit transfers. 

 

The build thread can be found here:

 

[LorenSharp]

Definitely a sweet build Heather! Looks Outstanding!

[Planebuilder62]

Dear Heather

That looks brilliant, well done. Have you thought of lining up next to another of your single engine 1940 builds to show how big the Skua is?
regards Toby

[Heather Kay]

5 minutes ago, LorenSharp said:

Definitely a sweet build Heather! Looks Outstanding!

 

Thank you. It's not perfect, but it seems to be my level at the moment. I really need to give it a little weathering, but that's really for another time when I feel like it.

 

4 minutes ago, Planebuilder62 said:

Have you thought of lining up next to another of your single engine 1940 builds to show how big the Skua is?

 

I haven't. I'll consider that at some point. I very nearly dug the Roc out for a photo with its sibling, but thought better of it.

[Andy Dyck]

It turns out really nice! Not one of my favorite type of plane, but I like you put it into scene. That’s the way of photography, that I like very much. Very convincing. 👍👍👍

 

cheers and happy new year 

 

Andy 

[keith in the uk]

Lovely job Heather , very neat and tidy model of an aircraft not seen that often.   

[AliGauld]

Yet another beauty of an "unusual" aircraft.

Thanks so much for sharing this and your other wonderful work.

 

Cheers,

Alistair

[Terry1954]

Beautiful job there Heather, I really like it.

 

Just in time for the new year, and on that note, Happy New Year!

 

Terry

[Heather Kay]

1 hour ago, Andy Dyck said:

It turns out really nice! Not one of my favorite type of plane, but I like you put it into scene.

Many thanks Andy!

 

1 hour ago, keith in the uk said:

Lovely job Heather , very neat and tidy model of an aircraft not seen that often.   

 

I know there’s a 1/48 scale version being built on BM at the moment. Some of us just like the ugly ducklings! 
 

54 minutes ago, AliGauld said:

Yet another beauty of an "unusual" aircraft.

Thanks Alistair! Expect some more unusual aircraft in the coming year. My collection has a fair few in it!

 

8 minutes ago, Terry1954 said:

Beautiful job there Heather, I really like it.

Cheers Terry! Just in time for me to add it to my 2021 yearbook post. I start 2022 with no builds under way but loads planned, which is a nice feeling. 
 

A happy new year to everyone! Let’s hope the new year sees us starting to dig ourselves out of the massive hole we’ve created (as a country, at least) in the past few years. 

[mick b]

Very nice result Heather.

 

Skuas were also first to shoot down German aircraft in WW2, a Do 18 being forced down at sea.

 

I think you may have got the propeller colours the wrong way round ? 

 

Mike

[Heather Kay]

7 minutes ago, mick b said:

Skuas were also first to shoot down German aircraft in WW2, a Do 18 being forced down at sea.

 

I think you may have got the propeller colours the wrong way round ? 

Not sure about the prop. I followed the destructions. I have a feeling the reverse was painted black so it was less likely to reflect light at the pilot. I think I’d prefer to paint it all black anyway, but I will check again.

 

The Skua was long given the accolade of the first shooting down, but I believe it is now given to, of all things, a Fairey Battle. Again, I’ll need to check my sources for that.

 

Edit: the Battle was credited with the first RAF shooting down, so the Skua record stands. 

Edited December 31, 2021 by Heather Kay
Fact checking

[mick b]

7 minutes ago, Heather Kay said:

Not sure about the prop. I followed the destructions. I have a feeling the reverse was painted black so it was less likely to reflect light at the pilot. I think I’d prefer to paint it all black anyway, but I will check again.

 

The Skua was long given the accolade of the first shooting down, but I believe it is now given to, of all things, a Fairey Battle. Again, I’ll need to check my sources for that.

 

Edit: the Battle was credited with the first RAF shooting down, so the Skua record stands. 

Apologies Heather you are correct with the prop colours 👍

[Navy Bird]

Great job Heather. Gotta love the Skua because it's so, well, let's say not pretty. But I love it anyway!    👍

 

Cheers,

Bill

[Marklo]

I am always conflicted by the Skua, it's an important type but I find it's a bit ugly. But then again I live quite a few uglies ( must get around to that Blackburn Blackburn this year) whether or which it's certainly a fantastic build. 

[David H]

Nice work, Heather.

 

Yeah, i would say Blackburn did not have a particularly good design aesthetic, though i do like the looks of the Firebrand and Buccaneer for some inexplicable reason.

 

-d-