discussion Aircraft identification...

[Guest]

Just a quickie - can anyone identify the single-engine fighter taking out a Heinkel on this month's Airfix "desktop calendar" image? (And... is it me or at first glance does this look like early German 'splinter' camo and the RLM70 / 71 colours?!)


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[Alan 45]

Could it be a vengeance A31 ? The wings don't look right though , there were several types of fighter the FFA used but I can't find an exact match in the reference stuff I have

 

[Gern]

Looks like a Blackburn Skua to me.

 

[Guest]

deffo a Skua.

 

[Guest]

The Skua appears correct - thanks Dave & Paul. Hadn't come across this one before... some googling and I stumble across a Hyperscale review of the Special Hobby 1/48 model of the precise plane shown on the Airfix image... cheeky artist!!! (Scalemates.com says Airfix have never released a Skua... perhaps there's one in the pipeline?) Link: hyperscale.com/2007/features/skuabg_1.htm

 

[stona]

It is a Blackburn Skua as said above. Blackburn had a knack of building unbelievably ugly and not very good aircraft at this time.


The camouflage is supposed to be Temperate Sea Scheme. Dark Slate Grey and Extra Dark Sea Grey.


It's a surprising scenario as a Skua would have a great deal of difficulty in intercepting an He 111 and no chance of catching one which had a start on it


I wonder if the picture is based on a real incident?


Cheers


Steve

 

[Dave W]

A Skua shot down the HE111 that's been restored and in a museum in Norway.Apparently the aircraft had already been damaged before it was finally shot down.When the surviving crews met , the Germans were astonished when the ex Skua man told them 'If you'd been a 1000ft higher we'd never have got you'.

 

[Guest]

Hi,


'Into the white' http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2637865472/tt1876277#


I think was a recent film based on this.


I watched it a while back and enjoyed it.


D.

 

[stona]

I'm being a bit hard on the Skua. They shot down several He 111s during the Norwegian campaign which speaks more for the determination of the FAA crews than it does the abilities of the Skua. Gumbrecht's, featured above, is just one.


Cheers


Steve

 

[PaulTRose]

. Blackburn had a knack of building unbelievably ugly and not very good aircraft at this time.

amazing that they went on to design the Buccaneer......a very long serving and capable aircraft

 

[Gern]

The Skua appears correct - thanks Dave & Paul. Hadn't come across this one before... some googling and I stumble across a Hyperscale review of the Special Hobby 1/48 model of the precise plane shown on the Airfix image... cheeky artist!!! (Scalemates.com says Airfix have never released a Skua... perhaps there's one in the pipeline?) Link: hyperscale.com/2007/features/skuabg_1.htm

Maybe they're re-boxing it? Hence the same image.

 

[stona]

amazing that they went on to design the Buccaneer......a very long serving and capable aircraft

Indeed but the B.20 (the one with the retractable float) must be one of the ugliest aircraft ever built, along with the Roc, Skua and one or two others! The later Firecrest doesn't look so bad until you put it next to a Sea Fury


Cheers


Steve

 

[PaulTRose]

Indeed but the B.20 (the one with the retractable float) must be one of the ugliest aircraft ever built, along with the Roc, Skua and one or two others! The later Firecrest doesn't look so bad until you put it next to a Sea Fury
Cheers


Steve

oh i quite agree, they seem to have designed most of their aircraft with an etch-a-sketch!

 

[Dave Jay]

Initially I thought it was a Roc, very similar to the Skua, but the pic is definitely a Skua.

 

[Robert1968]

I believe the skuas was the first aircraft of the naval to shoot down a enemy plane ( sure I read that somewhere


Regards


Robert

 

[Robert1968]

The

Initially I thought it was a Roc, very similar to the Skua, but the pic is definitely a Skua.

Roc and SKua are basically the same aircraft except the Roc has a Boulton Paul turret fitted ( same turret fired to the defiant )


Robert

 

[Dave Jay]

The
Roc and SKua are basically the same aircraft except the Roc has a Boulton Paul turret fitted ( same turret fired to the defiant )


Robert

Thanks for that Robert I never realised that they are basically one of the same, just with an added turret.


Always learning!

 

[Robert1968]

Thanks for that Robert I never realised that they are basically one of the same, just with an added turret.
Always learning!

the skua had 4 forward firing machine guns .303 in the wings (2 each side ) and one Vickers in the rear for defence. Skua was used effectively in dive bombing ( much like the helldiver, dauntless and the Junkers 87


Roc had no forward firing guns like the defiant but had a 4 gun turret at the rear. Was used simulator tactics to the defiant ( broadside or underneath where the defence was poor.


Both aircraft were used by the Royal Navy and sometimes were on the same missions.


Rocks and Skuas were relegated later to secondary units like target tugs like the defiant as better aircraft came on line


Robert

 

[Guest]

I googled 'Airfix Blackburn Skua' and there appears to be a post discussing this on Britmodeller, so we aren't alone in what we think. Airfix's website has a new forum section as well, and may have picked up on the requests for a Skua on there.

 

[Robert1968]

I'm being a bit hard on the Skua. They shot down several He 111s during the Norwegian campaign which speaks more for the determination of the FAA crews than it does the abilities of the Skua. Gumbrecht's, featured above, is just one.
Cheers


Steve

BLackburn SKuas and BLackburn Rocs were often recorded together especially I think in the Norwegian CAmpain and I do recall the skuas actually sinking a ship too ( first of the war )


Memories not what it used to be ill have to get the old books out!!


Robert