50 Display Seasons for the RAF Red Arrows

It's been quite some time since I've posted anything related to my other hobby, building model aircraft. That's partly because a majority of my stash, tools, and paints are sitting in another city, and partly because I've been almost completely absorbed by my newer hobbies, video gaming and photography. Planning a wedding is also partly to blame, as is the lack of a proper workspace to build any models in my new apartment.

Anyway, this year marks a significant milestone for one of my favourite display teams histories, with the Royal Air Force's Red Arrows performing its 50th Display Season. The occasion will be commemorated with a special design applied to the tail fin of the team's Hawk aircraft. 

I am particularly fond of this bold design as it features silhouettes of several Hawk and Gnat trainer aircraft (both of which have been flown by the team) leaving smoke trails which cross to form a stylised Union Jack.

I was fortunate enough to see a Red Arrows display in Cape Town in 1995 while Queen Elizabeth II was visiting South Africa, and would relish the opportunity to see the team perform again.

But back to model aircraft; both Airfix and Italeri are set to release Hawk kits featuring the 50 Display Seasons tail art. Airfix will have both 1:72, and 1:48 versions, while Italeri will only release a 1:48 version. In addition to the two Red Arrow Hawks, Airfix will also be releasing a 1:48 Gnat featuring Red Arrows livery.

I already have an Airfix Red Arrows Hawk in 1:72, as well as an older Revell 1:72 kit with the Red Arrows' millennium tail art. That wont stop me from adding the new Airfix 1:72 Hawk to my collection though, as if it's the same mould as my other Airfix Hawk, it'll be a beauty to build. I still want to build nine Red Arrows Hawks in various configurations, and liveries, and display them in the Reds iconic Diamond formation.

Banner image credit: SAC A. Fletcher; other images: www.raf.mod.uk/reds/

Man vs Plane

British Airways has a new Airbus A380 operating between Johannesburg and London. The marketing campaign to sell tickets for this route features a video of South African rugby star, Bryan Habana racing against one of the new BA A380s.

If you don't know who Bryan Habana is; just know that he once ran against a cheetah, almost beating it.* It's also interesting that he chose to run in his Western Province kit, over that of the national team. Guess it had something to do with aesthetics or sponsorship deals.

As an aside, the race starter must have been in distress, since she was waving the South African flag upside down.

Incredible PhotoShop art

Alexander Koshelkov is not your ordinary digital artist. Below is a time-lapse of the creation of his Airship of Doom piece using Adobe Photoshop. For those of you who know a little about Photoshop, the image final contains over 280 layers, and took over 7 hours to complete. After watching the video you'll realise just how detailed the final image is, and why it necessitated so many layers and working hours to achieve the final image.

A hi-res download of Airship of Doom is available here, while according to Koshelkov's YouTube and DeviantArt profiles, the original PSD file will also be made available for download at a later stage (possibly 3 August 2013 as hinted by an image on his FaceBook account.

In addition to all this, Koshelkov is offering to give-away three PlayStation 4 consoles if the video reaches 1 million views. At present the video only has 88 775 views, but I'm sure that will increase quite drastically as more websites start picking up on the story, and share it.

Space shuttle launch POV video

Despite being afraid of heights, I love flying. This must be the most adrenaline-pumping form of flight that humankind has developed and a lucky few have been fortunate enough to experience.

The sound recordings are also really cool and creepy at the same time. I wonder how long before someone incorporates them into an ambient soundtrack of sorts.

Pat Pattle's Gloster Gladiator in 1:72

Some time ago I posted about Airfix's planned releases for 2013. In that post I mentioned my intentions to build one of the mounts of Squadron Leader Marmaduke T. St John 'Pat' Pattle, who is often considered to be the Commonwealth's highest-scoring fighter ace of the Second World War. He was also South African! 

Airfix have made it even easier for me to build a scale replica of Pattle's most famous mount with the release of their Gloster Gladiator Mk. 1 Starter set, which includes decals for L8011, the aircraft flown by Pattle over Egypt in early 1940. 

The paint scheme of L8011 doesn't look anything special, but the history of her pilots certainly is

I'll have to wait a few months for stock of the kit to reach South African shores, but when it does I'll pick up a couple of sets. I might even consider trying to replicate the mount of another of the Commonwealth's most famous Gladiator pilots, that of author Roald Dahl.

1:72 Gripen C from Revell (New tool)

Model enthusiasts with an interest in South African (and Swedish, Czech, Hungarian and Thai) subjects are going to be spoilt for choice this year. In addition to the several future releases from Airfix, Revell have announced that they will be releasing a new-tool, 1:72 SAAB JAS 39 Gripen C in November.

To date all 1:72 Gripens available have been produced from the ageing Italeri moulds. While the details are not bad, the Italeri-based moulds are only suitable for recreating the earlier Gripen A variant. A recent reboxing of the single seater kit has simply been labelled as JAS 39 Gripen C, although all four decal options represent Gripen Cs.

I own one of the original Italeri Gripens, and I am looking forward to adding one of Revell's new offerings to my collection too. I'm hoping that the kit comes with a good selection of decal options, in particular options for a South African or Thai subject would be great.

Ex South African Spitfire takes to the skies

Source: Daily Mail UK

End of an aviation era: Restored Spitfire is the last aircraft to be built at doomed home of Concorde

• WWII fighter plane flew again 10 years after it was found in South African junkyard

• Filton airfield will be closed by owner BAE on New Year's Eve after 100 years

By Harriet Arkell

PUBLISHED: 17:56 GMT, 19 December 2012 | UPDATED: 09:01 GMT, 20 December 2012

A newly-restored classic World War II Spitfire has taken to the British skies for the first time since being found in a scrapyard a decade ago.

The iconic Second World War fighter plane has been restored by a businessman who spent £1m building it back up to its former glory after it was rescued from a South African scrapyard.

Yesterday the gleaming Spitfire took off from the soon-to-close Filton aerodrome outside Bristol for the first time since the 1940s.

Scroll down for video

Restored classic: The rebuilt Spitfire took to the skies above Bristol yesterday after a painstaking £1m renovation

Flying through British skies for the first time since the 1940s: The restored Spitfire over Bristol

Taking off: The gleaming aircraft attracted large crowds to Filton airfield near Bristol yesterday

The occasion was a poignant one as Filton aerodrome, is to be decommissioned by BAE after more than a century of aviation there, and will close on December 31.

BAE Systems, which said the site was no longer economically viable, is selling the airfield for housing and business development.

Crowds of aviation and history enthusiasts lined the A38 road which borders the airfield to watch the Spitfire take off, while BAE staff watched from beside the runway.

They were also there to see the last visit to the airfield from the Airbus A380 superjumbo, which was developed at Filton and is the world's largest commercial aircraft.

Exeter businessman Martin Phillips, 51, who owns the Spitfire, said the expensive and painstaking restoration project had been worth it.

He said: 'To see her take to the skies today has been extraordinary, and for it to happen at the same time as an A380's final visit to Filton, has made this a sad but historic day.

'I think it's a terrible shame that this famous old airfield is to close.'

Former Rolls-Royce engineer John Hart, who has worked as chief engineer on the Spitfire restoration for the last two-and-a-half years, said seeing the Spitfire and the A380 together on the runway that is also still overlooked by Concorde was 'quite a sight' for aviation enthusiasts.

He said: 'It's funny to think the last aeroplane to be put together here at Filton has turned out to be a Spitfire.'

Filton aerodrome, which has one of the longest and widest runways in the country, witnessed the first test flights of Concorde and was where American soldiers injured in D-Day were taken to before being treated at Bristol's Frenchay hospital.

The West Country's aviation industry grew up around the airfield, which developed an international reputation.

Devoted owner: Exeter businessman Martin Philips spent £1m restoring the Spitfire after it was found 10 years ago in a junkyard

Preparing for take-off: Aeroplane enthusiasts lined the runway to watch the WWII fighter plane take to the skies

Painstaking work: The Spitfire has a fully rebuilt Rolls-Royce Merlin engine

Race to finish: Engineers worked long hours to finish the Spitfire's restoration in time for it to fly from Filton yesterday

During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Vulcan bombers were stationed there, and the last Concorde to fly, Concorde 216, is parked there.

There are plans for an aviation museum on the site, hosting both Concorde and the Bristol Aero Collection of British-designed aeroplane memorabilia from the last century.

The final flights from Filton will take off on Friday, before the aerodrome is decommissioned.

End of an era: The Mark IX Spitfire was originally built in around 1943 and is the last plane to be completed at the airfield

Attention to detail: Here, Steve Atkin of Warbird Colour repaints the Spitfire in its original colours

Stripped back: The Spitfire was the last plane to be built at Filton, the home of British-built Concorde

Quite a paint job: Steve Atkin and Alec Kinane of Warbird Colour raced to finish repainting the classic plane

VIDEO A newly restored Supermarine Spitfire taking it's very first, and last flight out of Bristol Filton Airport

New models from Airfix and Revell for 2013

Hot on the heels of me posting a list of the model kits in my stash, today both Airfix and Revell announced the new additions to their product ranges for 2013.

There is some excellent news from Airfix for those keen on modelling South African subjects. A newly tooled Gloster Gladiator, as well as an early Hawker Hurricane Mk I, both in 1:72 are set to be released. If these kits are up to the same standard as other recent Airfix releases then we're in for a treat. These two subjects will allow me to complete two of the mounts flown by the South African born ace, Squadron Leader Marmaduke T. St. John 'Pat' Pattle. Pattle is considered to be the highest scoring ace in both the Gladiator (15 victories) and Hurricane (35 victories).

Here's a trailer of an upcoming documentary about Pattle and his achievements during WWII.

In addition Airfix will also be releasing the two-seated De Havilland Vampire T.11 in 1:72. Presently there are two airworthy Vampire T.55 airframes in South Africa, and I was fortunate enough to see them fly together at Africa Aerospace & Defence (AAD) 2012 held at AFB Waterkloof in September. Airfix's new Vampire kit should provide the ideal starting point with which to create a model Vampire T.55.

De Havilland Vampire T.55s in formation. Lead aircraft in South African Air Force (SAAF) colours while the trailing aircraft is still in its Swiss Air Force scheme.

Airfix are also planning to release a Douglas C-47 Skytrain. While 1:72 kits of the subject are still relatively easy to find, this mould may be an upgrade to the ageing moulds of the competitors, and may just offer South African modellers a cheaper option. Maybe once I've honed my skills sufficiently, I'll try and tackle a model of "Gooney Bird." Sadly AAD 2012 will remain the first and only time I saw Gooney Bird up in the air.

A new and interesting venture by Airfix is the launch of their Quick Build range. It features push-fit aircraft kits that are no doubt aimed at the younger modeller. They will not require any glue or paint for assembly. From pictures the pieces look very similar to Lego blocks. I'm intrigued as to whether the range will feature a familiar scale such 1:48 and 1:72, or whether it will use a 'metric' scale like 1:50 or 1:100.

Exploded view of the Quick Build BAe Hawk

Finally, the 1:1200 U.S.S. Nimitz aircraft carrier from Revell is of particular interest as I've been considering getting either Italeri's 1:720 or Trumpeter's 1:700 Nimitz for some time now. The idea is to make it the centre piece for a display consisting of several planes representing different squadrons from Carrier Air Wing Eight (CVW-8) during the period that it was stationed aboard the Nimitz (1975-1987). This release will offer a smaller option, which in the long run may save me some shelf space. Even at the 1:1200 scale the model Nimitz will measure close to 30 cm in length.

I'll wait to see what other reviewers have to say about the overall quality of the kit before making my decision. In the meantime, I'm still in the process of sourcing the most important plane for the display, an F-14A of VF-84.

Silver Flacons lose support aircraft

Just days after celebrating their 45th anniversary, the Silver Falcons have lost their C-47TP support aircraft, and all 11 personal aboard. It has been confirmed that "Gooney Bird" crashed into Giants Castle, within the Drakensberg Mountain Range, after reporting poor weather conditions. The wreckage was located later that day, but was unreachable by helicopter due to the weather. A recovery team was only able to reach the site of the wreckage the following day.

The following tribute was posted on the Silver Falcons Facebook page, and includes the names of those who perished aboard Gooney Bird.

Condolences to the family and friends of the 11 who lost their lives in the crash.

SAA Cadet Program update

SAA has reportedly stopped automatically rejecting applications from white candidates. This was announced on Friday afternoon, after several rejected candidates sought legal action against SAA. 

The deadline has also been extended until 31 August to accommodate those young and hopeful candidates whose applications were rejected solely on the colour of their skin.

I hope however, that this does not mean applicants will be filtered out at a different stage based upon their skin colour. One comment on the Fin24 website however suggested that now SAA would now have to accept at least one white cadet, in order to prove that the application process was not biased.

If anybody reading this is interested in applying to SAA for the cadet program, details are here. Good luck.

SAA announcement causes turbulence

I came across this story yesterday stating that the South African Airways (SAA) spokesperson Kabelo Ledwaba had told Beeld (local Afrikaans newspaper) that SAA was no longer accepting applications from white candidate pilots, in order to 'bring pilot demographics in line with the country's broader demographics.'

Estimates of the current pilot demographics of SAA are quoted as, 'Only 15% of SAA's pilots are currently black, and this includes Indians and coloureds. The rest are white, and 91% of them are men.' 

This made me wonder does the '91% of them are men' refer to SAA pilots as a whole, or only the white ones? If the former, then SAA shouldn't be taking any applications from men in order to get their demographics 'in line with the country's broader demographics.' While data from the 2011 census is still be tallied, the most recent report from Statistics South Africa estimates that 52% of the South African population is female (p. 2). 

I'm having a guess that the ratio of male to female black pilots is not 50:50 either. 

Many have jumped up and down, claiming that this new policy by SAA is 'reverse racism,' but the use of the term alone implies a fundamental misunderstanding of the definition of racism. (I could go off on a tangent here about what racism is, and that 'reverse racism' in fact does not exist, but I'll save that for later.) 

While the cadet pilot applications are being screened according to one's race, Ledwaba is attributed as saying that 'the airline would appoint male, white pilots when there were vacant posts for which applicants of other races could not be found.' So white men are still eligible for future positions, they'll just need to be fully qualified, have a lot of flying hours, and possible have to accept a lower ranking/ paying job to start off with. 

The whole justification by SAA that they are employing these screening measures as 'an initiative to bring pilot demographics in line with the country's broader demographics' is a bit laughable. As a closing thought, does that imply that the police need to start arresting more white women and putting them in prison in order to bring  prison demographics in line with that of the country? Should more women take an interest in supporting soccer to bring the soccer fan demographics in line with that of the country? Should more black men take an interest in racing yachts to bring sailing supporter demographics in line with that of the country? While these examples may seem ridiculous, the purpose is to show just how ridiculous basing any demographic to be 'in line with that of the country' actually is.

Surely a better solution from SAA would be to encourage more aspiring cadets of colour to apply, through recruitment drives similar to those practiced by foreign military branches.