Scimitar by Rob Richardson....

[DaveB]

Lovely shots Andy

I've no idea how 800Sqn got away with ROYAL NAVY instead of their serials. Could be because they were the display squadron for that year and chanced their arm

The Adens were certainly impressive but I believe to use them put the aircraft inside the range of the bangers used by the enemy it would have been sent to shoot down requiring another 'adjustment' in it's operational role. However.. sidewinder changed all that meaning it could be used in an intercept role if required.

Thanks for posting them.
ATB
DaveB

[spatialpro]

I've no idea how 800Sqn got away with ROYAL NAVY instead of their serials. Could be because they were the display squadron for that year and chanced their arm

My understanding is it was a bespoke paint job specifically for SBAC Farnborough that year. The shots I posted are from practice for SBAC. I believe this was the same (only?) year they did their simultaneous-landing-in-opposite-directions-by-folding-wings-on-the-runway routine...!!!

[spatialpro]

Rocket practice. By the look of it maybe they weren't RP3...

[DaveB]

That seems likely.. the SBAC show at Farnborough was our shop window to the world I guess it still is but without the Brit manufacturers!

ATB
DaveB

[DaveB]

Warpaint lists it has being able to carry 4 x AIM9, 96x unguided air to air rockets, 4 x ASM N 7 Bullpup ASM, 4 x 1000lb (or smaller) bombs, 24 x 3in (7.62mm.. I think it means 76.2mm which is 3in) rockets or 1 x Red Beard TNB. I have a similar shot and the title lists it firing 3in rockets.
EDIT: the ones in your shot look incredibly pointy for RP3 don't they??

ATB
DaveB

[spatialpro]

Delving a little deeper it seems they could be RP3 after all. In my head the RP3 had a bulbous warhead and was synonymous with the Typhoon over Europe:



However, it appears the RP3 didn't always have the bulbous warhead and also often carried low profile, conformal warheads. I think these "drainpipes" are the 3" rockets the Scimitar carried.

[DaveB]

They may well have used both Andy. I have a shot of XD248 195/R firing 3in and the familiar 'bulbous' nose can be clearly seen. I don't know the ins and outs of RP3's I'm afraid. The different heads could be target specific??

ATB
DaveB

[spatialpro]

This one?

I tell you what though, the fins appear to have a smaller span than the classic RP3...

[DaveB]

Yes mate.. that's the one and looking closely.. I'd be inclined to agree on the fin sizes. The truth is out there somewhere!!

In the meantime.. XD267 100/R 800Sqn RNAS Lossiemouth, 1961




Available HERE

ATB
DaveB

[spatialpro]

There are some great posts and screenshots on this thread, but very little relating to TacPack. So far I've flown the Scimitar as-is, but now I want to use TacPack. I have other aircraft which are TacPack enabled, which seem to work fine, but I can't for the life of me locate the loadout configurator for the Scimitar. Does anyone have any ideas?

Also, how about some screenshots using TacPack guys....?!

Andy

[spatialpro]

On a separate note, can any other users confirm the stall speed with full fuel etc and no flaps is well below 100kts IAS? Also, can anyone confirm the airbrakes cause little deceleration?

[wombat666]

They may well have used both Andy. I have a shot of XD248 195/R firing 3in and the familiar 'bulbous' nose can be clearly seen. I don't know the ins and outs of RP3's I'm afraid. The different heads could be target specific??

ATB
DaveB

Or they might just be inert 'Training Rounds'?
Just thinking out loud.

[DaveB]

Or they might just be inert 'Training Rounds'?
Just thinking out loud.

Now that's a logical explanation
ATB
DaveB

[Sundog]

Thanks for all of the paints Dave. I know Rob is working on a Seahawk now (Yay!), but I'm hoping that somewhere down his list he has a Supermarine Swift as well. I just picked up the new Airfix kit and couldn't help thinking, "I need one of these in FS!"

[Naismith]

Alphasim did a Swift - no idea how good though or if still available.

[hairyspin]

Delving a little deeper it seems they could be RP3 after all. In my head the RP3 had a bulbous warhead...

However, it appears the RP3 didn't always have the bulbous warhead and also often carried low profile, conformal warheads. I think these "drainpipes" are the 3" rockets the Scimitar carried.

These rockets may have solid warheads and are slung below a Beaufighter - a Merlin-engined variant at that. Solid warheads were used on shipping strikes, aimed to strike below the waterline, and were reckoned as destructive that way as HE heads. There's an example on display at RAF Hendon, under their Beaufighter.

Alternately, they may be AP rounds. You can clearly see warheads lying on the ground, ready to be screwed on to the rocket bodies.

[hschuit]

Alphasim did a Swift - no idea how good though or if still available.

The Swift FR.5 is available at the Virtavia Alphasim Freeware library. SOH member lazarus has done a nice FSX native conversion which you can find at Simviation. The model and VC are not bad at all for a 10 year old add on.

[wombat666]

These rockets may have solid warheads and are slung below a Beaufighter - a Merlin-engined variant at that. Solid warheads were used on shipping strikes, aimed to strike below the waterline, and were reckoned as destructive that way as HE heads. There's an example on display at RAF Hendon, under their Beaufighter.

Alternately, they may be AP rounds. You can clearly see warheads lying on the ground, ready to be screwed on to the rocket bodies.

A considerable number of Mk.11 Beaufighters ended up with Royal Navy Fleet Requirement Units, scattered around the World.
I know that 789FRU and 726FRU operated along the South African Coast, but I have not come across anything re the RN using Merlin powered Beaufighters on operations.
But of course, never say never.

[hairyspin]

On closer inspection, that's a flame-suppression exhaust extension, not Merlin stubs at top right. So back to more usual Beaus for an explanation. I did wonder why a Merlin would still need the wing air intake!

[harrybasset]

On closer inspection, that's a flame-suppression exhaust extension, not Merlin stubs at top right. So back to more usual Beaus for an explanation. I did wonder why a Merlin would still need the wing air intake!

The aircraft in the background seem to have radial engines. I think the wing intake is for an oil cooler.

[hairyspin]

Yep, 25lb solid warheads on these rockets: dumb as a housebrick so I doubt the Scimitar used them.








and the Beaufighter is using Bristol Hercules radials, not Merlins. The flame suppressing exhaust is something like this:–

[DaveWG]

The MkIIF Beaufighters had Merlins.

[SkippyBing]

Yep, 25lb solid warheads on these rockets: dumb as a housebrick so I doubt the Scimitar used them.

They're certainly listed as an option for the Scimitar, and there're pictures in Richard A Franks book on her captioned as carrying 24 3" RP, 6 per pylon. It's not as if they ever carried any particularly smart weapons unless you count the early model Bullpup, everything else was gravity seeking. I've also got a picture somewhere of a Mk1 Vixen carrying a load of 3" RP but I've never seen any on a Mk2 which makes me wonder if they were phased out or they just ran out of stocks from WW2!

[DaveB]

Yup.. nothing the Scimitar carrier was 'smart' other than the Bullpup which was only vaguely smart! I'm sure the skinny ones in Andy's shot are 3".. perhaps without the HE head. I dunno what the 96 x unguided air-to-air missiles listed in Warpaint might be. 96 of anything under the wings seems an awful lot to me

ATB
DaveB

[spatialpro]

Soooo, speaking of weapons..... is nobody else out there using TacPack with Rob's Scimitar???