A 3rd RNLAF fighter I want to show you.
This article is part of a series:
- My first post, the RNLAF (KLU) F-104G Starfighter
- Here’s another one. The F84G Thunderjet.
- A 3rd RNLAF fighter I want to show you.
- The RNLAF Northrop NF-5A Freedom Fighter
- The North American F-86K(aasjager) of the RNLAF (1956-1964)
- RNLAF Spitfire Mk. IX 1/48
- RNLAF Noorduyn AT-16 Harvard IIB
- The Fokker D.XXI of LVA
- The RNLAF F-86F Thunderstreak
- F-16A MLU RNLAF 322nd Squadron "Polly Grey" 60th anniversary 2003
- Brewster B-339 of ML-KNIL Ve Vliegtuiggroep 2e Afdeling (Tamiya 61094 1/48)
This time also some WIP pictures and background info. Hope you like it!
During the period 1955–1959, the Royal Netherlands Air Force (Koninklijke Luchtmacht) equiped 322, 323, 324, 325, 326 and 327 Squadrons at Leeuwarden, Soesterberg (and for a short period at Woensdrecht) with 96 F.4s and 93 F.6s built/assembled by Fokker and 20 T.7s from Hawker Siddeley. A batch of F.4s were later reconstructed with the sawtooth F.6 wings and a number of Hunters received launchers for AIM 9B Sidewinders. During the New Guinea conflict in 1960 a number of F.4s deployed with 322 to Biak Island. The F.4s were definitely underpowered for tropical circumstances and later replaced by F.6s, modified to carry four 230 gallon wing tanks for a greatly extended range.
325 Squadron soldiered on from Soesterberg with its Hunters in the daylight low level air defence role (in which the Hunter remained quite effective) until 1968; 322 and 323 Squadrons received F-104G Starfighters and the other squadrons were disbanded. A considerable number of low hour airframes were sold to Hawker Siddeley and flew on with the India, Iraq and other countries. Nowadays, the Dutch Hawker Hunter Foundation proudly flies a T.7 and a FGA.9 in Dutch colours from Leeuwarden at many air shows, a fitting tribute to an important and beautiful aircraft in the history of Dutch military aviation.
Fantastic job and very interesting story, Alfred!
Thanks for your kind words, Spiros.
Another great KLu aircraft, Alfred @alfred
Really nice work on the painting and detailing.
The Hunter is a very elegant plane and it is always amazing to see it on airshows.
Your shown Klu aircraft tempt me to add some Dutch aircraft to my collection as well.
Thanks John.
You definitely should consider building some RNLAF aircraft.
As I am building my 10th RNLAF bird in a row currently (and a few side projects) I appreciate them more and more.
Also nice to stick to a particular theme for a while.
I will post planes 4 to 9 in the coming weeks.
Very nice work on this. I take it the kit is Airfix?
Thanks Tom. Correct it is the Airfix A09185.
Very nice kit to build.
Good looking Hunter! Well done.
Thanks, Greg.