So, the idea of this project is to build a 1/72nd model of each of the aircraft operated by 800 Naval Air Squadron, in which my father served. I thought I had a pretty good idea of what they had. Well, I thought Wikipedia did anyway.
But now, thanks to a remarkable and compendious tome purchased by Dad at the Shuttleworth Collection (Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm by Ray Sturtivant), I know what is what.
So here it is:
- Hawker Nimrod I/II: May 1933- January 1939
- Hawker Osprey: May 1933 – August 1939
- Miles Magister: December 1937 – September 1938
- Gloster Sea Gladiator: October 1938 – February 1939
- Blackburn Skua: October 1938 – April 1941
- Blackburn Roc: May 1939 – November 1939
- Fairey Fulmar Mk.I: April 1941 – November 1941
- Fairey Fulmar Mk.II: June 1941 – July 1942
- Sea Hurricane Ib: June 1942 – October 1942
- Sea Hurricane IIb: September 1942 – October 1942
- Sea Hurricane IIc: October 1942 – November 1943
- Grumman Hellcat I: July 1943 – May 1945
- Grumman Hellcat II: October 1944 – November 1945
- Supermarine Seafire XV: August 1946 – February 1947
- Supermarine Seafire XVII: January 1947 – April 1949
- Supermarine Seafire FR.47: April 1947 – November 1950
- Supermarine Attacker F.1: August 1951 – May 1952
- Supermarine Attacker FB.1: February 1952 – January 1953
- Supermarine Attacker FB.2: September 1952 – June 1954
- Hawker Sea Hawk FB.3: November 1954 – July 1955
- Hawker Sea Hawk FGA.4: June 1955 – April 1956
- Hawker Sea Hawk FGA.6: May 1956 – March 1959
- Supermarine Scimitar F.1 July 1957 – February 1964
- Blackburn Buccaneer S.1: March 1964 – November 1966
- Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer S.2: September 1966 – February 1972
- Hawker Siddeley Sea Harrier FRS.1: March 1980 – April 1995
- British Aerospace Sea Harrier FA.2: March 1995 – March 2004
- British Aerospace Harrier GR.7: March 2006 – March 2009
- British Aerospace Harrier GR.9: March 2006 – December 2010
So, that’s 29 by my reckoning, plus wing folded examples that could be 38 or so. Add a few variants of paint job (e.g. the previously de rigeur dark blue over white Sea Harrier as opposed to the all-over grey adopted during the Falklands conflict) and we are well over 40 kits.
The problem is, where to put them all….?
