Everyone's Blog Updates thread reminder

[BaronVonWreckedoften]

LGBTQ-RMD?

Yes, I was Laser-Guided Bomb Targeting Qualified at JFACTSU in 1991. Why do you ask?

I think that's worth the full five:-

[RMD]

I've been painting some aeroplanes for the Angolan Border War, as well as photographing some of my old stuff:

http://www.jemimafawr.co.uk/2019/09/15/ ... r-support/

[grizzlymc]

Gonna drop nukes on the Cubans with your Bucc?

[RMD]

Gonna drop nukes on the Cubans with your Bucc?

Na, just lots of thousand-pounders, rockets and low-level runs...

The subject of South African nukes is a curious one. There is a strong rumour that they did actually detonate one in a test well of the beaten track, far south of the Cape. This was also allegedly done as a warning to Cuba, who had a complete Motor Rifle Division assembled and ready to roll over the border into SWA.

[RMD]

As helicopter models seem to have a very finite shelf-life, with many seemingly falling apart before they get into a game, I thought I'd better photograph some of mine and stick them on the blog. I've also stuck some organisational and history guff in there for the insomniacs among you...

http://www.jemimafawr.co.uk/2019/10/20/ ... the-1980s/

[Shahbahraz]

Noice. Me, I'm just building a signal box for Sunday..
https://aleadodyssey.blogspot.com/

[RMD]

Noice. Me, I'm just building a signal box for Sunday..
https://aleadodyssey.blogspot.com/

Where the flippin 'eck is the painting table going to fit in there?!

[RMD]

As my Cassinga Raid game at 'Warfare' is now only three weeks away, I've been frantically painting, sprucing up and converting some more aircraft for the game, as well as getting some old models out of the box for a photo-shoot:

http://www.jemimafawr.co.uk/2019/10/25/ ... rt-part-2/

[grizzlymc]

Did the CubAns have Floggers? Did they have all the fancy missiles or were they monkey models?

[RMD]

Did the CubAns have Floggers? Did they have all the fancy missiles or were they monkey models?

Indeed they did (flagged as Angolan). Curiously with regard to Angola the Soviets pulled out all the stops to supply some of the latest air defence kit to the Angolans and Cubans. The MiG-23ML Flogger was basically a second-generation version, with completely redesigned airframe and avionics to enable it to effectively dogfight as well as intercept. It was far better than any MiG-23 variant then in service with Soviet VPVO air defence forces. It also had first-rate missiles to match and it outclassed the Mirage III and F1 in all respects. Nevertheless, the better trained SAAF pilots did manage to out-manoeuvre the MiG-23s in most dogfights and got the most shots off, though were let down by their poor missiles. The Cubans lost two MiG-23MLs in Angola - one to a South African Ystervark (SP 20mm Oerlikon) and another to a UNITA Stinger MANPADS.

The Angolans and Cubans also got some of the latest SAMS and MANPADS the Soviets could supply, including SA-8 Gecko, SA-13 Gopher and SA-16 Gimlet, as well as the ZSU-23-4 'Shilka'. These were first-line bits of kit in the group of Soviet Forces Germany at the time and no monkey-models. As a consequence, NATO got its first good look at many of these systems after they were captured by UNITA (presumably in exchange for all the Stingers and MILANs that were sent to UNITA via Morocco).

On a similar vein, the Soviets also supplied them with Soviet-grade Mi-24 Hind-D and Hind-E as well as the monkey-model equivalents (Mi-25 and Mi-35).