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1/72 Supermarine Shrike Mk1 (Type 250) Ethiopia 1937 inspired by dizzyfugu kit bash masterpieces.
Supermarine Shrike Mk1 (Type 250) #
Kitbashed Airfix Mk1 spit with nose and spated wheels from A-Model Hawker Fury.
Fuselage and wings shortened by a scale 2ft, nose grafted on from Fury for RR Kestrel power, rear cockpit faired in, rear flying surfaces reprofiled, scratchbuilt fixed undercarriage with spated wheels from Fury and lots of filler.
Camouflaged in RAF Light Earth, Light Green, Azure blue, markings from ancient superscale RAF interwar sheet and spares. Main paints MRP Lacquers, weathered with hairspray chipping technique and oil paints.
Short back story...
Britain intervenes in Abyssinia crisis, has a skirmish with Italy (think Spanish civil war only smaller scale) leading to longer proxy war with Italy and Germany.
Full Story:
Supermarine (Type 250) Shrike Mk1
Following the lessons learned from their failed Type 224, Supermarine’s next fighter project was initially a private venture and not to any specific Ministry requirements; they aimed to produce an aircraft that used proven technology while still offering a significant step up in capability. While more powerful engines were in the pipeline the proven Rolls Royce Kestrel was selected albeit with some modest tweaks to the supercharger and intake system to increase its performance, all metal monocoque construction was employed based on their experience with the Type 224 and their Schneider Trophy winning seaplanes. Named Shrike after the small predatory songbird the result was an aircraft touted in the press as the world’s first 300mph Interceptor, in reality the Shrike could only just attain 280mph under test conditions and operationally less than that but it still represented a healthy leap in performance over the Hawker Fury and Gloster Gauntlet it was intended to replace. Although no Specification existed to suit the Shrike one was created to hasten the RAFs entry into the Monoplane era and to ensure it stayed at the fore front of aviation technology, and so in July 1936 the Supermarine Shrike Mk1 entered service with 56 Squadron at RAF North Weald; the squadron had little time to get accustomed to their new mounts as Britain had decided to show solidarity with The Kingdom of Ethiopia (then commonly known as Abyssinia) in its occupation by Italian forces.
The RAF’s newest fighter was to be deployed but only to operate in a purely defensive capacity in the hope that their presence would stop aerial attacks, allowing the Ethiopian forces to at least hold their own. The League of Nations failure to oppose Italy’s occupation of Abyssinia had emboldened Germany’s chancellor Adolf Hitler who in March 1936 had marched troops into the Rhineland, Britain, fearing Italy would look to do the same towards their interests in the Mediterranean, chose to use the Abyssinia Crisis as an opportunity for a show of force as a deterrent to such aspirations. In December 1936 the RAF deployed 56 Squadron along with two squadrons of Hawker Harts which immediately began patrols, this initially had the desired effect, the Ethiopian Troops had been mercilessly gassed and strafed and the sight of patrolling Shrikes had an instant effect on moral; this however was to be short lived.
On New year’s day 1937 the Regia Aeronuatica attacked the RAF field at Addis Ababa damaging several aircraft but ultimately only causing minor damage, the first shots however had been fired and on 3rd January the RAF retaliated with a low level attack; the shooting war had begun proper. Attacks by formations of SM.81 bombers escorted by Fiat CR32 fighters quickly became the order of the day and 56 Squadron found itself engaged in WW1 style dogfights with the nimble Fiats, the Shrike had a higher top speed and could out climb and dive the biplane fighters but the Italians had the edge in roll and turn rate; the Ethiopian forces were mesmerized watching the melee occurring over their heads and would often risk standing out in the open during bombing raids to cheer on the RAF.
War had never actually been declared between Italy and Great Britain and this was still seen as something of a skirmish by the worlds Press, this changed on February 1st when Italy launched a pre-emptive strike on British forces on the island of Malta sinking HMS Glorious and damaging several other Royal Navy ships in Grand Harbour. The Anglo-Italo war had begun.
1/72 Supermarine Shrike Mk1 (Type 250) Ethiopia 1937 inspired by dizzyfugu kit bash masterpieces.
Supermarine Shrike Mk1 (Type 250) #
Kitbashed Airfix Mk1 spit with nose and spated wheels from A-Model Hawker Fury.
Fuselage and wings shortened by a scale 2ft, nose grafted on from Fury for RR Kestrel power, rear cockpit faired in, rear flying surfaces reprofiled, scratchbuilt fixed undercarriage with spated wheels from Fury and lots of filler.
Camouflaged in RAF Light Earth, Light Green, Azure blue, markings from ancient superscale RAF interwar sheet and spares. Main paints MRP Lacquers, weathered with hairspray chipping technique and oil paints.
Short back story...
Britain intervenes in Abyssinia crisis, has a skirmish with Italy (think Spanish civil war only smaller scale) leading to longer proxy war with Italy and Germany.
Full Story:
Supermarine (Type 250) Shrike Mk1
Following the lessons learned from their failed Type 224, Supermarine’s next fighter project was initially a private venture and not to any specific Ministry requirements; they aimed to produce an aircraft that used proven technology while still offering a significant step up in capability. While more powerful engines were in the pipeline the proven Rolls Royce Kestrel was selected albeit with some modest tweaks to the supercharger and intake system to increase its performance, all metal monocoque construction was employed based on their experience with the Type 224 and their Schneider Trophy winning seaplanes. Named Shrike after the small predatory songbird the result was an aircraft touted in the press as the world’s first 300mph Interceptor, in reality the Shrike could only just attain 280mph under test conditions and operationally less than that but it still represented a healthy leap in performance over the Hawker Fury and Gloster Gauntlet it was intended to replace. Although no Specification existed to suit the Shrike one was created to hasten the RAFs entry into the Monoplane era and to ensure it stayed at the fore front of aviation technology, and so in July 1936 the Supermarine Shrike Mk1 entered service with 56 Squadron at RAF North Weald; the squadron had little time to get accustomed to their new mounts as Britain had decided to show solidarity with The Kingdom of Ethiopia (then commonly known as Abyssinia) in its occupation by Italian forces.
The RAF’s newest fighter was to be deployed but only to operate in a purely defensive capacity in the hope that their presence would stop aerial attacks, allowing the Ethiopian forces to at least hold their own. The League of Nations failure to oppose Italy’s occupation of Abyssinia had emboldened Germany’s chancellor Adolf Hitler who in March 1936 had marched troops into the Rhineland, Britain, fearing Italy would look to do the same towards their interests in the Mediterranean, chose to use the Abyssinia Crisis as an opportunity for a show of force as a deterrent to such aspirations. In December 1936 the RAF deployed 56 Squadron along with two squadrons of Hawker Harts which immediately began patrols, this initially had the desired effect, the Ethiopian Troops had been mercilessly gassed and strafed and the sight of patrolling Shrikes had an instant effect on moral; this however was to be short lived.
On New year’s day 1937 the Regia Aeronuatica attacked the RAF field at Addis Ababa damaging several aircraft but ultimately only causing minor damage, the first shots however had been fired and on 3rd January the RAF retaliated with a low level attack; the shooting war had begun proper. Attacks by formations of SM.81 bombers escorted by Fiat CR32 fighters quickly became the order of the day and 56 Squadron found itself engaged in WW1 style dogfights with the nimble Fiats, the Shrike had a higher top speed and could out climb and dive the biplane fighters but the Italians had the edge in roll and turn rate; the Ethiopian forces were mesmerized watching the melee occurring over their heads and would often risk standing out in the open during bombing raids to cheer on the RAF.
War had never actually been declared between Italy and Great Britain and this was still seen as something of a skirmish by the worlds Press, this changed on February 1st when Italy launched a pre-emptive strike on British forces on the island of Malta sinking HMS Glorious and damaging several other Royal Navy ships in Grand Harbour. The Anglo-Italo war had begun.