Expanding my Naval Air Wings

When you have model aircraft carriers (scale 1:3000, mostly NAVWAR) you need the right aircraft with it as well.. I use 1:600 or 1:700 scale aircraft so I am able to recognize them. 1:3000 aircraft would be much more difficult. The aircraft miniatures are from Pico Armour (USA), Tumbling Dice (UK) and ‘Odzial 8’ (Poland). The Flight deck decals from ‘Flight Deck Decals 2400’.

The Dutch Air Wing for HNLMS Karel Doorman (R81).

HNLMS Karel Doorman was a ex-British ‘Colossus’-class light aircraft carrier. The Netherlands acquired it in 1948 and it got a major refit in 1955-58 (an angled flight deck, 1 steam catapult, a new island with modern Dutch radars). NAVWAR has 2 models for this ship: N1202 and the refitted (Argentine) model: N91. Both have their specific flight deck decal from ‘Flight deck decals 2400’. It was sold to Argentina in 1969.

I have 2 Air Wings: a 1954 Air Wing, consisting of 6 x Fairey ‘Firefly’ Mk4 fighter/reconnaissance aircraft (yellow nose) and 4 Grumman ‘Avenger’ ASW aircraft (to be used in the last Dutch Colonial War in Indonesia?) and a 1962-‘68 Air Wing, consisting of 4 Grumman ‘Tracker’ ASW aircraft and several Sikorsky S-58 ASW helo’s (to be used against the USSR?). With these I can play 1950’s air-to-air engagements, 1950’s ASW engagements and 1960’s ASW engagements (together with my Lockheed ‘Neptune’ maritime patrol aircraft). The colors of most of those aircraft are the same as the British in this time period, so the aircraft can also be used for a 1960’s British carrier (which I don’t have yet…although I do have 4 British painted F-4 Phantoms Fighters, 4 British painted Gannet ASW aircraft & 8 British painted Buccaneer bombers). The Grumman ‘Trackers’ can also be used on my Argentine version of the carrier (1982 Falkland War).

The British Air Wing for HMS Hermes (R12) & Invincible-class carriers
Although Great Britain started building HMS Hermes as a light aircraft carrier at the end of WW2, the carrier was only finished in 1957, with an angled deck, new radars and a steam catapult. She was refitted in 1981 and got a 12 degree ski jump, lost her angled deck & steam catapult (current model; NAVWAR: N126A). She served during the Falkland War as one of the 2 carriers with Harrier V/STOL fighter/bombers. HMS Hermes was sold to India in 1987 (INS ‘Viraat’). Her British Air wing consisted of 12 Sea Harriers (FRS1), which was expanded to some RAF ‘GR3’ ground-attack variants during the ‘Falklands’ and 16 Sea King ASW helo’s.

The ‘Invincible’-class CVH (N123) consisted of 3 ‘baby’ carriers, which were designed in the 1970s around the Sea Harrier aircraft and ASW helo’s. As the economical alternative to the much more wanted CVA-01 big fleet carrier… These were the first carriers with a ski jump on their flight deck. During the Falkland War her normal Air Wing of 9 Sea Kings and 4-5 Sea Harriers was extended.
I have a big British Air Wing. Around HMS Hermes you can see 2 modern (grey) Sea Harrier FA2, a (grey) Seaking ASW helo and a Chinook transport helo. Around HMS Invincible (R05) you can see Sea Harrier FRS1 (in older dark blue colour), together with dark blue Seaking ASW helo and Lynx ASW helo’s. In the back of the photo you can see HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) with 2 F-35B’s. With the British Air Wing I can play historical and ‘what if?’ battles around the 1982 Falkland War, the 1990s War in Bosnia and potential conflicts against Russia, any clash in the Indian Ocean and around Taiwan (against China).

The Russian Air Wing on a modified Kiev-class carrier
This is a NAVWAR model of ‘Baku’ (N728A), during the collapse of the Soviet Union renamed in ‘Admiral Gorshkov’ (project 11433), a slightly modernized Kiev-class aircraft carrier (project 1143). Her Air Wing consisted of approx. 12 x YAK-38 VTOL fighter/bombers and 12-14 Ka-27 ASW helo’s. The carrier has been sold to India in 2004 and extensively refitted as INS ‘Vikramaditya’. A 1:3000 3D-printed model of this I am about to order from Historical Board Games, USA. 
I have 1 Russian Air Wing, consisting of 5 (dark blue) Yak-38 and several Ka-25/27 helicopters. With these I can play 1990’s air-to-air engagements and ASW engagements against NATO. For the Indian version I need an Air Wing of MIG-29K aircraft…

The Russian Air Wing for Admiral Kuznetsov

This is a NAVWAR model (N726) of the Russian ‘Admiral Kuznetsov’ (project 11435), who became operational at the end of 1990. Her sister ship (not finished) was sold by Ukraine to China in 1998 and became operational as type 001 ‘Liaoning’. The model is that of ‘Liaoning’, with her Chinese flight deck decal. The ships have a 12 degree ski-jump and no catapults. The Air Wing for ‘Kuznetsov’ were naval variants of existing Russian Air Force MIG-29 fighters (approx. 10), Su-27 fighter/bombers (approx. 15), 2 x Su-25 bombers and helo types.
My Russian Naval Air Wing consist of 4 x (light blue) Su-33 (new name for SU-27K), 2 (dark blue) Mig-29K and several Ka-27 ASW helicopters. With these I can play ‘what if?’ scenarios against NATO in the Arctic Sea or the Mediterranean. The future of Kuznetsov is in severe doubt: the ship is in bad shape, a part of her crew is forced to fight in Ukraine and there are rumours Russia can’t afford an aircraft carrier any more…

The Chinese Air Wing for ‘Liaoning’ (pennant nr. 16)

This is a NAVWAR model (N726) of the Russian ‘Admiral Kuznetsov’ with the flight deck decal of ‘Liaoning’. The Chinese Navy started operating with the ship around 2012. The ship has been refitted around 2019. The Air Wing for ‘Liaoning’ consist of approx. 24 (grey) Shenyang J-15 fighter/bombers, which came into service around 2013 and (grey) Z-9 ASW helo’s. The ‘J-15’ is to be considered a Chinese unofficial clone to the Russian SU-33 (naval variant of Su-27 onboard ‘Kuznetsov’). With these Chinese aircraft I can play ‘what if?’ scenarios around Taiwan or a ‘what if?’ encounter between Indian & Chinese carrier battle groups in the Indian Ocean. For that I am about to order 3D printed Indian carriers from Historical Board Games, USA. Which will need an Air Wing of MIG-29K or Dassault Rafale-M.

Besides this, I am still painting additional aircraft for the Air Wings of the British ‘Queen Elizabeth class’ carrier (3D printed; some F-35B painted), the French ‘Charles de Gaulle’ nuclear carrier (N227; 1 x E-3C Hawkeye and 6 Rafale-M painted), Italian ‘Cavour’ carrier (N428; some F-35B painted), Japanese ‘Izumo’ carrier (Fujimi 3d printed; several F-35B painted) and the 1960s USS ‘Enterprise’ (N623; several F-4 & Skyhawk aircraft bought; some S-3 Viking ASW aircraft painted).