Author Topic: 1/48 Sea Beau  (Read 36960 times)

Offline Old Wombat

  • "We'll see when I've finished whether I'm showing off or simply embarrassing myself."
  • "Define 'interesting'?"
Re: 1/48 Sea Beau
« Reply #125 on: October 14, 2019, 09:31:12 PM »
Thanks, Paul! :smiley:

Sort of but not written down. It's all part of my Royal Australian Marines alt. time-line.

I'm kinda stuck with writers block back in WW1, have been for a couple of years. :icon_crap:

Roughly, though;

Australia takes a few bigger steps earlier but the big change is when it gets a larger post-WW1 influx of refugees & immigrants, including more skilled industrial trades people, which leads to Australia being a more populous & a much more industrialised nation by the 1930's. Australia follows & exceeds Jellicoe's recommendations regarding the RAN, which goes beyond being the perceived "Australia Squadron of the RN", including 3 aircraft carriers (OK, so one of them is going to be the modified Dreadnought-class HMAS Australia, purchased prior to WW1 & converted in the early-1920's, which by the mid-30's is going to be a training ship). Aircraft manufacture, mostly of foreign designs, are built in Sydney & Melbourne by de Havilland Australia, Hawker Australia, etc., & an early incarnation of CAC is formed in 1930. SA builds ships in Whyalla & Adelaide, due to the proximity of coal & iron, mostly to British-based designs. Post-WW1 the RAAF is formed as a separate air force to either that of the Army or the Navy with the specific role of "strategic defence & attack" (basically, defend Australia's cities & resources & attack those of the enemy). Army air is for CAS & tactical airstrikes against lines of supply & communication. Navy air is for force projection, of which Marines air is an arm of.

During WW2 CAC builds Beaufighters earlier than RW & the RAN, looking for a long-range carrier-based torpedo plane takes a dive off the deep end & requests CAC look into modifying the Beau for this purpose. CAC do. The RAN accepts it. CAC build it. The RAN FAA flies it, mostly from shore bases but the folding wings allow them to be deck-spotted operationally - until HMAS Adelaide (deck code "L"), something of a cross between the British & American carriers & more akin to the first "modern" carriers than either, is launched in late 1944, which is large enough (&, more importantly, has sufficiently sized elevators) to carry them in the hangars.

I'll have to look up the NF code, I can't remember which squadron that is. :-\
« Last Edit: October 15, 2019, 12:44:08 AM by Old Wombat »
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline Volkodav

  • Counts rivits with his abacus...
  • Much older now...but procrastinating about it
Re: 1/48 Sea Beau
« Reply #126 on: October 14, 2019, 11:59:47 PM »
Cool thanks.

The big difference between your Alt History and mine is you are building models very fine models for yours.  ;)