And here's the finished product. Click on the image to see it at 100%.
When the Fuerza Aérea Argentina began looking to replace its Avro Lancasters and Lincolns, it looked at various bomber and attack aircraft, but the Martin B-51 Panther quickly proved to be the standout candidate. A number of factors ended up pushing the selection of the Panther such as an aggressive marketing campaign by Martin, the ready availability of surplus B-51Bs from the USAF, its acquisition by other South American air forces, and delays in the competition.
Although a large and complicated aircraft, the Panther was accurate, maneuverable, and very fast at low level. When Argentine forces occupied the Falkland Islands in April of 1982, the United Kingdom dispatched a naval force to retake the islands from Argentinian forces. Flying from the Argentinian mainland, the range of the "Panteras" allowed them to strike Royal Navy ships near the islands. A number of aircraft were lost in these attacks, but Argentine pilots continued to press home the attacks, taking advantage of the B-51's speed at extremely low level. Despite faulty fuzes that left unexploded bombs lodged in British ships as often as not, by the end of the conflict, the Panthers of the Argentinian Air Force sank or damaged no fewer than seven British ships.
The aircraft depicted in the profile was responsible for the sinking of the HMS Coventry on 25 May 1982. Here she is depicted some time after the attack, with yellow recognition markings and two kills for ships claimed in attacks.
Cheers,
Logan
