Shipbucket

The R-57A/B replaced the F-84G/F-84F/F-86E and the R-57C the F-86D.Several of these old US aircrafts served in Ιndependent Air Squadrons (somewhat similar with the US Air National Guard,located in Autonomous Territories) until late 1970's.The F-84G were the first completely withdrawned followed by F-84F and finally the F-86D.
Instead of F-5A, I decide to have F-8H Crusader (3 squadrons),which was similar with F-8E(F) of Aeronavale and modernised to similar level with R550 Magic and R530.RHAF Crusaders wired also for the 530F in mid 1980's.
Other aircrafts served was the Buccanner and a variant of it is still in service (the R-202),the F-4E Phantom (still in service,after a MLU program),French Mirage F1CGM Mk1/CGM Mk2 (difference between these Mk is that the Mk1 is inderceptor with Magic/530F,equipped with Cyrano IV-2 radar and the Mk2 is the attack variant with OMI-37/ARMAT/rocket pods/AM-39 Exocet and features the ultimate Cyrano Radar,the IV-MS.More about them with the "RHAF Mirages".The backbone of RHAF is the Mirage 2000,which has several variants.Again there are 2000EGM Mk1/Mk2-here the Mk2 is actually the Mirage 2000D,the strike variant of the family-capable of using Ordtech Stand-Off weapons and the 2000-5Mk1/Mk2.The latter has several electronics from the Rafale and it is the best Mirage 2k in service,capable of using Scalp among many others.

And some 'News" from my Air Force:In February 2013 RHAF aquired its first 6 Rafale-H (of which 2 are two-seater).They serve in 342th Squadron/114th Air Wing replacing Mirage F1CGM Mk1.RHAF plans to withdrawn all F1 until 2014 and the older 2k in 2015,replacing them with the Rafale-H.However,the Mirage F1 will remain in service for some more years with the Naval Aviation,which has 36 units (mostly F1CGM Mk2).

Some more AU vehicles serve in Hellenic Kingdom,the ATC Perseas and the Tracked Self-propelled Anti-aircraft Weapon E-172 Gorgon.

The All Terrain Carrier Perseas (AU)

This vehicle was first designed back in mid 1960's for SAR in mountains and for Hellenic Army Alpines.The design is more close to US snowcat vehicles of the era,not the Swedish BV-202/BV-206.Vehicle was not design to have a trailer,but after 1980,when ELBO bought the original company,it was modified with a Hagglunds Joint for trailer.This was the Mk2,which was powered by the Mercedes OM617 diesel with 125hp instead of the old 85hp 2.0lt Merdedes petrol.The Mk3 followed in 1994,powered by OM603 engine of 140hp.Top speed is 70kph for the latest version and 60-65kph for previous.The distinctive characteristics of the Perseas is the "clapping" windscreen wipers,which are also very common to many indigenous buses made from 1961 to present (even some indigenous trainsets/DMUs have this feature) and the U-shaped steeering wheel,like that of WW2 bombers. The Mk3 has a convectional steering wheel.
In dimensions/weight the Perseas is more close to Finnish Sisu Nanu.

Note 1: There are also some civillian versions,of which few in private hands and several belong to ski resorts as "snow-buses" for excursions or SAR.Some of these are modified Mk1 with newer Mercedes petrol engines other are Mk2 even Mk3.Hellenic Fire Brigade uses the latest version together with Alpines.Also there is the Perseas Mk2A in service,a Mk2 with Mk3 engine/gearbox.
Note 2:Hellenic Gerdarmerie and Hellenic Frontier Guard have some Mk1B in service together with Mk2s.The Mk1B is powered by a turbocharged version of Mercedes OM616 with 105hp and does not have trailer.Another variant of the Mk1B is an ambulance variant for the Hellenic State Ambulance Service.



And the E-172 Gorgon:

This was first revealed in Defensys 1986 and is similar with the Soviet 2S6 Tunguska.The Gorgon was built on old M18 Hellcat hull with 550hp GM/TAG 12V-71TTA engine and Allison automatic gearbox.It had twin Artemis 30mm cannons and 4-8 OMI-31C missiles with electro-optical targeting system and radar.In E-172M the Falcon-derived OMI-31 replaced with the new OMI-93A/B missiles (in use also with the CIWS ARIS VI-A/B) and the latest indigenous electro-optical systems.
Only 82 units were built,transfered in Cyprus in 1990 in ELDYK service and remained until 2002 when returned in Hellenic Kingdom to serve in Islands Defence Forces in Aegean Sea.All modernised and are still in service.

Interesting work!

In late 1960's RHAF transport aircrafts were the C-47 and C-54,both aquired from USA after serving in WW2.A new aircraft was needed and after an evaluation of types available the Fokker F27 was chosen.Production started in a new factory, built in Tanagra about 60km from Athens.

The R-54 was the first post war aircraft designed in Hellenic Kingdom and the first aircraft powered by the Aerodyne J110 engine,at 8800lbf dry thrust.It had length 13.3m and wingspan 10.4m,weights similar with Gloster Meteor (which also AU RHAF had) and better performance due to swept wings.The radar was based on that of the Meteon NF.11 and later modified to use Falcon missiles together with rockets.What do you think for the aircraft?




P.S Also it could use the AIM-9B Sidewinder from 1964 and also Falcon missiles. Last R-54s withdrawned from service in 1977.

Civilian ATC Perseas

In northern areas of the Kingdom,when snow covers everything in the winter,the Perseas ATC is there to help.Loads include anything you can imagine a snow-blocked village needs.In case a Perseas cannot reach,then the solution comes from Hellenic Frontier Guard,the HC-50 UAV helicopter (normally only 3-6% of these missions are taken by the HC-50,but in 2011 Winter this helicopter landed several times in central squares of snow-blocked villages,about 30%,that winter was "the most severe in Balkans since 1940",according the Hellenic State TV).The single Perseas,particulary the petrol powered variants,is much lighter from Scandinavian similar vehicles-aluminium body on steel chassis.
And of course,it is a very good way of organise excursions in a snowed forest (several Ski Resorts in Hellenic Kingdom offer this activity).
Another user is the civilian rescue team of the Kingdom,the Hellenic Voluntary Rescue Team (in real Hellas there is also a similar team),which aquired some SAR units from Hellenic Frontier Guard in 2009.
Single Mk1 Perseas is also in service with Hellenic State Electric Company and Hellenic State Railways,from technicians to reach in winter-when severe snowfall cause damage to electric lines.Both have 4-5 total.

Note that Ambulance variant has petrol engine,sourced from Mercedes 190E 2.3 (with 8-valve head,modified for better low-end torgue).This in an AU vessel,however color is based to real Hellenic State own ambulances.

Interesting tracked vehicle.
As for the R-54 fighter (sorry for such delay) I'd suggest larger vertical stabilizer and maybe some stabilizing fin below the fuselage. Btw. night/heavy fighters of that generation (like Gloster Javelin or CF-100 Canuck), with the exception of few pieces retained for tests or electronic warfare got retired much more earlier 1977.

This radar was the MARAC M121,derived from Meteor NF.11 but with significant modifications through the years.Last variant,the M121/1964 was equivalent with the radar of F-86D.All modifications tested on a Meteor airframe until 1962 and after tests this particular Meteor went to Hellenic Aircraft Museum.Now for the stabilizing fins you suggest:this was indeed added in the R-54C,last variant of the aircraft,the previous R-54B had the modified vertical stabilizer.That above is actually the R-54A,as test-bed for AIM-9B.The R-54 was passed in Indepedent Territories Squadrons in 1968-69,however two squadrons remained on front line in Cyprus.All remaining aircrafts (about half) returned back in Hellenic Kingdom for scrapping,as the most of R-54s (but there are some as museum exchibits).Last squadron with R-54 was the 387 Squadron at Agathopolis,North Thrace.

Note that Cypriot Air Force R-54C was modified to fire K-13 Atoll missiles due to US Weapons Embargo in Cyprus.However, it was fairly common for the Cypriot R-54s carying OMI-31 missiles (the hellenic copy of the AIM-4 Falcon),but not used them in anger. Until today,the R-54C and the R-57B/C are the only hellenic designed aircrafts which could fire Russian missiles.

Conclusing,the R-54 had good accelaration for its era (the R-54C of 1958 could overtake F-84G in accelaration from 0.6 to 0.9 Mach,could follow a MiG-17 in most conditions but it could not sustain MiG's guns (the R-54 was light constructed).In ground supporting was not the better solution (pilots preferred to have an F-84 for the job or later an R-57) but if we look at the limited budget State Hellenic Aircraft Factory and Antonius Raab Design Office had to develop it,it was succesful.
In 1974 War only one pilot managed to become an "ace" using the R-54,Loizos Ioannou from Cyprus.

The R-54C had the afterburning J110-AD-100 with 10370lbf thrust, and therefore broader air intakes.It was supersonic only in dive.

Also in previous page I mentioned that RHAF AU had the F-8E/RF-8E Crusader. What do you think?Is a good choice or I need to think another aircraft?

That basically depends on what task You need it for.
Generally it wasn't a bad aircraft, but note that USA and France used it on aircraft carriers, and only "land-only" user was Philippines that got them as surplus and not because that was plane of their dreams and they wanted particularly this one.