Swedish AF Jetstream AEW

[JayBee]

This project was originally suggested by Joe Cherrie at the Scottish NATS in Perth earlier this year.
I did say that I had a spare Airfix Jetstream in my stash and so he proceeded to convince me.
I said that I would need a suitable radome, at which point a resin radome of almost suitable proportions appeared in front of me. Thanks Martin!
So I was hooked, and at this stage I would like to say to Joe and Martin, I am acquainted with a man of the cloth who would be prepared to marry your respective parents should you know who they are.

So here is what Joe proposed:



The first, and most important change is the engines. While the Jetstream 3M as depicted in the Airfix kit has the Garrett TPE-331 engines, the later Jetstream 31/32 while having the same engines, had them in a totally different nacelles.
Joe suggested that it was possible to just turn the front section of the kit engines upside down, and rework the shape of the nacelles.



Well as you can see there is a lot of kit engine to remove from the underside.
Then there is a lot of building up with putty, until you get to this stage:



Then begins the PSR.





That is where I am at the moment.
Thanks to:
Martin for the scanned copy of the colour scheme from the Broplan Tp-88 kit.
Geoff for all the info, especially the Humbrol paints to use.
And,
Pelson, for the info on the Swedish AF designation system. I still do not know what I am going to call it.

Jim 

[NARSES2]

Putty Monster 

[Pellson]

Pellson, for the info on the Swedish AF designation system. I still do not know what I am going to call it.

My pleasure, and I've been waiting eagerly to see this developing. 

[Gondor]

............. and at this stage I would like to say to Joe and Martin, I am acquainted with a man of the cloth who would be prepared to marry your respective parents should you know who they are.

I haven't laughed so much from a comment on this forum in ages 

Gondor

[kitnut617]

The first, and most important change is the engines. While the Jetstream 3M as depicted in the Airfix kit has the Garrett TPE-331 engines, the later Jetstream 31/32 while having the same engines, had them in a totally different nacelles.
Joe suggested that it was possible to just turn the front section of the kit engines upside down, and rework the shape of the nacelles.
Jim 

You might've been lucky asking at Aircraft in Miniature, they do a Jetstream 31 in their Rug Rat range, got one in the stash and it's a Saudi Air Force one

[Martin H]

I would like to say to Joe and Martin, I am acquainted with a man of the cloth who would be prepared to marry your respective parents should you know who they are.

An offer they may have gladly taken up had you made it 44 years ago 

[pyro-manic]

Is it going to be in splinter then?

[Captain Canada]

Neat stuff ! I had no idea that this kit existed. Nice !

[Father Ennis]

All I require is the proper paperwork for marriages except for same sex ones. Here,in Oklahoma, we don't yet recognise them. However, I don't care and will gladly do it. I can even offer a chapel at our local castle.

[JayBee]

Is it going to be in splinter then?

Sorry, are there any other colour schemes? 

[JayBee]

Captain Canada,

The Airfix Jetstream is not the easiest kit to find. As the kit depicts the one and only Jetstream 3M that was built, and it was the only one to have engines like that. To make any production version requires major surgery.
The 3M was built to a USAF specification and even had a C designation allocated to it, it would have been the C-10. Unfortunately the plan to acquire it was cancelled and a much uglier aircraft took that designation. 




I am building two at the moment. The other one does not require any surgery as it is a USAF one which I call the Saigon Taxi.

Jim

[Mossie]

Nice job re-working those nacelles Jim!

[kitnut617]

Captain Canada,

The Airfix Jetstream is not the easiest kit to find.
Jim

I agree, but having said that I've manage to collect four of them.  In one second-hand box that arrived I found something even more rarer, an original Aeroclub Astazou engine conversion set, metal props and engine fronts (like today) but with vacuform nacelles -- Got a few of those M&E conversions too.

A question Jim, do you know if the Jetstream 31 has the same fuselage as the earlier versions ?  There was an article in an Air-Britain quarterly, that showed that some Jetstreams had taller tails, does that apply to your build too ?

[JayBee]

Hi Robert,
I believe the fuselage is essentially the same. However I do not know for certain.
As to the fin I was totally unaware of off that possibility, and I am not planning to do that to mine.
One thing I am doing is saying that this is based on the Jetstream 32, sort off, the shape of the intakes, now on top of the engines, would suggest that. See here :

http://www.jetstreamcentral.com/2012/06/21/how-to-tell-the-difference-between-jetstream-31s-and-jetstream-32s/

This site might also answer your question about the fin.

Cheers,

Jim

[PR19_Kit]

The M&E conversion for the Jetstream was pretty good, I have one in The Loft somewhere, gooodness knows where though, and it came with an excellent decal sheet for both RAF and FAA Jetstreams of the time. I'm thinking their engine mouldings could well do with being dipped in silicone rubber........