Has anybody built a Blackburn P.139 AEW?

[rickshaw]

As the title says, has anybody built one?

I understand that the Nimrod AEW system was originally designed for that project.  Did they change the fore/aft scanner sizes or would it be possible to use a Nimrod AEW conversion as a basis for the P.139?

[Thorvic]

Yeap i did one a coupl of years ago :-

http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,19875.msg279714.html#msg279714

I understand that the Nimrod AEW system was originally designed for that project.  Did they change the fore/aft scanner sizes or would it be possible to use a Nimrod AEW conversion as a basis for the P.139?

Yes the Nimrod AEW radar did evolve from the P139 program, however the scanner size increased with the larger airframe so its not really viable for using the Nimrod AEW bulbs as a basis for the P139C. I take it you have Chris Gibsons 'Admiralty and AEW' as that has some rather nice P139 drawings including cross sections inside the front and rear cover, it also covers the rest of the P139 proposals which do get quite a bit uglier !!.

I found adapting a pair of 1/144 Airfix DC-10 fwd fuselages and the usual scractch building raw materials could create a decent fuselage.

Cheers

Geoff

[PR19_Kit]

Did you ever finish it Geoff? The last piccies only show it in primer.

As for being uglier, that's almost difficult to believe, but having looked through the AEW book you could well be right! 

[rickshaw]

Two DC-10s.  Mmm, this is obviously going to have to be a long-term - very long-term project.  Have you seen the price of DC-10s nowadays?   

The cockpit looks like it came from a helicopter?

[Thorvic]

Did you ever finish it Geoff? The last piccies only show it in primer.

As for being uglier, that's almost difficult to believe, but having looked through the AEW book you could well be right! 

Yes i did Kit but soon after it was first displayed Martin borrowed it for the SIG display Cabinet at Coventry. I actually got it back and had it on display at SMW with the Gannet and Buccaneer AEW.

[Thorvic]

Two DC-10s.  Mmm, this is obviously going to have to be a long-term - very long-term project.  Have you seen the price of DC-10s nowadays?  

The cockpit looks like it came from a helicopter?

They just happened to be what i had of the right diameter and similar nose profile. Similar more readily available kits might serve equally as well, although it might be best send PR19-Kit a copy of the scale drawings and get him to check his vast stash of 1/144 airliner kits for suitable matches  

The canopy was a pain although i think that might have actually originated from a diecast minivan or pick up truck !!!

[Thorvic]

It would actally be an interesting one to see done as resin kit, but being AEW and a project its probably too niche a subject for most to touch. I'm sure Anigrand could produce a suitable kit (as long as somebody verifies and validates their masters before production !!!) but it would have to be a comissioned kit as they prefer to do prototypes that atleast got to mock up.

[Hobbes]

Maybe the Airfix Tristar would work as that's in the same class?

I've seen photos of the completed build, but you'd have to go through the SIG show photos...

[Martin H]

Glasgow 2008, mostlikely the Puffin's first public outting

[PR19_Kit]

Hehehe, I LOVE it! 

Maybe a Revell 767 kit for the nose? They're more easily available than most cylindrical wide body kits. Goodness knows what you do with the rest of it though!

[Thorvic]

Yikes i said a couple of years ago, it didn't register when i replied from work that it was actually 2008 when i built it !!

[loupgarou]

Very pretty  even if a little on the plump side. 

[kerick]

No offence but it looks like an AEW egg plane!

[PR19_Kit]

No offence but it looks like an AEW egg plane!

That's 'cos the real thing was, or would have been if they'd have built the darn thing!