C-69, C-121, R7O, R7V-1, WV-1, WV-2 EC-121 Constellation & Super Constellation

[Radish]

I've just begun a Heller 1/72nd Lockheed L-749 Connie.
Glorious.
I've built the fuselage and wing/tailplane sub-assemblies.
Tomorrow I'll rub them down, fill and mate them.
I've fitted all the transparrances as the cockpit windows are tiny and the fuselage passenger windows will be either "blanked off" or few and far between. They'll be painted in gloss black after all other painting.The cockpit transparancy includes the cockpit roof anyway and needs a lot of smoothing out to hide the join. Also, it'll need a ton of weight to keep it nose down, which I can poke through the bottom of the fuselage prior to joining the wings to it.
Next week I hope to be able to finish it as Mid's away on a Giggly-Girly 5 day trip to Paris.

Meanwhile the colours?

Well, this'll be fairly straight from the box except for an aerial fit, so it'll be RAF Coastal Command mostly white, but with Medium Sea Grey uppers and markings/decals from the Extradecal Postwar Lancaster sheet.

Others???

Thinking....
South Vietnamese gunship?...SEAsia colours, of course, and yes, I have the decals/unit markings READY!!
Oman AEW in grey
Israeli AEW in camo
Rhodesian AF/Zimbabwe AF gunship?

That'll probably "do" for 1/72nd as they're quite big (but I'm ditching lots of 1/48th models, right!!), and the 1/144th Minicraft models will be easier!  

[Mossie]

French or British Suez Crisis machine with black & yellow stripes?

Reverse engineered Russian version, based on machines captured after the advance on West Berlin, with bizzare engines & possibly glazed nose?  Bomber with rear gun, Aeroflott, AWAC's, maritime recconisance?  Gunship used in 80's Afghanistan???

Trashed up after being chartered to a seventies rock bands drink & drug fuelled world tour???  Black Sabbath decals???

[Radish]

I like the idea of a Rock Band version!!!
Yeah, cool dude!!

As for the Soviet "glass nosed version", the kit comes with a glazed radome anyway....but it looks too nice to be Soviet.

French Suez?
My French Navy P-38 will be Suez-striped, so I don't want overkill.

At the end of the day I can't build too many 1/72nd Connies as they're so big.....but lovely! Where would I display them?
I could easily fill the 12 ft x double-depth display at SMW with my own produce from the past 18 months, and with little effort, even more.

Perhaps I should start the "Terry RADISH Campion Lunacy Is Everywhere" SIG, and just put out the entire current builds?
No....silly!  

[Radish]

OK, French one will be all-white, Navy and rather dirty.

My RAF Coastal Command one becomes Medium Grey with lots of weathering (of course!!) and bright post-war roundels with red/white codes, underwing serials and fancy unit markings

RAF "up" first"!!!

What about....dare I suggest?

RASPBERRY RIPPLE  

[Mossie]

   

Rad, if your makiing a brace of Connies, Hannants have just got in a load of the Minicraft 1/144 kits, as well as the Revell new tool, which is supposed to be fantastic.  With your new passion for 1/144, it'd save you money, storage space, time & some serious PSR on those Heller kits!

http://www.hannants.co.uk/search/index.php...&order_asc=code

Oh yeah, about the rock band version, I recentley spotted some HO railway figures (N gauge as well if you wanted to go 1/144) from Noch & Preiser that might go well in a dio, some Punks, 'Teenagers' as well as plenty of scantilly clad & even naked girls, might do well for groupies! Theres even some in various sexual positions!!!    Really!!!  My father-in-law used to be into the model railway stuff, can't quite see him getting these for his displays!

Looking forward to seeing these Connies mate, I do love that machine.  Gorgeous.

[Radish]

The 1/144th Minicraft Connies are cheaper at Model Hobbies.
Swifter service than Hannants too, as I've just received one.....an Air France jobbie that looks cool, and'll be even better in different "military" colours.

Actually, talking Rock Bands, the Rolling Stones hired a Connie Model 749 in their Eastern America Tour of 1973 and it had the Big lips logo on the side, just behind the cockpit.
Led Zeppelin had a '707 I think.

But possible Rock Bands with "interesting" finish from the '70s might be:

Black Sabbath
Yes.....all "psychedelic"
Judas Priest
Iron Maiden....although they're a bit later

I think The Incredible String Band (anyone remember them?) would be in something like a HP42 Heracles!!

Off to do some more sanding!  

[famvburg]

I've just begun a Heller 1/72nd Lockheed L-749 Connie.
Glorious.
I've built the fuselage and wing/tailplane sub-assemblies.
Tomorrow I'll rub them down, fill and mate them.
I've fitted all the transparrances as the cockpit windows are tiny and the fuselage passenger windows will be either "blanked off" or few and far between. They'll be painted in gloss black after all other painting.The cockpit transparancy includes the cockpit roof anyway and needs a lot of smoothing out to hide the join. Also, it'll need a ton of weight to keep it nose down, which I can poke through the bottom of the fuselage prior to joining the wings to it.
Next week I hope to be able to finish it as Mid's away on a Giggly-Girly 5 day trip to Paris.

Meanwhile the colours?

Well, this'll be fairly straight from the box except for an aerial fit, so it'll be RAF Coastal Command mostly white, but with Medium Sea Grey uppers and markings/decals from the Extradecal Postwar Lancaster sheet.

Others???

Thinking....
South Vietnamese gunship?...SEAsia colours, of course, and yes, I have the decals/unit markings READY!!
Oman AEW in grey
Israeli AEW in camo
Rhodesian AF/Zimbabwe AF gunship?

That'll probably "do" for 1/72nd as they're quite big (but I'm ditching lots of 1/48th models, right!!), and the 1/144th Minicraft models will be easier!

     And the SEA Gunship could've been real, as the C-121 was considered as a gunship platform that lead to the AC-130. I already have a Connie in SEA camoo as the EC-121.

[Radish]

The Minicraft 1/144th Super Connies are great.....got one and getting some more!

The Heller 1/72nd should receive noseweight and wings tonight.
Still on target as a RAF one......

my other 1/72nd Connies are:

Model 749...it'll be Israeli "data gatherer" with a host of aerials.

The Super Connie 1049....it'll be South Vietnamese, a gunship.

As for the 1/144th?

Well, a "YES" psychedelic one is a strong possibility, as well as some more military ones.  

[Radish]

Hey chaps...superglued the wings and FORGOT THE NOSE WEIGHT!!  :dum:    :dum:    :dum:

Obviously this Connie will now be low-flying over the sea...

or.....

it could be propped up on a jig?

Mmmmmm....prefer the "jig" idea, and my 1/144th ones can "fly".  

[Radish]

Going for the "flying" 1/72nd Connie.
Put the u/c doors in the closed position. Not too good a fit, but hey, ho, haven't begun any of my adventures with sprue and stip.The engines are on too.
Just need to bore a hole in the bottom, stick some sprue in there and find a tube/knitting needle of the correct diameter for the support.....oh, and create a watery base as well.
I was hoping it'd be ready for IPMS Stafford's meeting next Thursday, but it won't so I'll finish it for the Hinckley Show in a couple of weeks.  

[royabulgaf]

If you want to build a real military Connie, I believe the Indian Navy used some.  Also, IIRC, Lockheed had a bomber version at least sketched (B-30?  B-31?)

Kim M

[elmayerle]

If you want to build a real military Connie, I believe the Indian Navy used some.  Also, IIRC, Lockheed had a bomber version at least sketched (B-30?  B-31?)

B-30.  It would be interesting to doodle comparative evolutions of the Super Connie and Starliner.

[Radish]

The Indian Navy had 6 Super Connies, equipped with radar in a bucket-fitting under the frent fuselage.
They replaced the B-24 Liberators used previously.

The French also used some Connies, earlier models, for SAR but declined to fit radar!

As for the B-30....a new fuselage is required, but it'd be interesting to say the least.

[famvburg]

The Indian Navy had 6 Super Connies, equipped with radar in a bucket-fitting under the frent fuselage.
They replaced the B-24 Liberators used previously.

The French also used some Connies, earlier models, for SAR but declined to fit radar!

As for the B-30....a new fuselage is required, but it'd be interesting to say the least.

     New fuselage? I think only a new nose & tail section for the turret. At least that's what the drawing looks like to me.

[Radish]

Anyway, got a big enough box now.
The show is back on the road!