AC-4A GhostRaider (or Porcupine as the crews call it)

BrittMac · February 20, 2009, 11:54:07 PM

But I was thinking about the Porcupine. Probably already taken.
I started building this AD-4W last week, but I decided that I absolutely hated the radar bulge on the bottom. It didn't fit worth a darn.
I wondered what I could do with this thing then, as I had already glued on the sides with the doors and windows.
Then I remembered this GB....... I have lurked here for a good while, but never participated. Shame on me.

Anyways, I thought,"what better way for a government to get rid of old airframes then to give them a quick update for tech and lethality, and then sell them to a tiny nation that could use them to wipe out their enemies while becoming friends of the U.S.?", and I thought of whiffing this into something that could use that big internal space that the Spad has in this form. (nice run-on sentence eh?)

Anyways, the first pic shows a couple bits I added on that would represent new antenna packages.

And now for something COMPLETELY different than simple antennas......turrets and sensors?!?!

I am turning this AD4 into the long lost, and very little, brother of the Spectre. I dunno if this has been done before, but forgive me if it has. I am taking baby steps since getting back into modeling, and this whif didn't really require too much skill. Just trimmed some here and there, cut some brass pieces (shell ejector ramp will be added later, not in these pics), and I used metal tubing for the propeller so it spins more freely. All of this is new to me, so bear with me. I am a noob when it comes to this stuff.

I am also very long-winded in my posting. Sorry.

More pics and info now eh?

I am thinking these tubes look like a 40mm with two auto-fed 20mm next door. 40mm is up front where the loader can get to it. The 20mm are auto-fed and lighter so they are rear-ward.

I know it is hard to tell what the black thing above the guns is, but it is the nose TOW turret from the Academy AH-6 kit (I have the yellow/orange glass for it still). The main green turret is the 40mm grenade turret from the horrible Rev Huey Hog kit, and the two 20mm mounts are also from the Hog kit.

In this pic you can see the overall layout from the upper front. Sensor is flush mounted above and out of the way of the guns. All of this is going to make a heck of a dent in the airstream, so I am currently thinking of a way to streamline these bits a little with some cut sheet plastic.

And this focuses in a bit better on the top of the airframe where you can see some extra antennas and bits. The round black piece is from the AH-6 kit, dunno what it was supposed to be really. The two bits with the flat brass piece are from parts unknown. I just throw interesting little bits of plastic into my spare parts box when I see them.
There will be at least one more fin-type antenna on here, and some whip type too, but I will wait till painting time for them to be put on so I don't break them.

So, to wrap it up. AMT AD-4W kit, with two 20mm, one 40mm, some sensors, and extra antennas tacked on there. So we have had in the past Spooky, and currently Spectre. Maybe Ghoul? After all, it is ugly. Help me name it something cool eh? The AC-4 (insert name)? AC-4 Poltergiest (lol)? Porcupine is fitting, but not scary enough.

Ok ladies and gents, this is my first foray into whiffing. Be gentle.

Fulcrum · February 21, 2009, 12:30:00 AM

looks good, keep up the good work!!!

Some of the names I could suggest could be SkyBuccancer, Spectre-raider or Death wasp.

BrittMac · February 21, 2009, 12:52:46 AM

Quote from: Fulcrum on February 21, 2009, 12:30:00 AM
looks good, keep up the good work!!! Some of the names I could suggest could be SkyBuccancer, Spectre-raider or Death wasp.

Thank you for the kind words. I dunno if I will get to any painting this weekend. I have a little time tomorrow, but I am thinking about putting some more tubing in the wings, you know...for forward firing 20mm's cause you never know when the occasional helo will get in its way. I think it will probably be next weekend before I get to even think about painting it. I work nights, 12hr shifts, and this is my long work week, so it will probably be Friday before any real developments with it. I am just gonna tinker around with some streamlining ideas for it for tonight (yeah, I am up late for a U.S. guy, but it comes with the territory).

edit: Let me add this. I freaking love what you guys have done in this GB, and well, the whole site. I wish I would not have been such a lurker and would have gotten off my butt sooner. (might be a little of the bourbon talking......but cheers!)

Weaver · February 21, 2009, 04:42:18 AM

Hi BrittMac, welcome aboard and nice concept!

For a name, how about: SkyReaper or SkyRipper?

One easy suggestion streamlining-wise: the 20mm barrels you've shown look a tad on the long side (hard to tell from a photo, of course). The common US 20mm single barrelled guns are in the range (whole gun) 183 to 190 cm, with barrels ranging from 122cm to 143cm. That works out at (gun/barrel) roughly 26/18mm in 1/72nd and 39/29mm in 1/48th.

Any thoughts on colour schemes yet? It's going to be good to see this one done.....

The Rat · February 21, 2009, 07:10:44 AM

Quote from: BrittMac on February 20, 2009, 11:54:07 PMOk ladies and gents, this is my first foray into whiffing. Be gentle.

I assure you that we will NOT be gentle with our praise, lookin' great!

GTX · February 21, 2009, 10:11:03 AM

Whoa!!! What an introduction! Can't wait to see the final result. As to names I can imagine the pilots of such a beast would have some interesting ones - especially after it fired.

Regards,

Greg

PS - Welcome aboard.

Cobra · February 21, 2009, 10:51:59 AM

Super Cool!!!! for a Name, How about SkyMauler? this Baby looks like it would MAUL anything that Got within Firing Range!!!!!!!!!

Jschmus · February 21, 2009, 10:55:09 AM

I can't think of a name, but the nickname "Ugly but well-hung" comes to mind.

Ed S · February 21, 2009, 10:56:16 AM

Obviously this is the "Ghostraider". Clever idea using the wide body Skyraider as a gunship.

Ed

BrittMac · February 21, 2009, 01:46:26 PM

Hmm....I thanks for the name ideas, but I think Ed has a good one there. GhostRaider has a heck of a ring to it. I like it.

@Weaver, I haven't gotten to far into the barrel length problem yet, but thank you for the measurement. They will be most helpful.
Another reason they are kinda long at the moment is because I am trying to find some pieces to add to the barrels as a shroud at the end, ala the 105mm on the Spectre, but I will probably just trim them.
At the same time, I don't know which type of 20mm will be onboard. Dunno if it will be a US type or a Euro type. After all, the operator for this little ball of fun isn't named yet.

The whole concept of this plane is that there are alot of unused and off the shelf components coming together (sensor turrets from a helo with new innards, grenade turret from helo is a shell for the cannon now, advances in computers and sensors make this a tidy and relatively simple package, etc...) With the extra antenna, it can serve as a poor mans ELINT, or it can just listen for comms from its targets and then strike. Alot of stuff in this old girl, but I need to slow down before I put too much on her......

As for paintscheme.......... I may do something akin to a Spectre. Or may not. I will try and do it next week though, no promises as my wife is having some type of girlie party here at the house. Ugh.

THANK YOU for the comments! It is a great welcome!

Brandon

John Howling Mouse · February 21, 2009, 04:16:12 PM

Looks wild and wooly. GhostRaider is very good but I think you nailed it with "Porcupine" in the first post, especially with all the gun barrels that will be jutting out like quills. Wouldn't worry if anything else in the real world has the name Porcupine already-----this is What If, baby. Maybe, in your own fictional history, this was the only "Porcupine" there ever was. Or maybe its official name is "GhostRaider" but the crews nicknamed her "Porcupine."

Glad you decloaked. And don't worry about how much of a modification you feel comfortable doing at first: a revised paint scheme counts just as much for a What If as a complete Frankenplane around here.

Looking forward to more of this one (and any others you get the urge to build and share with us).

BlackOps · February 24, 2009, 03:15:43 PM

Brandon, I think this is a great idea. I like Ghostraider as an aircraft name but think porcupine would be great for nose art

Looks like it's gonna have a whole lotta punch!

BrittMac · February 27, 2009, 08:03:51 PM

Alrighty, sorry I haven't updated this, but I also have not been able to work on it. I should be able to put some paint on it tomorrow, but may be just a primer coat.

I thought about a scheme like the Spectre. I am also thinking about a modified WW2-ish scheme with a Sea Blue on top with a light or gull grey on the bottom. Still flip-flopping ideas in my noggin.

I will try and post some progress when I make some. All I did today was add two metal barrels, one in each wing, to give it a little forward firepower. You know, for the "just in case" scenarios. I also cut down the length of the 20mms and trimmed up a barrel shroud that is going on the 40mm. Nothing big.
Take care,
Brandon

BrittMac · February 28, 2009, 11:27:09 PM

Update:

Alright, here is a small update. I sprayed it with a light grey as a primer. Remind me not to do this again. The flaws are awful. My PSR skills are not up to par. I am gonna live with some of it because this is a kinda thrown together kit.

Added a chute, made of brass, that uh......will be a chute where the brass exits the airframe without hitting the airframe.

Did a little more work with the Mr Surfacer.

Pics will show the "windscreen" for the upper IR sensor and the chute installed.

I think I am gonna go with gunship grey with this guy. It really seems the part, eh?

I am gonna try and fill the compressor before the wife falls asleep (right now) and put a coat of grey on her.

BrittMac · March 01, 2009, 12:54:36 AM

And the Whiffers said, "Let there be paint!". And there was paint.
I think this looks the part.
Mixed Tamiya German Grey and Light Grey and used some X-20a thinner. Looks VERY much like the MM Gunship Grey, and I don't have to use my MM gunship grey (hard to find around here for some reason).

Oh, the flash makes is look MUCH lighter than it is. I would go outside for sunlight, but its 3AM here in Alabama.

I am gonna paint some trim bits, and the prop, fix the barrels and sensor glass, and any other niggly bits asap.