DRAFTED!!!

[anthonyp]

I've been on a weird kick lately.  I think Alvis' winner for the KC-X competition over at ARC sent me over some cliff I hadn't seen coming in my Whiffing...

Civvies in NON-COMBAT military roles.  I'm talking all manner of aircraft available out there, in the drab greys, greens, and tans of the world's militaries, just doing mundane things like air-to-air refueling, cargo carrying, Sigint, AEW, SAR, etc.

I've gone so far as to go on an eBaying binge and bought a couple 747's that are going to end up in USAF colours (like a C-19 747-100 in Euro I, a KC-25B 747-200 in Shamu colour scheme, a C-33 747-400 in AMC grey, etc; these are actual designations, check out Global Security's Civvie to Military designation list).  Not to mention A340's, Il-86's, Il-96's, more DC-10's, MD-11's, 727's, 777's, etc.

Like I said, mundane subject, but it's really gripped my imagination as of late.  Maybe its because I'm running out of Sidewinders, or something...

[Weaver]

Hmmmm - VC-10 R1, covered in aerials and bulges, busy doing "radar calibration" somewhere over the Baltic.....

Remember the Britten Norman AEW Defender, with the Sea King's AEW's Searchwater radar in a relatively huge radome on the nose? That was a bit silly, but what I always fancied was putting that setup in a Gannet style radome under a Basler Turbo-67 (turbo-Dakota). Since the latter has a fuselage plug as standard (to restore CofG with the lighter engines), the radome could be installed under that without even disturbing the Dak's basic structure.

[pyro-manic]

Bristol Superfreighter in Transport Command/Middle East Air Force colours?

[PR19_Kit]

That was a bit silly, but what I always fancied was putting that setup in a Gannet style radome under a Basler Turbo-67 (turbo-Dakota). Since the latter has a fuselage plug as standard (to restore CofG with the lighter engines), the radome could be installed under that without even disturbing the Dak's basic structure.

Didn't Air Atlantique have a Dak configured with a radome once, albeit still with radials? I'm pretty sure I saw one like that at one of their open days a few years ago.

[lancer]

Hmmmm SOunds like it could be a good one.. I could ressurrect my BAe146 fleet

[Mossie]

Wondered about military transport versions for my Boeing SST kit(s).  Unfortunately the version with landing gear down has a nastilly warped nose, which was the main one I had plans for.

[Cobra]

Hey Guys, Think the Concorde would look Good in RN or US Navy Paint? been thinking about making it look like it was in the Gerry Anderson Series 'Stingray'!!!! what say You?

[JayBee]

Hey Guys, Think the Concorde would look Good in RN or US Navy Paint? been thinking about making it look like it was in the Gerry Anderson Series 'Stingray'!!!! what say You?

Foolish boy! Go for it!!!

[jcf]

All 'C' designations, historical and current.

http://www.driko.org/usdes_c.html

BTW the KC-25 designation used by Global Security is bogus, the C-25 designator is unique to
the VC-25A aka Air Force One. If the 747-100 tanker conversions done for Iran had received
a US designator, it is doubtful that it would have been C-25.

Jon

[anthonyp]

Global Security is like the Wikipedia of the military world 

Meh, I'm still doing a KC-25B based on a 747-200.

[Weaver]

There's a few Constellation kits around at the moment: how about an air-sea-rescue variant with an updated version of the air-dropped lifeboat? Air refuelling tanker?

[jcf]

Global Security is like the Wikipedia of the military world 

Meh, I'm still doing a KC-25B based on a 747-200.

C-30 was evidently unused prior to Northrop-Grumman/EADS unofficial use during the tanker contest.
So why not a 747-200 based KC-30 developed from the experience with the Iranian tanker conversions?
Sure to cause great confusion at a modelling show. 

Jon

[nev]

So effectively, this is a "Ploughshares into Swords" GB?

[Mossie]

Blunted swords though!

[nev]

"Ploughshares into Blunted Swords GB".  I like it!   It has a catchy, whiffy ring to it