A little work in progress

[Captain Canada]

Yes...I just love looking at that Herc ! I was wondering in the other thread about the wing tanks...and now I know !

[Martin H]

well now SMW13 is out of the way. AEW builds 4 and 5 can now be added to the thread. Both were built to fill gaps for models that we knew  few weeks in advance wouldn't be done in time by those who had offered them.

first up Build 4.



Taken from Chris Gibson's Airstaff & AEW book. The RAF has wanted the E-3 since the system started development. They came up with a cunning plan to get the E-3 on the cheap (or so they believed). They put forward the idea that the MOD acquire a number of the then soon to be retired British Airways Boeing 707 fleet (the ones with RR Conway engines) at a knock down price. Then mount the E-3 dish and systems. Some bean counter in Whitehall worked out that the Conway would be a very expensive engine to run and maintain, so the idea was kicked into the long grass.

The kit is the old Airfix 1/144th Conway 707 kit with the Dish and legs from a 2nd hand Revell E-3 kit I had been given a few years ago.

Build 5.
Now this monster was something of a speed build. It was started 3 days after the Glasgow show, and the last bits of paint touching up finished 3 days prior to SMW.



Due to the Frieghtdog 1/144th kit, I dont think this one needs much of an intro.
TSR Joe was ment to be doing this one for SMW, but was unable to complete his build. So I was suppled with some resin bits for the nose and upper and lower radar domes. And I started throwing an Academy C-97 kit together. I added a set of white metal undercarriage from SAC, as this beast weighs a ton. The cockpit was formed using a heavily modified spare canopy from an Airfix valiant. It isnt perfect by a long shot. But for an unplanned last moment high speed build its adequate.

[PR19_Kit]

But what are you going to do with the REST of the Valiant? 

[Martin H]

simple, you get two canopies in the Airfix Valiant kit.

[kitbasher]

Those Boeing AEW beasties do look better in the flesh than they do in photos, so very well done to those who have built them - especially the 1/72 versions.

Still looks like a Sperm whale to me though.

Nicknamed 'Moby' by the RAF crews that flew one, could one have been shot down over the Baltic by a MiG-21 armed with 'Ahab' air-to-air missiles?

[Captain Canada]

Nicknamed 'Moby' by the RAF crews that flew one, could one have been shot down over the Baltic by a MiG-21 armed with 'Ahab' air-to-air missiles?

LOL....good one !

Nice builds. Love the 707. I was wondering what those little things were sticking out out the engines....Conways !

[kitnut617]

Great builds, love them! ------

Did you use a conversion for the Conways Martin?  I've seen one somewhere but I can't remember where now --

[Martin H]

nah its a conway powered aircraft in the old Airfix kit. Its not my normal scale, this one is 1/144th

But yes there is a 72nd scale conversion set from some outfit in Germany.

[PR19_Kit]

nah its a conway powered aircraft in the old Airfix kit. Its not my normal scale, this one is 1/144th

But yes there is a 72nd scale conversion set from some outfit in Germany.

That'd be Classic Airliners I expect. Some DC8s had Conways too.

[Thorvic]

nah its a conway powered aircraft in the old Airfix kit. Its not my normal scale, this one is 1/144th

But yes there is a 72nd scale conversion set from some outfit in Germany.

That'd be Classic Airliners I expect. Some DC8s had Conways too.

Were those the lot at the show next to two-six with the 1/72 Boeing 727 resin kit and working on the 1/72 BAC 1-11 ?

[PR19_Kit]

nah its a conway powered aircraft in the old Airfix kit. Its not my normal scale, this one is 1/144th

But yes there is a 72nd scale conversion set from some outfit in Germany.

That'd be Classic Airliners I expect. Some DC8s had Conways too.

Were those the lot at the show next to two-six with the 1/72 Boeing 727 resin kit and working on the 1/72 BAC 1-11 ?

That's the guys, yes (or maybe Herren  ) They do good stuff and it's usually unobtainable elsewhere but it's pretty darned expensive.

[kerick]

Good Lord someone built a flying submarine!

[McColm]

Brilliant builds ,
I hope my 1/72 Academy C-97 builds are as good as yours . Got my own theme of AEW/AWACS aircraft going .
Thanks for the pics .

[Captain Canada]

Now that I've actually read the post properly, I can really see the Valiant canopy ! looks right at home !

Nice work.

[Martin H]

The first post SMW build is now under way.



It got started at tonights Bedford club meeting.