the "Demilitarize it" GB

[Weaver]

Presumably therefore the avionics packs on the side of the Apache's forward fuselage would be an issue, since they'd block a straight-down view even with a bulged window. Is there anything in there that you can't do without in civvie use? IIRC, it's all weapon-system black boxes, so maybe you could take them off.....

[Geoff]

The Czechs converted some T-55 engineer tanks into civie recovery vehicles and fire engines.

[MiB]

DHL hustler is awsome!!

[sandiego89]

This would be a great GB topic, I'd be in for sure.  Lots more firebombers that could have been converted- B-29, Lancaster, B-26 (the other one), P6M Seamaster, Gannet, Argosy, misc jets, etc....  Also lots in the ship and ground categories.

Think the post Peristroika period could open up a whole host of stuff, could see the 1/700 Skywave air cusion set being put to civil use.       

[Spey_Phantom]

another exsample is the Amhibious landing vehicle on Koksijde Beach, it was used by the US Army during D-day, it now has been demilitarised and is now used to give rides along the coastline 

Fedex C-17's anyone, Boeing was planning to build a Civy version of the C-17 (BC-17)

[jcf]

Presumably therefore the avionics packs on the side of the Apache's forward fuselage would be an issue, since they'd block a straight-down view even with a bulged window. Is there anything in there that you can't do without in civvie use? IIRC, it's all weapon-system black boxes, so maybe you could take them off.....

Logging conversions strip out everything except for the bare minimum required for flight,
and if some flight control avionics are in the side panniers then they'd be relocated.

Having to rip the guts out of fully equipped all-weather North Sea S-61Ns was actually kinda sad. 

Jon

[dragon]

Interesting.  What else can be given the US ARMY DUKW to Duck Tours treatment......Must think more about this.

[Hobbes]

ex-German army Faun SLT 50-3, now used by a Dutch heavy haulage company:

[jcf]

Cross-posting from the Construction, Combat Engineer, and Bridging Equipment thread:
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,12363.msg286260.html#msg286260

Madill Yarders built on M4 chassis.

Type 009, with HVSS:


Lots more here (35 page thread):
http://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/showthread.php?t=16539

[Logan Hartke]

There's also some equipment on those pages made from postwar US torsion-bar suspension vehicles, another from an M26A1 "Dragon Wagon", and a few different models of ex-US Army High-Speed Tractors.

Cheers,

Logan

[jcf]

There's also some equipment on those pages made from postwar US torsion-bar suspension vehicles, another from an M26A1 "Dragon Wagon", and a few different models of ex-US Army High-Speed Tractors.

Cheers,

Logan

Yep, and having grown up in the logging country of Southwest Washington I saw a variety of modded machines out in the woods.
Along with the occasional modified GMC or Studebaker 6X6 hulk rusting away in the brush. 

One of my favourite pics from that site:

Try doing that with Panther spares.

Jon

[upnorth]

I was once trying to make a rescue bird out of a Hind gunship. It sadly came to nothing.

I was going to put a big search light or FLIR turret in the place of the nose gun and rig out the gunner's pit with all the screens and sensor output gear.

I was doing that project when I was still in Canada. After coming to the Czech Republic and seeing how cramped the cabin of the Hind is in spite of the machines outward size; I'd be inclined to make a fuselage extension somewhere to create a bigger cabin.

[Weaver]

Presumably therefore the avionics packs on the side of the Apache's forward fuselage would be an issue, since they'd block a straight-down view even with a bulged window. Is there anything in there that you can't do without in civvie use? IIRC, it's all weapon-system black boxes, so maybe you could take them off.....

Logging conversions strip out everything except for the bare minimum required for flight,
and if some flight control avionics are in the side panniers then they'd be relocated.

Having to rip the guts out of fully equipped all-weather North Sea S-61Ns was actually kinda sad. 

Jon

Yeah, disposable load is everything. With the TADS/PNVS turret taken out of the nose, you could put any neccessary-but-homeless black boxes in a "tin chin" there. Alternatively, they could go in the space vacated by the cannon ammo.

I was going to say this looks like a project, but I've just been looking at some sprue pics of various 1/72nd Apaches, and not only are the avionics panniers always moulded in one piece with the fuselage, but the tops of the main gears are moulded in with them too! That means you'd not only have to cut the panniers off, but also scratchbuild the newly exposed gear legs. Doable of course, but a lot more work....

[Logan Hartke]

I was once trying to make a rescue bird out of a Hind gunship. It sadly came to nothing.

I was going to put a big search light or FLIR turret in the place of the nose gun and rig out the gunner's pit with all the screens and sensor output gear.

I was doing that project when I was still in Canada. After coming to the Czech Republic and seeing how cramped the cabin of the Hind is in spite of the machines outward size; I'd be inclined to make a fuselage extension somewhere to create a bigger cabin.

Cheers,

Logan

[Weaver]

That's the one from Firefly, isn't it?

There's a group of mad fans who found the prop in a scrapyard and are restoring it with a view to taking it to conventions. It's really rough through, both due to the original build (zero budget) and it's subsequent hard life. It started life as a 2/3rds (?) scale fibreglass Hind for use in the background of some war movie, before Firefly got hold of it.