Lockheed XR-7 Thunderdart......Black Project strategic recon...

[General Melchet]

Hi all, I finished this one recently in time for SMW Telford and our Project Cancelled table. It follows on from the Aurora I did earlier and is basically another study of the hypersonic Thunderdart strategic recon element of the concept. I have acquired some drawings showing a very different engine and tail arrangement on this particular version and have modified the model accordingly. I wasn't happy with the podded engines plonked on top of the rear fuselage and thought that the idea of blended intakes,buried  air breathing engines, more highly raked tail fins, underwing fins and a revised undercarriage would be more suitable to the design. Rather than one large single wheeled main and nose gear I've fitted smaller eight wheel units, (courtesy of a spare Victor) and twin nose wheel, (courtesy of a 1/48th Mirage 2000) allowing for the engines to be set deep into the fuselage to minimise the heat signature, (somewhat at odds with the idea of large podded engines sat high on the fuselage as per the kit!!). The pulse detonation engines are set low at the rear end of the undersides venting through the four exhaust pack outlets. The engine covers are all scratch built from Evergreen 4mm card as are the tail and under wing fins all being rescribed to add a bit of detail in these areas and the exhaust area suitably burnt using Alclad hot metal paints and Pro Modeller washes. The overall paint scheme was chosen to match the SR75 mothership and based on the YF-12's projected in service finish and the markings are all from the spares box representing the National Reconnaissance Office which was cited to use the aircraft back in in the ninties and beyond?. Cockpit is detailed using an Eduard F117 set and Aeroclub seat as the kits offerings are very sparse and basic to be honest.
The model was on show at Telford and attracted a lot of positive comments from folks, including some US aircraft workers hanging around the USAF table who had heard of certain 'projects' being undertaken back in the eighties. Now that more information is available on a lot of these projects the work needed to bring these aircraft alive is thankfully a lot easier......no more indistinct, fuzzy images taken with a high powered zoom lense at 50,000 feet....
Good fun and hopefully one of three more that I have yet to finish in various configurations that I have drawings for....

The ground support equipment has been modified from a couple of Hasegawa sets and finished in the high viz scheme of the period.

Just waiting for the knock on the door now from the MIB!!  


Cheers all,

Melchie....

[lenny100]

certanly look a lot beter than the original kit

[pyro-manic]

That's just fantastic!

[Cliffy B]

Sexy! 

[Hobbes]

Ah yes, I've been admiring this on the Project Cancelled stand. Your modifications look like they belong there, certainly more realistic than the original kit. Great job! Wasn't aware anything had been published on Project Aurora beyond pure speculation?

[Stargazer]

A beauty! Congratulations. 

[RotorheadTX]

Your re-design is infinitely more attractive than the original engine pods!! Kudos!!

I wish I had thought of that before I sold off my copy - got rid of it because I couldn't stand those hideous PDWEs!!  

Sigh - now I'll have to find another.....  

[chrisonord]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!!!
Now that is certainly floating my boat. I love the modifications too, it makes look another 1000 MPH faster for sure.
You wouldn't happen to have any pics of how you modified where the pulse wave engines went would you? I have one in the stash that needs doing now I have seen yours.
Cheers,
Chris.

[anthonyp]

This is great!

And sucks at the same time...  For now I need another XR-7 to paint it up like this  

I love the mods you did to the dorsal engines.   

[GTX]

 

[NARSES2]

Good to see it here, it looked wonderfull on the stand 

[General Melchet]

Thanks guys, yeah like a lot of you I didn't reckon much to the kits podded 'afterthought' engines, (totally pointless as regards any stealth properties!) and always had plans to modify this aspect of the design.
chrisonord , do you mean the PWDE's or blended air breathing turbofans? because the PWDE's shown on the few images that I've seen show the exhausts to be set low in the area that I've gone for in decal form whereas the top mounted engine 'plate' was cut from card then dogtoothed, (similar to the B-2 ) and fitted between the tail fins and curved over the rear fuselage then a modified exhaust built. Hope that helps a bit....
Cheers Chris, glad you liked it...a couple of ex US aerospace chaps I spoke to said that they didn't realise that a kit of this particular aircraft was available, where could they could get the kit from and just how did they get the information about the engine design .................spooky  
Got a few more to work on now.......(I'm hoping that Italeri will announce a reissue in the future).

Cheers all,

Andy

[MiB]

I love the model and I love the livery! Area 51 strikes again....and the local population always believe in UFO 

[Stargazer]

Andy, I've posted on the Secret Forums website about your wonderful model and the strange questions you were asked at the show:

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,7886.msg109437.html#msg109437

So now I ALSO might get a visit from the MIB! 

[General Melchet]

Thanks fellas, stargazer I'm a member of the site and have replied to a few questions forthwith...thanks for that.

Cheers,

Andy