What's on the workbench!

[McColm]

There's a couple of pages of kit reviews on Google with pictures of the Br.1150 builds. All I've done is to try and copy the layout of the Lockheed P-3 Orion AEW & C variant.
At first I thought that the Rotodome off the Hawkeye wouldn't fit as the fuselage is wider than the Orion, but photos of the P-3 AEW & C lack the electronic/comms spine on the Atlantic ATL1. I guess I could have cut this as the Italian Atlantics did.
I did consider the " Mad Hatter" or Madcap alternative by placing the rotodome on top of the vertical tail fin and purchasing the 1/72 Falcon Triple Conversion set for the Lockheed EP-3 Orion SLINT. Might still get this and/or the HC-130P set.
As money is a bit tight I'll use the paints from the Revell Hawker Sea Hurricane kit for the cockpit.

[McColm]

Glued up both wings and engine cowlings. The cowlings went on well without any problems, I think clamping the wings before letting them dry out works better than leaving the piece to dry out and then adding the engine cowlings.
Really need to get the right paint colours for the cockpit. Back piece (curtain fitted). Slightly out of line on a dry test to the rear fuselage, could cover with lumps & bumps from the EP-3 Orion vacform conversion set.
ESM pods fitted to wingtips.
Needs a good rub down with wet & dry paper to remove the seems.

[McColm]

I've decided to convert the remaining parts of the Heller E-2C Hawkeye into a ASW aircraft. As I have a few small parts left over from the Revell Br.1150 Atlantic kit. The MAD boom and inflight refueling probe can be scratched built or aftermarket kits bought.

[Dizzyfugu]

That sound interesting. Maybe with just a single fin - just for the unusual look?

[McColm]

Thanks,
With Revell releasing the 1/72 04326 Handley Page Victor K Mk.2 at £22.99. This makes me think I should give this model another go building a Maritime Patrol version. Freightdog , FlightPath and David J. Parkins websites will be visited for ideas for updates/conversions.
Still means getting hold of the Airfix BAe Nimrod for the ESM wingtip pods, window layout and MAD boom. Although this could be fitted in the T-tail from the Airfix S-3A Viking ASW. Maybe a straight swap with the Nimrod.
The JSTAR resin conversion set could be used as a phased aray AEW carried above the upper fuselage on two brackets.

[Captain Canada]

Sounds good. I'd love to see more Victors around here.

[McColm]

Prices for the Mach2 kit have come down in price on that ever popular online auction site. The Minicraft model is way out of my price range unless I find another job or some of the old sites the company lost are regained.
I know that there are issues with the kit; flash, sink holes, rough fuselage halves, foggy glazed plastic parts.
The tail section will be kitbashed onto the Revell Lockheed Neptune which should look good with the Rotodome from the Grumman Hawkeye kit.
As I've kept the tail section from the broken Frog Neptune, this will be grafted on the Mariner. The engines could be replaced with the DB resin set for the Lockheed Constellation or the resin Tu-4 Bull upgrade set. (As most of the resin parts are covered by the engine cowlings, the superchargers are exposed and exhaust pipes).
The Falcon vacform triple conversion set FNC009 will come in handy as I can use the AD-5W Skyraider AEW radar dome and mount that above the fuselage where the radar for ASW would normally fit.
I think Falcon do a replacement glazing for the cockpit as there are aftermarket interiors and beaching gear.
The guns will be removed, might add a pair of auxiliary jet pods over the wings.

This will be built after the Atlantic and Neptune are finished. Well that's the plan !

[McColm]

A few weeks ago I thought of renewing an idea of a maritime Boeing C-135 but couldn't find a suitable AMT kit so I opted for the Boeing E-3 Sentry and found a few kits.
Now I find loads of the KC-135A from Italeri.
I know the two kits aren't the same having had both the C-135 RF and E-3A although the internal fittings are the same. The glazing in the cockpit and the alignment of the wings to the fuselage. Even the thickness of the fuselage plastic isn't the same.
Other Whiffers have started their own builds, its a fairly big-ish kit. Not as big as the 1/72 B-52G or 1/48 B-29A. Which is now a weather vane on my mates shed.
But back to the build, if I can I'll ;
Stretch the fuselage fore and aft of the wings
Create two weapons bays
Camera pack
Use the sonobuoy launch tubes from the Revell Atlantic kit
MAD boom
ESM wingtip pods
Inflight refueling probe
Folding wings or the wings off the Airfix Vulcan. (Swing-wings from the Monogram B-1B do fit.)
T-tail from the Revell HP Victor fits.

Ambitious yes but doable. Long term build. Got space under the bed for the folded wing option.

[McColm]

The Revell kit has a two foot wing span with six engines, no beaching set although this can be bought in resin or metal.
There's quiet a lot of interior detailing going on but unless the upper fuselage is exposed you're not going to see it.
I had one of these before and my plan was to replace the wings with a pair from an Airfix Sunderland kit or the Airfix BAe Nimrod MR2.
My other idea was a front loaded cargo version similar to the Tradewind and replacing the wings with a gull shaped design, changing the engines to RR Tynes or those off a Lockheed P-3 Orion kit. ( they went on the C-97 bomber).
I dry fitted the wings from the Hasegawa US/PS-2 flying boat and even considered the Mach2 flying boats to use the wings.
I'm determined to build at least one AEW & C flying boat.

[McColm]

The Revell kit has a two foot wing span with six engines, no beaching set although this can be bought in resin or metal.
There's quiet a lot of interior detailing going on but unless the upper fuselage is exposed you're not going to see it.
I had one of these before and my plan was to replace the wings with a pair from an Airfix Sunderland kit or the Airfix BAe Nimrod MR2.
My other idea was a front loaded cargo version similar to the Tradewind and replacing the wings with a gull shaped design, changing the engines to RR Tynes or those off a Lockheed P-3 Orion kit. ( they went on the C-97 bomber).
I dry fitted the wings from the Hasegawa US/PS-2 flying boat and even considered the Mach2 flying boats to use the wings.
I'm determined to build at least one AEW & C flying boat.

Sometimes I suprise myself, why not use the C-97 wings instead. Academy do the C-97 kit the wings are the same as the B-29 kit plus you get the leftover parts from the B-29 model. The prices for the KC-97G and L are expensive.

[Captain Canada]

Good call there !

[McColm]

Hi just got my hands on the Revell kit, no breakages.
Ideas flooding my head of a four engine turboprop build by using the salvaged parts from the broken Frog model. The Frog Neptune wings were damaged but now that I have a razor saw I can cut these down and add them to the others. By using the runners to brace the wings to prevent them sagging. This gets around the twin main undercarriage, four legs instead of two. Never seen this method on a real aircraft.
I'll make a start on bank holiday Monday whilst the filler dries on the Atlantic.

[scooter]

Just have to think up a suitable name, if the four engine layout works.

If you want to keep the ocean deity naming style (Neptune, Poseidon, etc) check here for water deities of *all* the pantheons.

[PR19_Kit]

Just have to think up a suitable name, if the four engine layout works.

If you want to keep the ocean deity naming style (Neptune, Poseidon, etc) check here for water deities of *all* the pantheons.

I like the sound of Gong Gong. 

[McColm]

Doris,
I think that's a name for a VW campervan. I'll keep looking.
Thanks for the link.