What's on the workbench!

[McColm]

I got the idea of building the Italeri
1/72 C-27J Spartan AEW from the resin EADS C-295 AEW prototype/concept model advertised on eBay, starting price £50.
There have been no orders so far for the
C-295 AEW in the real world.
Seeing the prices for the Italeri kit at around £20 and concept artwork on line for the Erieye and rotodome from the E-2 Hawkeye, this gives me an idea for a Whiffing project.

[Captain Canada]

Nice one Lee gorgeous bird in a gorgeous colour scheme !

[McColm]

Picked up a copy of June 2017 FlyPast and there's an article on the Canadair CP-107 Argus. There's some very good photos of this maritime aircraft, which got me thinking of using the secondhand 'spares and repairs'
C-118 or the Heller 1/72 DC-6B in the stash.
I might have all the lumps and bumps in the spares box. Might even have a clear piece for the glazed nose.
Whilst the other becomes the Southern Star , fitted with Rolls-Royce Merlin engines.

[McColm]

The Super Cancellation is based on the Heller 1/72 EC-121 with a maritime twist as it was the aircraft that crews from the Royal Canadian Air Force 405 Squadron, Greenwood , Nova Scotia had prayed for but didn't get back in April 1957.
It's ironic that I got to fly with the same Squadron in Gibraltar ,not on an CP-107 Argus but it's replacement the CP-140 Aurora.
The original plan was to use the Heller DC-6/ C-118 but the lumps and bumps would need to be rearranged , whereas the EC-121 offers more space for a decent sized weapons bay.
In the real world the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy both flew the Constellation for surveillance and maritime patrol duties.
Back to the build. I have the resin upgrade set which has two different nose profiles, wingtip fuel tanks and engines.
A MAD boom fitted under the rear triple tail fins and the ventral radome can be sourced from the spares box, I think that I still have a searchlight for the right wing.
White metal undercarriage legs and a later period paint scheme.
I could use the interior parts from the Academy B-29 for the bomb bay.

[McColm]

Received the 1/72 vacform Falcon Triple Conversion set number 7. Which includes parts for the Lockheed Neptune P2V-5 some times referred to as the Neptune AEW.Mk1 in certain circles.
I found a Hasegawa P2V-7 kit in the stash and removed the radome plus cockpit. This lengthening the weapons bay. I have kept the MAD boom and added the upper fuselage gun turret mounting.
On the new front vacform fuselage I have added the Hasegawa cockpit to one side and removed the glazing flash. With careful sanding and a sharp knife the basic shape is slowly becoming clear. I will use the vacform drop tanks and clear parts. I've kept the parts that I have cut off just in case I need to use them.

[McColm]

Received the 1/72 vacform Falcon Triple Conversion set number 7. Which includes parts for the Lockheed Neptune P2V-5 some times referred to as the Neptune AEW.Mk1 in certain circles.
I found a Hasegawa P2V-7 kit in the stash and removed the radome plus cockpit. This lengthening the weapons bay. I have kept the MAD boom and added the upper fuselage gun turret mounting.
On the new front vacform fuselage I have added the Hasegawa cockpit to one side and removed the glazing flash. With careful sanding and a sharp knife the basic shape is slowly becoming clear. I will use the vacform drop tanks and clear parts. I've kept the parts that I have cut off just in case I need to use them.

Part 2
Learning the hard way with vacform, don't sand just in one place otherwise you will make a hole.
After gluing up the fuselage the vacform radome didn't line up. This has been removed and the Neptune has a decent sized weapons bay. Giving me the opportunity to put the radome above the fuselage.
One of my ideas was to fit the Hawkeye rotodome, this could still work. I could go with a triple tail fin and loose the MAD boom, a solid nose and turboprop engines. Means ditching the upper guns.
That's the good thing about Whiffing even if it goes wrong it's still right!

[McColm]

Received the 1/72 vacform Falcon Triple Conversion set number 7. Which includes parts for the Lockheed Neptune P2V-5 some times referred to as the Neptune AEW.Mk1 in certain circles.
I found a Hasegawa P2V-7 kit in the stash and removed the radome plus cockpit. This lengthening the weapons bay. I have kept the MAD boom and added the upper fuselage gun turret mounting.
On the new front vacform fuselage I have added the Hasegawa cockpit to one side and removed the glazing flash. With careful sanding and a sharp knife the basic shape is slowly becoming clear. I will use the vacform drop tanks and clear parts. I've kept the parts that I have cut off just in case I need to use them.

Part 2
Learning the hard way with vacform, don't sand just in one place otherwise you will make a hole.
After gluing up the fuselage the vacform radome didn't line up. This has been removed and the Neptune has a decent sized weapons bay. Giving me the opportunity to put the radome above the fuselage.
One of my ideas was to fit the Hawkeye rotodome, this could still work. I could go with a triple tail fin and loose the MAD boom, a solid nose and turboprop engines. Means ditching the upper guns.
That's the good thing about Whiffing even if it goes wrong it's still right!

Part 3
Slight design change, the vacform radome has been removed as well and replaced with the vacform Falcon AP-2H Neptune conversion set apart from the SLAR piece and FLIR. I've also added the teardrop radar dome from the Grumman E-1 Tracer and using the tail fun created a stand for it. I shall use the other parts from the E-1 for the triple tail fins.
For the engines I found a set of 4 parts from a Frog Avro Shackleton, just got to see if the landing gear gives enough clearance.

[McColm]

I'm working on two different builds; the Boeing EPB -17E AEW float plane and the Lockheed Neptune project Gryphon- four engined contra-rotation with twin tail fins and tear drop AEW radome.
Both are taking shape and use vacform  sets meant for other aircraft.

[McColm]

A bomber version of the popular Lockheed Constellation is a dream build for most Whiffers.
Creating the bomb bays has eluded me but I think I have solved the problem by using the Academy B-29 weapons bays.
These come from an earlier build of an
XC-97. This got damaged, but fits inside the Heller EC-121 Warning Stars' fuselage. By cutting out the surplus plastic. The gaps will be hidden by the Connie's wing. I have found a few pieces that could be used to transform this into a maritime surveillance/ ASW aircraft.
I might change the engines, but I'll wait and see.

[TheChronicOne]

A bomber version of the popular Lockheed Constellation is a dream build for most Whiffers.
Creating the bomb bays has eluded me but I think I have solved the problem by using the Academy B-29 weapons bays.
These come from an earlier build of an
XC-97. This got damaged, but fits inside the Heller EC-121 Warning Stars' fuselage. By cutting out the surplus plastic. The gaps will be hidden by the Connie's wing. I have found a few pieces that could be used to transform this into a maritime surveillance/ ASW aircraft.
I might change the engines, but I'll wait and see.

Darn skippy a Connie-Bomber is something glorious to behold!! This sounds like a good'n.

[McColm]

Thanks,
If all goes to plan. I'll build a C-97 bomber as well!

[TheChronicOne]

Thanks,
If all goes to plan. I'll build a C-97 bomber as well!

Use a B-377 kit an put MGs in all the windows.        


On that note I let a 1/72 scale factory sealed mint condition B-377 slide past me on ebay for $20 grand total because I forgot to bid on it.... kicking myself profusely ever since!!!!

[McColm]

Thanks,
If all goes to plan. I'll build a C-97 bomber as well!

Use a B-377 kit an put MGs in all the windows.        


On that note I let a 1/72 scale factory sealed mint condition B-377 slide past me on ebay for $20 grand total because I forgot to bid on it.... kicking myself profusely ever since!!!!

I was going to do that on one of my 1/72 Revell Dassault Breguet Br1150 Atlantics, the wings might get in the way but a gun pack in the weapons bay would be better. Gun turrets front and rear.

[McColm]

The Avro Shackleteer is starting to fall apart. Parts such as the twin booms have been used on the Lockheed Neptune AEW.2 concept.

[TheChronicOne]

Strange physics universe where certain parts of certain craft migrate to form more and better craft!!!