What's on the workbench!

[McColm]

The Martin Marina AEW amphibious flying boat has now got a dark sea grey and gloss white paint scheme. The dark sea grey looks almost black. The underside surfaces are white, the cockpit canopy will be painted silver and the fuselage windows will be clear.
The Avro Shackletrian has had its twin tail fins added and wing flaps. I started to fill in some of the gaps with Green Putty.
Got to go to work tomorrow and Thursday. My mum is coming up from Cornwall and we will be visiting my dad who has second stage prostrate cancer next Wednesday.

The Sky Guardian has its own stand and the two side cheeks from the RC-135V/W River Joint. The wing tips now have parts from a SUU-20 Dispenser and at the rear where the MAD boom would have been fitted a GPU-5/A Gun Pod. The stretched HS/BAe Nimrod looks different with the Valiant tail and flying tail boom.

[McColm]

The forward nose turret from the Airfix Avro Lancaster kit fits neatly in the  nose of the Mach2 Coronado, as does the upper turret. These have been glued in place. I'm renaming this the Consolidated PB2Y-5K.
As for the vacform Boeing C-97 Stratocruiser, I have often thought of the
BC-97 Stratobomber. There have been a few built and concept artwork.
The C-97 AEW with the Hawkeye rotodome. I'm going to include the weapons for self defence. The kit I got had no wings, landing gear or engines. Just the clear cockpit canopy and bulkheads.
This will look similar to the Stratocruiser with a few tweaks. Might change the engines.

[McColm]

I've got a copy of "The Air Staff and AEW" published by ProjectTech Profiles-Chris Gibbson which goes into great detail of the British Air Staff's AEW wish list.
There was a proposal in 1945 to fit a Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter with three separate antennae to act as an Airborne Warning Interception platform. A forth set could be fitted in the tail, this the origin of the fore-and-aft scanner system -FASS.
Yes you can get the conversion kits for such a build.
But what if you were to have the main parts in your stash?
I'm using the 1/72 Academy KB-29P tanker and Sutcliff Production vacform C-97, with spare parts from the Academy C-97A.
Hence the C-97X, this lacks the large vertical tail fin but retains the rear tail guns and front lower controlled guns.
The lower fuselage is the KB-29P, the wings have been modified to take the C-97 flaps, the outer engines are two Pratt & Whitney R-4360-27's whilst the two inner engines started life as straight from the KB-29P but now have the C-97 cowlings.
Not a straight forward build as the weapons bay will be used and a raid in the spares box came up with the Breguet Br1150 Atlantic sonobouy tube launcher. Using the Airmodel TSK kit 110 for the upper cockpit canopy. The flying boom will be used on a Lockheed Constellation.
Part of the main landing gear has been fitted. The Grumman E-2A rotodome does fit and I will be using this.
This aircraft could have been an early pre-production model used for engine testing and maritime surveillance duties before the larger tail fin was installed. Which is good news for me as I can add a triple tail for stability. I'll have a rummage to find a pair of auxiliary jet pods and fuel tanks/search light.

[McColm]

A while ago I built the Vietnam Neptune and currently trying to finish the Wraith which is a twin engined twin-boom version of the Neptune.
I wanted to build a turboprop version similar to the Marsh Turbo Tracker, as an alternative to the Avro Shackleton AEW2 for the Royal Air Force.
The Lockheed Neptune MR.1 was used as the Vanguard Flight AEW trails back in the 1950's.
I'm using the 1/72 Hasegawa kit no.JS-082
Lockheed P-2H (P2V-7)Neptune. It's a bit dated and apart from the cockpit & forward observation seat there's no need for any detailing as the fuselage windows are too small to see inside.
The auxiliary jet engine pods have been used on the Grumman Albatross and AW Argos gunship- each pod above the main fuselage.
The search light wing pod is on the C-97X.
I have managed to find a resin cockpit detailing kit in the stash along with the turboprop engines. I have fitted the main landing gear in the downward position and fitted the interior windows. I haven't joined the two halves together yet, but dry tested the fit.
I was thinking of under wing drop tanks and perhaps ESM wingtip pods.

[Tophe]

and currently trying to finish the Wraith which is a twin engined twin-boom version of the Neptune.

Good!

[McColm]

It's the Basler Turbo BT-67 and not the Marsh Turbo ( Heritage Aviation Models Limited) that I have used on the Hasegawa Lockheed Neptune kit.
This fits almost spot on to the nacelles/main landing gear housing. I've glued them upside down due to the curvature, some trimming is needed but I might get away with just cutting the facing edge down to size.

Going to sort out the stash, what to keep and what to sell.

[McColm]

Been reading previous articles on the Lockheed Neptune and watching videos on YouTube about the fire/water bomber variant.
Which has got me thinking about creating a conversion of my own. I checked with Lonestar as they seem to have conversions for a few kits but not for the Neptune. A flight refuelling tanker version has been discussed and I have the Attack Squadron fueling pods plus the flying boom from the Academy KB-29P in the spares box.
This would mean removing the radome behind the nose wheel and deepening the weapons bay. The rear 'bumps' removed. The MAD boom shortened. A solid nose and tail-let's for stability.
Could be used for refuelling slow moving aircraft.

[McColm]

I'm sticking with the flying boom as there isn't much ground clearance with the pods added to the wings.
To deepen the weapons bay I have removed the radome and used the bomb bay doors from a Avro Shackleton Mk3 kit. Although slightly wider than the Neptune''s fuselage it is just the right length. The MAD boom has been shortened.
I've used the cockpit canopy on the Lockheed Wraith as I got glue on my finger. I will reglue the landing bay doors and add a few decals.
Found a set of decals for the Martin Marina so that will be next on the almost finished list.
Just need to buy some green gloss paint for the Friendship Rotodyne.
Meanwhile the AW Argos is undergoing an update.

[McColm]

I'm not too sure if anyone has built the Magna Models resin and white metal Fairchild NC/AC 123K Provider.
I intend to build an all jet version. Which means most of the resin parts provided will be used straight from the box. A few added parts around the cockpit interior will be from the Fairchild Boxcar C-119.
Well that's the theory, just got to wait until the bench is cleared.

[PR19_Kit]

I'm not too sure if anyone has built the Magna Models resin and white metal Fairchild NC/AC 123K Provider.

Fairchild did that too, or rather Chase Aircraft did, and that lead on to the C-123.

[scooter]

Of course, you could always build the Chase glider prototype

[sandiego89]

Been reading previous articles on the Lockheed Neptune and watching videos on YouTube about the fire/water bomber variant.
Which has got me thinking about creating a conversion of my own. I checked with Lonestar as they seem to have conversions for a few kits but not for the Neptune. A flight refuelling tanker version has been discussed and I have the Attack Squadron fueling pods plus the flying boom from the Academy KB-29P in the spares box.
This would mean removing the radome behind the nose wheel and deepening the weapons bay. The rear 'bumps' removed. The MAD boom shortened. A solid nose and tail-let's for stability.
Could be used for refuelling slow moving aircraft.

Why go to all that work for a refueling version of the Neptune?  Many early tanker conversions like the Savage or KB-29, or fuel transport aircraft like the B-24's and B-29's flying over the hump,  stayed within the the mold lines of their various bomber versions. 

- Deepening the weapons bay- Why?  The Neptune carried tons of gas to start with, and if you held extra fuel tanks in the bomb bays, and stripped out some ASW gear, you could carry plenty of gas internally without needing a bulged bomb bay. 
- A solid nose.  Why?  Why bother plating it over? The firebomber Neptune's have flown for decades keeping the clear nose.  Why go the extra cost and perhaps weight with a solid nose? 
- Flying boom?  Only if it is intended to refuel Air Force aircraft.  Navy aircraft of the era were strictly probe and drogue.  You will need a backstory to fit the fitting of a boom.  A Neptune would be better suited as a tactical re-fueler for other tactical aircraft or helo's- really don't need a flying boom for that- and US Navy and US Marine Corps aircraft were not fitted with receptacles for the boom.
- There is tons of room under a wing of Neptune- I can't see how ground clearance would be an issue for underwing pods.  Having walked under several Neptune's I can assure you there is plenty of room under the wing for a refueling pod- Neptune's are huge!   Or you could go for a bomb bay or aft fuselage reel/drogue- like the Savage, KA-3, KA-6, Vulcan, etc. for a single point hose equipped tanker. 
- Agree eliminating the radome, ECM bumps and shortening the mad boom would be prudent (although several firebombers seemed to have retained the long MAD boom)

Not trying to throw a wet blanket on your ideas, just some thoughts for some consideration/realism.

[scooter]

- Flying boom?  Only if it is intended to refuel Air Force aircraft.  Navy aircraft of the era were strictly probe and drogue.  You will need a backstory to fit the fitting of a boom.  A Neptune would be better suited as a tactical re-fueler for other tactical aircraft or helo's- really don't need a flying boom for that- and US Navy and US Marine Corps aircraft were not fitted with receptacles for the boom.

Maybe Bob McNamara and his WhizKids wanted an early tri-service capable TACAIR tanker over Vietnam?

[McColm]

Thanks for the ideas Guys, I did a dry run with the pod from Attack Squadron  (KC-130 harvest Hawk) under the wings of the Neptune and the pylons could be reduced to give enough ground clearance.
The KB-29 and KB-97 both had trials with the flying boom as well as the hose & drogue.
I just thought that the flying boom could be adapted for both Air Force and Navy. I have deepened the fuselage, replaced the Avro Shackleton MR3 doors with the resin Mk2 doors from the AeroClub Shackleton conversion set. It's also tapered so it fits well with the original fuselage.
The Chase Aircraft four jet idea , I think that I saw that in a film. That's where I got the idea from.
The AW Argos Gunship now has a triple fin tail, twin booms. Got the SAC white metal landing gear. Cannon pods on the wingtips.
Will need repainting.

[Tophe]

The AW Argos Gunship now has a triple fin tail, twin booms.

Good!