What to build with the leftover parts from the Hawkeye kit?

McColm · February 16, 2015, 09:43:22 PM

I have to admit that I've only bought the 1/72 Grumman C-2C Hawkeye for the rotor dome, stand and engines/landing gear for the various Whiffs I have built over the years.
Kit opened my eyes to the 1/72 Falcon FNC009 Grumman Greyhound vacform conversion and there are folding wings in various scales.
The Greyhound would make a great ASW or AEW Whiff project with AAR or Gunship. Even the addition of floats wouldn't detract from the model.
I did ponder an airline version or adding a pair of turbofans for both the Greyhound and Hawkeye.
A water bomber or upgrade the engines.
But getting back to the Hawkeye fuselage, what would you do with it?

PR19_Kit · February 16, 2015, 10:57:19 PM

I did this with it............

McColm · February 17, 2015, 01:08:40 AM

I wonder if you had a pair, would they make good floats when cut down to size?

PR19_Kit · February 17, 2015, 02:10:07 AM

You'd need to do a LOT of reshaping on the underside to make it look like a float, it's almost a perfect tube.

McColm · February 17, 2015, 05:11:30 AM

Seems as though a stretched fuselage is in the making.

Captain Canada · February 17, 2015, 07:16:01 AM

Oh that one is lovely kit. I had forgotten about that one !

Longer fuselage and then what Steven ?

McColm · February 17, 2015, 07:39:11 AM

Coast Guard
ELINT
Tanker
Rotodyne
Tilt-wing

Could fit a weapons bay if going for a ASW or anti-ship.

Captain Canada · February 17, 2015, 08:02:52 AM

A Coastie would look good, but I think keeping the radome would be the way to go with that one.

Dizzyfugu · February 17, 2015, 08:44:58 AM

If the Hawkeye's wings were left over, I wonder how they would look on a B-26 fuselage, as an updated medium bomber/gun ship for Vietnam?

But the other way around hardly makes sense. $:-\$

sandiego89 · February 17, 2015, 09:30:30 AM

If you want to consider some less glamorous, but realistic WHIF's I offer:

- "bounce bird". Hawkeye without a radome, but used as a trainer with the fleet training squadron for E-2 and C-2 crews. Reduces fatigue life on the operational fleet, especially for high value aircraft. Bounce Bird concept that has been used by various aircraft types including E-2, P-3, KC-135... Paint some high viz markings.

- Range clearance. US Navy has used various aircraft over the years to verify no stray aircraft or ships are in the area before missile launches/tests. Could easily see such a surplus aircraft being used for this.

- Drone/target launcher. Like the DC-130. Put a ryan firebee under the wing- or maybe even piggyback on the spine where the radome went.

- "Hack"/VIP Like a Greyhound, but with less space. Allow fleet and regional combatant commanders (PACOM, EUCOM, NAVCENT, 7th fleet etc) to get around the area, and land on a carrier.

kerick · February 17, 2015, 09:47:13 AM

What else do you have in the parts box?
Any kind of intell gathering recon type or ASW.
I would definitely look for some turbofan engines. Try placing them over the wing YC-14/AN-72 style.

McColm · February 17, 2015, 01:49:27 PM

Now you're cooking on gas! Time to build the up the collection of kits or 'spares & repairs' on eBay.

Dizzyfugu · February 18, 2015, 01:26:15 AM

Quote from: sandiego89 on February 17, 2015, 09:30:30 AM
- "Hack"/VIP Like a Greyhound, but with less space. Allow fleet and regional combatant commanders (PACOM, EUCOM, NAVCENT, 7th fleet etc) to get around the area, and land on a carrier.

That would be cool - in USMC One colors (white/green)...? There had been Tu-95 bombers converted into fast VIP transports (Tu-116), so the idea even has a real world benchmark. And the carrier landing capability is a bonus, too!

Imagine this here on an E-2 without radome (and maybe with some more windows added). Has potential, IMHO?

Captain Canada · February 18, 2015, 04:17:02 AM

I like sandiego's ideas. Easy and believable.