Boeing CP-137 Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft

[McColm]

I'm sure this has been proposed before but nothing came up on the search.
I'm basing the idea on the 1/72 EC-135E/N or KC-135R.
In the 'Real World' both Australia and Canada underwent studies into using the Boeing 707-320 or the the Boeing 707-720. For long range maritime patrol aircraft as far back as 1973. If 51 Sqn can get three refurbished KC-135s, so why not a maritime version with the systems intended for the Nimrod MRA.4.

I did have both kits at one time and tried to convert them into MPAs. With the gained experience I've now acquired I can use the internal floor as a basis for a fore and aft weapons bay. An extendable MAD boom or fixed to the vertical tail. ESM pods on the wings and a inflight refueling boom in the roof. Other lumps and bumps added .
CFM resin engines from the David J Parkins range or if you have bought the C-135R F from Heller which come as standard. Left over parts from the Airfix Nimrod MR2P will be used.

[PR19_Kit]

If 51 Sqn can get three refurbished KC-135s, so why not a maritime version with the systems intended for the Nimrod MRA.4.

The '135 doesn't have a weapons bay of any sort as standard and it'd need a lot of engineering work to do that in the RW.

It's easy for us of course, grafting the bottom of a Nimrod on there can't be too bad, so long as the landing gear is long enough, and that might be a problem with the 707/'135 airframe. The lack of landing gear length, among other things, is what stopped Boeing stretching the 707 the same way as Douglas did with the DC8.

[kerick]

Sounds like an interesting idea. Have you considered 757, 767 or 777 airframes? Converting a second hand civilian airliner or cargo hauler would be about as complicated as converting an old 707.

[Captain Canada]

707 would look great as an MPA

[McColm]

I think other Whifferters have used either the C-135 or E-3 as a base for their own maritime patrol aircraft. With a forwards weapons bay and rear sonobuoy bay with additional pylons under the wings. Another Whiffer used a DC-10.
I did have a 1/144 Boeing 747 and was going to add the Playfix Tristar tail to make either the three engined version or five engine MPA. There's a photo of a concept 747 AEW/AWACS model somewhere on this site.
Another idea of mine is to use the Mach2 Sud Caravelle with the Airfix BAe Nimrod parts either swap over the wings and change the engines.
Likewise a Be A40 Mermaid could be kitbashed from a SeaMaster kit, although this might prove expensive to build. A cheaper kitbash could be the Shin Meiwa Hasegawa kit with the wings from a B-47. Resin TF-33s or a pair of poded CFMs attached to the upper fuselage. The cockpit could come from a Lockheed S-3 Viking.
A B-52 given a MPA make over in a smaller scale than 1/72.

[McColm]

Most cargo or airliners can be Whiffed into maritime reconnaissance platforms. Might have a go with a 1/144 B747.

[Gondor]

I think other Whifferters have used either the C-135 or E-3 as a base for their own maritime patrol aircraft. With a forwards weapons bay and rear sonobuoy bay with additional pylons under the wings. Another Whiffer used a DC-10.

That could well be me with this



Its still a work in progress

Gondor

[McColm]

Yes it is.
I wonder if a wing fold would be better for storage?

[McColm]

The 1/72 AMtech EC-135N/E ARIA/ALOTS "Snoopy"  provides resin parts to blank off the flying boom  and fuel dump. With ALOTS pod assembly steps with black and white photos. I intend to use the Revell Atlantic-German parts (multi-sonobuoy launchers) lumps and bumps. As discussed a forward weapons bay, deep enough using the underfloor and plasticard. Bomb racks are also from the Atlantic kit (s). A possible change of engines from the J-57 or TF-33 turbofans likely to be CFMs with Nimrod ESM wing pods.
There's a section on how to create the dreaded "KC-135 outer wing droop".
Ground clearance is going to be a problem if the wings are changed.