Ice Station DELTA, F-102's and refueling submarine on ice. *FINISHED*

[sandiego89]

Ice Station TANGO, F-102's on alert with refueling submarine USS SKATE near the North Pole circa 1961.

"Cold" War indeed.   

Scratch, 1/350 scale. 

In 1959 the United States Air Force and Navy proposed a unique relationship to have short duration emergency deployments to ice runways in the Arctic.  Nuclear armed alert fighters, supported by nuclear submarines and transport aircraft, could deploy to ice runways and stand alert for a few days or weeks.  Transport aircraft would fly out and smooth a runway using small bulldozers and ice grooming vehicles. The submarines provided heat, power and hotel services for the aircraft and alert aircrews. 

While touted as purely a defensive measure, the ambiguous nature of the enclosed weapons bay on the F-102's created additional concern and numerous protests from the Kremlin.....   

The Kit: mostly scratch.  Will make a 1/350 scale USS SKATE from styrene.  Aircraft will be a kit bash from A-7's, F-18's and styrene. 

Reference materials.  1/350 USS GUAVINA, a conventional refueling submarine from the Submarine Striking Force for reference and scale. 

*edit 2018: relinked finished photos*















1/350 scale "blueprint" and scratch styrene. 



Hull coming together- white hull will be the USS SKATE.  Scratch CONVAIR SeaDart from a previous build for size reference. 



Numerous complex curves on a seemingly simple conventional hull shape.



Hull about done, sanding and making "sail" next.



-Dave

[kerick]

Very ambitious! I like it.

[Captain Canada]

Love it ! Can't wait to see more. I love the idea of Arctic deployments. I had a sub and a chopper built for just such a dio but alas, as with 80% of my ideas they get half built and then languish.....

[Dizzyfugu]

Way cool, literally! 

[zenrat]

Nice spot of scratching Dave.
Looking forwards to more pics.

[PR19_Kit]

...... the ambiguous nature of the enclosed weapons bay on the F-102's created additional concern and numerous protests from the Kremlin.....  

There was obviously a shortage of Hasegawa F-102 kits in Moscow or they'd have known the weapons bays weren't even large enough to hold the Falcon missiles that were supposed to fit in there! 

Love the idea, and the 'Skate' is coming along really well, I'm impressed with the build techniques. 

[JayBee]

I am realy interested as to how you are going to produce an F-102 lookalike from A-7 & F-18 parts. 

[sandiego89]

I am realy interested as to how you are going to produce an F-102 lookalike from A-7 & F-18 parts.  

Me too   ...but I did make a trio of CONVAIR SeaDarts, as shown in pictures 1&3 above, out of A-7, F/A-18 Superhornet's and styrene bits, so there is some hope!  It will be tough.   I have thoughts for another aircraft type to add, but no promises....

I "lost" a few in progress pictures of the hull before the outer hull plating went on. Started with the flat hull top and worked down with frames.  Stem (bow) is a small 1/48 bomb rounded down.  Gotta blame the camera- can't be user error.....    

Thanks all for the interest!  -Dave

[sideshowbob9]

Brilliant idea. I particularly like the offensive/defensive ambiguity.

Only criticism would be if you are going with F-102s then surely it should be Ice Station Delta! 

[JayBee]

Or maybe Ice Station Zell, because they will need to use the zero length launcher to get airbourne, unless SD99 has some other cunning plan up his sleeve.
Look, I know it can not be Ice Station Zebra, because that has already been done. 

[DogfighterZen]

Very nice idea!

[Captain Canada]

More pics ! Now lol

[sandiego89]

More pics ! Now lol

I know, I know- work and busyness has put my project "on ice" for much to long....must.....WHIF.....soon....

-Dave

[ericr]

I am realy interested as to how you are going to produce an F-102 lookalike from A-7 & F-18 parts.  

Me too   ...but I did make a trio of CONVAIR SeaDarts, as shown in pictures 1&3 above, out of A-7, F/A-18 Superhornet's and styrene bits, so there is some hope!  It will be tough.   I have thoughts for another aircraft type to add, but no promises....

lovely Seadarts : having a few jet floatplanes around might even improve the scheme 

[Captain Canada]

On ice....lol

It would be great to start a thread subject on 350th scale a/c, with all these mods you have made. That or I need a way to keep better track of them. I'd  really like to do the Sea Dart and the Sea Master ?