(DONE..FINALLY, sheesh! LOL) F/U-2 H.A.W.K., Vietnam era warbird (Pics page 14)

[JayBee]

MAN, I'm glad I have you all around to help me save me from myself..   

That is the great beauty of this collection of modellers.
There is a huge amount of information here, the fact that we chose to use it in a differently creative way is what makes it FUN.

[TheChronicOne]

I agree wholly!  I've had a blast since I got here and mostly because everyone here is so cool to me and helpful.  And all the neat stuff everyone makes... wow.  I never knew I loved whif stuff til I saw it, then I knew I loved it all along.   

[kerick]

Well all I can say is let's see some plastic assembled!
This should be fun to see come together.

[TheChronicOne]

Wilco!!  Assembly begins this afternoon.   

[TheChronicOne]

Found some missiles.

Did a lil research and fund that AMRAAM are the same length, shaped the same, and nearly the same diameter as Aim 7  (8 inches versus 7) so I just stole a pair of them from my Revell F/A-18E Super Hornet (which, by the way appears to be  excellent) kit and then went to a Hornet I build back in 1996 and snapped a couple of empty pilons off of it. I figure it don't need them if they aren't storing any weapons!! Also, the missiles are one piece... so I don't have to build them. Yay!  (well, have to glue the "umbilical cover" on but that's it, missiles themselves are one piece)

   


ANYWAY, just a little bit more planning and reading the kit instructions and I will be gluing some stuff together.

[PR19_Kit]

One potential RW problem in using the Sparrow is that it's a semi-active homing missile, which means the launch aircraft has to keep the target illuminated by a radar beam so the missile can 'see' it.

That either means your FU-2 (I love the connotations of that.... ) will need a hefty radar mounted somewhere or it'll need an illuminator aircraft somewhere in the area to find and lock-on to the targets.

[TheChronicOne]

The plane itself has radar windows up in the nose area and I'm guessing with removing the majority of the recon equipment that would create enough room. Would that take care of it or do I need to create a bulge on the side of the nose or something? 

Definitely gotta have the radar!    

Dave, (Sandiego) above mentioned fusing an F-4 nose on for this purpose but I don't have one available. Nothing else suitable, either, so I need to come up with something.  Also, JayBee had mentioned the drawing of the sensor ball thing like on F-102s and I want to include that, as well. It and a possible bulge seem easy enough to make.

For now, officially started. Even got around to mixing up a bit of paint to test on the reverse side of this big wing piece. Paint isn't dry yet but I think I have the colors down. I'll know more once it finishes. I'm going to have to buy the grey.

[sandiego89]

The radar is why I suggested the F-4 nose.  Provides detection and guidance to the Sparrows.

There is a good amount of space in the Q bay behind the pilot.  Normally cameras or other sensors would go there, but you could have space there for the black boxes for the radar. 

Now why SEA camo?  Agree it looks good, but no one would be looking down upon the aircraft, so it would not need to blend into the woods below..... Perhaps black, blue or gray would be better.  There were some very attractive blue versions.  The black iron ball paint also reduced radar cross section. 

Glad you decided to go with sparrows.  Falcons may me another chose for 60's era, but they performed terribly...

Not trying to throw a wet blanket on anything- she is your WHIF, just providing some comments if you want it more realistic.   

-Dave

[kerick]

For the IR ball I've used a very small gold colored bead from Hobby Lobby on one project



and on another I used a piece of clear sprue sanded to shape and then polished by rubbing it on my denim jeans.



Not even a spare fuel tank to use for a radome?

I wouldn't get crazy putting bulges and such on this sleek bird. But that's just my $0.02. Your build so go with what moves you!

[TheChronicOne]

Great tips on the sensor ball. I think I can handle the sprue version just fine and the beads are brilliant. I love alternate supplies like that.

No spare tanks but I might be able to steal some from the Super Hornet or my old one. I'll take a look. Actually, I just did on the super hornet tank it matches up damn near perfectly...  I just don't know if I trust my skills well enough yet.  LOL

Also, I have a big box of stuff out in the garage I want to go through tomorrow to look for other things like missiles and stuff that came off of old toys like GI Joe stuff, etc. No telling what gold mine stuff I have going on in there.



I love those wings. I'd love to get ahole of another one of these in 1/48 just to slap the wings on something in 1/72.

[kerick]

Yea the U-2 was basicly a jet powered glider. Although I understand the take offs could be quite dramatic with a surprisingly steep climb out.
The parts you mention might be useful just make sure they work with CA glue or model glue. Some plastics are almost unglueable.

BTW, you will probably want to put various antenna on to provide for the communication with AWACS, ground radar, etc. Take a look at the underside of an S-3 Viking or P-3 Orion.

[Old Wombat]

I love those wings. I'd love to get ahole of another one of these in 1/48 just to slap the wings on something in 1/72.

You're beginning to sound like Kit (PR19_Kit)!

It must be contageous!

No spare tanks but I might be able to steal some from the Super Hornet or my old one. I'll take a look. Actually, I just did on the super hornet tank it matches up damn near perfectly...  I just don't know if I trust my skills well enough yet.  LOL

You'll never know if you don't try!

[PR19_Kit]

I love those wings. I'd love to get ahole of another one of these in 1/48 just to slap the wings on something in 1/72.

You're beginning to sound like Kit (PR19_Kit)!

It must be contageous!

Not at all, it's just that longer wings are just so darn logical................. 

[TheChronicOne]

Yea the U-2 was basicly a jet powered glider. Although I understand the take offs could be quite dramatic with a surprisingly steep climb out.
The parts you mention might be useful just make sure they work with CA glue or model glue. Some plastics are almost unglueable.

BTW, you will probably want to put various antenna on to provide for the communication with AWACS, ground radar, etc. Take a look at the underside of an S-3 Viking or P-3 Orion.

Will do, thanks for the tip!   

[TheChronicOne]

I love those wings. I'd love to get ahole of another one of these in 1/48 just to slap the wings on something in 1/72.

You're beginning to sound like Kit (PR19_Kit)!

It must be contageous!

No spare tanks but I might be able to steal some from the Super Hornet or my old one. I'll take a look. Actually, I just did on the super hornet tank it matches up damn near perfectly...  I just don't know if I trust my skills well enough yet.  LOL

You'll never know if you don't try!

I slept on it and I figure... ehh... why not at least try? I can keep the piece I saw off if it gets too out of hand and just put it back on.  I was looking at that external tank last night and how damn close and perfectly the diameters match up is almost uncanny and it looks like it would make a fine looking radome. My first TRUE venture into scratch building. I mean. I made a fake radar array for my American Yak but that was just sprue glued together with paper clips.  lol


In other news, the transfers arrived this morning from Snowtrooper so now all I need to do is secure that windscreen.