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

[PR19_Kit]

Now that REALLY looks the business! 


The Viet Nam era camo suits it very well indeed, and it's got long wings too, what's not to like? 

[kerick]

That looks awesome! Don't kid yourself, you do great work!

[TheChronicOne]

Thanks, kindly!!  I appreciate it.  All y'all helped me out a bunch with this and I'm glad you like it. I like it, too.   

I cobbled together the write up for this.. I hope it makes sense.  Hastily done, not that thoroughly researched, and I'm no writer.     

"1972 in Whif-World and the United States Air Force decided to try something new by slapping some SEA camo on some U-2 Spyplanes, adding some missiles and weapons systems, and sending them into the fray as search and destroy interceptor units. The newly designated F/U-2 planes were christened "HAWK" for "High Altitude War Kite." Two methods of deployment were used on F/U-2 sorties. In one, the planes would loiter low over the jungle until called upon to spring a trap on approaching MiGs. When the call came through for an intercept, the planes would use their insane lift and climbing abilities to rapidly reach high altitude, acquire target, launch, and immediately turn for safer skies. In another, the planes would simply remain aloft in excess of 60,000' in typical Combat Air Patrol fashion.

The "new" planes were fitted with a revolutionary weapons system utilizing a combined target acquisition and tracking system, T.A.L.O.N. (Big thanks to Raff35 for coming up with this glorious acronym) , or Tactically Air Launched Object Neutralization. This system made use of both command guidance using the AN/APQ-109 radar along with an infra red homing sensor placed in the nose of modified AIM-7 Sparrow missiles. "

Our own Weaver came up with this design (although I settled on which radar to use, the ALQ 109, after some quick research. I hope that works.. if not, blame me for that one. LOL) , so I'll let him explain:

"Command Guidance with IR Terminal Homing.

The missile has an IR homing head concealed beneath a jettison-able nose cone, and command guidance receiver. Both of these systems are small, light and cheap. The aircraft tracks the target and fires the missile. During most of the flight, the aircraft's radar operates in Track-While-Scan mode, keeping a rough check on the position of the target and the missile, while sending the latter guidance commands. This has the added advantage that there's no 'lock-on' to alert the target to the fact that they're being shot at. When the missile gets within two miles of the target, it jettisons it's nose cone, which has been shielding the IR seeker head from heating up to now, and homes in by infra-red. "

The program had a varying amount of success but accounted for more than two dozen downed aircraft and proved to be a psychological nightmare for enemy pilots wondering just when and where a HAWK would either spring from the jungle or strike from above like a true predator, without warning. "


I want to thank all my "advisers" that helped along the way and made this into a community effort. Y'all kept me in line when I wanted to do things that were just outlandish and provided a ton of invaluable advice, technical info, and things of that nature that have combined to make this much, much better than if I had done it alone :

sandiego89
kerick
snowtrooper  (transfers, thanks again bro! all worked great but the slime lights had to be omitted)
JayBee
PR19_Kit (wing length oversight committee, sole member)
Weaver
RAFF-35

Thanks, folks! Lots of others have stopped by at some point or other to be supportive, and I may have forgotten something here, I hope not, but thank you all as well.

Now... where to put this thing?!

[Steel Penguin]

as folks have said above.
That's a nice looking kite!
well done on getting it done and sorted.   

[Librarian]

BL**DY FANTASTIC!! Well worth waiting for. Really nice paint scheme for the aircraft...and helmet (WOW ).

[Glenn Gilbertson]

All that hard work  was worth it - a beautiful job!

[TheChronicOne]

Thank you all so much!!  I'm glad it turned out alright.  I really wanted to try my best to create something you all would enjoy.

I enjoy it too and It's a nice thing to look at.. I'll have to clear out a space in front of my TV for it but uhhh... yeah, sitting atop a pile of movies and an old Airfix B-17 kits it looks good from, too. 

The kind words are appreciated for sure. There are a lot of cool builds in the GB and I'm glad to be a part of it.

[Snowtrooper]

Now can I breath again - the decals didn't disintegrate!

Looks very smart and the camo suits her very well! Certainly worth the wait!

[TheChronicOne]

Now can I breath again - the decals didn't disintegrate!

Looks very smart and the camo suits her very well! Certainly worth the wait!

Yes, friend! Thank you so much!    It was glorious watching things come together as I put those on...

This is hands down my favorite model of my collection. 

[zenrat]

Bingo bango bongo!  She's a looker in SEA camo.

Excellent work Brad C.

[Old Wombat]

Incredibly credible build! Great stuff!

[NARSES2]

Bingo bango bongo!  She's a looker in SEA camo.

She is isn't she. I was wondering if it would work, and it does 

[TheChronicOne]

 

Thanks, y'all!! Glad you like it.

And just in the nick of time, too, right?! Down to the wire... 2 outs in the 9th inning, etc etc..  It's almost like something from a movie..   

Anyway, I want to build another but it'll be in 1/72...   

[Captain Canada]

Wow. That is something. Love the whole thing. The story, the colours, the armament, the nose. Love it !

[TheChronicOne]

Thanks, bro!!