ISR Conversion Help

[PR19_Kit]

If you just changed the spats for wheels on the Arii kit it'd look just like the retract version. When the wheels were down on that one all the doors closed up tight again it looked just like an un-spatted standard one.

[Weaver]

If you just changed the spats for wheels on the Arii kit it'd look just like the retract version. When the wheels were down on that one all the doors closed up tight again it looked just like an un-spatted standard one.

It even has the non-spatted gear on the box art....

[kitnut617]

There is a 1/72 kit of a Cessna O-2 out there.  It can be built either civvie or military.  There are a few light-weight underwing stores - two podded miniguns, and a pair of small rocket pods, if I recall correctly.  Rather limited, but then the carrying weight of a Caravan isn't much by military standards, anyway.

The Airfix O-2 is rare now and goes for collectors' money if it's in a sealed blister pack or a Dogfight Double (with a MiG-21: go figure...). I've had more luck picking up the civilian Arii/Eidai 337 Skymaster (same kit, different boxes) which could be militarized easily enough. Only the O-2s' glass door would be difficult, but then real armed 337s, such at the Rhodesian ones for example, didn't have that anyway.

Hmm! and I've got an Airfix and an Arii kit in the stash

[zenrat]

You can get a real door on E-Bay for $650.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Cessna-Skymaster-O2A-O2-Door-337-Garmin-Piper-King-Stec/263489192302?hash=item3d592e016e:g:emcAAOSw3pVZ0Ujw
The ultimate reference material?

[Scotaidh]

Has anyone ever put a Cessna 337 on floats?  I googled this very question, and found this:

"According to the official listing of all the airplanes that can be fitted with EDO floats, the 337 has never been approved for floats.  It's possible that another make of float has been approved for the 337.  I've never seen or heard of a 337 on floats, but that doesn't mean it ain't so.

I don't think it would be a very good floatplane anyway, as the rear propeller would be subject to a tremendous amount of spray during every takeoff which would make short work of the blades.

C. Marin Faure
author, Flying A Floatplane"

So - it'd be a great Whif, no? 

[PR19_Kit]

So - it'd be a great Whif, no? 

ANYTHING'S a great Whiff with floats. Go for it!

[Squizzette]

Squizzaa: can you wait a bit? The reason I ask is that I'm going to buy the Alley Cat Basler Turbo-67 (turbo'd Dakota) conversion. I was going to buy the basic conversion (no decals or extras) for £17.50, but I could upgrade to the Mauretanian one, which includes a FLIR turret for £20. I could then send you the FLIR turret at cost: £2.50 plus whatever the postage is from the UK.

You'd have to wait because:

a) I haven't got the new Airfix Dak yet. I'm trying to avoid paying over the odds for it, so this might involve several rounds of failed Ebaying and model show searches before I get one, and I won't order the Alley Cat bits until I've succeeded.

b) Alley Cat aren't the fastest to ship...

Up to you - please let me know.

@Weaver - Yes mate I'm happy to wait. I'm not a very fast modeler so can work on some other ideas no problem.

@Everybody, my apologies for the acronym thing. I always forget to say these things out properly so I'll whack a sticky note on my monitor as a reminder from now on. I'm the same in any normal face to face conversation as well which confuses my friends quite regularly. Old habits are a real pain to overcome sometimes. 

And thanks for all of the input. It does seem that snaffling the bits I want other kits is a solid option. Plus I get another kit to muck about with to boot. Would some of the stores from something like a Strikemaster, Hawk or Alpha Jet work?

Squizz

[Weaver]

Okay, no problem: I'll keep you posted re developments.

Another source of light weapons is the Special Hobby AH-1G Cobra kit. These have two different kinds of 7-round FFAR pod, (full outer case or 'naked' individual tubes), 19-round FFAR pods, 7.62mm minigun pods (hard to find nice ones of these) and the 20mm Vulcan-with-external-ammo-tanks. However you build the kit you end up with spare weapons, so it's not like you're spoiling it by doing a bit of robbing.

[Squizzette]

Okay, no problem: I'll keep you posted re developments.

Another source of light weapons is the Special Hobby AH-1G Cobra kit. These have two different kinds of 7-round FFAR pod, (full outer case or 'naked' individual tubes), 19-round FFAR pods, 7.62mm minigun pods (hard to find nice ones of these) and the 20mm Vulcan-with-external-ammo-tanks. However you build the kit you end up with spare weapons, so it's not like you're spoiling it by doing a bit of robbing.

I'll have to add it to the list of potential purchases then. Thank you

Squizz

[Weaver]

Just an update: I got the Dakota, but the Alley Cat conversion will have to wait until the credit card's recovered a bit.

[Squizzette]

Just an update: I got the Dakota, but the Alley Cat conversion will have to wait until the credit card's recovered a bit.

Hehe, I know the feeling.

Still no hurry though. I squeeze in build time when I can so things always take a while.

Squizz

[Weaver]

Just an update: I got the Dakota, but the Alley Cat conversion will have to wait until the credit card's recovered a bit.

Hehe, I know the feeling.

Still no hurry though. I squeeze in build time when I can so things always take a while.

Squizz

Clue's in the name eh? 

[Squizzette]

 

I didn't even realise I'd punned myself!

[The Rat]

ISR = Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance

Unless I'm missing something, it must have been coined by a civil servant who got paid by the word. As far as I can see, Surveillance and Reconnaissance are synonymous, and by doing so you gather Intelligence. In fact there would be no point in doing Surveillance and Reconnaissance if you didn't want to gather Intelligence. Seriously, would the bureaucracy survive without a steady stream of acronyms? 

[Weaver]

ISR = Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance

Unless I'm missing something, it must have been coined by a civil servant who got paid by the word. As far as I can see, Surveillance and Reconnaissance are synonymous, and by doing so you gather Intelligence. In fact there would be no point in doing Surveillance and Reconnaissance if you didn't want to gather Intelligence. Seriously, would the bureaucracy survive without a steady stream of acronyms? 

I'd say there's a subtle difference between Surveillance and Reconnaissance. Reconnaissance is about finding out new information and discovering new 'things of interest', while Surveillance is about keeping tabs on known 'things of interest' in order to watch what they do. They both fall under the umbrella of Intelligence, but then so do many other things as well. I agree that you don't need a top-level distinction between them for casual use though, particularly since they both tend to use the same or similar assets and systems.

Intelligence: "An informant tells us that there's a terrorist cell in Anytown".
Reconnaissance: "Lets find out who's in this terrorist cell and where they live, work and meet."
Surveillance: "Let's keep a constant watch on some or all of the terrorists to find out where they go and what they do."