F-23A photo recon version

[DogfighterZen]

I agree, going by the looks of the weapons pods tested on the Super Hornet, it would never be a normal cylindrical shape.
Those guns pods look very familiar... Are those from a Monogram 1/48 F-5 kit?

Yes they are! About time they get put to some use.

Those guns pods look very familiar... Are those from a Monogram 1/48 F-5 kit?

They look like SUU-23A gun pods carried by F-4s that didn't have guns, but I have no idea what scale they might be.

Thanks, Kerick.  I have a pair of those in the weapons spares box that came with the 1/48 F-5F I've been working on. Not sure but they do look like the the pods you mention, Kit. Maybe they get used if I buy a 1/48 Phantom kit... Or maybe they'll end up being used for some other purpose, who knows? 

[kerick]

IIRC these pods were used by gunless Phantoms over Vietnam but the crews didn't like them as the recoil would knock them off bore sight right away. So we ended up with the F-4E.
I'm going to try to make stealthy tanks by cutting and bending some sheet plastic.

[zenrat]

They had 20mm Vulcans in yes?
So if they are "off bore sight" would it matter?  Just hose them around a bit.  You'll be sure to hit something.   

[Scotaidh]

They had 20mm Vulcans in yes?
So if they are "off bore sight" would it matter?  Just hose them around a bit.  You'll be sure to hit something.   

Yes, but they didn't have endless ammo - a few seconds was all there was.  Not as easy as video games would have you think ...

[zenrat]

They had 20mm Vulcans in yes?
So if they are "off bore sight" would it matter?  Just hose them around a bit.  You'll be sure to hit something.   

Yes, but they didn't have endless ammo - a few seconds was all there was.  Not as easy as video games would have you think ...

What, no magic reloads to pick up?

[kerick]

There was a pic I saw of an A-10 with in addition to its own gun had two of these gun pods strapped on. Something about strafing convoys or some such.

[Old Wombat]

There was a pic I saw of an A-10 with in addition to its own gun had two of these gun pods strapped on. Something about strafing convoys or some such.

For when a GAU-8 is just too much gun!

[kerick]

I read a story once about an A-37 pilot in Vietnam who rolled in on a target that was a straw and bamboo hut. He was armed with a mini gun in the nose of the A-37 and two in pods under the wing. The hut exploded into a cloud of splinters and straw when he cut loose with all three guns. Imagine what that A-10 gun pod combo would do to just about anything.

I have a really terrible problem here. The weather is so nice that I end up doing all these outdoor projects instead of model building. Really cutting into production! I'll have to start doing my rain dance to create some bad weather so I can be inside and work on this project!

[zenrat]

...I have a really terrible problem here. The weather is so nice that I end up doing all these outdoor projects instead of model building. Really cutting into production! I'll have to start doing my rain dance to create some bad weather so I can be inside and work on this project!

I wouldn't worry.  It'll be along soon enough.

[kerick]

So true! Thunderstorms in the area today so no outdoor projects to distract me. I'm going to make the stealth fuel tanks today.

[Rick Lowe]

There was a pic I saw of an A-10 with in addition to its own gun had two of these gun pods strapped on. Something about strafing convoys or some such.

The F-4s in Vietnam (callsign Chico) used 3X 20mm pods - centreline and outer wing stations - for just that.


Probably killed more trees than 'Suspected Truck Parks', but there you go.


The Vulcan they mounted on the HueyCobra was de-tuned a bit (750 rpm, IIRC), so maybe they did the same there?

https://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/equip/m195.htm


And the regular unit was changeable from 3,000 to 6,000 rpm stock-standard.

[kerick]

I've been doing a little work on this. As it's entered in the F.I.G.B. I better get a move on as the GB ends on the last day of November.
The landing gear is done now. Figuring out how to reinforce the landing gear was a major stumbling block. Making a plan was the mental block. Doing the work was basically routine once I found the right size drill bit. I had to drill into the strut about 4mm and then into the wheel. I colored the pin with a sharpie and crazy glued it into place. Much stronger now.





The hourglass is drying. The entire model is gloss black so far. I found an article talking about how digital camo can be used to confuse AI programs. Can't have any bad guy satellites spotting a valuable recon asset on its vital mission. The underside will remain black but the topside will get probably a four color pattern that I will make up using some pics from the net for inspiration.



I had to cut the triangles from solid red decal so the edges are a tiny bit tattered. Considering the age of the sheet its a wonder they worked at all.

This is plan B for the paint job if the digital scheme exceeds my patience! One problem you may have noticed is the amount of lint stuck in the paint. I'm hoping to get rid of some of that as I do the digital camo. IIRC the black was done in the winter so things were really dry and full of static electricity. I have an anti-static brush now so hopefully that will help. Or tie a wire around my waist and ground myself to a water pipe!

northrop_grumman_fb_23_condor_by_bagera3005_d2hlx4f-pre by , on Flickr

[seadude]

I never really understood why Northrop put a Black Widow red hourglass marking on the bottom of the YF-23 PAV-1 aircraft.
Black Widow spiders always have the marking on top of their bodies. Not on the bottom.
If and when I ever build my Hobbyboss 1/48 scale YF-23 model, I'm going to put the marking on the top of the aircraft. Not the bottom.

[DogfighterZen]

I never really understood why Northrop put a Black Widow red hourglass marking on the bottom of the YF-23 PAV-1 aircraft.
Black Widow spiders always have the marking on top of their bodies. Not on the bottom.
If and when I ever build my Hobbyboss 1/48 scale YF-23 model, I'm going to put the marking on the top of the aircraft. Not the bottom.

WARNING!!!! @PR19_Kit , DO NOT CLICK on the link... 
Black widow spiders have the "hourglass" on the underside, not the top...
https://owlcation.com/stem/black-widow-identification

The "hourglass" wasn't put there by Northrop and it's not really an hourglass, they're 2 danger warning triangles.
Chief engineer Bob Sandusky was checking out PAV-1 before the official rollout and came across a sharp panel of a vent on the underside that was dangerous for ground crews and suggested it should be painted red.
Crew chief Dave Maurice had a can of red spray paint handy and painted the inside of it red and apparently he just kept spraying until it became the hourglass like on the belly of the spider and this event is what ended up giving the YF-23 it's unofficial name of "Black widow".
https://youtu.be/PYLiMYGBE2Q?si=PAsqVUT91sxV4YMT&t=1750
They had to keep the Generals away from that area so they wouldn't notice it...   And that's why it was short lived, the picture on the cover of Jane's aviation weekly gave it away and the generals had it removed immediately... also why PAV-2 never had it.

[PR19_Kit]

WARNING!!!! @PR19_Kit , DO NOT CLICK on the link... 
Black widow spiders have the "hourglass" on the underside, not the top...
https://owlcation.com/stem/black-widow-identification

As if I would! Thanks for the warning.