F-102, stealth fighter "cover" and support *finished*

[NARSES2]

Bombs a neat fit 

[sandiego89]

Thinking about a bit of IR suppression.  Not sure if it will make it on the final build, but the packaging tube for Krazy glue, my go to superglue, is a good fit. 

[NARSES2]

Thinking about a bit of IR suppression.  Not sure if it will make it on the final build, but the packaging tube for Krazy glue, my go to superglue, is a good fit. 

It is indeed

[sideshowbob9]

Love the IR suppressor idea. If emulating the F-117As performance, reheat wouldn't really be needed all that much. May I suggest some kind of small blade antenna on the spine for secure comms/datalink/telemetry with their stealthy cousins?

[sandiego89]

Maybe the nose needs something. I made a RTV mold and cast a few resin F-102 noses to experiment.

[comrade harps]

Maybe the nose needs something. I made a RTV mold and cast a few resin F-102 noses to experiment.

Just thinking that it wouldn't really need a radar, but would at least need to look like it had one. What it would need for F-117A training purposes is a FLIR.

[sandiego89]

I'd suggest looking at the Viggen for your IR suppression ideas.

Thanks Salt, the Viggen tailpipe is indeed an elegant piece of engineering - more for thrust reverse I believe but likely had some IR reduction benefits as well. I was thinking of something less sophisticated, like the Israeli A-4 tail pipe extensions or the U-2 "sugar scoop".

Did a few Mirages or Cheetahs have extended tail pipes, or am I dreaming that? Others?

[rickshaw]

The A-4's tailpipe wasn't IR suppression but protection to the engine from IR missiles.  The Israelis found that IR missiles would litterally home in on the engine exhaust and often damage but not destroy the engine, so they thought making the missile explode further away would given them some measure of protection.

[Captain Canada]

Very cool. Nice work on the new noses. One of these days I'm going to have to try that resin copy thing !

[sandiego89]

Very cool. Nice work on the new noses. One of these days I'm going to have to try that resin copy thing !

Thank you. I was very intimidated to try my first stabs at RTV mold making and then casting with 2 part resin, but now that I have done a few my confidence is growing and I am hooked. Simple shapes like this F-102 radome just require a one piece mold that maybe took me 10 minutes to glue together some scratch styrene into a square shape box to create the mold. Stuffed some play dough to fill the radome then poured the RTV mold material over the radome. Let sit overnight, then popped the radome out. Now had the mold, and could pop out resin copies all day long (30 second mix time, pour, then I let sit for a few hours).   

Give it a try!

[sandiego89]

Nose work.  The F-117 had two targeting/designating FLIR's, one in the nose and one under the nose, these were first trialed on the F-102's used in the development program. 

[Captain Canada]

Thanks for the tips ! I mean noses. No, tips....

[sandiego89]

Black, but will have a bit of disruption in the scheme....

[Dizzyfugu]

I cannot help it, but this thing cries for Red Stars... 

[PR19_Kit]

I cannot help it, but this thing cries for Red Stars... 

Because it's in black?