DONE@p.5 +++ LAPD 'Flying Eye', a Spectrum SA-550 (Cessna 337)

[Dizzyfugu]

Pretty, but I will go for something smaller and more economical.

[MiB]

Mumble mumble.....maybe Optica or Cessna 150 or Piper Cub or Diamond ULM?

[jcf]

Keen eye. And now I just add "Pelican"...

336 WIG 

[Dizzyfugu]

After day #1, things got already pretty far. First of all, an overall look at the main ingredients:


1:72 Spectrum SA-550 (modified Cessna 337) "Pelican"; aircraft "N669PD" of the Los Angeles Police Department Air Support Division, Special Flight Section (SFS); California (USA), 2001 (What-if/modified Arii kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The Arii kit is from 1986 and basically s simple affair, but it has some flaws like flashes, some sinkholes and a confusing landing gear with spats instead of a (typically) retractable arrangement. I am not certain if I will go with the OOB parts or go for different wheels? There's also a resin four blade prop for a Shorts Tucano - only one, because I will convert the Cessna 337 into a Spectrum SA-550 - which is this:




This was powered by a single turboprop pusher, more powerful than the combined former piston engines. The best-known of these conversions are six former O-2s (nicknamed "Pelican" for obvious reasons) operated by the USN for artillery ranging duties:




Work started immediately yesterday evening, with the interior and already some external components like the wings and the outriggers. The kit comes with two optional right fuselage halves - a standard hull and one with additional observation windows, very handy for police duties. In the cabin I omitted the rear seats and added an auxiliary tank for long patrols (but maybe it's rather a coffee bunker to keep the crew awake... ).


1:72 Spectrum SA-550 (modified Cessna 337) "Pelican"; aircraft "N669PD" of the Los Angeles Police Department Air Support Division, Special Flight Section (SFS); California (USA), 2001 (What-if/modified Arii kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Spectrum SA-550 (modified Cessna 337) "Pelican"; aircraft "N669PD" of the Los Angeles Police Department Air Support Division, Special Flight Section (SFS); California (USA), 2001 (What-if/modified Arii kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The cockpit received a (horribly Nineties-style) dark blue interior, since it is supposed to be a converted former private aircraft now in police service.


1:72 Spectrum SA-550 (modified Cessna 337) "Pelican"; aircraft "N669PD" of the Los Angeles Police Department Air Support Division, Special Flight Section (SFS); California (USA), 2001 (What-if/modified Arii kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


And here's the crew: Joe and John from L.A.:


1:72 Spectrum SA-550 (modified Cessna 337) "Pelican"; aircraft "N669PD" of the Los Angeles Police Department Air Support Division, Special Flight Section (SFS); California (USA), 2001 (What-if/modified Arii kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

[jcf]

Cessna 336 has fixed gear, the 337 has retractable gear.

[Dizzyfugu]

I know (and the 336 should be shorter, too), but the kit is supposed to be a T337, so there's something fishy about it... 

[Dizzyfugu]

Day #2 with progress around the cabin. The resin prop has been assembled and it received my standard metal axis/styrene tube arrangement, so that it can be mounted seperately and spin freely.


1:72 Spectrum SA-550 (modified Cessna 337) "Pelican"; aircraft "N669PD" of the Los Angeles Police Department Air Support Division, Special Flight Section (SFS); California (USA), 2001 (What-if/modified Arii kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


John and Joe found their place inside of the cabin (tight, but they fit in well), and the nose was filled with as much lead beads as possible. While there is not much tail volume, both tail booms are massive styrene, as are the wings, too.


1:72 Spectrum SA-550 (modified Cessna 337) "Pelican"; aircraft "N669PD" of the Los Angeles Police Department Air Support Division, Special Flight Section (SFS); California (USA), 2001 (What-if/modified Arii kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The fuselage halves were closed - or at least I tried it. Fit of these two parts is rather abysmal, there are even bulges along the spinal seam from a poor mold. Additionally, the clear parts turned out to be streaky, and the windscreen is a kind of brick with tons of flas but a hole at one side, where the piece has not been fully molded. 

On the positive side, I was happy to find a donor nose that fits almots perfectly: a radome from a Hasegawa RA-5C! I rather expected that I would have had to sculpt the nose from scratch with lots of 2C and normal putty, but the Vigilante nose (still with several layers of old paint from former lifes...), with a slightly "blunted" tip looks and fits well. 


1:72 Spectrum SA-550 (modified Cessna 337) "Pelican"; aircraft "N669PD" of the Los Angeles Police Department Air Support Division, Special Flight Section (SFS); California (USA), 2001 (What-if/modified Arii kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


PSR started next, blending the nose onto the hull is still a major feat. The propeller mounted has been glued into place, too, but its fit is just as horrible as the fuselage halves. In parallel, work on the wings proceeds, and I will enlarge the dorsal air scoop for the turboprop engine, with just a 1.5mm styrene sheet added on top of the molded intake fairing and blended into it with more PSR.


1:72 Spectrum SA-550 (modified Cessna 337) "Pelican"; aircraft "N669PD" of the Los Angeles Police Department Air Support Division, Special Flight Section (SFS); California (USA), 2001 (What-if/modified Arii kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


So far, things go on quite well, even though I had hoped for a better fit of everything. The kit reminds me of the vintage 1:100 airliners from the GDR's VEB Plasticart - similar material and overall quaility!

[Rick Lowe]

Coming along nicely. 

And the new nosecone could take more ballast, yes?

[Dizzyfugu]

Both the space in front of the dashboard as well as the RA-5C nose are filled with as much lead as possible. 

[Rick Lowe]

Both the space in front of the dashboard as well as the RA-5C nose are filled with as much lead as possible. 

Good Plan! 

[Dizzyfugu]

BTW - I thought that the "Peilican" Skymaster was already weird, but then I came across THIS turboprop conversion of the Cessna 337 (probably called "Stinger")!

[Rick Lowe]

BTW - I thought that the "Peilican" Skymaster was already weird, but then I came across THIS turboprop conversion of the Cessna 337 (probably called "Stinger")!

Called the Conroy Stolifter.

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/the-conroy-stolifter.32140/


Looks similar to the proposed Civil Bronco. Variations on a theme.
Hmm, I have a spare O-2 kit...

Thanks for the find, Mr Fugu

[Flyer]

Wow that tractor turboprop is ugly in shape and colour's.

[Dizzyfugu]

Day #3 saw major assemblies. Did I mention that nothing really fits? The only consolation I have that other builders recognized this special feature of the Eidai Cessna 337, too. But it's a fight with the elements.

However, here the wings with the booms are in place, as well as the enlarged dorsal air intake...


1:72 Spectrum SA-550 (modified Cessna 337) "Pelican"; aircraft "N669PD" of the Los Angeles Police Department Air Support Division, Special Flight Section (SFS); California (USA), 2001 (What-if/modified Arii kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

...and finally connected with the stablizer, which does not fit well. 


1:72 Spectrum SA-550 (modified Cessna 337) "Pelican"; aircraft "N669PD" of the Los Angeles Police Department Air Support Division, Special Flight Section (SFS); California (USA), 2001 (What-if/modified Arii kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Later I added the landing gear; I will use the OOB spatted parts, because it looks so odd and this must have been a conversion option for the 337 because I have found some pictures of machines in this outfit. However, funny thing is that the Eidai/Arii O-2 kit only comes with these wheels, too...! In front of the front wheel you can also already see a fairing for a small camera pod.


1:72 Spectrum SA-550 (modified Cessna 337) "Pelican"; aircraft "N669PD" of the Los Angeles Police Department Air Support Division, Special Flight Section (SFS); California (USA), 2001 (What-if/modified Arii kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Spectrum SA-550 (modified Cessna 337) "Pelican"; aircraft "N669PD" of the Los Angeles Police Department Air Support Division, Special Flight Section (SFS); California (USA), 2001 (What-if/modified Arii kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Assembly comes to a close, with some antennae added to the hull. And I will add winglets to the wing tips - another late upgrade for the 337 which comes in various shapes and sizes. Just adds to the modernized look of the aircraft.


1:72 Spectrum SA-550 (modified Cessna 337) "Pelican"; aircraft "N669PD" of the Los Angeles Police Department Air Support Division, Special Flight Section (SFS); California (USA), 2001 (What-if/modified Arii kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The fiddly winglets (small canted fins will be added underneath, too) will take some time, but, after closing the cockpit with the ill-fitting, streaky windscreen, painting may start today.

[Old Wombat]

For a less-than-co-operative kit, the build's coming along well, Dizzy!