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

[Old Wombat]

I concur with Fred & Kit, really good work, Dizzy!

[Dizzyfugu]

Thanks a lot. Yes, I found the solid black nose to look a bit goofy. The matt anti-glare panel was already settled, but then I tried the white stripes and I think it makes the aircraft look a little more slender/elegant.

[Mossie]

Strange that it's called a Spectrum when it's black an white!    Makes a surprisingly big difference to the O-2, good work.

[scooter]

Strange that it's called a Spectrum when it's black an white!   

It makes more sense if you can see in ultraviolet

[NARSES2]

It's certainly looking good 

[Dizzyfugu]

Thank you! Photo session completed, editing starts tomorrow.

[Dizzyfugu]

So, here we are: a "Pelican" Cessna 337. 


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) 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) 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) 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) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Some background:
The Cessna Model 336 and 337 "Skymaster" were American twin-engine civil utility aircraft built in a unique push-pull configuration. Their engines were mounted in the nose and rear of its pod-style fuselage. Twin booms extended aft of the wings to the vertical stabilizers, with the rear engine between them. The horizontal stabilizer was aft of the pusher propeller, mounted between and connecting the two booms.

The first Skymaster, Model 336, had fixed landing gear and initially flew on February 28, 1961. It went into production in May 1963 with 195 being produced through mid-1964. In February 1965, Cessna introduced the larger Model 337 Super Skymaster with more powerful engines, retractable landing gear, and a dorsal air scoop for the rear engine (the "Super" prefix was subsequently dropped from the name). In 1966, the turbocharged T337 was introduced, and in 1973, the pressurized P337G entered production.

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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) 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) 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) 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) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The type was very prolific and Cessna built 2.993 Skymasters of all variants, including 513 military O-2 (nicknamed "Oscar Deuce") versions from 1967 onwards. The latter featured underwing ordnance hard points to hold unguided rockets, gun pods or flares, and served in the forward air control (FAC) role and psychological operations (PSYOPS) by the US military between 1967 and 2010. Production in America ended in 1982, but was continued by Reims in France, with the FTB337 STOL and the military FTMA "Milirole".

Both civil and military Cessna 336/337 version had long service careers, and some were considerably modified for new operators and uses. Among the most drastic conversions was the Spectrum SA-550, built by Spectrum Aircraft Corporation of Van Nuys, California, in the mid-1980s: Spectrum took the 336/337 airframe and removed the front engine, lengthened the nose to maintain the center of gravity, and replaced the rear piston engine with a pusher turboprop which offered more power than the combined pair of original petrol engines. The Spectrum SA-550 conversion also came together with an optional modernization package that prolonged the airframes' service life, so that modified machines could well serve on for 20 years or more.


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) 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) 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) 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) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


This drastic conversion was executed for both military and civil operators. The best-known military SA-550s were six former USAF O-2A airframes, which had been transferred to the U.S. Navy in 1983 for use as range controllers with VA-122 at NAS Lemoore, California. These aircraft were operationally nicknamed "Pelican", due to the characteristic new nose shape, and the name unofficially caught on.
However, the SA-550 package was only adopted sporadically by private operators, but it became quite popular among several major police and fire departments. Typical duties for these machines included border/drug patrol, surveillance/observation duties (e.g. traffic, forest fire) and special tasks, including drug interdiction as well for SAR missions and undercover operations like narcotics and serialized criminal investigations. Some SA-550s were accordingly modified and individually outfitted with suitable sensors, including IR/low light cameras, searchlights, and internal auxiliary tanks. None were armed, even though some aircraft featured underwing hardpoints for external extra tanks, flare dispensers for nocturnal operations or smoke charge dispensers for ground target marking to guide water bombers to hidden forest fires.

The type's versatility, low noise level, high travel speed and good loitering time in the operational area at low speed proved to be vital assets for these public service operators and justified its relatively high maintenance costs. A handful of the modernized Spectrum SA-550 machines were still in active service after the Millennium, primarily in the USA.


: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) 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) 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) 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) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr



General characteristics:
    Crew: 1 + 3 passengers (up to 5 passengers possible in special seat configuration)
    Length: 32 ft 6½ in (9.94 m)
    Wingspan: 38 ft ¾ in (11.62 m)
    Height: 9 ft 2 in (2.79 m)
    Wing area: 201 sq ft (18.81 m²)
    Aspect ratio: 7.18:1
    Airfoil: NACA 2412 at root, NACA 2409 at tip
    Empty weight: 2,655 lb (1,204 kg)
    Max takeoff weight: 4,400 lb (1,996 kg)
    Fuel capacity: 92 US gal (77 imp gal; 350 l) normal,
                  128 US gal (107 imp gal; 480 l) with auxiliary tank
                  in the cabin instead of two passenger seats

Powerplant:
    1× Pratt & Whitney PT6A-27 turboprop engine, delivering 550 shp (410 kW) and
       driving a four-blade McCauley fully-feathering, constant-speed propeller, 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) diameter

Performance:
    Maximum speed: 199 mph (320 km/h, 173 kn) at sea level
    Cruise speed: 144 mph (232 km/h, 125 kn) at 10,000 ft (3,000 m) (econ cruise)
    Stall speed: 69 mph (111 km/h, 60 kn)
    Range: 1421 mi (2.288 km, 1.243 nmi) at 10.000 ft (3.050 m) altitude and economy cruise
    Service ceiling: 19,500 ft (5,900 m)
    Rate of climb: 1,200 ft/min (6.1 m/s)
    Takeoff distance to 50 ft (15m): 1,545 ft (471 m)
    Landing distance from 50 ft (15m): 1,650 ft (500 m)




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) 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) 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) 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) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


A challenging build due to the Arii kit's rather poor basis, the massive rhinoplasty and the crisp paint scheme. However, I like the result – what-if models do not always have to be armed military vehicles, there's potential in other genres, too. And this mono-engine "Pelican" Skymaster plays its role as a "flying eye" in police service credibly and well. However, this was my first and last Eidai kit...

[Captain Canada]

Nice one ! Sure looks the part. Love those cessna's with only the pusher prop.

[PR19_Kit]

That does look very smart indeed Thomas. The black and white scheme suits the 337's shape very well, and the long nose and winglets are great additions. Nice one. 

[Old Wombat]

That does look very smart indeed Thomas. The black and white scheme suits the 337's shape very well, and the long nose and winglets are great additions. Nice one. 

I second this gentleman!

[Dizzyfugu]

Thank you very much! 

[Tophe]

  Marvellous twin-boomer! Less usual than a C337!

[kitbasher]

Very cool  , nice touch of detail with the winglets, and the nose has something of a Do228 feel to it.

[AndrewF]

Excellent!

[Mossie]

The big nose looks good on it.