Recce and Surveillance GB - General Discussion

[kerick]

Aw, what the heck, do it anyway! Sounds like fun!

[PR19_Kit]

Never being one to chose an easy kit to build when there's a more difficult one around  I was a bit stumped to find something for this GB, but then 'Aeroplane' magazine came up with an article on the Hughes XF-11 (later XR-11...) in the latest issue. That reminded me that I had TWO kits of the XF-11 in The Loft, so this evening I went up there (phew, it's HOT!) and dug them out.

The first is an Anigrand resin kit, and considering that the real thing was a BIG aeroplane (101 ft span...) the box is remarkably small, but all the bits are in there, packed diagonally.



I could only fine one review of this kit, and it's damned with faint praise over a number of points, but just in case I have a backup.



This is an Execuform vacform kit, and it's male moulded, so it's not exactly highly detailed, but bits of it may come in handy for the resin kit. Plus it's a useful source for loooooong wings for  something else later. 

In case neither of those ideas proves workable, my Plan B is a Airmodel vacform Teledyne-Ryan Compass Cope R drone, a machine built and tested before the word 'drone' hardly existed as it first flew in 1974! The kit's MUCH better than the Execuform vacform, being female moulded, and by far the best Airmodel kit I've ever seen.



I've no idea which one I'll build yet, but the Anigrand resin one will be sliced out of its plastic bag later this week.

[The Wooksta!]

Some of the later Airmodel stuff was really good, especially under the Frank-Modellbau banner when MPM did the vacforming and the kits came with a wafer of resin bits.  Had a few of those.

[TomZ]

Turns out I had the same idea as Kit. Great minds think alike 

Meet the RAFs Observer PR Mk-I:





It is indeed a large aircraft, see the P-51 for scale.

Model is almost finished and ready for spraying in RAF PRU Blue.

TomZ

[PR19_Kit]

Jeepers, it IS big! 

Mine will have longer wings of course. 

And a few other odds, ends and greebles.....

[TomZ]

Mine will have longer wings of course. 

Ahhh, you're model will depict the PR Mk II. That of course did have longer wings. 

TomZ

[The Wooksta!]

The Aimodel kit that Kit has is definitely one of the MPM moulded ones.

[Weaver]

In case neither of those ideas proves workable, my Plan B is a Airmodel vacform Teledyne-Ryan Compass Cope R drone, a machine built and tested before the word 'drone' hardly existed as it first flew in 1974! The kit's MUCH better than the Execuform vacform, being female moulded, and by far the best Airmodel kit I've ever seen.

The universal term in those days was 'RPV' - Remotely Piloted Vehicle.

[McColm]

What's a greeble?

[zenrat]

What's a greeble?

A greeble (/ˈɡriːbliː/ GREE-blee) or nurnie is a prominent detailing added to the surface of a larger object that makes it appear more complex, and therefore more visually interesting. It usually gives the audience an impression of increased scale. The detail can be made from simple geometric primitives (such as cylinders, cubes, and rectangles), or more complex shapes, such as pieces of machinery (cables, tanks, sprockets). Greebles are often present on models or drawings of fictional spacecraft or architectural constructs in science fiction and are used in the movie industry (special effects).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greeble

[Nick]

Thinking of a UK Coastguard drone? Look at this Schiebel S-100 remotely piloted system 

https://hmcoastguard.blogspot.com/2021/07/Drone-joins-HM-Coastguard-air-land-and-sea-rescue-teams.html

[scooter]

Inspiration...if you want to do something from the Emergency Construction Program.  David Fletcher discusses the Morris Light Reconnaissance Car in this particular Tank Chat

[Rheged]

What's a greeble?

A greeble (/ˈɡriːbliː/ GREE-blee) or nurnie is a prominent detailing added to the surface of a larger object that makes it appear more complex, and therefore more visually interesting. It usually gives the audience an impression of increased scale. The detail can be made from simple geometric primitives (such as cylinders, cubes, and rectangles), or more complex shapes, such as pieces of machinery (cables, tanks, sprockets). Greebles are often present on models or drawings of fictional spacecraft or architectural constructs in science fiction and are used in the movie industry (special effects).


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greeble

Also known (at least in the UK ) as Doodahs Whatsits   Thingies  Thingamajigs Etceteras and in the forces as "Johnstons"(unless operating in Scandinavian areas, when they become "Johansens".   One could also refer to them as Sundry Ancillary items  or use a similar piece of meaningless technobabble.

[Spey_Phantom]

ive been looking into a potential entry, and i mthinking of building a dedicated recce version of the Mirage F1, would be simple conversion, building an unarmed version of the Mirage F1 and using the camera nose of the Mirage IIIR.

[Nick]

ive been looking into a potential entry, and i mthinking of building a dedicated recce version of the Mirage F1, would be simple conversion, building an unarmed version of the Mirage F1 and using the camera nose of the Mirage IIIR.

Now that's a grand idea. You could add an ECM pod under one wing too.