Transall AC-162 Warrior Gunship with photos

[McColm]

This build isn't strictly my idea, I did purchase through eBay a started project many years ago but I had to sell it during one of my many moves however I now have the Heller recently released 1968-2021 retirement of the Transall C-160.
As there's hardly any interior detailing it could be the donor for a gunship. I have removed the engines for another project but I wasn't paying attention when removing the four Alison T56 turboprops from the C-130 RAAF model.
I've bought a cheap Italeri 1/72 Lockheed AC-130H Spectre from eBay and intend to strip this for parts paying attention to the removing of the engines. Yes I know that the C-160 doesn't have four engines but this build will, there's a few inaccuracies in the kit so hopefully no one will notice them on this kitbash.
 I can start working on the cargo hold and cockpit plus the righthand fuselage, sections of the wings and landing gear until the Italeri kit arrives.

[kerick]

Sounds interesting

[McColm]

Work is underway, guns, glazing and loading ramp plus the camera and sensors are glued in place. The wings are clamped and the engines from the Italeri Lockheed AC-130H have been removed and sanded.

[Rick Lowe]

Interesting. Carry on. 

[McColm]

Interior windows painted acrylic black, guns installed, fuselage halves glued together and wings glued on with the resin Oz Mods nacelles. It's in the drying process at the moment

[McColm]

Backstory

SJMcColm Engineering Ltd quickly found that it was easier to fly the Lockheed C-130K to the UK and then remove the engines. These would be replaced with the Rolls-Royce Tynes. The British Air Ministry had ordered the Transall C-160 to be their medium to long-range cargo aircraft.
On paper it looked a simple option to remove the engines from the C-160 and replace them with the four Alison T56 turboprops. This aircraft would be known as the Transall C-162 Warrior, the designation would be dropped during whilst in British service and simply known as the Transall Warrior, 50 were pencilled in for the Royal Air Force and they started to enter service in 1968. However the Joint Chiefs of Staff requested that 9 be converted into Gunships in a similar fashion to the Lockheed AC-130. Through trial and error these would look very similar to the AC-130H Spectre, but they had eight underwing pylons. As the British Warrior would be operating further away from conventional airfields, a bolt-on in-flight refuelling probe was carried as standard equipment. Two additional pylons could be fitted above the main landing gear for air defence.
Iron bombs and later laser guided bombs were carried, as well as electronic jamming equipment, Vulcan gun packs, hose and drouge fuel tanks and a searchlight.
Other Warriors took on the role as AEW using the Grumman Hawkeye systems in the air defence or command & control, SIGINT/ELINT and maritime surveillance during the year 2000.
 The nine Warrior AC.3s were constantly updated and well maintained for use in all theatres of war/conflicts, no losses at the present time of writing.

[Rick Lowe]

 

[Captain Canada]

That's alot of work to make a Hercules lol

[McColm]

That's alot of work to make a Hercules lol

The turbofan version will be a lot easier!

[McColm]

The original Italeri AC-130H Spectre nacelles have been glued on as they seem to be a better fit than the Oz Mods C-130J resin set. I have switched to using Revell Plasto body putty for the PSR stage.