Lockheed Martin Cormorant MR.1 with photos

[McColm]

 This is based on a scenario that the Royal Air Force started to replace some of their older BAe Nimrod MR.2PS with their own version of the Lockheed Martin P-3C Orion after the Falklands War. The Orion would get a larger weapons bay, the Searchwater radar,ESM wingtip pods and a in-flight refuelling probe fitted, along with a FLIR pod with later modifications. The transition from a maritime surveillance aircraft into a light to medium bomber armed with iron or laser guided bombs.
This would be called the Cormorant to avoid any confusion and be a joint unit used by the Royal Navy and the Army Air Corps. Unlike the Orion and Aurora the two outer engines were usually shut down and feathered whilst on patrol. The equipment on board differed from that carried on the Nimrod as the Cormorant was becoming a multi-role MPA with the emphasis on self defence. Carbon fibre materials on exposed surfaces of the fuselage to counter the sea salt corrosion this totalled fifteen refurbished USNAVY P-3Cs.

The kit I have chosen is the 1/72 Hasegawa Lockheed P-3C K15x 6th/3rd SQN 4th Wing  JMSDF. I have added the weapons bay taken from the Revell 1/72 Dassault Aviation-Breguet  Atlantic 1 "Italian Eagle ", the upper communications trunking, the ECM pod and the ESM wingtip pods.
I had to trim the inside of the Orion fuselage for the weapons bay to fit cutting into the lower wing section . The cockpit floor and rear wall are glued in place but as there's not a great deal of interior detailing I will paint all the windows black. Both halves of the fuselage plus the wings have been glued together with the added parts. There's a few gaps which have been filled in so the PSR process can start. Most of the parts are a good fit
I have decided not to go down the Rolls-Royce Tyne conversion route at this stage. I will wait until I attach the landing gear before tackling the weapons bay doors.

[McColm]

It looks as though this build will get four Rolls-Royce  Tyne engines from two Mach2 Breguet Br.1150 Atlantic  kits.
I have removed the Rolls-Royce Tynes from the 1/72 Be-6 Madge and they are now on the 1/72 Hasegawa Lockheed P-3C. I apologise for the lack of photos as I'm in the process of formatting the basic shape of this build. After some PSR all will be revealed.

[McColm]

I've run out of the Revell filler/putty so I'll be using the two pack filler instead. I will need to buy another Hasegawa/Revell Lockheed P-3C model kit as my leftover resin Masterclass BAe Nimrod AEW.3 parts fit the fuselage. I know that there's two aftermarket companies that provide the parts for the engines on the C-130J.

[McColm]

This is the build so far.
The Mach2 Breguet Br.1150 Atlantic Rolls-Royce Tyne engines and other parts from the Revell Atlantic kit have been fitted.




The underside which reveals the new weapons bay taken from the Revell Atlantic ATL1 kit.