Trainers With Teeth and COIN Group Build

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

Welcome aboard, Deon. Enjoy the ride.......

Ian

[Hman]

Hope the GB starts soon, I need something 'to do' and I have a Mustang+Tempest+FW190 thing I want to build!

[rallymodeller]

Okay, let's get this dog and pony show on the road.

I've had soem time to think about how this should go, and here is my idea:

I'd like to run this GB a little differently than previous GBs -- more like a "mini contest". What I'd like to do is have the entrants send pics in to me via PM, and I will post them anonymously on an "entries" thread. When the contest date has come and gone, I will post all the entries at that time, and voting will then commence.

As to the rules:

1. This is a build for COIN aircraft and trainers retasked for armed duties. Please bear in mind that a Phantom would NOT make a good COIN aircraft, although a Corsair II would. Read up on the US Air Force's LARA project (resulted in the OV-10) for more details on what would make a good COIN. Similarly, any gunship is classified as COIN, as that is their primary purpose.

2. Trainers accepted will be aircraft that were designed as trainers, then converted to armed duties, like the A-37, Strikemaster, Tebuan and so forth.

3. Helicopters are acceptable as long as they begin life as transport types; this means no attack helos. The Mi-24 is a special case as it is both and will be treated as such.

4. Backstory is up to the submitter and should be sent in with the pictures. This judge likes backstories, but they are not necessary.

5. Bribes, as always, are accepted and indeed encouraged. Please bear in mind that I do not drink, but foreign cigarettes are always welcome.

6. There is no Rule 6.

7. To ensure fairness, I will not be submitting an entry.

8. Start and end dates TBD.

9. Any alterations, suggestions, etc. will be taken under advisement.

So get to it. I will consult with the Powers that Be to set up something more specific. Have at it, and Happy Hunting!

[Ed S]

This should be interesting.  So, as I understand it, we don't start a "build thread" but rather send pictures & story to you and you create the thread without saying who is building what model. 

Ed

[McGreig]

Regarding Rule 2, do you have a view on aircraft like the Vampire, MiG-15UTI and Yak-17?

Although these were based on early jet fighters, the two seat trainers had very large production runs in their own right and remained in service long after the fighters had been retired. In fact I don't think that the Soviet air force ever regarded even the single seat Yak15/17 as more than a training fighter and I think that the  bulk of Yak-17 production was of the two seater.

And does it matter, in any case, if, say, the MiG-15UTI was entered as a COIN aircraft rather than a trainer-with-teeth?

Regards,

Gordon (who, in an uncanny coincidence, has a large stash of MiG-15UTIs and Yak15/17s - -  -)

[chrisonord]

A while back I did a COIN F-84 conversion, with turbo prop, and a 2 seat conversion, and shed load of weaponry.Would this be acceptable if I built another one of these, or does it have to be an actual aircraft as is and not made into something else?
Chris

[Ed S]

A while back I did a COIN F-84 conversion, with turbo prop, and a 2 seat conversion, and shed load of weaponry.Would this be acceptable if I built another one of these, or does it have to be an actual aircraft as is and not made into something else?
Chris

Chris, this is "WHAT IF".  Of course it doesn't have to be an actual a/c.  Look through some of the old group builds and see what people have done with the various themes.

Ed

[rallymodeller]

Exactly. What I was trying to avoid were things like Lightnings and Phantoms -- but early jet fighters and wacky turboprop conversions of same are perfectly acceptable.  Like I said, a Corsair II is fine, and so forth. Just no supersonic high-performance aircraft. Let's modify Rule 1 to read:

1. This is a build for COIN aircraft and trainers retasked for armed duties. Please bear in mind that a Phantom would NOT make a good COIN aircraft, so no supersonic planes. Essentially this means no aircraft capable of Mach 1 or beyond in level flight; these usually make poor COIN planes anyway. Similarly, any gunship is classified as COIN, as that is their primary purpose. Tank busters too, as these are pretty much COIN out of the box. A-9, A-10, Su-25 -- go nuts.

[Acree]

How 'bout this for an idea?  AC-5D Deathstar: C-5B equipped with 2 x GAU-8A Avengers, 3 x M198 155mm cannons, and a full-blown M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System!!!  At the ranges it could work with the MLRS and M198, it would need a sighting system modified from the AL-1A airborne laser, but the "short-range" weapons could use simpler sighting systems. It could also carry "several" shorter range missile under the wings.  Anybody got a spare C-5 model lying about?

Cheers,
Chuck

[GTX]

How 'bout this for an idea?  AC-5D Deathstar: C-5B equipped with 2 x GAU-8A Avengers, 3 x M198 155mm cannons, and a full-blown M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System!!!  At the ranges it could work with the MLRS and M198, it would need a sighting system modified from the AL-1A airborne laser, but the "short-range" weapons could use simpler sighting systems. It could also carry "several" shorter range missile under the wings.  Anybody got a spare C-5 model lying about?

Cheers,
Chuck

And how exactly would this qualify as a "trainer"

[Mossie]

There's a COIN bit to it too Greg, give the Newb a break!

[GTX]

Ok - forgot that bit - sorry, my bad!

regards,

Greg

[Daryl J.]

The Hobbycraft Tutor qualifies then yes?

[chrisonord]

A while back I did a COIN F-84 conversion, with turbo prop, and a 2 seat conversion, and shed load of weaponry.Would this be acceptable if I built another one of these, or does it have to be an actual aircraft as is and not made into something else?
Chris

Chris, this is "WHAT IF".  Of course it doesn't have to be an actual a/c.  Look through some of the old group builds and see what people have done with the various themes.

Ed

MARVELOUS!!! I am already on with my build, all I can say is I love Hobbyboss easybuild kits!!!(and Theakstons old Peculier)
Chris

[philp]

Uh, do we have an official GO?