This weekend's project

AeroplaneDriver · November 27, 2005, 01:01:52 PM

This weekend's project is running a bit behind, and consequently will end up being "this week's project", but here are the basics:

After Grenada the USMC identified a need for more FAC airframes to supplement OV-10s and OA-4s. The result was the OA-37M Dragonfly. few modifications were made to the stock A-37, mostly in the form of new avionics and sensors.

In November 1990 22 USMC OA-37Ms deployed to Saudi Arabia to support Marice units in the imminent war with Iraq. Like many aircraft deployed during Desert Shield, the Marine OA-37s wore a hastily applied desert camouflage.

When hostilities broke out in January 1991 Marine pilots flew their Drangonflies in suport of CSAR missions until the ground invasion, when they supported USMC and British Army units pushing into Kuwait.

During Desert Storm OA-37s carried a wide variety of weapons, including 500lb iron bombs, rocket pods, minigun pods, cluster bombs, and even Sidewinder missiles.

One Dragonfly crew were credited for the kill of an Iraqi Mil-4 helicopter with a Sidewinder.
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In progress pics to come this evening...kit is a Monogram 1/48 A-37.

Captain Canada · November 27, 2005, 01:24:55 PM

sweet ! the A-37 is one oy favourite little aeroplanes.....funny how something so wee and wimpy looking in the trainer role can look so tough, eh ?

I have the same ideas ( basically ) for a Canadair Tutor.

cthulhu77 · November 27, 2005, 05:42:10 PM

pics....pics...pics...
One of the coolest little jets

nev · November 27, 2005, 11:24:49 PM

cool idea, can't wait to see piccies of you work

AeroplaneDriver · November 28, 2005, 04:22:53 AM

NOt much to show in the way of in-progress I'm afraid, since this whif will be mostly with paint and decals.

Here it is though as of Sunday night. Mostly assembled, cockpit done, a bit of filler drying away, and a new avionics hump on the spine. There will be a few more lumps and bumps, but thats about it for structural changes.

Hopefuly I'll be able to get it primed tonight.

F-32 · November 28, 2005, 05:21:03 AM

Beautiful little plane, I learnt to fly in one (on the Playstation) and then dropped loads of napalm on some dummy targets to be awarded my licence..................ahhh, memories ^_^

Radish · November 28, 2005, 01:32:06 PM

Nice idea of USMC OV-37!! Terrific!!

Hell.....that's another one now!!

Ollie · November 28, 2005, 01:36:34 PM

Hmmmm, Cessna!

AeroplaneDriver · November 28, 2005, 05:58:27 PM

Ready for priming...

Additions are: New avionics hump on spine, adjacent avionics cooling scoop, and FLIR sensor on lower right of nose.

AeroplaneDriver · November 28, 2005, 07:23:29 PM

Well, she's primed with a coat of Light Ghost Grey. This will also be the base coat for the camouflage as this would have been the color of the Marine OV-37s before deployment to Saudi in 1990. Tomorrow night I'll airbrush the camo color, some sort of sand/tan color.

Leigh · November 28, 2005, 10:14:18 PM

Awesome the tweet is such a perfect little "muscle" plane. Now you gonna give the bad guys a Jet Provost and let them battle it out?

AeroplaneDriver · November 29, 2005, 05:47:46 PM

The camo is on tonight. The sand/grey scheme looked like hell, so it became two-tone sand uppers, grey under.

Decals tomorrow night.

cthulhu77 · November 29, 2005, 06:17:30 PM

Damn !!! That looks perfect !!!!

Brian da Basher · November 29, 2005, 10:04:23 PM

One word: sweeeeeeeeeeeeet!

Brian da Basher

nev · November 29, 2005, 11:23:43 PM

cool

Anychance of some close up cockpit pics? She looked pretty good from a distance...

This weekend's project

F-32

Ollie