Beyond The Sprues
Current and Finished Projects => Physical Models => Aero-space => Topic started by: Rickshaw on May 14, 2020, 03:48:37 PM
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R.A.N Grumman Tracer AEW
When the Royal Australian Navy took delivery of an older ESSEX class carrier from the US Navy in 1969, they also took on an airgroup of aircraft. Grumman Trackers, Tracers and Vought Crusaders and Douglas Sky Hawks. The Trackers were ASW assets, the Tracers AEW aircraft and the Crusaders were fighters and the Sky Hawks strike aircraft.
This model depicts a Grumman Tracer in 1982. It is flying as a member of 817 squadron, part of the complement of HMAS AUSTRALIA. In 1981 the decision had been taken to change the radial engines for turbo-prop engines just had occurred for the Trackers. This enabled commonality to be continued. The aircraft had a substantially greater range and higher speeds and altitudes. With revised avionics the range at which it could detect a fighter was also much greater.
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/1946/4zRZ12.jpg)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/7232/PSsppJ.jpg)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/6020/OEu4Ul.jpg)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/3512/sDznUH.jpg)
The Kit
The kit is a resin one from Brazil. It was made of the toughest resin I have encountered. The Turboprops were from Germany. A great deal of work went into fitting the turboprops while changing it to one with the wings folded was also the result of a great deal of work. It is not a kit I would recommend. I was aware that there was also a Mach-2 kit but had built several of those before and didn't think it would be worth the effort. Appears I bit off more than I could chew! Painted with a hairy stick and the decals came from the spares box.
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Great concept ... and love the big 'roo decal on the radome :smiley: Is this the GIIC resin kit Brian?
I've also seen GIIC called 'Liberty Quality Models' and 'Liberty Kits Brazil'. Compliments on their kit quality are hens' teeth. General outlines seem to be good but component fit appalling. Was that your experience too?
I see that RVHP Models (maybe OOB?) put out a resin conversion set for the Hasegawa Tracker some time back. The size of that radome had me thinking that vacuform would be a way to save weight. Maybe Falcon should redo its Tracer conversion with vac radome and resin struts?
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What scale?
Good job - I plan on doing virtually the same turboprop Tracker one day