North American OV-10 Bronco

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Here are a couple of ideas I have saved to my notepad over the years that I think should be shared:

OV-10 with 30mm Bushmaster from the AH-64 mounted in the ventral position on the fuselage (replacing the centerline stores station).  I have a spare turret from a busted up Monogram AH-64 and often wondered what to do with it.   

OV-10 with gun turret from a B-29 (2 or 4 gun) mounted in the ventral position.  - Retro Off-The-Shelf Gunship

OV-10 with six blade propellers (need 1/72nd scale C-130J propeller for a 1/48th scale OV-10 Bronco). - This can work.  I have the propellers from the Italeri 1/72nd scale C-130J kit and the blade length will not impinge on the fuselage.  They are almost the same diameter as the original kit propellers, just twice the number of blades :) 

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Wikipedia - North American OV-10 Bronco

Click to view larger image

(Image source: U.S. [url=http://www.defenseimagery.mil]www.defenseimagery.mil photo no. DN-SN-88-00789 via Wikipedia[/url])

The OV-10 Bronco Association (aka OV-10Bronco.Net)

Link to Boeing OV-10X Brochure (Adobe PDF) (view on-line or download)

"The Flying Jeep" Tough Little Jungle Fighter - Popular Science Magazine (December 1964)

The OV-10 Story: Innovation vs. The "System" (Historical documentation by the inventor, Col. K.P. Rice, USMC retired)

[Weaver]

How about making it completely retro and fitting piston engines?  (Some interesting C of G issues to solve, I'll admit....)


Alternative, how about one with VERY stretched wings (easy to do with the Bronco's planks) and big, slow geared props mounted above the standard line? It would be intended  for covert night surveillance/attack, like an armed Q-Star that not only sneaks up on you by near-gliding, but then adds injury to insult by actually bombing you too......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_YO-3

[GTX_Admin]

Make into a UAV...

[jschmus]

How about an OV-10 with a turret mounted in place of the taildome on the center pod?  You could use something like the chin gun installation from the B-17, or else the 20mm M197 from the Cobras.  Broncos already had a nasty reputation for strafing, but imagine how it would be with  chase guns that could pour it on as they pulled out.

[LemonJello]

Some very interesting ideas here.  I may now have to find another OV-10 kit to play around with...good thing they're usually pretty cheap when you find them.

How about replacing the props with turbofans...I have some spare 1/72 A-10 engines that could work on a 1/48 Bronco...

[elmayerle]

What could be done using the larger fuselage of the unbuilt CV-10 cargo version?  I've got the bits and pieces to scratch that one and do it in the DoS markings from the Hawk silver-finish variant.

[GTX_Admin]

How about a dedicated anti-tank variant with big gun on the centre line and missiles under the wings?

[Alvis 3.1]

There was a target tug variant of the Bronco with a centerline mounted turbojet booster (Above the fusleage) so converting the whole plane to turbofans wouldn't be that outrageous.

Alvis 3.1

[GTX_Admin]

How about a dedicated anti-tank variant with big gun on the centre line and missiles under the wings?

Speaking of Bronco guns, there was this proposal for a recoilless rifle armed variant:



Regards,

Greg

[GTX_Admin]

 :)

[elmayerle]

Another thought, a French one with Astazou engines replacing the TPE331 (both are direct drive, so it wouldn't matter to reaction times on throttle slams) and a similar propeller replacement (Ratier electric props for Hamilton-Standard hydraulic props).

[upnorth]

Being as how it does have some internal stowage space, how about a floatplane set up for bush flying?

The fuselage sponsons should be quite useful as part of the float mounting set up and the Bronco's STOL capabilities should make it quite useful

As for Jeffry's idea of six bladed props, I had a similar idea but using contraprops.

[finsrin]

Try this.  1/48 Bronco with nose section replaced by 1/72 F-14 nose.  Resulting in 1/72 all weather interceptor which can drop cargo/paratroops out the back.

[Maverick]

There was a floatplane setup for the original concept of the Bronco.  I think, however, that a larger aircraft (scale-o-ramed) would be definitely be all weather, but more a target rather than interceptor.

Regards,

John

[Rickshaw]

How about a dedicated anti-tank variant with big gun on the centre line and missiles under the wings?

Speaking of Bronco guns, there was this proposal for a recoilless rifle armed variant:



Regards,

Greg

What always struck me as unusual about that system was that the barrel and chamber on the recoilless rifle actually slides forward and the exhaust nozzle was fixed.  Otherwise it wouldn't work.   The case from the round fired would also need some means of being ejected, after the chamber and barrel had slid forward.  In the ground mount, the breech opens and the case has to be pulled from the chamber by hand.

[GTX_Admin]

Does someone do a OV-10B(Z) conversion in 1/48 (i.e. the J-85 jet pod)?

I am sure I have seen one somewhere but can't track it down at the moment:

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Does someone do a OV-10B(Z) conversion in 1/48 (i.e. the J-85 jet pod)?

I am sure I have seen one somewhere but can't track it down at the moment:

I thought Revell of Germany included the jet engine option in their version of the original Revell Bronco kit or maybe it was just the Luftwaffe decal sheet.

[Daryl J.]

Given the current situation on the Korean peninsula, the Bronco could be well suited to conflict in that terrain along with CN-235 gunships, Zulu, Venom, and Apache helicopters.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

For anyone interested in the continued miltary use of the OV-10 Bronco:

Found this on a blog under the title of North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco: Bring the heat, bring the stupid

Some images included showing the aircraft with upgraded instrument panel and the four-blade propellers.  In the text included was the following comment describing what the aircraft will be carrying while on missions:

The normal configuration for the missions will be centerline and with external fuel and four seven shot pods for laser guided 2,75″ rockets.

[jcf]

No doubt they mean these, Hydra with BAE Systems guidance package:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Precision_Kill_Weapon_System

[Jeffry Fontaine]

No doubt they mean these, Hydra with BAE Systems guidance package:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Precision_Kill_Weapon_System

You are correct.  There are a couple of BAE product propaganda videos on YouTube showing off this weapon and what it is claimed to be capable of.  Makes sense to finally see smaller precision guided weapons and a seven or nineteen shot FFAR pod full of those things would be quite devastating.  Perhaps this miniaturization will see the DoD/DARPA taking another look at even smaller rockets with similar capabilities in the 1.5" to 2.0" (40 mm - 50 mm) range. 

[Daryl J.]

Swedish splinter!  :)

[Kerick]

I have a 1/48 Bronco I built years ago that may be in need of an upgrade. Another project!
I wonder if this could carry a couple of Mavericks.

[dy031101]

After reading about the "Guardian" idea from Silver Fox...... maybe a scenario where OV-10T becomes commercially-viable and ends up being derived into a modern day missileer with upgraded engines, Sea Vixen radar, and Meteor AAMs?

[PR19_Kit]

LOVE the OV-10T!  :)

I've been builidng one for a couple of years, I really need to DO it!