Beyond The Sprues
Current and Finished Projects => Physical Models => Aero-space => Topic started by: Haemon on May 28, 2018, 04:18:28 PM
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2025
Australia has deployed the new f35a for 6 years now and has become comfortable with its doctrine and deployability.
with the development and fielding of the Pak fa, and several 5th generation fighters and ucavs under development the RAAF looks to the future for its wedgetail family and decides that with some tweaks, the force can remain a significant threat deterrent and command platform.
Returned to Boeing the aircraft are lengthened to -800 standard, a ventral canoe with powerful searchlight and upgraded flir system is installed. this canoe additionally allows for the carriage of 6 AIM-120d AMRAAM's for self defence.
an ECm suite is installed with TX/RX antennas mounted on the Wingtips. this had the additional benefit of augmenting the newly installed winglets ala the 737 MAX AT for fuel saving and boosted on station time.
above the cockpit and behind the main landing gear a CSIRO developed LIDAR system is installed that, while reduced in range compared to the AESA, can easily detect 5th generation fighters that were designed to defeat radars operating in the Ku, X, C and portions of the S-band and not lidar based systems.
While the f35 was a success as a manned planned platform, the retirement of the F/A-18's was complicated when no one wanted them. the hulls were stored at tindal airbase awaiting potential disposal. when time came to develop a UCAV, RAAF high command initiated a project to convert the 75 remaining hornets to unmanned status and utilise them as escorts for the now half a billion dollar each wedgetail 2's.
and so a flir system, upgraded radar and link 32 (the successor to link 16) was installed in old hornet airframes, and all pilot life support and cockpit accessories removed. This had the added benefit of allowing significant increases in internal fuel .
and so i present, the wedgetail 2 with QF-18 hornet escort.
the whole "returning the 737's to boeing for lengthening" was brought about because in the Real world, the wedgetail is based on a -700 body with a strengthened -800 wing (i think). I had bought a 1/144 revell -800 and decided i didn't want to go about cut and shutting the body to make a real wedgetail so a WHIF it was. the radar was a putty and popsicle stick contraption with many an hour PSR'ring.
decals came from Southern sky and i know i didn't put anywhere near nough decals on, nor are there enough antennas and aerials on the wedgetail.
still i hope you enjoy!
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4607/39397321235_255ed92c0c_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/232pz2e)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4607/39397321235_255ed92c0c_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/232pz2e)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4615/25423461627_598ec15be3_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/EJzTpi)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4711/38484864460_5bf50872aa_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/21CLZpS)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4611/40249572342_18e4989e51_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/24jHzzQ)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4669/39583112834_fab703bee3_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/23iPNoE)
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:smiley:
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cool
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Something you don't see everyday.
Very well done!
I liked seeing that bottle of nail polish remover too. That stuff is great for thinning Tamiya putty.
Brian da Basher
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Beautiful work!! I could also see that ventral canoe also being used for a JSTARS-type radar and allowing one aircraft to monitor both the air and ground environments.
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What a great pair of builds, extremly nice.