Building again...

[AeroplaneDriver]

Thanks for the comments and input guys.

AFAIK the backstory is complete fiction.  If not any similarity is purely coincidental.

I was also struck by the irony of the name "Friendship" for a plane I chose to rain down death and destruction.  I guess it depends on your point of view though.  The SAS patrol in my story certainly would have viewed the Guardian AC.1A as a "Friend"!

[Hobbes]

There is an armed version of the F.27 (3 were built for Thailand), named 'Maritime Enforcer' (it was a development of the F.27 'Maritime' MPA).
F.27 info
Maritime Enforcer specs

Weapons load:
3930 kg in 8 hardpoints
Waepon system Alkan
4-8 anti-submarine torpedos or depth bombs
2-4 anti-ship missile AGM-84 Harpoon or AM.39 Exocet,
40 sonar buoy

[noxioux]

Very, very cool.

What are you going to use for the weapons?

[AeroplaneDriver]

I'm scratchbuilding the guns.  Lots of fiddly bits of plastic and some brass tubing.

As for the MPA F.27...way back in the early 90s when I was a Flight Instructor the company I worked for did a lot of heavy turboprop maintenance including the Dutch MPA F-27s used in the Carribean.  I always though it was a cool looking airplane back then.

[Hobbes]

Just a word of caution; before you go sticking all that stuff on the outside, remember the minimal ground clearance of the F-27 and don't stick much, if anything, on the belly. Wouldn't want to tear a bunch of antennae off on each landing!

That reminds me: The Dutch air force used to fly displays with one of their Troopships (F.27 freighters). One of the highlights of the display was a low pass. How low, do you ask? Well, as the pilot brought the airplane down, the copilot would open a radio channel and transmit (via an antenna that's on the bottom of the fuselage). At about 30 cm (1 ft) off the ground, he'd get a feedback loop (signals bouncing off the ground), increasing in strength as the plane got lower. They'd aim to have feedback throughout the pass. If they got too low, the antenna would snap off, cutting the feedback instantly. This was at about 15 cm off the ground.  :dum:  

[Ollie]

Even better : Bob Hoover was practicing his airshow routine with a Commander, and when he landed, the COM antennas on the ground were all ground!



Bob Hoover's the king.

 

[Captain Canada]

Wow, that F-50 is one tough looking bird.......

   

[Hunter Gatherer]

Like the guys say... great idea & back-story. Looking forward to seeing it right thru the build.

IJ.