Boeing Silvertown ACI

[McColm]

The build is based on the 1/72 Academy Boeing KB-29P which was bought secondhand and there's some parts missing so I'm going down the ACI route which is known as Airborne Early Warning. Based loosely around the 1946 proposal for the Boeing C-97 FASS concept.

It's a bit rough and in the stages of PSR

https://flic.kr/p/2sbrM11

[McColm]

Backstory

The British Royal Air Force was lent three Boeing B-29As which SJMcColm Engineering Limited converted into Airborne Control and Interception platforms, this prefix would change into Airborne Early Warning and Control, and then AEW. Across the pond it was known as Airborne Warning And Control System.
 SJMc installed a large radome where the cockpit had been moving the flight deck above the fuselage. They had a crashed B-17G and were able to utilize this for parts. Behind the new flight deck was another radome and one in the vacant bomb bay and a fourth in the tail. The nose wheel landing gear was relocated to the rear end. SJMc gave the aircraft tail wheel and main landing gear steering. This also increased the ground clearance.
The Boeing Silvertown ACI was the first aircraft to use the Fore And Aft Scanner System layout.
Crew access was through a hatch at the front and or at the rear end with four emergency escape routes wide enough for an inflatable dinghy to be chucked out which was full of survival equipment.
The seven radar operators sat on the left side of the fuselage with individual work stations as the crawl through tunnel had been removed, the electrical equipment was on the right side of the aisle.
 At the front the flight engineer and the radio operator both had a small window. Above them the flight deck access via a ladder with a hatch. There sat the pilot, copilot and navigator behind them, a jump seat for the flight engineer during takeoff was fitted. After which the flight engineer climbed back down the ladder to his own station. Towards the rear end of the fuselage was a small galley with a small oven, hotplate and tea urn, two bunks and a seating area. The avionics was cooled by a refrigeration system this also cooled down the crew stations as well as the order for short -shirt sleeves. Crews were mixed ratings from the RAF and Royal Navy.
 The radar set in the nose could measure the heights of the enemy aircraft, the sets above ,below and in the tail would provide 360° coverage either together or if one was shut down due to maintenance on it's own or as a pair. Each flight carried two maintenance technicians and two observers. Extra crew could be accommodated for missions lasting 18 hours. The Silvertown was plumbed in for receiving in-flight refueling.
 Lessons had been learnt from the Boeing PB-1W, the radar operators had the nickname 'Magots ' as they spent most of their time working in the dark hunched over their 18 inch radar screens. These were usually crews from the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm who could distinguish the difference between ships and aircraft from the blips on the screen, although the pilots, radio operator and flight engineer came from the Royal Air Force. A second ladder was installed to connect the upper level to the main fuselage and a small dumb weighter to carry the teas or coffee cups/meals to the flight crew. Soundproofing had been added for crew comfort and although not perfect performing the tasks with ease.

[McColm]

I've gone down the rear tail wheel layout which has given the Silvertown a bit more ground clearance. The main wheels are also steerable. Found the other pair of bomb bay doors.

https://flic.kr/p/2scfZE7