well now SMW13 is out of the way. AEW builds 4 and 5 can now be added to the thread. Both were built to fill gaps for models that we knew few weeks in advance wouldn't be done in time by those who had offered them.
first up Build 4.
Taken from Chris Gibson's Airstaff & AEW book. The RAF has wanted the E-3 since the system started development. They came up with a cunning plan to get the E-3 on the cheap (or so they believed). They put forward the idea that the MOD acquire a number of the then soon to be retired British Airways Boeing 707 fleet (the ones with RR Conway engines) at a knock down price. Then mount the E-3 dish and systems. Some bean counter in Whitehall worked out that the Conway would be a very expensive engine to run and maintain, so the idea was kicked into the long grass.
The kit is the old Airfix 1/144th Conway 707 kit with the Dish and legs from a 2nd hand Revell E-3 kit I had been given a few years ago.
Build 5.
Now this monster was something of a speed build. It was started 3 days after the Glasgow show, and the last bits of paint touching up finished 3 days prior to SMW.
Due to the Frieghtdog 1/144th kit, I dont think this one needs much of an intro.
TSR Joe was ment to be doing this one for SMW, but was unable to complete his build. So I was suppled with some resin bits for the nose and upper and lower radar domes. And I started throwing an Academy C-97 kit together. I added a set of white metal undercarriage from SAC, as this beast weighs a ton. The cockpit was formed using a heavily modified spare canopy from an Airfix valiant. It isnt perfect by a long shot. But for an unplanned last moment high speed build its adequate.
