Alternative British Early Warning Airborne Radar Aircraft with photos

[McColm]

The three Boeing Silvertown ACI aircraft from Operation Downfall were bought by SJMcColm Engineering Limited, they went on to become testbeds for not only radar systems and engines although they never entered service with Royal Air Force they were leased out by them during NATO exercises and for training purposes.
The AN/APS-20S radar was replaced with the AN/APS-120 the same as the ones fitted to the Grumman E-2 Hawkeye, upgrades to the AN/APS-125, 139 and the AN/APS-145 which is currently fitted to the E-2D. The engines were all hybrid-turboprops. With two remaining in flying condition whilst the third is on static display.

[McColm]

Work has already started on the 1/72 Boeing Silvertown ACI transformation. It's not going to be the Chinese KJ-1 AWACS due to the changes I made to the Academy KB-29P.
The upper radome has been removed, so too have the propellers and observation windows along the fuselage.
The AIM Transport Wings Rolls-Royce Dart engines for the Vickers Viscount will be used along with parts for the Grumman E-2C Hawkeye kit.
The belly radome is resin and will remain in place, spare parts will be used.A slight change in the name to the Boeing Silvertown AEW.2.
It should look something like the picture below an earlier build that I no longer have.

[McColm]

An earlier example was the Wellington-Halifax-Lancaster aka WHALE ACI, flown in the last years of WWII. It had the fuselage from a Wellington bomber, wings from a Halifax bomber and the tail fins from a Lancaster bomber. Four Rolls-Royce Griffon engines with contra-rotating propellers and twin wheel main landing gear. Fitted under the nose was the AN/APS-20C radar as part of Project Cadillac under the Royal Navy's control, retirement planned during the 1960s although one example was still flying in the 1970s.

[McColm]

Post-War saw the jet engine emerge as the replacement for radial pistons this time a joint development with the French as the Shorts Caravela.
A Shorts Stirling bomber fuselage with Avro Shackleton wings, twin wheel main landing gear, V-tail, the American AN/APS-82 radar in a mushroom shaped radome  which the antenna rotated ( the same as the Grumman WF-2 Tracer later re-designated as the E-1B) with a pair of Lycoming turbofan engines. There was only one example of this aircraft privately funded by SJMcColm Engineering Limited . This aircraft would carry out trials for the AN/APS-96 radar and the AN/APS-120 which was used by the Grumman E-2A Hawkeye.

[McColm]

The Air Ministry allowed SJMcColm Engineering Limited to purchase a few of the Martin Mariner flying boats after the war had ended. First used for anti-submarine duties around coastal waters and then during years of development work a twin turbofanned AEW. Although the three examples never made it into service they did pave the way for the Overland Radar Technology Program as a testbed for the AN/APY-1: which would be chosen for the Boeing
E-3A AWACS.


My build started off as the Mach2 Martin Mariner but I have added some spare parts to create this, it's an on going project.

[McColm]

With the unexpected retirement of the Vickers Valiant bomber, plans were drawn up for the Fore and Aft-FASS system.

My build is based on the Airfix Vickers Valiant bomber the one with the options for reconnaissance or refueling tanker.
The resin radomes are from the BAe Nimrod AEW.3 conversion set no longer in production. I have added the cameras to the bomb bay recess and PSR continues.

[McColm]

With the Vickers Valiant AEW.4 nearing it's airframe hours Britain teamed up with  Sweden
and based the FASS design on the Transal C-160 aircraft. The RAF favouring the turbofanned engine as the powerplant.

The build is based on the 1/72 Heller Transal C-160 model kit with a few spare parts. It's in need of a bit of attention before I can call it finished.

[McColm]

The RAF went back to the amphibious flying boats after a calibration with Beriev using the Mainstay AWACS fitted with floats and European avionics. The outer engines had three propellers as standard whereas the two inner ones used contra-rotating propellers.
The Shorts Duchess took to the skies back in 1997 based at RAF Kinloss, to replace the older Transal Sky Guardians on a one-for-one basis all fifteen by 2015. Reduced to twelve in 2025.
The Shorts Duchess AEW.1 can also refuel other aircraft as it has a hose & drogue refueling pod at the rear on the left side of the fuselage. There are plans for a AEW.2 using turbofanned engines and a new radar system if the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail is cancelled.

[McColm]

 The Handley Page Victor AEW.5
Based on the 1/72 Revell/Matchbox HP Victor K.2 with the BAe Nimrod AEW.3 conversion set. I never got around to finishing this build but I can create another one from the photo.

[McColm]

Based on the Boeing Phalcon AEW platform. Another unfinished build that needs to be built again as I no longer have it.

[McColm]

The Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star, I didn't build this. There's no landing gear but everything else looks in good shape. Not quite sure on the scale definitely not 1/72 or 1/144.


This is based on the FASS Vickers VC10 dating back from 1966. What if there wasn't enough Super VC10s to fullfil the order and they had to buy secondhand il-62 Classic airliners.
Started life as a Playfix 1/200 il-62. A work in progress.

[McColm]

Fairey had considered modifying the Gannet ASW airframe to allow clearance for the
AN/APS-20 radome however this proved more complicated than expected and a effectively a new aircraft was built namely the Gannet AEW.3.
What if the Double Mamba engine was replaced with a Allison T56 turboprop and they had kept the AS.2 airframe. Maybe it would have looked something like this.

I'm using the 1/72 Revell Gannet AS.2 kit with the Heritage Aviation T56 resin engine and vacuform AN/APS-20 radome from a Gannet AEW conversion set.