T-37 Tweety Bird from a A-37A Dragonfly ?

[Tiger331]

Hi Folks,

Question for you on behalf of a friend who wants to build a 1:48 T-37 Tweety Bird. Can the recent Trumpeter A-37A Dragonfly (not the A-37B with all the additional bumps) be used as the basis for a T-37 ?. Obviously the wing tip tanks will have to go along with some of the other fittings but is it doable from this kit ?

Thanks

[Don McIntyre]

I can't remember all the issues involved, but I've read, more than a few times, that it isn't as easy as it initially seems.

[Hook]

Anything's doable, but it's a lot of work. More than it seems at first sight - it's like the T-38 versus the F-5B.

The biggest issues are the fuselage bulges over the engines - due to the replacement of the J69-T-25 of the T-37 with the bigger J85-GE-17A of the A-37, the contours differ substantially.

Also, the T-37 has flat main landing gear covers as opposed to the bulged ones of the A-37 which were needed to accommodate the bigger tyres of the COIN bird.

HTH,

Andre

Edited May 29, 2015 by Hook

[upnorth]

Here's a couple of conversion articles that will give you some insights on what's needed. They are based on the older Monogram/Revell A-37, but you could easily adjust for the Trumpeter kit I'm sure:

http://www.helmo.gr/index.php?option=com_deeppockets&task=catContShow&cat=22&id=1949&Itemid=35

http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Gal12/11101-11200/gal11168-T-37-Bayar/00.shtm

[mungo1974]

Its not a straight forward conversion.

I'm hoping Tan Models from Turkey get their promised 1/48 Tweet right out of the box.

[Don McIntyre]

I hope that they get off it right, that it's affordable and it will be readily available, Mungo.

[Harold]

I did some things for a conversion, but never finished it. I still have some molds for the correct wheels I think.