hsr Posted December 7, 2019 Share Posted December 7, 2019 This is my 1/72 Northrop Grumman E-8C Joint STARS build using the Heller E-3 Sentry kit and the Flightpath (David Parkins) E-8 conversion. May of 2018 I build the Heller kit as an E-3 and my opinion of the kit has not improved; very poor fit and finish almost as bad as Mach 2. But the decals were excellent. The Flightpath conversion contains a resin canoe,etched metal antennas and templates for the added doors and windows, and some white metal parts. No decals are included. The instruction are OK, but they make no mentions about marking so I used this picture from Wikipedia as my guide I had used the Flightpath TF-33 engines on the E-3, but based on this picture the housing shape is different and more closely resemble the kit parts so I decided to use them. You will notice from the picture that all 4 engines have a hood on top of them that goes from the front of the pylon to the front of the engine. I got half way through the build when I discovered that the Heller kit had that hood on only 3 of the engines but not the left outboard one . I am told that is correct for the KC-135 and maybe some E-3s, but not the E-8, at least not this one. I was a bit of a loose how to fix this and went on Ebay to see if I could get another kit for cheap to use one of the engines when miraculously I found someone in the UK selling just the engine sprue from the kit. So I bought that immediately. Unfortunately it had to be shipped from the UK to the US so while I was waiting I built the Monogram F-16XL kit. Once the new sprue came work proceeded fairly quickly. Wolfpak made a decal sheet (72-077) that included E-8 markings but unfortunately I did not have the foresight to buy it when it was available and it is now out of production. Fortunately the markings for the E-3 and E-8 are mostly the same so I was able to use the kit ones and only had to cobble together the tail markings from bit and pieces from other sheets. I rushed the final completion so I could get it finished in time to bring it to my local club's meeting tonight. That worked out and it won the monthly contest 🏆. So here are the pictures. And here it is in its new home. It is pretty big and takes up a whole shelf to itself Next up is the Hasegawa F-G Wild Weasel. Enjoy. 41 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busnproplinerfan Posted December 7, 2019 Share Posted December 7, 2019 I like that you kept it so clean, they look nicer clean. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsr Posted December 7, 2019 Author Share Posted December 7, 2019 After spending so much time trying to make a build look as perfect as possible, I just can't bring myself to make it imperfect by weathering it. Thanks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desert falcon Posted December 7, 2019 Share Posted December 7, 2019 What a beautiful monster 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busnproplinerfan Posted December 7, 2019 Share Posted December 7, 2019 Who says it can't have the fresh painted clean look. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Law Posted December 7, 2019 Share Posted December 7, 2019 Big beautiful and well built. What more can be said. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikolay Polyakov Posted December 7, 2019 Share Posted December 7, 2019 6 hours ago, hsr said: Enjoy. Yes, it's very enjoyable! Your E-8C looks stunning and I like that you're not used the weathering on her. 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsr Posted December 7, 2019 Author Share Posted December 7, 2019 6 hours ago, busnproplinerfan said: Who says it can't have the fresh painted clean look. Plus it isn't a diorama. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire31 Posted December 7, 2019 Share Posted December 7, 2019 A meticulous build and an impressively smooth finish! Kind regards, Joachim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted December 7, 2019 Share Posted December 7, 2019 Magnificent beast! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOUSTON Posted December 8, 2019 Share Posted December 8, 2019 IMPECCABLY IMMACULATE build LOVE IT !!! KUDOS . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wulfman Posted December 8, 2019 Share Posted December 8, 2019 It’s definitely a winner! Wulfman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted December 8, 2019 Share Posted December 8, 2019 Looks great Howard, I must get mine finished! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsr Posted December 8, 2019 Author Share Posted December 8, 2019 7 hours ago, Romeo Alpha Yankee said: I must get mine finished! I'd love to see it 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMCS Posted December 8, 2019 Share Posted December 8, 2019 Awsome 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kapam Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 Very impressive! Have always been curious about the Heller kits of these (and similar) planes. But never dared to try to get one into the stash without being discovered! 😬 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsr Posted December 9, 2019 Author Share Posted December 9, 2019 It really is a big box. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-32 Posted December 10, 2019 Share Posted December 10, 2019 Love it, very cool indeed 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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