EC-24A and NKC-135A - USN FEWSG

[zebra]

Time to start another Navy build. I'd been planning on a Skyhawk next (I should still get to that) but somehow the inspiration to build the unique EC-24A struck me. Here's the 1/1 scale version:

 

The EC-24A was operated by McDonnell Douglas for the Fleet Electronic Warfare Support Group as an electronic aggressor - its role was to simulate attacks on the US Navy surface fleet. It was converted from a DC-8-54CF acquired from United Airlines in 1984, supplementing two NKC-135As in the same role.

 

I'll be using the Minicraft 1/144 DC-8 kit, which includes suitable engines for a CFM-56 powered 70-series aircraft or for a DC-8-62 or -63 with the later style of nacelle for the JT3Ds, but not the earlier JT3D nacelle of the -50 series. So I'm using resin engines from Bra.Z. The various fairings and antennae will be scratch built, including some 3D printing, and I'll print my own decals. Here are the sprue and resin engines:

 

First job is to shorten the fuselage. Minicraft kindly give us engraved lines inside the fuselage halves to guide the necessary cuts so this was pretty straightforward:

 

 

and it's gone together quite nicely, with some scrap sprue used to reinforce the joints:

 

So, off to a good start. I'm hoping to move it along quite quickly so as to get time for that Skyhawk.

 

cheers

Julian

 

Edited April 24, 2020 by zebra
change title

[Alan P]

Something very different and interesting. Looking forward to this one 👍

[Jabba]

That really is something unusual. Hopefully all goes well with the build.

[rob85]

Really like this, very original! 
 

Rob

[Andwil]

Interesting project.

 

AW

[zebra]

Cleaned up the joints in the fuselage and sprayed a coat of primer - looks ok. Also assembled the wings - only dry-fitted here but the fit is so good that it doesn't really need to be glued. Seems like the basic assembly is going to go pretty quickly - the fun will begin when I start printing the various lumps and bumps to attach to it.

 

 

[zebra]

1 step back, 2 steps forward. The step back came when I noticed I'd not put the nose cone on straight - fixed this easily enough, just had to take care cutting it off so as to leave the intakes in the nose intact. I've moved on to painting the engines - decided I'd be best off painting them before attaching them to the wings. A couple more colours to go on these, I'll get it done tomorrow.

 

 

cheers

Julian

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

Nice choice Julian, I was wondering if you were using AM engines, I'd love to tackle this one, one day!

 

Great progress BTW

 

[Alan P]

Glad it's going together so well, good fix with your nose job too. 

 

Alan 

[zebra]

Printed the canoe fairings to go under the fuselage:

 

 

A little clean-up and joint filling needed, then I'll attach them to the fuselage.

 

thanks for looking 

Julian

[zebra]

Canoes attached to the fuselage:

 

 

[zebra]

A couple of updates to share: Firstly I've finished designing a couple more parts and will print them tomorrow. I think I'm getting the hang of this CAD business!

 

Secondly you might have noticed I changed the title of the thread - I'm going to build one of the NKC-135A's as well. Here's a link to a photo from google images:

 

https://images.app.goo.gl/ySAABLGV6NivcZ2AA

 

There are a few more lumps and bumps on this one, plus some interesting things under the wings, which will make the build more interesting. I've acquired a Minicraft KC-135A which arrived today, so I'm good to go. 

 

More, including some photos, tomorrow.

[Alan P]

Cool! Another good subject. still plenty of time left!

[zebra]

Last parts printed and attached. It also needed a satcom antenna on top of the forward fuselage - pretty easy to make with a couple of bits of plastic card - and a few small strips of plastic card to represent the bases for a few of the blade aerials that will be attached at the end. Wings and tailplanes are on, and ready for a coat of primer. Better get on with the decals!

 

 

 

On to the NKC-135A...

 

[zebra]

Started on the NKC-135A. A little background first (thanks to the excellent Ginter Books publication 'Electronic Aggressors' which is my reference for both builds): When FEWSG needed to replace an ageing EB-47E it was allocated two NKC-135As from the USAF - their USAF serials 55-3134 and 56-3596 becoming BuNo's 553134 and 563596. They'd both been heavily modified in USAF service - 563596 had tested a couple of different optical and radar systems and 553134 had been used to test a system to observe the radiation emitted during the launch phase of missiles. All the previous test equipment was removed and replaced with various bits of EW and ECM kit for US Navy use and the aircraft entered service in 1977 under the code names Navy King Crow I and II. They both have a slightly different fit-out so I've got to choose which one early - I'm building 563596 (callsign Nucar 01 - the EC-24A was Nucar 03), mainly because at one point it wore a bit of Yosemite Sam nose art.

 

Starting with the traditional box shot. The kit looks quite nice but to be honest, I'm wondering why it's so expensive - if I hadn't really, really wanted to build this one I would have been put off by the price, and I can't see myself getting another in a hurry. My other initial observation is that it's surprisingly small - quite a bit shorter than the DC-8.

 

 

Fuselage is together and I've started modifying it by cutting the radome off the nose - the two NKC-135A's had a blunter, slightly more bulbous radome than the standard nose. I've drawn up the CAD model for the nose and will print it later today. Meanwhile I'll clean up the fuselage seams (it's gone together pretty well, just had to take a bit more care with the alignment as I'd lost a locating pin when I cut off the nose) and knock up a few more CAD drawings - this one is going to need a bit more orange PLA as there are a couple more lumps and bumps on the fuselage than the EC-24A and whilst I can re-use the EC-24A's forward canoe, everything else will need to be newly designed. There are also a few funky looking things under the wings, which I'll get to later.

 

 

thanks for looking

Julian

 

[Jabba]

The lumps and bumps on the DC-8 make for an interesting build. Well done in making them.

[zebra]

First few orange bits attached to the NKC-135A:

 

 

The canoe fairing from the EC-24 turned out to be too long so I had to slice a section out, which took ages - this PLA stuff is hard! Since I took this I printed a couple more parts - a fairing that goes on top of the forward fuselage, and the rear canoe fairing. The list of other mods includes fairing in the base of the refuelling boom, some lumps to add to the engines, the things under the wings, and a few small intakes and aerials.

 

thanks for looking

Julian

[zebra]

A couple more orange lumps added. I've also started modifying the tail boom fairing. Once these are cleaned up that'll be the fuselage done.

 

 

cheers

Julian

[rob85]

Quality printing as ever @zebra really does look great! And you have given yourself extra work! great stuff.

 

Rob

[Lex77]

Some interesting subjects!

 

Good luck with the build.

[Alan P]

These are brilliant. The printed parts add so much to the overall interest and appearance.

 

Good work son 👍 

[Jabba]

That nose is certainly different on the 135. Like the rest of the lumps and bumps.

[zebra]

Wings, engines and undercarriage on. Just need to add pylons for the jamming pods under the wings and a few other small details then it's ready to paint. Oh and the top of the fin, mustn't forget that. Really must get on with designing the decals.

 

 

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

Looking rather nice Julian, can you do the parts and decals in 1/72?  

 

[zebra]

6 hours ago, Romeo Alpha Yankee said:

Looking rather nice Julian, can you do the parts and decals in 1/72?  

 

Thanks Ray - could do the parts and decals in 1/72 but would in no way vouch for their accuracy! It's all very much done by eye from photos (the book I'm using is an excellent reference though).

 

One small update today - made the pylons for the jamming pods. Not a lot of point in 3D printing these, it took about 15 minutes to make them from plastic card:

 

 

Apologies for the crappiness of the photo!

 

Not a lot left to do before painting. I'll also make the jamming pods, probably 3D printing again - whilst I think this is about the limits of the printer's resolution, the shapes are a bit unusual and might be easier to print than to scratch build. This is the 'Tree Shark' which will go under the left wing:

 

 

And here's the 'Tree Hound' which will go on the right:

 

 

I could have built it without them under the wings, but after seeing these photos I can't resist! As these will go on at the end I'll finish the airframe and get it painted before I think about how to make them.

 

cheers

Julian

 

Edited May 4, 2020 by zebra
found better photos