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Full Camo VC-25B & KC-33M


Abandoned Project

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I would like to thank/blame @Richard E @JosephLalor @Doom3r @TheyJammedKenny! @f111guru @exdraken @Giorgio N for this project and all the help and support to get this off the ground so to speak.

It all started here

with a joke. But then I found this

https://www.deviantart.com/dagohbert/art/Boeing-747-8i-AAF-Camouflage-719568930

and now I am rolling I don't think I can stop!

 

 

 

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Here are the colour choices

resized_f5e37713-06ed-43a9-83c1-173e93a7

Humbrol 29 dark earth (FS30219 according to some colour charts), 66 olive drab (FS34086), 117 US light green (FS34102), 125 US dark grey (FS36118) and 149 dark green (FS34092), with the last 4 colours all being part of the European 1 palette. Federal Standard 34092, 34102 and 36118 were the colours used for the full camo C-5 Galaxies.

 

Courtesy of Richard E;

"To offer a logical back story for your camouflaged 747, civilian operators such as Atlas and Kallita use 747 freighters to provide contract transport services for the US Air Force so you could easily create an argument for a camouflaged US Air Force operated 747 Freighter (a C-4A or C-25A ?) being operated in a routine "point A to point B" freight transport role shipping the crates of Polish Sausage and cans of Mountain Dew served at the annual Mildenhall Air Fete which would not necessarily need the specialist capability provided by a more expensive C-5 or C-17"

Sounds like a plan to me.

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On 3/14/2021 at 7:00 PM, Doom3r said:

Well, it would be interesting to see the end result. Here is the diorama idea 

 

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A number of years ago at the annual IPMS show in the UK somebody did a refuelling scene with a 1/72 KC-135Q hooked up to an SR-71. 

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Here are the options I am considering

 

1. VC-25B (affectionately known as "Camo One")

2. KC-747 MRTT Boeing (747-8M combi) promo version

3. KC-33 Centaur* MRTT (747-8M combi) in USAF service

4. VKC-25B = VC-25B with refuelling boom, to refuel a fighter escort.- now abandoned thanks to input from @e8n2 over in Cold War.

5. KC-747M MRTT in Iranian service, the idea behind this being that part of a new nuclear weapons deal was replacement tankers for the ageing KC-747s currently in service.

All opinions welcome, you may point out why a What-if won't or will work. 

 

* I chose to call the KC-33M Centaur as the KC-46 is called Pegasus, just seemed to fit. That and people would struggle to spell/pronounce Hippogryph ;)

 

 

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On 15/03/2021 at 20:58, iainpeden said:

A number of years ago at the annual IPMS show in the UK somebody did a refuelling scene with a 1/72 KC-135Q hooked up to an SR-71.

More inclined to go with an F-14 or F-15, due to price and availability in 144th scale.

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I must admit to throwing ideas around like pebbles in a pond, asking questions on different aspects of this project in different places, trying to obey the rules of netiquette. So far I have,

 

 

 

 

where I have been having some absolutely fascinating conversations and this project is growing to the point of me making space in the stash for more 747s (I have 7now Edit: make that 8 now) and this idea has gone from 2 possible directions to 3 with @Alex1978 throwing the E-4B into the mix. You know that I would be indecisive but I'm just too fickle. This is probably going to morph into a wraparound E-4B and a camo KC-33M. 2 for the price of 1, now where do I start?

 

 

 

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Picked up some Humbrol 118 US Tan which looks to be a better fit for FS30219.

Contemplating using my 747-Xstretch along side the 747-8i I planned to use originally by so I can cover both the VC-25B and the KC-33M.

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On 17/03/2021 at 20:13, Abandoned Project said:

Here are the options I am considering

 

1. VC-25B (affectionately known as "Camo One")

2. KC-747 MRTT Boeing (747-8M combi) promo version

3. KC-33 Centaur* MRTT (747-8M combi) in USAF service

4. VKC-25B = VC-25B with refuelling boom, to refuel a fighter escort.- now abandoned thanks to input from @e8n2 over in Cold War.

5. KC-747M MRTT in Iranian service, the idea behind this being that part of a new nuclear weapons deal was replacement tankers for the ageing KC-747s currently in service.

Although I have abandoned #4 I do have a backstory for it that I was brewing before it was ruled out

Background story

The President phones an aide on bad line. He says " I need to see Bruce Dickinson before the project is dead about Air Force One" but due to bad line aide hears " I need ... Bruce Dickinson ... Ed ... Force One."

So the aide Googles '747 Bruce Dickinson' then tracks down Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden to meet the president.

A little puzzled, Bruce Dickinson agrees to meet the president and asks what can he do?

To which the president says "it's about getting more for the tax dollars from the VC-25 fleet like the Australian and European ones that are a VIP plane and a tanker as a day job. So get back to Seattle and make it happen!"

So Bruce says he doesn't think he's the right guy, to which the president says that he is, he's the guy on Google when you type in '747 Bruce Dickinson'

Bruce Dickinson then goes to Boeing in Seattle and has a meeting with Bruce Dickinson, chief engineer on the 747-8 project who makes a brief note.

' VC-25, European one, VIP and tanker '

Unfortunately this notation was passed to the VC-25 team before Boeing's Bruce Dickinson could talk to them. When he did they told him that they were aware of the president's alterations and were already making changes and not to worry, everything was in hand.

Needless to say that they went to work and six months later the first VKC-25M affectionately known as "Camo One" was rolled out to a warm welcome from the public with many saying it was about time that Air Force One was updated.

Boeing's employee Bruce Dickinson organises to meet the president and hand over the first VKC-25M. When he goes to shake hands with the president, the president calls out "security" and has him arrested. "Where is Bruce Dickinson?" asks the president, "This isn't the guy I met!"

Things are quickly settled when Bruce's driving licence is checked and a phone call is made to Boeing.

As the president smiled and said "Thanks" to all who took part in making this project happen, he was spotted leaning toward a member of security and then pointing to his aide whom he had phoned.

Apparently the aide got a 'promotion' but nobody has been able to speak to him to find out how he is doing....

 

Please note that my time line is open on purpose although some might think of Captain Combover as the president he was not in my mind as this was formulated.

Anybody who feels that this is the basis for resurrecting option #4 please say so.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I now have an F-15E on the way from an infamous auction website to sit behind my tanker (either a Boeing demo tanker or an Iranian tanker) and I have decided that I am definitely doing a separate VC-25B/E-4B in wraparound camo. So now I have gone from 6 747s to 7 as I only wanted the wheels for my 747-600 to preparing for #8 (now purchased). I'm going to tell SWMBO that the Britmodeller massive made me do it! Only problem is I have more civil schemes for the -8i brewing.......

 

"My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought, cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives" as Hedley Lamarr once said.

Edited by Abandoned Project
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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 4 months later...

I'm really liking the idea of a KC-748 sold to Iran as part of a new nuclear deal. I found this

http://www.allflightmods.com/microsoft-flight-simulator-2020/msfs2020-liveries/iran-air-747-8-special-livery-4k-v1-0/

This would fit well with the idea of a KC-748 tanker sold to the civilian Iran Air instead of the Iranian air force to avoid trade embargoes. But I also like the idea of an Iranian tanker in the Asia minor camo with a grey underside. Any ideas on which colour to match the Boeing house blue?

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  • 2 months later...

So, cut a short story long, some time ago I ordered a KC-135 refuelling boom from Welsh Models but I was sent a KC-10 boom instead. I had been planning to use it as a guide for constructing my own extending boom but with a nice resin boom to hand I'm tempted to go with what I've got. So, wadda ya think?....

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