X-Scale Douglas EC-24A Electronic Warfare Aircraft (X144006) 1:144

[Mike]

Douglas EC-24A Electronic Warfare Aircraft (X144006)

1:144 X-Scale

 

 

The DC-8 airliner on which the EC-24A was based was a first-generation jet passenger aircraft from Douglas, initially in response to a requirement for an airborne refuelling tanker in 1952, losing the contract to competitors Boeing, who went on to supply the Air Force with the KC-135.  Douglas took their losing design and reworked it with a view to selling it to civil operators in the burgeoning jet airliner market space.  By 1955 they had their first order from Pan Am, with others following, the maiden flight occurring in 1958, and the first commercial flight after certification by a Delta Airlines aircraft late in ’59.  Several variants were created for different operators and distances, and using various power plants from Pratt & Witney, plus a Rolls-Royce Conway for the unsuccessful Series 40, that suffered from lack of sales due to the stigma of having foreign engines.  The Series 50 was considered the definitive variant of the short-fuselaged DC-8, using four P&W JT3Ds suspended on underwing pylons for power, different variants of the 50 series utilising other engine versions that gave greater power and weight-carrying capability, including those used for cargo transports, which became known as the DC-8 Jet Trader.

 

Douglas took a single former United Airlines Series 54 aircraft and converted it into an Electronic Warfare aircraft that was used by the US Navy as an Electronic Warfare training airframe that remained in service until 1999.  It was tasked with acting as an Aggressor in exercises to pose as the enemy to train US Naval crews on how to recognise them and deal effectively with their attempts at disrupting operations.  After it was retired, it went into hibernation at a Deep Storage “boneyard” in Arizona, where it remains at time of writing.  It was replaced by a third-party contractor providing similar services to the Navy using their own crews and equipment, as is often the case with modern training resources, bringing yet more profit into the National Defence equation.

 

 

The Kit

The origin of this kit stems from a new tooling in 2022 from X-Scale, which has been reboxed and is now offered with new parts to depict this unique airframe.  The kit arrives in a small top-opening box with a handsome painting of the subject matter on the front under a dramatic sky, and inside are nine sprues of grey styrene plus two fuselage halves that have been removed from their sprue on our example in a separate bag, a small clear sprue in its own Ziploc bag, a decal sheet, pre-cut vinyl masks, and an A5 instruction booklet that is printed on glossy white paper in colour.  Detail is good, with finely engraved panel lines, fan detail inside the engine nacelles, a cockpit, and basic gear bays into which you could add more detail if you feel the urge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Construction begins with the cockpit, adding a supplementary panel to the coaming of the main instrument panel, mounting it to the front of the cockpit floor that has centre and side consoles added into slots in the floor, a map table in the rear bulkhead, and an engineer panel with table on the starboard rear side, locating five seats on pegs that are moulded into the floor.  The nose gear bay is built from a stepped roof plus four sides, which have raised location points for the nose gear moulded-in.  In preparation for installation of the cockpit, four L-shaped supports are inserted into corresponding depressions inside the nose, fitting the cockpit and nose bay during closure of the fuselage halves.  Once the seams have been dealt with in your preferred manner, two cheek inserts are applied to the nose, adding the belly with moulded-in inner wing lowers after installing main gear bay inserts in shallow recesses around their perimeters.

 

The upper wings have inserts appropriate to the engine used in this boxing inserted into the spaces in the leading edges, gluing the lower wing surface and ailerons in place to complete the basic structure.  The elevators are made from two halves each, as is the tail fin, which has an integral rudder, and a large tab for later installation in the fuselage.  Each of the four engines are built from cowling halves with fans front and rear, adding an intake lip from a single part that has a small auxiliary intake moulded into it, making the four individual pylons from two parts each, remembering their step numbers for later installation.  Eight main wheels are made from halves, making two more for the nose gear wheels, building the main gear struts from a leg that has separate scissor-link, jacks and ancillary parts, fitting four wheels per unit, and making the nose gear from a similar number of parts, adding two wheels and a twin landing-light at the front.  Two blade antennae are made with separate flat tops, creating an intake and two pitot probes in anticipation of detailing the airframe later.

 

The fuselage is fitted with a clear canopy that has a portion of the forward fuselage moulded into it to ease blending it with the rest of the fuselage without marring the windscreen panes.  A sensor panel is inserted in a raised ring over the cockpit, then the wings are installed over the lower inner panels, slotting the elevators and fin into their receivers in the rear of the fuselage.  Flipping the model over, the engines and their pylons are mated with the wings on two pegs each, the engines and pylons slotting together for strength, positioning the pitot probes and their fairings under the tips of the wings.  The fuselage is dotted with blade antennas over the following steps, adding the intake to the port side of the fuselage above the wing leading edge, and fitting two gondolas and more antennae under the belly, and a small number at the tail.  The main and nose gear legs are installed with the model inverted, adding doors and retraction jacks to complete the build.

 

 

Markings

There was just one airframe of this type, so the decal option is a solitary one, unless you intend to go for an imaginary option of course.  From the box you can build the following:

 

 

 

 

Decals are by DecoGraph, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin matt carrier film cut close to the printed areas.

 

The masks are pre-cut vinyl and will permit the modeller to cut the framing of the windscreen neatly, and the demarcation between the wheels and hubs with ease.

 

 

Conclusion

This unique aircraft quietly served with the US Navy for an extensive period, and X-Scale have done its legacy justice, with fine panel lines, detailed landing gear and a cockpit that will be seen dimly through the clear windows.

 

Very highly recommended.

 

 

Review sample courtesy of

 

[Julien]

That looks like a nice kit

[Ad-4N]

Got mine yesterday.  Looks great.