OK.....so a little more work done on the NASA Orion project , and a slight change of plan.
Due to a number of factors I now intend to represent the NASA NP-3A below, as opposed to the previously-planned NASA P-3B N426NA as seen above.
The reasons for the change in direction include:
a/ I have discovered that I have the decal set for this particular NASA bird (thanks to Knotty)
and
b/ This particular aircraft is really unusual and interesting
She is actually neither Electra or P-3 but rather a unique hybrid of both. She is in fact the first P-3 prototype originally built by Lockheed from an L-188 Electra airframe. Even though she looks like a typical P-3, she still has many tell-tale L-188 features including her original Electra short arse-end, (ie: no extended MAD boom "stinger"), Electra cockpit glazing arrangement, and many of her original Electra passenger windows.
To accommodate for the required Electra rear-end I have found an old 1:72 P-3-to-Electra resin conversion set that supplied the required adaptation. This has since been fitted, (although not a smooth fit by any measure
).
I have also prepared a stand for her as she will be posed "in flight" (the undercarriage was just too far gone to be recovered). This will adequately address the issue that Ray raised of her being a "tail sitter"
Here is where we are currently at:
Still MUCH to be done including detaching and re-attaching the tail planes, and much more bogging and sanding.
Unfortunately much of the fine Hasegawa surface detail has been or will be sacrificed, but that is just the nature of the beast when undertaking these major refurb/rebuilds.
Stay tuned for more NASA P-3 progress updates
.
TOR
What a way to spend time off - GRRRRR! I could have been modelling!
