Today I finished the scratch building of the Wedgetail. The details that separate this from a normal 737 are the numerous antenna, bulges, radar domes and winglets that protrude from the fuselage. There are literally dozens of these, but at this scale they would be barely noticeable, continually break off and turn it into a little porcupine. None of which lend me towards adding them. However there are a few bits that need to be included:
Airplane
E-7A Wedgetail – Body work
A sick day meant no traveling out to game tonight, but that did let me get a bit of progress on the Wedgetail. First up I removed all the bits I didn’t want on there: wingtips, landing gear and print. After a half hour playing with the Dremel and some needle files I ended up with the following.
E-7A Wedgetail – The start
Mentioned elsewhere in this blog was my the start of my latest Hind Commander strike group. I’ve found my E-8C JSTARS enormously useful in my USMC task force and so I’d like to include another AEW&C asset in this force. They are also not typically available as retail models so provide a nice little conversion opportunity. My next task force is going to be an ultra-modern Australian Defence Force (ADF) strike group based on the Recon doctrine. The current AEW&C used by the ADF (operated by the Royal Australian Airforce – RAAF) is the E-7A Wedgetail which is based on a 737-700.
USMC F/A-18
Some more pictures of the USMC strike group progress. This time it’s the fixed wing assets. The USMC operates a large number of F/A-18s in both ground and air-strike roles. Hind Commander doesn’t require many airplanes so I will just be doing 2. The scheme is pretty simple and has been pretty consistent throughtout the … Read more
E-8 Build – Decals & Finishing Up
Before applying the decals I did a pin wash into the joins on the wings and tail. I used AK-Interactive’s Grey Wash for Kriegsmarine Ships (AK 303) for this step. While not the intended subject for this range, I find this wash is good for light grey models and so perfect for the E-8C. Because … Read more
E-8 Build – Base Colours
A bit more progress on the E-8 tonight: I’ve put on all the base colours. I used a grey primer as that’s what looked best when I did some test sprays on a piece of cardboard. Then came a layer of Deck Tan (VMC 70986). I use an airbrush for this type of painting and … Read more
