Welcome to Air Recce Campaign!

The campaign will run from February 1 through August 1, 2016.

If you haven't signed up yet, or want to see the rules, go here.

Please post your initial and in-progress photos as well as campaign discussion in this thread. Please post your finished build photos in the campaign gallery.

Looking forward to looking around with air reconnaissance!

Michael

Ive decided to build the 1/48 Accurate Miniatures Mustang Mk.Ia in the markings of No. 268 squadron over Normandy during the summer of 1944, which are included in the kit. To make some minor corrections I have Ultracast's early Allison Mustang prop and the RAF Mustang fishtail exhausts. Ill likely scratch build additional details for the cockpit, camera setup and probably some cannon barrels as well. I've also heard rumors that Tamiya canopy parts fit the AM kit and I just so happen to have the open canopy parts in my spares box! We'll see how the office turns out before crossing that bridge. Looking foward to getting started and seeing some other recce builds in progress.

Very nice, and congratulations for being the first to get started. I'll be along shortly.

Great subject Mike! I will follow it with interest.

My subject is a big leap in time as it will be the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk.

Wiki says:
The RQ-4 is an unmanned (UAV) surveillance aircraft. and performs a similar role as the Lockheed U-2. The RQ-4 provides a broad overview and systematic surveillance using high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and long-range electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors with long loiter times over target areas. It can survey as much as 40,000 square miles (100,000 km2) of terrain a day.

The Global Hawk is operated by the United States Air Force. It is used as a high-altitude platform covering the spectrum of intelligence collection capability to support forces in worldwide military operations. According to the United States Air Force, the superior surveillance capabilities of the aircraft allow more precise weapons targeting and better protection of friendly forces.

I will use the Italeri 1/72 kit for this campaign.
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The kit is a rebox from the Platz kit.

Part count of this kit, without weapons and cockpit, is limited, only 36 parts are present on the sprues, so I hope for a quick build. The number of parts doesn't say anything about size though, as the RQ-4, like the U-2, has an enormous wingspan (+50cm in 1/72 scale).

A size comparison with a Mig-15 of the same scale:
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For sure, the most interesting aspect of the RQ-4 is its technology (which is impossible to model), because most of these machines are looking pretty boring, mostly overall grey. However, I found the picture below, which allows me to play with some 50 shades of grey:
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Jelger

Howdy Y'all
This is the model I'll be building. Not sure if it's a good kit or not; I haven't heard much about it. My father was an ordinance man in a Marlin squadron. I'll be concentrating on this kit to give as a gift to my father.

Take care,
Don "Lakota"

Hey all, by the way, still no ribbon.

Michael

OK, I'm here. I have installed the attractive ribbon designed by Aurora-7 with the Blackbird.

Lakota, The Marlin is a wonderful subject!

And here is my project - the 1980's vintage Arii 1/144 North American RA-5C viglante. I seem to have three kits, in two boxes, so I'll build all of them.

They will need scratchbuilt cockpits, and I think I will fold the wings. I hope the decals are OK. The markings are of RVAH-5 cruise of WESTPAC in 1971, which fits my area of interest perfectly. Ive found a number of photos of them on the interwebs. I'll just have to print some additional Bu and flash numbers. besides the one shown on the box art, I also found 156637 #604, and 156622 #615

Wow, now i gotta go 'dumpster diving' and figure out where I stored my RF-4... I know it's here somewhere, I packed it up carefully before I moved.

Well found it in the second dumpster I checked. Looks like I need to spruce up the cockpit, sand down the intake seams and I'm almost half done. Now I just gotta find the instructions and the decals

Very good Mark, looking forward to seeing pictures.
We have a nice group forming up now.

Wow, super very cool builds already! It Will be interesting to follow. I am not sure if I will be able to join this campaign, but will follow your builds. That global hawk really shows of its wingspan!

Maybe make a Marine RF from the Korean War if time allows.

Looking forward to see more

Well a pic of the progress, and a couple of steps back.
It looked like this in 2014



Today

This looks like an interesting GB. I think that there should be many interesting subjects - maritime patrol, meteorological aircraft, scouts (WW1), photorecconnaisance, and so on. I'll keep my eyes open for a suitable kit - I don't have one in my miniscule stash - hopefully i can find something and be able to join in. In the meantime I'll follow along

Here is my entry for this campaign:

Hello Richard, and Richard!
It is a great topic. In terms of Military history, recce is the original mission of aircraft, though dropping bombs came along pretty quickly.

The Spitfire XIX is a fine example of how the hottest and fastest aircraft available often fill this role. The SR-71 is our mascot for this campaign.

It is nice to see this campaign coming to life!

I have did some work recently on my RQ-4. But first a nice screen capture from Google Maps showing a U-2 and a RQ-4 side by side on Beale AFB. It gives a good view of how both machines compare to each other with respect to size.



To add some interest to the model, I decided to open up a few hatches.

This is an emergency hatch to disconnet the battery (I guess):


And these two hatches are often seen open when the RQ-4 is prepared for flight. The right hatch gives access to where the air hose is connected to (for an air start?) and the left hatch gives access to the emergency stop and to the connection of the ground control panel.



The two hatches on the left side give access to pretty shallow bays, so adding a strip of styrene to the inner side of the hull was enough to create the base for some detailing.



The cross like dent at the right side of the right hatch is not present on the real RQ-4 so will be filled.

I noticed that the inner landing gear doors molded on the wheel bays, which is incorrect for a RQ-4 with gear down, so I have opened these as well:





The next step will be adding detail to the opened avionics bays and find some proper air starter unit that can be added to the display. I have the Hasegawa ground equipment set, but I suspect that the equipment in this kit is not used anymore. Any pictures of currently used air starter sets are welcome.



Jelger

Hi all,

nice starts around there , i'll begin mine as soon as possible.

cheers
nico

I´m in with this

Welcome aboard Jose, good to see another box opened!

Hi Jose

I was tempted to join this campaign with my Trumpy 1/72 Vigilante - however, due to time constraints and prior commitments I won't be joining this campaign. I will, however, be following your build closely (hoping to learn as much as possible).

Regards,
Kobus

Hi Jelger

Your overhead photo certainly puts a new perspective on the scale of the size of the RQ-4 Global Hawk. It certainly has a very "Alien" like front-end which just add to a very sinister appearance.

Looking forward to your next installment.

Regards,
Kobus

Hi all,

here is the model i'll do for this campaign, a French navy Alouette



Cheers
nico

Hello Nico, glad you can be with us.
The Alouette is a lovely and useful helicopter, most welcome - and "classic plastic" always a fun challenge.

I'd like to use this campaign as an excuse to finish this Etendard IVP that I started many years ago. It's nowhere near 33% finished so I assume it's allowable. I just lost interest at the time ( like I do with every kit).

Welcome aboard Ryan, that's a beauty - another super fast photog craft.
I agree it isnt yet 33% done, since painting and finishing is 50% of the work, and the landing gear can be 25% all by itself.