Building a Bell-47 model - by Danny Friedman
The B-47 was one of the first operational helicopters, and one of the most widespread in its time.
Its structure was very simple and consisted of a two-seat clear, bubble canopy.
Its tail was constructed by an array of welded tubes.
Its landing gear was initially constructed as a four wheel mechanism, later having been replaced by a twin-skid structure.
The B-47 first few in 1945, while in 1954 its Italian, Augusta licensed model, first flew in 1954.
It had been initially exposed to prolonged operational use during the Korea war, where it had served in training, liaison and medical evacuation missions.
The manufacturing line had been closed in 1973 after having had manufactured some 2400 military H-13 models and some 2600 civilian models.
In addition, 1100 models had been manufactured in Italy, 250 by Westland in the UK and 210 by Kawasaki in Japan.
The Israeli AF had purchased during 1965 six American B-47G and seven Italian AB-47G-2 models.
Although capable of carrying a 450 k"g payload under the belly sling, within the IAF it had mainly served for training and VIP flights.
During the Six Days war, the helicopters had served in observation, communication relay, intelligence, commander transportation and artillery ranging.
The B-47 had served in the IAF until 1968, when it had been sold to other countries.
Danny modeled the H-13 Italeri kit 095.
The kit allows for modeling Italian AF, US Army or British Army models.
Of significance are three aspects:
1. The model's tail boom tubes are much too wide, so extensive filing to a more realistic shape was required.
A task that must be done before any assembly.
2. Since the engine compartment is completely visible, Danny had scratch built many cables, pipes and other accessories, with the aid of many Internet close-ups.
3. The landing skids are somewhat thin and very fragile. Danny had welded copper wires, thus adding more stability to the model.
All in all, a rather long project, it had won the first place in the small scale aviation category at the 2001 IPMS contest.
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p.4-5 |
Boeing 707 in Israel - by Ilan Warshay and Noam Hartuch
Actually the first worldwide successful jet transport, the first prototype Boeing 367-80 first flew in the summer of 1954.
Altogether, some 1800 model had been manufactured, of which some 850 for civil use and the rest for military use, mostly in the USA.
There are many external differences between the various models, as follows:
1. Engine type: original 707 had been equipped with the JT3C turbojet engine, subsequently equipped with the JT4A, Rolls-Royce Conway 505/508 and a turbofan JT3D engine.
2. Quantity and location of the air conditioning inlets, which are installed in front of the engine nacelles.
3. Wing type: four wing configuration had been introduced during the years.
4.Shape and size of the ventral fin and the existence of the bottom rear stabilizing fin.
5. Empennage length and wing location with respect to the empennage.
There are variations of up to 5 meters in empennage length, and up to 2 meters in the wing location.
6. Quantity of emergency hatches.
7. Fwd landing gear doors shape.
We shall concentrate in the specific models which had been in use in Israel.
Boeing 707, sub type 120
The earliest model operated in Israel, equipped with the JT3C engines, four inlets (one over each engine), a 39.9 meters wing span with through leading and trailing edges, a 44 meter long empennage and a large bottom rear stabilizing fin.
initially having purchased by IAI from TWA (sub type 131), followed subsequently by additional Continental (sub type 124), it had rested useless till the Yom Kipur war, when a need for transporting reserve units to the Egyptian front resulted in selling two airplanes to the IAF.
In IAF service, it had received the tail numbers 006 & 009 and the Hebrew name "Re'em" ראם .
Due to its successful operation, IAI had sold additional airframes from its existing stock.
These airframes received the tail numbers 001, 004, 005, 007 & 008.
Of emphasize is that some of the airframes had serves for a short period in the IAF.
Re'em 008 is stored in the IAF museum.
Boeing 707, sub type 320/420
The first inter-continental version of the 707, equipped with the JT4A (for sub type 320) and RR Conway 508 (for sub type 420),
a beefed up wing root chord, a two section leading edge longer (43.4 meters) wing, longer horizontal stabilators, a 2.6 meter longer empennage and an HF antenna in the starboard wing.
Three sub type 420 airframes had been purchased by EL-AL in 1960.
Since EL-AL received the customer code 58, its models had actually been sub type 458.
These three airframes had been phased out of service by the first half of the 80's.
the IAF had acquired the sub type 320 through IAI, which by the end of the 70's had purchased PAN-AM (sub type 321), Air France sub type 328) and Sabena (sub type 329) airframes.
These Re'ems had received the tail numbers of the 100 series: 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 128, 137 & 140.
Additional airframe, Re'em 014 received this non standard tail number, but had never served with the IAF.
It had been used by IAI for the initial aerial refueling tests.
Boeing 720
A special medium range variant, having been developed fro the sub type 120, for operation from high and hot airports.
The wing has the beefed up wing root, a through 39.9 span wing.
The engines were a turbojet JT3C or a turbofan JT3D (on the sub type 720B which had been in use in Israel).
The airframe had only 2 decompression system inlet over the inner (2 & 3) engines.
The empennage was 100" shorter (41.5 meters long) which had been trimmed from the section in front of the wing (40") and from the section aft of the wing (60")' resulting in the wing being located fwd of the empennage center.
The horizontal stabilizers are 20" longer with respect to those of the sub type 120 and the rear bottom fin is shorter than that of the sub type 120.
The airframe has one emergency exit hatch over the wing, instead of two in the sub type 120 & 320.
Due to the reduced overall weight, smaller 40" diameter tires, instead of the original 46" tires are installed on this model.
The fwd landing gear doors differ in its shape and its activation manner with respect to the sub type 120.
In 1962, EL-AL had purchased two of these models in order to improve flight on the long but problematic Lod- Teheran- Nairobi-Johannesburg route.
These models had been phase out in the early 1980s.
The short lived Israeli airliner "Maof" had also used two of these models.
Upon its deactivation, one had been sold to IAI, by which it had been operated with the fictitious tail number 010 for flight testing the Lavi radar.
However, this airframe had never been introduced in service by the IAF.
Boeing 707, sub type 320B/320C
A JT3D powered inter continental version of the 707.
This variant had new engine pylons and a totally new wing.
The wing was longer (44.4 meters), it had been constructed by three through sections of the trailing edge, a new saw-tooth in the leading edge, adjacent to the inner engine pylon and a new set of leading edge flaps.
This version had only three decompression system inlets, resulting in a different pylon for the no. 1 (port outboard) engine.
The empennage was similar to that of the sub type 320 & 420, but mostly did not include the bottom rear stabilizing fin.
A new large payload door had been added to the port side of the 320C variant, in order to accommodate large size payloads.
A third emergency exit hatch had been added to the rear section of the empennage, in addition to the two existing ones.
During 1965-1970, EL-AL had received three 320B and two 320C airframes.
Later on additional airframes had been purchased by EL-AL from surpluses of foreign airliners.
All EL-AL airframes had been phased out during the early 1990s.
The IAF had begun purchasing this model in 1982, along with a gradual withdrawal from use of the early subtypes 120 & 320.
the IAF had continues purchasing new airframes from the large stocks of deactivated airliners civil models, such as Air China, South Africa and Cameroon airliners and even the government of Morocco.
These Re'ems had been allocated the tail numbers of the 200 series: 242, 248, 250, 255, 260, 284, 272, 275, & 290.
An Israeli aerial refueling version
upon introduction into service of the 707, the preferred option of converting it to a tanker version had surfaced, along with the option of purchasing the military dedicated KC-135 model (similar to the civil sub type 707-120).
US refusal for the sale of the military model had led to the indigenous development of a modification kit, allowing converting a civil 707 into a military tanker with either a refueling boom or the hose and drogue type external pods.
System developments had ended in 1981 and it had been publicly explodes 1n 1985.
During the years, the IAF has acquired an ever extending quantity of the aerial refueling version of the Re'em.
Existing airframes had also been converted to this configuration.
The initial development had been carried on Re'em 014 (an IAI owned airframe).
The first serial conversion was performed on Re'em 140, a JT4A turbojet powered sub type 320 airframe.
Few years ago, its engines had been replaced by the more powerful JT4D turbofan.
During the years, more advanced 320B/C airframes had been converted by IAI.
These included tail numbers 248, 250, 264, 275 & 290, resulting in at least seven converted airframes.
Most of these airframes had been initially acquired as passenger/cargo models and after several years had been converted into tankers, some recently with booms taken from deactivated KC-135s.
Additional airframes had been converted by IAI for foreign customers.
Specially modified Israeli versions
Similar to the USAF, the IAF had converted 707s into electronic intelligence gathering (ELINT) platforms.
The most prominent of these is the RC-135V/W/S type modification, including twin SLAR chicks in the forward section of the empennage.
These include at least tail numbers 120, 128 & 137.
Two years ago it had been exposed than Re'em had gone through engine modification from the turbojet to the turbofan engine, similar to that of Re'em 140.
Other airframes had received other external installation as can be seen in the photos of this article.
Painting and decaling
EL-AL airplanes had been painted in two different patterns.
The first was an original metal bottom while the upper section was painted white, with a window size dark blue strip.
The vertical tail was painted dark blue with the Israeli flag painted on its upper section.
During 1971, EL-AL had applied a more fashioned pattern, consisting of an all white empennage, a wide blue and dark blue strip along the windows and a black/gold EL-AL logo.
IAF Re'ems had sported several patterns.
The first two acquired airframes (late 1973) carried the remains of the TWA red strip along the empennage , with small size serials and registration letters.
During mid 70s, some EL-AL similar pattern, had been applied.
The upper empennage surfaces had been painted white, the lower empennage surfaces had been painted light grey and a wide blue strip had been painted along the windows, descending below the cockpit to under the fuselage.
The vertical tail had been painted blue and in its center the "international" squadron emblem had been applied over a large white circle.
A small emblem had been applied to the fwd empennage, as well as the tail number.
The civil registration letters had been applied to the aft section of the empennage.
During the mid 80s, a third pattern had been gradually applied to all airframes, remaining at present.
It consists of white upper empennage and light grey lower empennage.
Existing kits
The largest selection exists on 144th scale.
Minicraft markets the following 707 kits:
Kits 14455 & 14485 representing sub type 420
Kit 14454 representing sub type 320 with the JT3D turbofans.
Kits 14450, 14484 & 14502 representing sub type 320B.
Kit 14457 representing a VC-137C model (actually a civilian 320C)
REVELL markets an E-3A kit, based on the civilian 320B.
AIRFIX has an old 420 model.
WELSH MODELS offers a vacumformed KC-135 and 320B/C kits.
In the 1:100th scale there is a rare DOYUSHA kit.
In the 1:72nd scale exist the following kits:
HELLER kits of the 707-320B, E-3B & KC-135.
AMT kits of the C-135, RC-135U & RC-135V/W
At this point, we would like to emphasize that the KC-135 model differs from that of the civil 707, due to the fact that the empennage cross section is 6" narrower than that of the civil model.
As a conclusion, what is the best kit for modeling Israeli 707s?
1. for the sub type 120: a combination of KC-135 wing with the empennage of a 707.
2. for the sub types 320/420: AIRFIX kits and some of MINICRAFT's kits.
3. for the sub type 320B/C: HELLER kit is the exact replica, as well as some of MINICRAFT's kits.
4. Boeing 720B: use a civil 707 empennage, trimmed before and aft of the wing, a through C-135 wing, extension of the horizontal stabilizers, smaller tires, and adaptation of the JT3D engines.
5. An Israeli tanker: HELLER or MINICRAFT kits, representing sub types 320B/C (or sub type 320 for Re'em 140), plus a KC-135 tail boom, plus other external unique Israeli installations.
Decaling
Many decal sheets for the Israeli models exist in the market.
For an IAF 707/720: ISRADEACL sheet IAF-6 in 1:72nd scale, for the "International" squadron emblems.
For EL-AL 707/720, in 1:144th scale:
1. F-DCAL sheet represent the earlier, up to 1971 painting pattern
2. FOWLER AVIATION sheet for a 4X-ATB sub type 458 model.
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p.14-29 |
25th anniversary of the MFO in Sinai - by Noam Hartuch
As part of the implementation of the peace agreement between Egypt and Israel, a Multinational Force of Observers (MTO) had been officially established on August 3rd, 1981.
Eleven countries take part in this force, including Australia, Canada, Colombia, Fiji, France, Hungarian, Italia, New Zeeland, Norway and the USA..
Aerial monitoring is being executed by an airborne unit of the MFO which currently consists of six UH-1H, eight UH-60A and one Twin Otter airplane.
The unit is based at two major airbases:
1. The northern base, at El-Gora near the city of El-Arish (formerly Eitam Israeli air force base).
2. The southern base, near Sharm-Al- Sheich (formerly Ofir Israeli air force base).
The northern base houses the MFO headquarters as well as four UH-Hs, six Blackhawks and the Twin Otter.
The southern base houses the remaining two UH-1Hs and two Blackhawks.
All MFO helicopters are finished white/dark orange, while the single Twin Otter retains its original French air force colors.
Since December 2005, the UH-1Hs are being replaced by surplus US Army Blackhawks.
Five Blackhawks had been ferried to Ben-Gurion airport inside an Antonov 124, while the other three had been ferried by a C-17 on February 2006.
The singe Twin Otter, donated by the FAF, had been replaced several times, beginning with F-RACE (tail number 300), F-RACT (tail number 786), tail number 730 and currently tail number 742.
All airplane belong to 1/65 squadron, are used for commuting MFO seniors to Cairo and Tel-Aviv.
The unit's main task is border monitoring, however it performs some 50 med-evac sorties annually, mostly to Eilat and Beer-Sheva hospitals.
During 2005, for example, the unit had accumulated 2100 flying hours, of which half were for crew training, 370 hours of monitoring.
The Twin Otter had accumulated 650 flying hours during this year.
Thus, on August 2006, the MFO had celebrated its Silver jubilee.
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p.38-40 |