Academy 12623 - 1/144 Scale Academy 12623 Usn E-2C Vaw-113 "Black Eagles"

Academy 12623 - 1/144 Scale Academy 12623 Usn E-2C Vaw-113 "Black Eagles"

I present to you the Academy 12623 - 1/144 Scale USN E-2C VAW-113 "Black Eagles". The Grumman E-2 Hawkeye, a successor to the E-1B (WWII modified TBF-3 Avanger) built by Grumman in the mid-1950s, was delivered to the US Navy in 1964 as the first aircraft specifically built for AEW tasks. The E-2A had 59 aircraft built by 1967, and they were heavily used during the Vietnamese conflict. After modifications, the new designation E-2B was given, with the most important change being the installation of a new high-speed programmable digital computer. The E-2C program began in 1968, which is the third generation of Hawkeye aircraft, with the prototype making its first flight in 1971 and the first aircraft delivered to the US Navy in 1973. As of March 1994, 139 aircraft had been manufactured or converted from earlier versions. The E-2C Hawkeye belongs to the AEWC & C aircraft category, which stands for Air Early Warning, Command and Control System. It is a defensive platform that prevents surprise attacks from enemy fighters, bombers, low-flying aircraft, missiles, and warships. With its majestic rotating antenna on its ridge and hundreds of kilograms of electronic equipment, the Hawkeye can monitor 35 million cubic kilometers of air space and over 480,000 square kilometers of the ocean surface, effectively detecting a threat to the fleet team, including airplanes, rockets, and ships. The AN / APS-145 radar system with which the E-2 is equipped automatically detects, identifies, and tracks targets from more than 500 kilometers away, and its passive detection systems detect and classify targets beyond the radar's range. Its capabilities can also be used to command assault missions, counter drug smuggling, and conduct rescue missions (SAR). The crew consists of two pilots and three operators, and it is powered by two Allison T56-A-427 turboprop engines. This type of propulsion may seem archaic in the era of jets and rockets, but it is uniquely suited to the missions performed by the Hawkeye. It is characterized by low fuel consumption, which allows for long-term flights at high altitude, and a short take-off from an aircraft carrier. It can circulate for more than four hours at a distance of 350 km from the base. The technical data for the Hawkeye is as follows: length - 17.6 m, wingspan - 24.56 m, height - 5.58 m, maximum speed - 648 km / h, maximum ceiling - 10,576 m, and maximum range - 2708 km. In late 1994, Northrop-Grumman began work on the next E-2C upgrade program. The upgrades included improved ground target tracking, IFF, a 40% improvement in AN / APS-145 radar range, new pilot cockpits with color multifunction displays, new consoles for detection system operators, enabling cooperation with the AEGIS system mounted on Ticonderoga cruisers, and GPS. These changes made it possible for "Oku Sokola" to enter the 21st century. Other users of this radar platform include Egypt, Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan. Sometimes its abilities are also used by civil organizations, such as air traffic control.