1⁄48
Thursday, February 12, 2015 - 02:30 AM UTC
MPMP have sent us details of their latest 1:48 Special Hobby kits - two versions of the Grumman Guardian.
"During the 1950s, AF-2 Guardian anti submarine aircraft were operating from the decks of US Navy aircraft carriers in Hunter Killer pairs. These pairs consisted of the AF-2W version, which performed the `Hunter' role using its volumous fuselage mounted AP-20 search and early warning radar to locate submarines while the second aircraft of the pair was the AF-2S which was the `Killer' and carried offensive anti-submarine weapons such as torpedoes, depth charges or rockets in the bomb bay and under the wings. The latter also had a small radar attached to the wing.
Development of the Guardian began during the Second World War although the original request from the US Navy had been for a torpedo-bomber. At Grumman, this project was known under G-70 designation while the Navy recognized it as XTB3F and this new aircraft was to have combined powerplants with a P&W R-2800 radial engine driving a four-bladed propeller in the nose and a Westinghouse 19XB jet engine mounted in the tail section. The Westinghouse jet engine was later removed from the specification however before the maiden flight of the prototype which took place on the 19th December 1945. By this time the torpedo bomber role had become outmoded and therefore the US Navy changed its requirements for the new aircraft. On the 24th December 1945 Grumman was asked to re configure the aircraft for the anti-submarine role but because the current AP-20 search radar was too big for a single engined aircraft to carry alongside a weapon load this woud require two seperate versions which would fly together, one carrying radar and the other carrying weapons. The result of this were the AF-2W and AF-2S. The prototype AF-2W (which was the radar equipped Hunter version) first flew during November 1948 and the AF-2S (Killer variant) performed its first flight in January 1949. The type also received the name `Guardian'.
The first Guardians entered service with the US Navy in 1950 in their Hunter Killer pairs and were later joined by the improved AF-3S version which was almost identical to AF-2S but had a MAD (Magnetic Anomaly Detector) added. AF-2 and 3 Guardians flew from carriers and from land bases and during the Korean War they were responsible for protecting the US Fleet in the combat areas. Although the type was removed from front line service during 1955 it continued in service with units of the the US Naval Reserve until 1957 and the Guardian was the first custom built specialized anti-sub aircraft to fly from US Navy carriers. It also holds the record for being the largest single engined piston engined aircraft to be flown from the decks of the US Navy.
SH48135 AF-2S Guardian “Submarine Killer” 1/48
This model depicts the attack or `Killer' version of the Guardian and consists of seven plastic sprues , clear injected parts, resin and PE-parts. The underwing weapons are laid out in two sprues along with the search light. The decal sheet provides marking for two machines, the first serving with a reserve unit at NAS Oakland which wore distinctive orange stripes while the second option flew from the deck of USS Saipan.
SH48158 AF-2W Guardian “Submarine Hunter“ 1/48
Hunter version of the Guardian model consists of seven plastic sprues, clear injected parts, resin and PE-parts. The decals provide markings for two machines, the first serving aboard USS Bairoko, the other flew from USS Badoeng Strait."
Both kits will be available soon, list price: 42.41 Euros
Please remember, when contacting retailers or manufacturers, to mention that you saw their products highlighted here - on AEROSCALE
Development of the Guardian began during the Second World War although the original request from the US Navy had been for a torpedo-bomber. At Grumman, this project was known under G-70 designation while the Navy recognized it as XTB3F and this new aircraft was to have combined powerplants with a P&W R-2800 radial engine driving a four-bladed propeller in the nose and a Westinghouse 19XB jet engine mounted in the tail section. The Westinghouse jet engine was later removed from the specification however before the maiden flight of the prototype which took place on the 19th December 1945. By this time the torpedo bomber role had become outmoded and therefore the US Navy changed its requirements for the new aircraft. On the 24th December 1945 Grumman was asked to re configure the aircraft for the anti-submarine role but because the current AP-20 search radar was too big for a single engined aircraft to carry alongside a weapon load this woud require two seperate versions which would fly together, one carrying radar and the other carrying weapons. The result of this were the AF-2W and AF-2S. The prototype AF-2W (which was the radar equipped Hunter version) first flew during November 1948 and the AF-2S (Killer variant) performed its first flight in January 1949. The type also received the name `Guardian'.
The first Guardians entered service with the US Navy in 1950 in their Hunter Killer pairs and were later joined by the improved AF-3S version which was almost identical to AF-2S but had a MAD (Magnetic Anomaly Detector) added. AF-2 and 3 Guardians flew from carriers and from land bases and during the Korean War they were responsible for protecting the US Fleet in the combat areas. Although the type was removed from front line service during 1955 it continued in service with units of the the US Naval Reserve until 1957 and the Guardian was the first custom built specialized anti-sub aircraft to fly from US Navy carriers. It also holds the record for being the largest single engined piston engined aircraft to be flown from the decks of the US Navy.
SH48135 AF-2S Guardian “Submarine Killer” 1/48
This model depicts the attack or `Killer' version of the Guardian and consists of seven plastic sprues , clear injected parts, resin and PE-parts. The underwing weapons are laid out in two sprues along with the search light. The decal sheet provides marking for two machines, the first serving with a reserve unit at NAS Oakland which wore distinctive orange stripes while the second option flew from the deck of USS Saipan.
SH48158 AF-2W Guardian “Submarine Hunter“ 1/48
Hunter version of the Guardian model consists of seven plastic sprues, clear injected parts, resin and PE-parts. The decals provide markings for two machines, the first serving aboard USS Bairoko, the other flew from USS Badoeng Strait."
Both kits will be available soon, list price: 42.41 Euros
Please remember, when contacting retailers or manufacturers, to mention that you saw their products highlighted here - on AEROSCALE
Click Star to Rate
Only 1 reader has rated this.
THIS STORY HAS BEEN READ 7,322 TIMES.
Photos
Click image to enlarge
| MPM Production Reviews | MORE |
Fokker D.XXI 'Dutch Patrol'  by Allen Berry | of 1 ratings, 100% found this helpful | |
| A-20B Havoc by Andy Brazier | of 3 ratings, 100% found this helpful | |
| Breda Ba.88B Lince by Andy Brazier | |
| Vickers Wellington Mk.II by Eetu Tahvonen | of 3 ratings, 100% found this helpful | |
| Focke-Wulf Fw 187 by Daniel Candal | of 3 ratings, 100% found this helpful | |
| Bristol Blenheim Mk. I by Ben Micklem | of 3 ratings, 100% found this helpful | |
| J8M1 Shusui by Frederick Boucher | of 2 ratings, 100% found this helpful | |
| A7M2 Reppu by Frederick Boucher | of 1 ratings, 100% found this helpful | |
1/18 B-17F Nose  by Dade W. Bell | of 7 ratings, 86% found this helpful | |
Fairey Fulmar Mk 1  by Rowan Baylis | of 8 ratings, 100% found this helpful | |
| Focke-Wulf Fw 189 A-1 by Jean-Luc Formery | of 1 ratings, 100% found this helpful | |
| Heinkel He 177A-5 by Steffen Arndt | of 5 ratings, 80% found this helpful | |
WEB HOSTING BY
Copyright ©2021 AeroScale and Kitmaker Network, a subsidiary of Silver Star Enterprises
All Rights Reserved. Please read our Conditions of Use and Privacy Policy.
All Rights Reserved. Please read our Conditions of Use and Privacy Policy.
Comments