USAF EC-121 Warning Star 1: 144 Academy 12637

Plastic model airplane kit: USAF EC-121 Warning Star 1:144 Academy 12637

We present the plastic model kit of the USAF EC-121 Warning Star in 1:144 scale, produced by the renowned company Academy. This detailed model allows you to recreate one of the most iconic aircraft in the history of American military aviation, which played a key role in the early warning and radar control system.

Model specifications:

• Scale: 1:144
• Manufacturer: Academy
• Catalog number: 12637
• Material: Plastic

History and use of the EC-121 Warning Star:

The Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star is an American early warning and radar control aircraft that was operational in the 1950s in both the United States Navy (USN) and the United States Air Force (USAF). This aircraft was the military version of the Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation and served as an early warning system, complementing the Distant Early Warning line. Equipped with two large radomes, the EC-121 replaced the previously used USN model TBM-3W. Some EC-121 aircraft were also used for intelligence data collection.

The EC-121 was introduced into service in 1954 and retired in 1978, although one specially modified EW aircraft remained in USN service until 1982. The USN versions were initially designated as WV-1 (PO-1W), WV-2, and WV-3. The USAF EC-121 aircraft were used during the Vietnam War both as electronic sensor monitors and as a precursor to the AWACS Boeing E-3 Sentry system.

Operations and missions:

The USAF operated EC-121 aircraft from 1954 to 1978, with three wings at the peak of employment and three independent squadrons as operations were phased out. Until the Vietnam War, their main task was to provide supplemental early warning radar coverage for the Pacific and Atlantic barriers, flying in orbits 300 miles (480 km) off the continental United States coasts.

Assembly and painting kit. Does not include paints or glue. Assembly requires separately sold modeling tools (including cutters, files, tweezers), paints, brushes, and plastic model glue (e.g., Tamiya Extra Thin Cement). The photo shows a professionally assembled and painted model.