1:72 AN / ALQ-101 ECM POD (SHORT LENGTH VERSION) (3D PRINTING)

AN/ALQ-101 jamming pod in the shorter version, 1:72 scale

A store accessory for modelers who want an electronic warfare pod on their aircraft instead of an empty pylon. According to the name this is the shorter length rendering made by 3D printing. In 1:72 that technology shows: the part has no parting line, the edges stay sharp and the surface detail is legible even on a small body.

The real subject

The AN/ALQ-101 is an American electronic warfare pod that was hung on the pylons of tactical combat aircraft. It was made in several length renderings, and individual examples differed in the shape of the covers and antennas as well, so two photographs of the same type need not look alike. The shorter and longer versions are therefore not interchangeable: choose according to a photograph of the machine you are building.

Building and painting tips

Cut the part off the supports with a sharp knife or a fine saw and sand the marks wet with fine paper. Apply a primer, which reveals small imperfections of the print. A pod tends to be set apart in color from the airframe and carries warning stencils, so apply decals on a smooth gloss base and even out the surface at the end with a matte or semi-gloss varnish. Weathering should be restrained. It is glued with cyanoacrylate glue (super glue); always test the seating on the pylon dry.

Who the set is for

• modelers building tactical combat aircraft in 1:72 scale
• anyone interested in electronic warfare equipment
• builders who assemble stores according to a particular photograph
• modelers with experience of 3D printed parts

The set is an accessory to a plastic kit, which it does not replace. It is supplied unassembled and unpainted; glue, paints and the base kit are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.