Subject: Re: MY NEW ATTACHMENT!
From: "Submissions for ARC" <[email-masked]>
To: "COMANDANTEMAD4" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:25:08 -0700

Hi,
I just wanted to let you know your article went on ARC today.  Thanks again for sending it in.

Steve Bamford
Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com

Live like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you've never been hurt.
Work like you don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: COMANDANTEMAD4 
  To: submissions 
  Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 8:58 AM
  Subject: MY NEW ATTACHMENT!

  Hello steve, another contribution for the ARC page!
  "Extreme Model Makeover: A-37 VNAF" 

  by "Tigre del Aire"
  --------------------

        Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 01.jpg here

  Greetings from Colombia! This it is the attempt for renewing my old armed planes and to leave them in better conditions, sailing along the net I could find the photo of one A-37 captured with the colors of the front of national liberation of vietnam, a real rarety!

  Continué the search of so interesting model and I found a reference in the page http: //wp.scn.ru, the result: a Hasegawa's old kit and a new project, hands to the work! But before seeing the photographies, a bit of history:

  The Cessna A-37 Dragonfly, or Super Tweet, is a United States light attack aircraft developed from the T-37 Tweet basic trainer in the 1960s and 1970s. The A-37 served with distinction during the Vietnam War and in peacetime service afterwards.

  The growing American military involvement in Vietnam in the early 1960s led to strong interest in counter-insurgency (COIN) aircraft. In late 1962, the U.S. Air Force's Special Air Warfare Center at Eglin Air Force Base's Hurlburt Field in Florida evaluated two T-37Cs for the role.

  The Air Force found the T-37 promising, but wanted an improved version of the aircraft that could carry a much larger warload, and had much greater endurance, as well as better short-field performance. This meant a heavier aircraft with more powerful engines. In 1963, the Air Force awarded a contract to Cessna for two prototype YAT-37D aircraft: T-37s with modifications that included:

    a.. Stronger wings. 
    b.. Three stores pylons on each wing. 
    c.. Larger wingtip fuel tanks of 360 litre (95 US gallons) capacity. 
    d.. A General Electric GAU-2B/A 7.62 mm "Minigun" Gatling-style machine gun, with a rate of fire of 3,000 rounds/minute and 1,500 rounds of ammunition. The weapon was fitted in the right side of the aircraft's nose behind a large, convenient access panel. A gunsight and gun camera were also fitted. 
    e.. Better avionics for battlefield communications, navigation, and targeting. 
    f.. Tougher landing gear for rough-field operation. 
  These changes meant a drastic increase in aircraft weight, and the aircraft now had to carry a serious warload as well, so Cessna replaced the two Continental J-69 engines with General Electric J85-J2/5 turbojet engines with 10.7 kN (2,400 lbf) thrust each, twice as powerful as the old Continental J-69s.

  The first YAT-37D flew in October 1964, followed a year later by the second prototype. The second prototype had four stores pylons under each wing, rather than three, and the first prototype was upgraded to this configuration as well.

  Test results were good, but USAF interest in counter-insurgency (COIN) aircraft had faded for the moment. The program went into limbo for a time, with the second prototype "put out to pasture" at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.

  However, the war in Southeast Asia continued to escalate. Losses of Douglas A-1 Skyraider close-support aircraft in US and South Vietnamese hands proved greater than anticipated, and so USAF interest in COIN aircraft revived. The YAT-37D seemed like a promising candidate for the job, but the Air Force felt the only way to be sure was to evaluate the aircraft in combat.

  As a result, the USAF issued a contract to Cessna for a preproduction batch of 39 YAT-37Ds, with a few minor changes relative to the prototypes, to be rebuilt from existing T-37Bs. These aircraft were initially designated AT-37D, but the designation was quickly changed to A-37A. The second prototype YAT-37D was pulled out of the Air Force Museum and upgraded to A-37A standards as part of the test program.

  The A-37A had a gross takeoff weight of 5,440 kg (12,000 lb), of which 1230 kg (2,700 lb) was warload. The A-37A retained the dual controls of its T-37B ancestor, allowing it to be used as an operational trainer.

  In combat "forward air control (FAC)" operations, the second seat was occupied by an observer. Only one crewmember normally flew in the aircraft for close support missions, permitting a slight increase in warload. (from Wikipedia)

  With the photo and the model I proceeded to disarm completely the plane, then a good hand of water and soap to remove impurities and accumulated powder, another session of painting and good pulse to do the flag in the drift, an enormous sacrifice but that ultimately gave an excellent result, inclusive I changed the armament, it remained totally different from since it was initially.

  It was recruits' camp to return to my beginnings since like modeller, a revival for the model in question and an opportunity to know more of the history with a very strange model for my tastes, I expect they encourage to do one to you, it carries to extreme model makeover!. 

  COLOMBIA ES PASION!

  Saludos desde Colombia, la tierra de Juan Valdez!

  Greetings from Colombia, the land of Juan Valdez!

        Click on images below to see larger images  
        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 04.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 04.jpg 
       Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 05.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 05.jpg  Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 06.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 06.jpg  Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 07.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 07.jpg  

        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 08.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 08.jpg  Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 09.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 09.jpg 

       

  Photos and text © by Tigre del Aire

  -- 
  MANUEL ANTONIO DOMINGUEZ CORAL
  JEFE DE GRUPO
  GRUPO SCOUT TIGRES DEL AIRE
  ASOCIACION SCOUT DE COLOMBIA
  COLOMBIA ES PASION!
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  http://comandantemad4.googlepages.com/home PAGINA OFICIAL DE LOS TIGRES DEL AIRE DE COLOMBIA