Airborne Early Warning System Challenge

[Kiwi Imperialist]

KJ-1 at the China Aviation Museum in Beijing, People's Republic of China. (Danmairen via Wikimedia Commons)

Welcome one and all to Shipbucket's Airborne Early Warning System Challenge! The title is (mostly) self-explanatory. Willing participants must draw a fictional airborne early warning system in FD Scale. The only other requirement is that your system must be shown in active service at some point between 1945 and 2000. This challenge was proposed by Remorseful Dreamer in the Future Challenge Ideas/Suggestions thread, which you may wish visit if you have your own ideas for an upcoming challenge. Don't be afraid to second a suggestion that has already been made. It shows that multiple people are interested in a topic.

Design Requirements

1. Your submission must depict a fictional airborne early warning system.
2. The system must be shown in active service at some point between 1945 and 2000.

Challenge Rules

1. Each participant may submit one image.
2. The image must be an FD template modified to include the participant’s system and, optionally, crew figures at their stations within the system and/or one of the following: unit insignia, manufacturer logo, national flag. Other elements, including data sheets and scenic elements, are not permitted. If you have specifications and blocks of text, please include them as text in your post and not in the image itself.
3. No more than three views are allowed in each image.
4. If two or three views are included, they must depict the same individual aircraft in the same paint schemes, markings, and configuration (e.g. landing gear deployed).
5. All art must be in FD scale and conform to the same drawing and shading rules as official Shipbucket styles.
6. A textual description accompanying each submission is permitted, but not necessary.
7. Non-serious entries, or entries substantially deviate from the challenge requirements, are not allowed.
8. Off-topic posts will be reported to the relevant authorities.

This challenge will run until Sunday the 29th of December, ending at 23:59 UTC-12 (International Date Line West).
A countdown timer can be found at this link.

A poll will be held after this date to select a winner. When it opens, please provide honest and meaningful scores for each entry. Responses which grant maximum scores to a select group of entries, and minimum scores to all other entries, will be deleted. Members of the community who manipulate the results in such a fashion may also be subject to a permanent ban. Scores will be allocated in two categories, each with a scale of 1 to 10:

• Drawing Quality - The overall quality of the drawing. One might consider detailing, shading, and accuracy.
• Design Quality -The quality of the design presented, irrespective of drawing quality. One could consider feasibility, practicality, and realism.

[VictorCharlie]

hello biden
it's zelensky
we need 5 billion aaams
to shoot down russian rockets to bomb Donetsk children

slava ukraini

[Zieg]

hello mein führer
it's me himmler
i need more money at wewelsburg
so i can find agartha under atlantis at center of earth
to free evropa from soviet

no more brother war

[Corp]

hello Reagan
It's me SECNAV
we need nuclear AEW
so we can find enemy surface action groups on endless seas
to kill knife ears

gobbless amurica

[rbz88]

hello Crystal Kingdom
It's Federation AWACS Vita
we need an ace pilot who can't speak
so we can shoot down General Faust.
to keep Magadan safe.

[Schlemm138]

Retired USN/USMC RH-53Ds purchased by the Fleet Air Arm to augment and replace their Westland Sea King AEW aircraft. The Sea Stallion AEW.1 is equipped with the same Searchwater LAST radar as the Sea King and is equipped with a modular AEW operator suite when performing the AEW mission. In addition to the AEW mission, the Sea Stallion AEW.1 is capable of operating in the commando helicopter roll as well as for cargo transport.

***Note that this is a new revision, basically a near-complete rebuild, of my Sikorsky S-65/S-80 helicopters that I previously posted. Major areas of improvement are the engine nacelles (more noticeable on aircraft without EAPS), the main rotors, rotor head, and the tail pylon.

[grandprix]

In the 1980s, Central Bayland (CBD) purchased two modified DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft from the international market in order to enhance its homeland air defense and offshore surveillance capabilities. The aircraft were specifically designed as airborne early warning (AEW) platforms and were equipped with multifunctional sensors, the most notable change being the addition of a large radome on the nose.

The large radar was the latest planar scanning radar of its time and outweighed the narrow nose profile of the DHC-6, giving it a modern and distinctive look. The increased size of the radar not only increased the detection range, but also improved the target resolution, enabling full surveillance of air and sea targets at distances of more than 200 kilometers when flying at low altitude.

The modified aircraft is known for its simplicity and efficiency, and despite the fact that the base platform is derived from a civilian aircraft, the parameters and performance have been modified to be fully capable of complex military missions. In one mission, Central Bayland's Air Defense Command received information about illegal boats crossing the border from a neighboring country. The vessels were traveling around the clock and using complex shipping lanes in an attempt to avoid traditional surveillance methods. A DHC-6 was dispatched on a reconnaissance mission, and they took off from a coastal airfield and quickly climbed to operational altitude.

The radar in the nose swung like a scanner, and the wide angle of detection enabled the operator to capture the precise coordinates of the anomalous target in time. The radar demonstrated unparalleled effectiveness in the speed of vessel position updates, while the EO/IR system further confirmed vessel type and possible personnel activity. The aircraft transmitted the detected information back to the command center in real time through the data chain during the operation and guided the naval patrol boat to the target area in time to successfully intercept the illegal vessel. The operation was swift and efficient, and also reflected the stable performance of the DHC-6 improved airborne early warning platform.

Central Bayland rates both aircraft highly and continues to rely on them for border and maritime surveillance missions. These DHC-6 aircraft, with their large nose radars, have become a small but mighty mainstay of CBD's air power.

[Karle94]

Here's an AEW plane based on the B-30, Lockheeds bomber-version derivative of the L-049 Constellation and is fitted with a dorsal AN/APS-45 height finder and a ventral AN/APS-20 search radar.

[maser]

"hello Edward
it's Takaaki Aso
we need 5 billion trollars
to yell "vampire!" at navy

slava g-forse"

The cascadian foreign relations minister which had recently visited AEROCON 63' sighed and quickly tossed the paper away. Aso can be quite special at times.

What is truly special, however, is the Proj. 660 B/EP "Vektor" AWACs platform. The airframe for the Vektor itself originated from an earlier not so successful endeavour by the GfSOF (Abbreviation for the G-Force Southern Ordnance Factory) which aimed to create a long-range strategic nuclear capable bomber in the Proj. 660. Although the design itself proved worthy, the program was shelved before the incoming decision of purchasing foreign Cascadian bombers. When these bombers were acquired, Stratospheric command afterwards requested an Aerial Warning and Battle Management platform to be developed from the new bomber's airframe, however, severe technical limitations and contract troubles were quickly found with this plan.

Due to this, the Proj. 660 was brought back to be further developed as an AWBM platform, as the existing large fuselage and highly developed electronic infrastructure made it a great candidate. New basic design goals for the platform included long endurance and ease of maintenance, and the incorporation of powerful AESA / PESA radar equipment derived from ABM defense sites, along with fitting the MEMBA Electronic Command and Control Suite for superb detection, tracking and battle management capabilities.

The program ultimately delivered. Featuring almost 360º sensor coverage thanks to the ASP-1A arrays and the large ARP-58 mounted beneath the crew housing, Vektor could detect and accurately track the small "Ptchelka" repurposed target drone at distances of 395km~. It carried 20 crew members: one pilot, two engineers, a navigation specialist and sixteen radar operators with ability to store a few more members. Four GOF-F3000-J21(e) fuel-optimized engines produced 18600 pounds of thrust each. Large fuel stores and bunks provided excellent endurance along with in-air refueling capability. Defensive measures include a powerful jamming suite, Chaff / Flare dispensers and the ARTD wire-towed decoy.
One of the most special features about the Vektor is it's semi-modular, and most importantly, affordable, MEMBA command suite: formerly based off of the Hewlett-Zuse CS3 commercial unit, the MEMBA computer is loaded onto the design's former bomb bay and enjoys a vibration resistant pressurized environment with liquid cooling for optimal performance. This computer aids the radar operators inmensely and can automate some tasks, such as datalink management. Rumours of the MEMBA being sentient are false and spreading such misinformation is punishable by both law and fine according to H.R. 3262 (B-2093, page 445).

Depite it's "outdated" and "unconventional" looks from ground crews and pilots alike, Proj. 660 enjoyed a long service life thanks to built-in modularity and upgrade packages before being retired in 1991. 33 were built with five airframes being relegated to training duties. Some Vektors of the 5th electronic battlegroup "Touch-Tone" sacrificed some jamming equipment in order to be able to carry two PAX3(B) air-to-air radar-homing missiles.

[Aiseus]

The Office of Supernatural Services' Modified A.343 Wachsam



Important notice for all A.343 pilots and crews! Please be advised that higher than average levels of supernatural flux have been reported in the operating quarters when the aircraft is at altitude. All occupants of the aircraft are, as of 23 July 1964, required to equip dispersal charm circles when aircraft is in operation. All ground crews and paranormal detection equipment technicians, please see Addendum 175-8B in the updated handbook for further guidance in safe maintenance practices. Please, do NOT open the cabin doors at altitude, no matter how the voices try to justify it to you! Improved prevention methods and safety standards are currently being investigated at this time. Thank you for your understanding.

-Collection and Containment Air Service Command

Changed the post slightly with a modified caption and replaced the patch with a unit patch.