Shipbucket

USA, Grumman S-2T. Modified from Darth Panda's S-2


USA, CDF S-2's (California Department of Forestry) Air Tankers. Thanks DP for the stock S-2!


USA, North American Rockwell OV-10A CDF

I'm a bit fond of the S-2's as they've saved my hide twice. First, it was in 1985 while I was doing archeology down in Southern California and the Forest Circus had the right to use any employees available on fire crews in a pinch. We were trapped on a ridge top until an S-2 bombed us. Fire retardant hurts like hell when it hits. More recently several years ago they saved my home.

The OV-10 Broncos are just a blast to watch in the hills.

CraigH

Blackbuck wrote:I beg to differ.
Whilst not shipping the silly weaponry of earlier gunships it is indeed a gunship and indeed a J model.

Inventory: Active force, 37 by fiscal 2021
If you give me a real picture, why not.

@CraigH
Nice work! Just pity that these Trackers are "properller-less", but I guess that original DP's drawings lacked them too.

Clicky
and me

I'd imagine more stuff will surface soon.

eswube wrote:@CraigH
Nice work! Just pity that these Trackers are "properller-less", but I guess that original DP's drawings lacked them too.

Yup, they were prop-less. Did a search and there's hardly a drawing with them for the S-2 or the S-2T. Working on it though. I'll edit the drawing when I find what I need.
CraigH

Caddaric79 wrote:

Blackbuck wrote:

Inventory: Active force, 37 by fiscal 2021
If you give me a real picture, why not.

This article says there will be a half dozen in service by the end of 2014. The article is a year old though, and you know how plans change all the time in the military.


@CraigH - Outstanding job on the CalFire planes! They certainly get a lot of flight time in SoCal over the summer and autumn.

Updated the S-2's for props, see the submittal drawings above.

Paladin,
For a while I was living not far from the CDF base in Santa Rosa, Calif. A buddy of mine was one of the air traffic controllers there, the CDF was always flying during the fire season, stopping only to refuel and reload. Most of the time I don't recall night ops, to dangerous in the hills and mountains in this region.

He tried getting a ride for me in an OV-10 but the season was too busy, so it fell between the cracks.

CraigH

Shame you never got that ride. I've seen those pilots pull off some amazing flying. And I don't recall them doing too many night flights, unless it was an emergency and even then, they had very tough flight restrictions to avoid collisions with the ground or other aircraft. And as a side note, those DC-10 tankers are f***ing HUGE!

Also, nice addition with the props on the S-2s

Paladin,
No kidding on those OV-10 pilots! I've seen them doing wild things back country here in Northern California.
You got me thinking (it hurts). Has anyone done a DC-10 that would be appropriate to repaint?

CraigH

Craig
Searched the forum for DC-10 and KC-10 with negative results so I guess not. I'd take a crack at it if I can find decent plans on the 'net. Would be a good learning experience for me.