Fujimi E-2A Hawkeye???

QUOTE: Originally posted by F14 Fan By the way, what's the main differences between an E-2A and an E-2C??? Is that i have bought an Heller E-2C, and if anyone could spare me those decals, i would need to backdated it to E-2A, right??? TIA

While the airframe is superficially the same, it's a whole different/improved aircraft inside. . .

Beginning with the E-2C Group 0 (basically the frist 100 production E-2C's) you had a new radar that had a nascent overland capability, better , more integrated displays an ESM suite, better avionics cooling (using an electrically driven cooling system, unlike the hydraulically operated nightmare in the A/B), more reliable radios and NAVAIDS, etc. The central feature though, was the APS-120 radar, later modified to the APS-125 Advanced Radar Processing System (ARPS) (and improved w/the APS-138) which gave us real digital processing for radar tracking.

The next iteration was the E-2C Group I, a limited run model that was only deployed on the West Coast -- the Goup I's major claim were digital engine controls for the Allison T56-427 turboprops (Group O had -425's) and some minor improvements to the radar (APS-139). You really won't see too much of a difference from a modeling standpoint , esp. in 1/72

Following the Group I came, naturally, the Group II which today , is in the inventory of all but one Active duty squadron on both coasts. Huge leap ahead from the Group 0's -- APS-145 radar, GPS, larger avionics cooling packages (OK, *now* you can tell the difference externally -- the Vapor Cycle "scoop" on top of the fuselage is larger than the Group 0 , which was larger than the E-2A/B's) larger, color displays at the operator stations in back, etc. The final iteration is just starting production as the Hawkeye 2000, the most notable external feature is the large CEC (Cooperative Engagement Capability) antenna package on the aircraft's keel. Inside is yet another makeover with a new computer, the CEC gear, new workstations and eventually, a whole new radar tied to a new antenna in the rotodome.

OK, some backfitted items were also common to the line from Group 0 through Group II. Most notable is the gold tinted overhead ditching hatches over the cockpit and the gold tinted side windows. They appeared with Group I IIRC and were subsequently backfitted to Group 0. Why you may well ask? Well, the official reason was to provide protection of the electronics in the cockpit (esp. GPS receivers) from the microwaves blasting out of the rotodome just above and behind. On really long, boring night flights we'd do "science projects" like holding foil up to the overhead hatch (pre-gold tint days) and watching the sparks fly off... Radio antennas -- 4 small blade antennas on early Group 0's + the IFF reply antenna, all along the keel. After the ARC-182 mod, two were replaced with a much larger, trapezoid shaped antenna that made for a much nicer target for the flight deck blue shirts to hit with stuff (in addition to flying in the a/c, my ground officer jobs were centered in maintenance).

Painting -- Beginning with Group I's and carried over to re-worked Group 0's, we switched to an overall glossy gull grey from the (personal opinion) more aesthetically pleasing, but real bit** to maintain grey upper/white lower scheme. Factory new a/c that had the two-tone scheme had the wavy line seperator -- NARF (reworked) had a straight line. We briefly considered a low IR-spec paint, the Egyptians actually had theirs painted with it, but after the third flight and the realization that you would never get the a/c clean due to absorbtion of hyd fluid purged overboard (natural occurence), they switched back to glossy grey.

I could go on (and have already) -- w/some 3500 hrs in the plane, 4 sea tours incl. my last as CO I am somewhat passionate about this odd duck of the airwing Feel free to drop me a note offline if you'd like more info...

Thank you for your reply...

Well, with all that explanation, i'm willing to see if i can swap my E-2C for an E-2A, since they have a few differences....
If anyone has one to swap... drop me aline...

Hi F14 Fan,

I have the Fujimi E-2A (Kit no 7A15) and the decals are as follows:

VAW -122, USS America.
VAW -113, USS Constellation.
VAW - 11, USS Coral Sea.

No 'Big E' I'm afraid!

Still, it may just be that mine (or theirs) is a reissue!

Cheers,

Rob M.

Just remember one thing whilst seeking decals for E-2A's, and that is the date 1 April 1967. Why? Prior to that date there were only 2 VAW squadrons, VAW-12 on the east coast and VAW-11 on the west coast. 4-plane dets were deployed from those squadrons until 1 April, at which point the first of the VAW's we know today came into being (e.g., east coast went from VAW-12 to VAW-121, VAW-122, VAW-123, RVAW-120 (fleet replacement squadron) and CAEWWING-12).