Trying to build a Beech RU-21

[Unglued]

I'm trying to complete my Southeast Asian Wars collection, and I need help from someone knowledgeable about Beechcraft aircraft.  I've searched far and wide for a model that I might convert to a 1/72 Beech RU-21A "Ute," but have been unable to find one.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beechcraft_King_Air#/media/File:Beechcraft_U-21_Ute_US_Army.jpg

 

I think the RVHP King Air C-90A might be close, but the cabin windows in the Ute were square, so that's a major modification, made even more difficult because it's a resin kit.  Mach 2 makes an RC--12K in plastic, but I it has different engines, a T-tail, and (I think) a different fuselage, not to mention a lot of antenna holes to fill.  The US Army flew a lot of these during the Viet Nam War.  I'm surprised some manufacturer hasn't made one, or at least the civilian version, which remains a popular aircraft.  Does anyone know how I might go about building one?

Edited January 9, 2018 by Unglued

[dylan]

the C-90 is a better place to start, the RC-12 is a completely different model of King Air.  the square windows seems to be the biggest challenge, other mods will be deleting the air cond. grills on the nose of the c-90 and possibly finding a single main wheel depending on the version of the source kit.

there will be some differences in the wings as well. but I am not too sure what they are.

[Unglued]

Thanks for the quick comeback, Dylan.  Here's one of the resin models available from rvhp models.  https://www.rvhpmodels.cz/pages_kits/72026.html

It's one of the C-90 birds, and to my eye, it looks a lot like the RU-21 Ute.  What do you think?  The fuselage sides look fairly flat, so cutting out the resin and fitting square windows might not be too much of a chore.  I've had some experience with making windows and gluing them into a resin fuselage using clear epoxy, so that prospect doesn't scare me off.  Let me know what you think. 

[dylan]

thats definitely the kit to start with. one other thing you will need to do is cut down the wing tips and reshape them. the early king airs like the U-21 had shorter wings. 

the kit has the correct main wheels, and non movable horizontal stab. and dont forget that the props are always feathered when the engines are shut down.

[southwestforests]

Modeling this one will get you around the cabin window issue on the port side.

Beech RU-21H Ute (65-A90-1)

http://www.airliners.net/photo/USA-Army/Beech-RU-21H-Ute-65-A90-1/890843

[Unglued]

7 hours ago, southwestforests said:

Modeling this one will get you around the cabin window issue on the port side.

Beech RU-21H Ute (65-A90-1)

http://www.airliners.net/photo/USA-Army/Beech-RU-21H-Ute-65-A90-1/890843

I'm not sure this aircraft was in SE Asia, as an RU-21H.  Do you know if it was.  As the years went by, a lot of the "A" models were converted.

[southwestforests]

I didn't even know the RU-21 type was out there until seeing your posts and going to look up what it is.

Stopped keeping track of military aviation over a decade ago when my health began to really limit how many hobby things I could do.

[arod138]

Hi!

I'm very interested and will be following your efforts closely, as I was a crewmember on RU-21A's with the 138th Aviation Company. 

 

Please note that the RU-21A was part of the Cefirm Leader system which although designed for service in, did not deploy to Vietnam. 

 

The primary Airborne Radio Direction Finding Aircraft that served in Vietnam as part of the 224th Avn Bn and subordinate companies were the RU-1A Otter, RU-6A Beaver, RU-8D Seminole (Winebottle System) RU-21D Ute (Laffing Eagle) JU-21A Ute (Left Jab) (one of which was shot down by a SA-2 near the DMZ on 4 MAR 71) and even converted P2-V Neptunes (AP-2E Crazy Cat System)

 

Good luck, and if I can provide pictures or information please let me know!

[Unglued]

 

 

Edited January 12, 2018 by Unglued
wrong photo

[Unglued]

I ended up ordering a VC-6A from RVHP Models, by way of Hannants.  I'm hoping I can make a proper Vietnam-era airplane from it, although I expect that my skills will be put to the test before I'm done.  This kit comes with the decals to make the (US Army) airplane that Werhner Von Braun used in 1966, ferrying to and from the White Sands Missile Range, and I expect to be able to use some of them.  

[Wm Hoffman]

On 1/10/2018 at 2:08 PM, Unglued said:

I'm not sure this aircraft was in SE Asia, as an RU-21H.  Do you know if it was.  As the years went by, a lot of the "A" models were converted.

Most RU-21H Guardrail aircraft were converted RU-21Ds from the Vietnam War so it should be the easiest to convert back.

[Wm Hoffman]

On 1/9/2018 at 5:16 PM, Unglued said:

I'm trying to complete my Southeast Asian Wars collection, and I need help from someone knowledgeable about Beechcraft aircraft.  I've searched far and wide for a model that I might convert to a 1/72 Beech RU-21A "Ute," but have been unable to find one.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beechcraft_King_Air#/media/File:Beechcraft_U-21_Ute_US_Army.jpg

 

I think the RVHP King Air C-90A might be close, but the cabin windows in the Ute were square, so that's a major modification, made even more difficult because it's a resin kit.  Mach 2 makes an RC--12K in plastic, but I it has different engines, a T-tail, and (I think) a different fuselage, not to mention a lot of antenna holes to fill.  The US Army flew a lot of these during the Viet Nam War.  I'm surprised some manufacturer hasn't made one, or at least the civilian version, which remains a popular aircraft.  Does anyone know how I might go about building one?

The only RU-21As were part of the Cefirm Leader System which was a post-war system. The SIGINT models based on the Beech Queenair flown in Vietnam were RU-21Ds (Laffin Eagle) and JU-21As (Left Jab).