1/72``` Airfix Boeing E-3D Sentry AEW.1 ZH102
The RAF affectionately names her "Dopey"

As the Royal Air Force retired the iconic Boeing E-3D Sentry on the 5th of August 2021(today as I type this) I have decided this kit deserves my full attention.
That being said I need to 1 buy the styrene and 2 have some practice creating an interior on the Airfix Lancaster before I attempt this.
This aircraft was introduced in 1991, my year of birth so I literally grew up with her.

So in recent events the RAF have sold 2 to Chili, sent 1 to the USAF as there Rivit Joint trainer and scrapped the rest only leaving some panels for tags and a radar dish for the Cosford RAF Museum.
Not even a cockpit section was saved!
One of these was the last ever Boeing B707 ever built!

My story behind this was to have ZH102(Dopey) along with the Nimrod R.1 XV249"Nimmy" based out of RAF Waddington with all crew based inside what the Red Arrows now use as their Hanger but its annoyed me so much I have changed my mind.
102 and 249 will now operate out of RAF Fairford along with XH558 using the 2 B-2A Spirit Hangers as can be seen in the background on any RIAT YouTube video since the dawn of time!
From January 2025 Dopey and Nimmy will perform repositioning flights from RAF Fairford to HHrAviation's new home at HHrA Cottesmore were they will be maintained and loved for decades to come alongside their ISTAR Shackleton Sister.

RAF's Sentry Dwarf Names:
ZH101 - Doc
ZH102 - Dopey
ZH103 - Happy
ZH104 - Sleepy
ZH105 - Sneezy
ZH106 - Grumpy
ZH107 - Bashful

Whilst the RAF neglected the E-3D Sentry AEW.1 from 2009, HHrAviation is definitely not!
Plans are in place to upgrade ZH102 to Block 50 standards with the same equipment that is currently in use in Boeing's E-7 Wedgetail AWACS.
192 will have a fully glass cockpit and the 3 lumps that are visible on each side of the fuselage and under the nose.
We will be keeping the standard long Aerial Refueling probe though.

More to follow......

HHrAviation.....