I work in the aerospace industry, occasionally on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and have noticed that there is a very distinct lack of UAV models. Of course they have only really come into their own recently, but I think it is about time that manufacturers start making some new UAV kits. With the continuous coverage they seem to get in the media I would imagine they would sell very well. I can’t wait for the day I can build a 1/48 Predator or a 1/72 Global Hawk… or even better the UAV I’m working on right now (can’t say much about it yet, but if we get the go it will be the biggest and baddest UAV yet)!
[:D] Fantastic!!
I’d love to see some UAV models - what an amazing subject of an amazing platform…
Not all that long ago I remember a news item where a UAV (was it darkstar?) flew from California all the way over to us here in Australia - I saw new images of it’s touchdown . …can’t remember if that was in the Northern Territory or West Australia.
And then they go and put hardpoints on them…nasty. Talk about an ability to “reach out and touch someone” from a serious distance…
Unicraft (in Ukraine) makes a resin 1/72 Globalhawk, plus may other current and proposed UAVs, plus lots of Luft’46 subjects. I cannot comment on the quality of the kits myself, but some of the reviews I have read present them a reasonably good quality resin.
There is apparently a 60+ day wait to get the kit shipped after you place the order. you can use paypal which a plus I suppose.
I don’t think there is anyone in US who stocks this line regularly.
At the Nuremburg Toy Fair 2003 Panda Models (Dragon) announces,
RQ-1 II
-RQ-1IIB with Hellfire Missile
-RQ 1 International
-F45 UCAV, F45 UCAV Recon, F45 UCAV Bomber, all of them 1:72
So let’s wait and hope they do it. (Source: Modell Fan, German Modelling magazin)
As a simple answer to your question:
NO!!! ABSOLUTELY NEVER!! THE LAST THING WE NEED IS FOR PEOPLE TO START LIKEING UAVS!!!
IMO, UAVs are one big waste of money. Anything they can do, a human can do better. UAVs can’t dodge flak, only receive it! Besides, has anyone thought of how commonplace war is now? Anyone thought of how MUCH MORE commonplace it would become if the only casaulties were robots? No one would care! War would suddenly be legitamized as a cheaper and easier alternative to politics!
DOWN WITH UAVS!!
I also work in the aerospace industry and am currently working on 3 sizes of OAV’s at my company. They are not like the predator but more like a flying nacelle with control vanes working as pitch and yaw. This has been a great job to work on but probably wouldn’t make a pretty model like the other UAV’s out there.
Regards, Dan
I’m posetivelty sure that the designers of, say, the Darkstar, put enough looks into the thing to make the taxpayer go: “whoa… cooool…” so they can forget about the cost of the things…
Never the less… If these aircraft can save the life of a human pilot, then I’m all for them.
I’ve got to agree with boybuddho, I can’t see myself building a UAV, I haven’t seen any which are “cool” enough to build. They are a little bland, maybe in the future my opinion will change but for now I’ll stick to A/C with canopies.
i was searching for a Global Hawk on Squadrons site & found none(or predator). Since I work for the co. that makes the engine for the Global Hawk it would be fun to model.UAV’s are great,no pilot could loiter over the target for 24 hrs. then after turnaround do it again,& again… As far as a boring model subject goes,submarines take the cake,yes I’ve seen some detailed out that look like the modeler really enjoyed the build,but come on,its a black cylinder with pointy ends.Ho-Hum
I work at an avionics company and we’re doing a UAV viewgraph proposal as we speak. [:0]
Here’s Unicraft’s website: http://www.geocities.com/unicraftmodels/
LOTS of UAVs!
I have yet to buy any kits from him, so I can’t say how they are. The parts photos on the site look a little rough.
I saw in a catalog that Panda (I think it was Panda but I may be incorrect, I’ll check) would be releasing some UAVs. I think I remember seeing the Global Hawk and Predator in their catalog.
Sorry this is so vague. I’ll check the catalog next time I’m at the hobby shop and edit this post if I am wrong.
hey guys I work on those UAV’s. (build that is) if they are what it takes to keep me and alot of others working in the aerospace field then I say “hoorah!” You can’t replace the human in war but if you can save a pilot then by all means do! But I am a little biased aren’t I?