What’s the difference between each designation?
Has anybody built the Roden kits, and have comments on them?
I can’t tell you what the difference is, but a friend built the Roden OV-1B and said it was an excellent kit, besides the canopy assembly.
Will
Here,s the dope on the Bronco: OV -1A Visual Photographic & Surveillance, OV-1B added Airborne Sidelooking Radar, OV-1C had a panoramic camera added to its Photo Infrared Systems, OV-1D & 1-E had additional cameras and infrared systems and improved radio navigation aids so as to operate at night & all weather conditions, EV-1E had a Special Electronics planform, RV-1E was a Reconaissance version, and the JOV-1A had 4 underwing hardpoints for rockets and guns. Thats all of the Bronco,s
Thanks, guys!
Wasn’t the OV-1 designated the Mohawk, and the Bronco OV-10?
Sorry Rangerj and Triarius, meant to type in Mohawk. Must have Bronco on my mind since I am working on one. Thanks for pointing out the mistake.
As soon as I read that I thought that must have being a mistake, I went ‘unless the deignations changed last night’ LOL, simple mistake. I love dem Mohawks (Just can’t afford the kit right now, bought too many others [:)])
Will
Don’t feel bad, I just HAD to have the CollectAire kit…(which is STILL in the box three years) and THEN Roden comes out with one…yes I have it too. I am now officially a model collector…some day I’ll change it back to model builder.[:I]
There was no OV-1E. It was only a concept from Grumman.
Many OV-1D’s were remanufactured OV-1B’s and C’s. They were shipped to Grumman and upgraded to D model standards. Besides the different SLAR antennae, D models were distinguished by a bump on the bottom of the fuselage which housed a panoramic camera. D models were often flown without the SLAR antennae, as it was removable in the field. The SLAR equipment could be swapped out for IR gear. All OV-1 models except the “B” had at least one example equipped with dual controls. This was not standard, but done in the field by Grumman tech reps. An OV-1D equipped for IR operations had noticable fairings over the SLAR antennae attachment points. The single dual control OV-1D I’m aware of, serial number 17001, was never flown with a SLAR antennea after it was converted to dual controls at Hanau Army Airfield in 1974.
There is a difference between the original OV-1C and a later variant called the “super C”. The original OV-1C had the short wings of the OV-1A. Most were later upgraded to “super C” standards, which involved extending the wings to the same span as the OV-1B. Some early OV-1B had the short wings and speed brakes of the OV-1A.
Speed brakes were NOT deleted on all 'B" models, despite what some references say. I have personally seen OV-B’s equipped with speed brakes. All four models had provisions for six external hard points on the wings. The pylons were often removed on OV-1B’s but some retained them for the purpose of carrying a flash pod for night photography called an “LS-59”. OV-1s were rarely seen with out the two drop tanks. An OV-1B with the pylons retained typically carried two drops tanks and one flash pod on the outermost left wing pylon.
The panoramic camera in the nose was optional for all varients except the “D” model, all of which had provisions for the nose mounted camera… Ejection seats varied. By 1972, most were equipped with MB 0-0 seats. Earlier models were equipped with 100-zero or 60 zero seats, which means ejections were theoretically survivable at speeds of one hundred or sixty knots, repectively, at zero altitude. The single loop upper firing handle for the ejection seat provided in the Roden kit would be incorrect. Every OV-1 I ever saw had the familiar double looped yellow and black striped firing handle common in most other military aircraft. This may not be the case prior to 1972…
http://www.ov-1mohawk.org/ is a good reference site. Near the bottom of the page is a link titled “Where are they now” which gives the ultimate dispostion of all of the 380 OV-1’s manufactured.
Aside from a few owned by individuals, the only Mohawks remaining in military service are flown by Argentina.
There are some other paint schemes besides the Olive Drab and Ghost Grey. There were a number OV-1s painted gloss white with red trim, and some olive drab machines had flourescent orange panels painted under the nose, both sides of the horizontal stabs, and the fins.