1/72 729202 Amtech EC-135 N/E AIRA/ALOTS Snoopy and C-135B
Plastic Model Kit, Box Condition: Good
Very well detailed & molded limited edition model from 2002 with over 150 parts in injection molded styrene plastic and resin. The excellent AMT C-135 series is the basis and it includes parts and decals to build one of four different aircraft: EC-135N ARIA/ALOTS, C-135B T/ARIA, EC-135N ARIA and EC-135E ARIA. Features all fine recessed panel lines, detailed interior, choice of TF-33 or J-57 engines, ALOTS pod, Black Box resin detail parts and much more. The kit has never been started. All parts are still in the internal factory sealed bags. Includes as-new condition decals and instructions, marking paint guide (For EC-135E ARIA and EC-135N ARIRA/ALOTS and detailed, illustrated additional instructions for the resin parts. ARIA stood for Apollo Range Instrumented Aircraft and later Advanced Range Instrumented Aircraft. These special aircraft were designed to deploy around the world to provide telemetry acquisition, vehicle tracking and two way voice relay between manned Apollo missions and mission control in Houston, especially in areas where no ground-based telemetry and tracking facilities were available. Far and away the most noteworthy feature of this aircraft was the huge, rounded nose. Inside it is still the world's largest airborne radar parabolic dish antenna measuring 7 feet in diameter! As you can imagine, ARIA aircraft received many nicknames like 'Snoopy,' 'Bulbous,' 'Hog Nose' and 'The Nose That Goes.' Eight C-135 aircraft were ARIA modified and the crew could be up to 23 persons depending on the mission length and complexity. Early aircraft were deployed over the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico during Apollo launches and over the Pacific at splashdown. The first mission for all 8 aircraft together was during Apollo 6 in 1968. Typical missions lasted 10 hours and was limited only by the amount of fuel on board since they could not be fueled in flight. The aircraft were a success and proved to be reliable in their role. One ship, #3704, is preserved at the USAF Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB Ohio.
$85.00