Revell 1/168 Convair R3Y-2 Tradewind - 'S' Issue - (R3Y2), H238-98

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Revell 1/168 Convair R3Y-2 Tradewind - 'S' Issue - (R3Y2), H238-98 plastic model kit

1/168 H238-98 Revell Convair R3Y-2 Tradewind - 'S' Issue - (R3Y2)

Plastic Model Kit,   Box Condition: Good++

First issue from 1956. Very colorful 'S' hardbox with great artwork. This model is very well molded for that time and features all recessed panel lines, opening front cargo door, rotating counter-rotating propellers and more. Molded in dark sea blue and includes the famous clear Revell 'Globe' display stand. Never started. It has been inventoried complete with all parts and includes decals and instructions. NOTE: the small snub nose part is a different color plastic; it is from a later issue of this same kit. In 1945 the US Navy asked Convair to develop a large flying boat based on the new World War II technology and the developing turbo-prop engines. Convair's proposal was the Model 117. high-wing flying boat with Allison T40 engines driving six-bladed contra-rotating propellers. The design has a slender body, high-mounted high lift wing and fixed floats. The Navy was impressed enough to order two prototypes in May of 1946. The first prototype was designated XP5Y-1 and first flew off San Diego on April 18, 1950. In August the aircraft set a turboprop endurance record of eight hours six minutes. Although impressed with the design, the Navy decided not to build the patrol version and decided to make her into a passenger and cargo aircraft. A total of eleven aircraft were built. The first two prototypes built were in P5Y configuration, armed with 8,000 lb (3,600 kg) of munitions (bombs, mines, depth charges, torpedoes) and five pairs of 20 mm cannon in fore and aft side emplacements and a tail turret. The next five were built as R3Y-1 aircraft, intended for troop transport and inflight tanker service. The final six were built as the R3Y-2 variant with a upward-hinged nose and high cockpit for heavy roll-on-roll-off transport duties. In this way it was thought the design would function as a 'Flying LST.' In practice, it was discovered that it was almost impossible for the pilots to hold the aircraft nose-on to the beach while it was unloaded. These were subsequently converted into inflight refueling tankers. However, they had a short life because of the unsolvable reliability problems that plagued the Allison T40 turboprop engines. That fate befell most of the T40-powered aircraft, like the Douglas A2D Skyshark.

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