Although not a complex build, this 1:48 scale V-22 Osprey but the build/paint/build/paint sequencing required some planning. I’ve configured this build as a 22nd SAS Regiment Desert expeditionary/deterrence mission aircraft. I’ve experimented with lightening the field drab color, ended up looking like a sand or tan color. The digital camouflage scheme is two-tone (light field drab overall, and regular field drab camo shapes), and done by hand, requiring zen patience, and the steady hands of a surgeon). I wanted this camo pattern large scale quadrilateral, some sampling variation, random consecutive, and light concentration (not blurry-looking like MARPAT, for example). Paint is all hand-brush painting.
From the beginning, I wanted to have troops to this build, and so I’ve added what I call a 22nd SAS Regiment Desert expeditionary/deterrence fire team composed of: 1 team leader (with standard SA-80), 1 fire suppression support soldier (with SAW), and 2 sharpshooters (scratch-modified the SA-80 to be a sharpshooter version (chambered for 7.62x51mm NATO round, added a suppressor and high power thermal scope). They are all 4 located at the rear of the aircraft, on the lowering strut platform, ready to pounce.
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I’ve scratch-built a chin-mounted 25mm Bushmaster cannon with muzzle break. This is an attempt to follow the talks on “guardian system” or a mini-gun turret of some kind, within the notion of converting the Osprey into more of a gunship (I personally think that the Osprey will never be a complete gunship per se, because inherently the Osprey lacks the full versatility of a helicopter gunship, and its VTOL capability of swing prop nacelles and length of the blades (at forward thrust angle) will hinder the 360 ability of a chin or belly mounted gun or missile ordnance). So, this chin-mounted 25mm gun turret is meant to be a defensive armament during take-off/landing mostly. The 25mm gun is operated by a dedicated gunner from a fire-control station behind the cockpit, and that operator can only fire the weapon at certain angles and direction, or else the control system will automatically prevent the firing mechanism if the weapon is pointing towards the rotor blades or landing gears for example. I’ve also added 2 pilots (not included in this kit), but could only find jet fighter pilots, but I figure that since the cabin is not pressurized, that means that anytime at above 10’000ft, therefore would require crew to have oxygen mask helmets. The passengers can have personal oxygen tanks during this time.
