Manufacturer: Revell
Scale: 1/72 (original model 1/81)
Additional parts: Parts of a Heller P-51
Model build: Jan-Mar 2016
USAF Northrop RF-62 "Megasnark"
REvell
1/72
1/72
A Snarkriders day
The searing sun beat down on Edwards Air Force Base, California, sweat stinging Captain Harrison "Hot Rod" Roberts' eyes as he climbed into the cockpit of the hulking Megasnark. This wasn't your typical fighter jet – no sleek curves or graceful lines here. The Megasnark was a monstrosity, a bulbous, blunt-nosed beast cobbled together from leftover missile parts. Nicknamed the "Snark-Ride" by pilots (and more derisively, "coffin ship" by some), it was a relic of a bygone era, a one-way ticket to enemy airspace and back...hopefully.
Hot Rod wasn't one for dwelling on doubts. He strapped himself in, the pre-flight checks a familiar litany. Today's mission: a recon flight over Soviet airspace, skirting the edge of their defenses to snap photos of a rumored new missile silo complex. Easy peasy, right? Wrong. The Megasnark wasn't exactly known for its maneuverability. It was a glorified cruise missile with a cockpit strapped on, and landing gear was an afterthought – a series of reinforced struts for a belly landing, a risky proposition at best.
With a roar that seemed to shake the very foundations of the base, the Megasnark lurched forward. Hot Rod wrestled with the controls, feeling like he was piloting a drunken hippopotamus. He broke the sound barrier in a shuddering climb, the high nose profile blocking half his view. This design flaw, a constant source of grumbling amongst Snark-Riders, made navigating enemy territory a gamble.
As they crossed into Soviet airspace, radar screens lit up like angry christmas trees. Hot Rod knew they were spotted. He flicked a switch, engaging the onboard jamming equipment, a desperate attempt to mask their electronic signature. Tracers streaked past the cockpit, a chilling reminder of the firepower that awaited them.
Suddenly, a jolt. A lucky SAM had found its mark, smoke billowing from the starboard wing. Hot Rod cursed, adrenaline flooding his veins. No time for heroics. He flipped another switch, a switch no pilot ever wanted to throw – the jettison switch. With a sickening lurch, the nose cone detached, revealing a capsule nestled within.
"Bail out, Hot Rod!" a voice crackled over the comms. It was Colonel Edwards, his voice laced with urgency.
Hot Rod ejected, the world a blur of orange and white as his parachute deployed. Below him, the Megasnark, now a burning comet, plummeted towards the earth. He watched, a pang of sadness mixed with relief. It was a deathtrap of a plane, but it had gotten him this far.
Landing hard in a field, Hot Rod scrambled to his feet, adrenaline slowly ebbing away. He knew he was deep in Soviet territory, miles from friendly lines. But he was alive. He had the recon data stored securely in his suit. A grin, wide and reckless, split his face. This Snark-Rider wasn't done yet. The fight for survival, it seemed, had just begun.
The Northrop RF-62 Megasnark is one of the forgotten projects of the early days of the Cold War.
After developing the SM-62 Snark in the mid 1950s, a team lead by Lt.Col S.Cratch developed the idea of building a manned version of the SM-62. Their idea was to create a complete family of aircraft based on the Snark design: The F-62 Fighersnark, the A-62 Gigasnark Attack aircraft and the RF-62 Megasnark Recon aircraft. The idea was to have cheap, expendable aircraft that could be produced in huge numbers and which should be launched together in massive strikes. This kind of operation was then called a "Snarknado".
It was projected to build mobile launch pads that the Snarks could be relocated quickly.
As the different versions of the manned Snark were based on the the original cruise missile – which was usually on a one way mission – no landing gear was fitted to the aircrafts. Therefore pilots either had to parachute when returned to their bases or use special prepared landing strips where the aircraft could do a belly landing. Critical voices said, in the concept of Lt.Col S.Cratch, a return of the pilots – the so-called "Snark-Riders" - was never a primary required during the project.
In March 1959, the first of the manned Snarks, the RF-62 "Megasnark" was completed and did its first flights. Flight characteristics were ok, however the high-nose flight profile of the Megasnark did not provide a good view for the Snark-Rider.
Three RF-62 were build which made a total of 26 flights. Most of the flights ended with successful belly landings, but in three of flights the Snark-Riders had to parachute and the aircraft were destroyed.
After this no more of those vehicles were build and Lt.Col S.Cratch left the Airforce, being upset that his great idea of the "Snarknado" was not carried out.
The model shows the first RF-62 Magasnark before its first flight in March 1959.
This is a 1982 re-release of the old Revell model of the Sm-62 Snark, produced in the 1950s. Scale of the model is 1/81, so it fits to other 1/72 kits. The cockpit was taken by a Heller P51 kit, besides this the model was build without any additional parts.
Painted with Revell Aqua-Color, it uses the original decals plus a few additional ones from the spare part box.
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