E-3 Sentry

Boeing E-3 Sentry model. The E-3 Sentry is an airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft that provides all-weather surveillance, command, control, and communications necessary for the commanders of U.S. and NATO air defense forces. Demonstrated in operations such as Desert Storm and Operation Allied Force, it stands as the world's foremost air battle command and control aircraft.

The E-3 Sentry is a modified Boeing 707/320 commercial airframe with a rotating radar dome. This dome, 30 feet (9.1 meters) in diameter and six feet (1.8 meters) thick, is mounted 11 feet (3.3 meters) above the fuselage on two struts. It houses a million-watt Doppler Radar System that enables surveillance from the Earth's surface to the stratosphere, over both land and water. The radar's range exceeds 200 miles (320 kilometers) for low-flying targets and extends further for aerospace vehicles at medium to high altitudes. With an identification friend or foe subsystem, the radar can look down to detect, identify, and track both enemy and friendly low-flying aircraft, eliminating the ground clutter returns that other radar systems often find confusing.

Mahogany Wood. Scale: 1/100. Wingspan 17 1/2 inches, Length 18 1/2 inches.