NASA MQ-9 Reaper

In November 2006 NASA acquired a General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9 Predator B unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to support Earth science missions and advanced aeronautical technology. The aircraft was named Ikhana, a Native American Choctaw word meaning intelligent or aware.
From 2007 to 2009 Ikhana participated in the Western States Fire Mission that showed the advantages of wildfire imaging and mapping capabilities from sophisticated sensor and real-time data communications equipment for firefighting.
The modified MQ-9 carried sensors capable of real-time peering through thick smoke and haze to record hot spots and the progression of wildfires over long periods thus assisting firefighting commanders.
As a NASA and drone fan, this one was a must. I picked up Skunkmodels 1:48 MQ-9 kit and added a SAC metal undercarriage and Caracal decal set. As the Ikhana flew as a collaboration with the US Department of Agriculture, I printed my own DOA decals. It is a straightforward build, but the kit provides only for a combat version, so I had to do some modifications to turning it in Ikhana. Besides removing an antenna, the main issue was to fill up the cavity for the optical gymbal. It is a heavy tail sitter but the bulbous nose provides a lot of space to add weights plus the metal undercarriage. The fit is decent and I used minimal filler putty. I painted the entire model with Tamiya White gloss spray paint and added the decals that went easy and responded well to Solvaset. Three layers of Tamiya gloss clear and that was it. Again, not my best work as I battle white gloss finishes but it was fun and a nice addition to my drone collection!