Academy 12637 USAF EC-121 Warning Star, ca.1950s-70s 1:144 Scale Plastic Model Kit

The Cold War Watchdog: The Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star was a military aircraft crucial for both the U.S. Navy and Air Force during the Cold War. Based on the civilian Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation airliner, it served as an airborne early warning and control system.

Spotting Threats from Above: Nicknamed "Connie" by Air Force crews and "Willie Victor" by Navy personnel (after the type's original "WV" designation), the Warning Star's most recognisable feature was its two large radar domes. The vertical radome on the top of the fuselage and the horizontal radome under the fuselage housed powerful radar systems. These allowed the aircraft to detect enemy aircraft at long ranges, extending the reach of ground-based radar systems like the Distant Early Warning Line. Besides early warning, the EC-121 was an excellent gatherer of electronic signals intelligence (SIGINT).