E2C Hawkeye (1:120)

The Grumman E-2C Hawkeye is an American all-weather, carrier-capable tactical airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft. Designed and developed during the late 1950s and early 1960s by the Grumman Aircraft Company for the United States Navy, it was built as a replacement for the earlier piston-engined E-1 Tracer, which was rapidly becoming obsolete. The E-2 was the first aircraft designed specifically for airborne early warning, as opposed to a modification of an existing airframe. Equipped with radar capable of detecting targets anywhere within a three-million-cubic-mile surveillance envelope, the E-2C could simultaneously track more than 600 targets and control more than 40 airborne intercepts. It is best recognised by its most defining feature — a 24-foot diameter radar rotodome mounted above the fuselage — earning it the nickname "Hummer" among the crews who flew it.

Here's our version of this aircraft in 1:120 scale, made to be compatible with nano figures, or nano soldiers from Brickmini. The big challenge with this build was capturing the Hawkeye's very distinctive silhouette — that wide high-wing stance, the twin turboprops, and of course the iconic rotodome sitting on top — all at a small scale without losing the character of the real thing. The one play feature on this model is the propellers, which can spin just like the real bird spooling up on the carrier deck. Simple, but satisfying. Set it up on your display and let the Hummer keep watch over your fleet.