Atlantis 1/40 Nike Hercules
I wanted to find something a little different to build for the "Imperial German Air Service / Luftwaffe Group Build May 1st, 1910, to Present Day", and I discovered the Nike Hercules (MIM-14) surface-to-air missile was used by the Luftwaffe. Problem solved. This is the recently released Atlantis version of the Revell kit that was originally released in 1957. The kit was fun to build, and was completed in just 3 days. Luftwaffe decals came from my spares, and the stencils on the first stage come from my model railroad decals. If you want more info on either the missile or the build, please drop in to the article in "groups". Everyone stay safe.
Nice build, came out looking great! Every now and then we ride into Sandy Hook NJ, Fort Handcock which used to be a Nike launch base many years ago. https://nikemissile.org/sandyhook.shtml
Thanks, Bob (@v1pro). My last assignment in the Air Force was at McGuire, and we lived in Lumberton, which was also a Nike Hercules site.
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Looks great! Nice to see one built .A relic of the cold war, I remember climbing on one at an open house back in sixties at Fort Totten NY, I think it was from the site at Fort Tilden in the Rockaways. Here's one that I did awhile back.
1 attached image. Click to enlarge.
Nice to see something a little different in this group build, George, definitely liked.
Thanks, Robert (@roofrat) and George (@chinesegeorge). Robert, your build certainly looks like it is from the same heritage as mine. Nice pose for the outside photo.
It was a Revell History makers boxing from the '80s I might want to find a Nike Ajax now.@gblair
I also want to do a Nike Ajax, Robert (@roofrat). I have two kits of the Ajax, and I plan to put them together into a battery of two missiles. They are all boxed up in storage until we move to our new house, so they will have to wait for a while.
Nice build, my friend @gblair!
We used the same weapon in Greece til recently, might be a good idea to grab one and build with Greek insignia!
Great build and defintely something different, George @gblair
We had those stationed in the Netherlands as well and I remember those were impressive when standing next to them.
Nicely done George and she brings back memories of seeing them while stationed next to a site in Germany in the 70's. In fact, I served with an officer that was Nike trained but in the Army's infinite wisdom sent him to my Chaparral/Vulcan unit. Go figure, anyway she looks great for a kit that was issued so long ago.
Thanks for the kind comments, Spiros (@fiveten), John (@johnb), and Tom (@tom-bebout). While I was searching for photos and info on this Nike Hercules, I did find some info on the missilies in both Greece and the Netherlands. Photos are a little scare, so you need to do some searching to find some good, clear pictures. New assignments often worked the same in the Air Force, Tom.
That’s really cool, George. I remember those on the lakefront growing up in Chicago.
Thanks, John (@j-healy) When I was researching paint schemes, I was surprised by how many launch sites there were across the US, and how long the missile was actually an active part of our air defense.
Very cool indeed George! Thanks @gblair for sharing! 🙂
That is one menacing projectile! Well done.
Thanks, Gary (@garybrantley) and Greg (@gkittinger). Old Revell and Monogram kits still make really nice models.
George, @gblair
This is a great looking model, and it reminds me of my days stationed at Ft. Bliss. As you and Tom Bebout @tom-bebout
know, they trained Army Air Defense recruits there, and going from memory one of these very well could have been positioned as a display just outside of the 11th ADA HQ. I remember seeing one or possibly two of these when I was stationed there, but it has been so long ago, it's hard to remember exactly where they might have been. Maybe you guys could chime in and set the record straight for me. Thanks
Please accept my apologies for not commenting sooner, as this one almost slipped under my old radar in the Luftwaffe GB. Thank you very much for everything, and I will get cracking on the 1/48 Monogram Ju-52 as soon as I get the magnifying light delivered.
Thanks, Louis (@lgardner), I know you have had a lot going on. My dad was retired from the army, so we used to go to Ft Bliss all the time. I remember seeing both Nike Ajax and Nike Hercules whenever we went. For at least part of the time, they were still an active part of ADA. I also remember in the late 1950s, that Biggs AAF was an Air Force Base with B-36s. Cheers.