WV-2 (EC-121) Willie Victor

WV-2 Willie Victor airplane model.  The RC-121 Warning Star was commissioned in 1955 and retired from the US Air Force Reserve by 1978. It was a trailblazer in Airborne Early Warning and Control systems, utilized for fleet coverage, extending the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line, supporting the Apollo Space Program, and coordinating military forces. The Lockheed Warning Star also served as a testbed for experimental radar and electronic equipment throughout its operational life. In a historic event of October 1967, a USAF RC/EC-121, while patrolling the Tonkin Gulf near North Vietnam, directed a US fighter jet to successfully intercept a VNAF Mig-21. This marked the first time an airborne controller orchestrated a successful combat engagement, paving the way for future advancements in AEW&C. The initial US Navy versions were known as WV-2 and WV-3. During the Vietnam War, the Air Force's Warning Stars functioned as electronic sensor monitors and precursors to the E-3 Sentry AWACS. Air Force crews affectionately dubbed it "Connie." The model is crafted from mahogany wood, at a scale of 1/72, with a wingspan of 20 1/4 inches and a length of 19 1/2 inches.