It’s been far too long since I’ve built a Herc. I’ve had this kit sitting around in the stash since sometime in 2016, so its time to finally tackle it. I can never have enough Herc’s in my living room![:D]
Box is marked at Testors, but it’s Italeri’s kit. I’ve built enough of them to recognize it, and it says Italeri right on it, lol.
Only thing accomplished thus far is the front landing gear assembely. Tomorrow I’ll be flipping it over and working on the cockpit. Not accurate I’m sure, but I couldn’t find any pics of the landing gear bays online. I assume they really don’t let anyone get that close to it.
Fat Albert is one of the neatest looking C-130s flying. I also look forward to this build. The C130 began its production in the early 1950s (1953 IIRC) and many are still flying today. She joins the B-52, The C-47 (many are stil on active duty), the A-4, T-33s and very few others. The F-14, F-4, and many others are out of service.
The Blue Angles will be the main attraction at the Thunder Over Michigan air show this year and Fat Albert will do her part in the show.
I have the same kit and it too been in the stash longer than I can remember.
I spent a lot time up in the wheel wells of Marine KC-130’s. It was something I never thought to photograph. There was a black radome anti-icing duct that ran along the upper right side then across the nose section panel. On Air Force C-130’s, the LOX tank also sits on the R/H side.
I wouldn’t bother detailing the nose wheel well, with the kit sitting on it’s gear, nothing would be visible anyways. Same with the MLG WW’s unless you were to raise the upper gear doors, which were pinned up for maintenance access.
Jay Jay, if it builds up like all the other Italeri C-130 kits, then it should build up pretty nice. Only thing I am worried about is the decals, they seem to have yellowed a bit, and I’m concerend about the paint matching. Time will tell.
rangerj, Herc’s are my favorite plane of all time, I love every single one of them, lol. Sadly I’ve never seen an F-14 or F-4 flying person, and it sucks I never will. We are having Thunder of Niagara here this year, but we have the Thunderbirds, the Canadian Snowbirds, and the F-22 Raptor demo team. I don’t think the Blue Angels have been here since roughly 2007. Thank you!
Archangel Shooter, I like taking the time to detail stuff, that way it takes me a little longer to get through a kit. Sometimes I have a problem completeing them in record speed, lol.
goldhammer, yes I’m sure they will! Im going to be spending a lot of time sanding things, get them as smooth as possible. I was even thinking about re-scribing panel lines, since I got the tool for it now. I’m not sure if I want to use this build as a guinea pig though.
Spent the afternoon working on the cockpit area. It’s not highly detailed or weathered, you won’t really see it anyway.
Before I close things up.
Where I’ve left of for now. Need a break, can’t sit at my bench for that long, lol.
K, there is an F-4D in private hands that is doing the air show circuit. It is painted in the markings of Col. Robin Olds’ Viet Nam F-4. The original aircraft is at the USAF Museum.
An F-4 with both J-79s in full afterburner is an impressive sight! I have spent a lot of time in a C-130 and jumped out of them on numerous occassions. She is a great old bird.
Thanks Hunter! I’m in the for the long haul now, hell has frozen over, lol. Seriously though we have -20 to -30 degree windchills for the next few days.[:|]
GMorrison, I was thinking about doing that, but my luck it will fade the blue. I may even just paint the yellow stripe on and just not use those decals. See what happens when I cross that bridge.
rangerj, Maybe I’ll get lucky and he’ll come to the Thunder of Niagara this year, I’ll keep my fingers crossed! I’ve been aboard a Herc, but only while it was sitting in the hanger. I’ve had them fly over my head several dozen times while they were still stationed here, but never in one while it was flying.
Dang!! I am in 16 inches of snow at it’s no where near that cold here. I hope you have a lot of fire wood. I bet you have “cabin fever” by the time spring rolls around.
OK, K. I’m in no position to be giving you advice, but I will anyhow. Whether or not you use the decals or paint, paint the stripe white and then mask it to go with the blue.
Then decal, or mask back the other way.
I don’t think the blue will fade. The yellow os the acid in the paper attacking the glue; it will go away.
Keyda, One morning at Bike Week in Daytona Beach I had breakfast with a gentleman who had recently retired from the Air Force. His job after pilot training? Flying C-130s. His job for thirty years in the USAF? Flying C-130s. Needless to say, he enjoyed the airplane and everything it could do.
Many years ago, when the city of Kissimmee still had their annual airshow, the Blue Angels were the highlight act of the show. Fat Albert always performed a few fly-bys for us. This is back when the Blues were flying A-4 Skyhawks. Always quite a show!
Hunter, cabin fever usually sets in around February for me. I hate winter. I wish I could sleep through it like the bears do!
GMorrison, I appreciate the advice. I’m still learning as I go. Trial and error thing with me, lol. So any advice is always welcome!
jeaton, thanks for the pics! I noticed that is a newer Herc than what my kit represents. They also painted it wrong, if you look at the box the middle section of the fuselage between the wings is blue, and it should be white, lol.
fotofrank, What’s not to love about the C-130! I just feel like I grew up with them in a way. They were stationed at the local air base from 1971-2017. Hopefully one of these days the Blue Angels will come to Thunder of Niagara again. Fingers crossed!
Got the wings and stabilizers glued on.
Decided to just throw a coat of primer on after masking everything off to see how much work was going to need to be done. Quite a bit, lol.
Doesn’t look bad in the first pic, but get a bit closer…
I’ll be doing a lot of sanding tomorrow. Question for those of you that re scribe panel lines, how exactly do you go about that? One side at a time so you have reference after sanding them off? Or just small sections at a time? I’m still considering re-scribing the panel lines on this. I know I’m going to sand them right off when I work on the seams.
You haven’t missed much by not being airborne in the cargo hold of one. Rode one in '75 from Shaw AFB, SC to Birmingham with a load of ECM pods and gear for an exercise involving the Guard Phantoms there. Like being inside a washing machine full of boots.
Once we got the pods loaded, the time was ours, so we spent it teaching the guys how to fix equipment, order parts, schedule, etc., and tried to get as many of their bird’s ECM systems back up and running. Have to say, a bunch of eager guys, they all came in on their evenings (own time) to learn.
Think we got the same tail number on the way back as well…
Funny story about when we came home with two pods less than we left with, classified material you know. Bird broke and was at Keesler, MS. Had to send one of Shaw’s birds down to bring them back, and they had no equipment to transfer them except for the ECM classes, using raw manpower. We got one of them, had a real good laugh when we showed him how to actually load pods. He thought it was all done by hand.
Looking nice so far, waiting on paint, and know you are going to knock it out of sight.
Keyda, if you don’t want to rescribe the whole model,it’s not too difficult to restore the raised panel lines using Mr. Surfacer 1000 or some other thick paint. Simply apply a strip of tape on each side of the raised panel line forming a very thin/small gap ,the width of the original panel line ,and fill it in with the paint. Remove the tape after about 20 minutes and the raised surface will magically appear.
Thanks for the story goldhammer! I have heard that weren’t the most comfortable planes to fly in, lol. If I manage I’m going to try and scrounge up the money to take a ride in “Whiskey 7” this summer. It’s a C-47 Skytain owned by the National Warplane musuem in Geneseo.
GMorrison, From what I hear none of the cargo planes are all that much fun to fly in, lol.
Jay Jay, After looking at more photos of Fat Albert I might just sand off the panel lines all together, and not bother rescribing. The panel lines are not very visible on Fat Albert, so I think re-scribing isn’t the greatest idea. I think I will just sand them down so they aren’t so visible, and try to get a nice smooth surface for the gloss paint. I’m probably going to be sanding for days!
