1:72 MN ANG C-130H

Modeling Subjects Aircraft
1

Well, I am new to the forum and new to the process of Documenting a build, and come to think of it, I am new to airbrushing as well. So this will be an interesting learning process.

About my build. As a former ECM technician and partial crew chief I have been longing to do C-130H build for several years, but only now do I feel that my technique and ability is at the level to do myself and my unit justice. The base kit is Italeri’s 1:72 C-130E/H Hercules, but will require extensive modifications. In store are Eduards Interiorer, Exterior, and Cargo Floor photo-etched detail kits, Engines & Things Allison T-56-A-15 engine nacelles, 1:72 RBF tags, Paragon Deisigns Wheels with Flattened Bottoms, and if I can find them: Aeroclub Propellers. I have also started emailing companies to price out custom decals to make this an accurate Minnesota Air National Guard C-130H, to be used in conjunction with Draw Decals for Idaho ANG.

In addition to the Above mentioned kits I am planning on doing a great deal of exterior modification to make the model more accurate, including Flare Buckets, ECM Infrared and Radar censors, and depending on how well I can scratch build these items, possibly the LAIRCM system. Not to mention filling in certain air intakes on the model and correcting the APU details.

And when all is said and done it will be sitting on a custom built diorama display complete with 1:72 ground crew figures, load, maintenance vehicles, and AGE equipment. I already bought the Hasegawa 1:72 ground crew and AGE equipment, but I may use some of it to scratch build a more accurate cart generator. We will see how things go once I am closer to that point in the build.

Clearly this is an ambitious build, so don’t expect progress to get cranked out over night. There will be as much detail work going into this as possible. To start here are the photos of the basic model, hopefully tomorrow the sanding begins.

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The Kit

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The Work Station

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Need to build Pylon Flare Dispensers

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And Armpit Flare Dispenspers

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And Nose Flare Dispensers (and Tail Flare Dispensers)

[View:/themes/fsm/utility/Photobucket:550:0]

And Need to build ECM Sensors

[View:/themes/fsm/utility/Photobucket:550:0]

Need to Change the windows on the rear paratroop doors to be rectangle

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And lastly I need those new engine nacelles. Its obvious that these are much shorter than they need to be.

This will surely be a long, long build. Thanks for reading.

-SSgt Gray.

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It seems like you have undertaken a very ambitious project for your first build. It is always nice when someone has extensive personal knowlege of a plane to make an accurate model. Best wishes on the build and welcome to the forum.

Darwin, O.F. [aln]

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[snWcm] wellcome to the forum!!

Seems that you planned an epic work but surely you have the most important thing that you need: direct references about the plane and all details of it [:D]

But this will your first model?

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[snWcm] to the forum. will be watching the build.

Ron

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Welcome to the forums! I will be following this build with child like anticipation[t$t]

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Well, work has started and so far it is going as well as could be hoped. the armpit flare dispensers opening are cut and mockups have been built out of styrene. I have to do a little more sanding on the new openings as well as make some modifications to my new styrene flares to get them to fit properly with the main landing gear wells. I will post pictures once photobucket gets up and running.

I write today, however, seeking some advice. I am at a major crossroads in discovering a glaring error with the body of the kit (or maybe I am making mountains out of molehills). As I mentioned in my first post, the engine nacelles of the original kit are for the older basic T56 engine, not the updated T56-A-15 engines used now. I have found the proper resin nocelles that are accurate and will extend the engines true to real life. The major issue is that the fuselage of the kit is more for the E model Hercules, and the fairing for the wheel wells do not protrude nearly far enough forward for newer H models. Again, i will demostrate this as soon as photobucket is working for me again, you can however just google image search both C-130E and C-130H and see what I am talking about, alot of the H models have longer wheel well fairings. When comparing the model with reference photos of my specific bird it is quite noticeable. Haha, in fact it looks like the kit is a long body just because of the gap between the crew door and the start of the fairings is so big.

Where this issue leaves me is with a crucial decision. Do I try to sculpt an addition to the main landing gear wheel wells in order to make the model true, or do I cut my losses and press on, leaving the mistake as is. I have been building models for year, and having graduated with a degree in Architecture, I have done my fare share of scratch model building as well. However, I am afraid that my skill level is only good enough to handle the minor changes, such as the flare dispensers. I don’t know if I, or most modelers, could significantly alter the shape of the aircraft without butchering it. I think armed with just some styrene, modeling putty, and plastic spoons (my initial idea to try to get the curvature of the fairing) I would to more damage than good.

So I come to you asking for advice. How would you procede with this issue? Any help and insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading.

-SSgt Gray.

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Crisis averted. After much, much searching I managed to find a small company in australia that makes the conversion kit for the longer Sponsons (as they are called). So I continue as planned.

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What company is it sarge?

I am an H-1 pilot at started my first Italeri build while at Little Rock in 2001. I gave up on modifying the gear well, adding the additional H AC unit on the side and lengthening the engines. Seemed too much work and I was SURE an updated kit would come out. Alas the J model, which is Italeri’s E model with new props, DOH [:(]

As such the plane sits 90% done since 2001, I’ve been a little busy since then, but I am ready to go and finish it soon. I had custom DYESS decals made for my plane and will post when it gets done.

I teach T-44s to students going to Herks right now, quite a few MN studs have come through, good unit.

Here are some of my OEF OIF photos for non Herk guys to see what we mean on the AC unit and gear/engine problems.

!(http://photos.imageevent.com/remy1492/oif/iraq/iraq3/websize/Rem-Photo-7jun05-bah-Daf-Masirah 069L.jpg)

!(http://photos.imageevent.com/remy1492/oif/iraq/iraq3/websize/Rem-Photo-7jun05-bah-Daf-Masirah 072L.jpg)

!(http://photos.imageevent.com/remy1492/oef/k2/k2b/websize/PictureJan-14-02 101.jpg)

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edit, double tap.