Ok, so I finally got some time and nerve to sit down and start working on this monster. The Kit itself is turning out to be a royal pain in the[censored]
This could be due to my lack of modeling skills and Im sure a more talented modeler could make better work out of this. Ive put off really getting started on this thing because Im haveing a hard time finding some of the model supplies Id like to have but slowly and surely Im finding what I want or substitutes.
Also good detailed reference pics are kinda slim. This is AMT’s 1/72
AC-130H. The details on it are pretty good, recessed panel lines and all. Some of the construction is very confusing and the instructions dont help. If it wasnt for an already small amount of knowledge about this bird and I followed the instructions I would have made some pretty bad mistakes. particularly with the radar tracking sensor. Any building this kit should look at the size of the sensors and where they’re placed i.e. the one beneath the cockpit and inbetween the howitzers on the rear fuselage. These two peices are misnumber on the instructions and the picture on the instruction doesnt even match the peice. The clear cockpit cover so far has proven to be the most time consuming. The is the part that ruins most of my models. In the past I have always hand painted these pieces and while Ive taken pride in the fact that Ive gotten good at painting just the frames Ive never masked a canopy so I could attach it, sand, fill and Airbrush. So Ive always had that glaring seem in my models where that canopy meets the fusalage. The is my first attempt to mask and it took my more than an hour with scotch tape and an exacto knife putting the tape on and carefully cutting out the window without damaging the plastic underneath. I couldnt think of a better way to do this and I hope it works out.
The window ports on the fuselage, many of the were too small and had to be enlarge. I guess this is a good thing as Id rather have the port too small than too big .The cargo deck went together without problems. Here the model really lacks in detail and accuracy. The control center (the big box in the center of the floor) is actually supposed to be mounted off center to the starboard side but the instructions and modeling will only allow you to mount it dead center without some cutting. The mini guns on this thing could be better too but hopefully some detailing and weathering can hide the lack of detail.
As soon as I get more done on this thing Ill post more pics. In the meantime, http://forum.alanger.us.alanger.us/album_page.php?pic_id=139 http://forum.alanger.us.alanger.us/album_page.php?pic_id=138 http://forum.alanger.us.alanger.us/album_page.php?pic_id=137 http://forum.alanger.us.alanger.us/album_page.php?pic_id=136
Comments and especially tips would be gratefully appreciated
Looking good. But I see one problem. Now Im not a big AC-130 expert but I do have abook about it, and I have actualy seen one in real life, YEAH.
To the best of my knowledge, I haven’t seen a version with the 40mm Bofors gun mounted to the rear, it has always been the 105mm howitzer that has been in the rear position with the 40mm next too it.
Have a look at these pics to see what I mean, and please correct me if im wrong.
One more inaccuracy where the instructions produce an inaccurate model…[banghead] now lets see if I can fix it. I saw this earlier and thought it didnt look right. Gonna do a little more research before I break it apart though, especialy since the aircraft pictured in above is the AC-130U Model and Im builing the H versoin. Those pics are great. They come from your book? and do you have any more you’d like to share ot title and publishing company so I can get my own would be great???
Once again, thanks for pointing that out. Better now than after I glued the fusalage together.
OK the pics I took myself, and I have ALOT more, but some of them are very crowded.
the book is from Squadron signal, and covers all the AC-130 versions, and the C-47 versions and the Flying box car versions. A great book. In all the pics in the book the guns are in that configuration. Well on all the versions that have the 105 mm and the 40 mm.
I could be wrong, but I think you’re talking about the differences between the AC-130H and the AC-130U. It is, after all, the third encarnation of the C-130 gunship.
BTW, I know a few guys who’ve seen this thing at work in Afghanistan. They basically enter a rather larger turn-around-a-point (basic private pilot maneuver), the point being their target. By the time they’re done firing on whatever it is they’re firing on, there is very little left but torn up chunks of scrap metal.
Monrad, those pics are great. They’le go a long towards helping me detail my bird, especial since I plan on displaying it on the ramp with the rear deck lowered.
an update on the build, I just experienced my first operator error with this build. I have assembeled and started painting the external fuel tanks. Ive done a base coat of chrome silver so after applying the gunship grey I can sand of some for weathering. Well after applying the grey to one of the tanks it jumped out of the clothes pin that was holding it and ruined the paint job. I tried to wipe off the wet paint in hopes that I could start over. To help clean it up I poured some paint cleaner over it. I dont know what this did but the effect was devastating. It made the plastinc sticky and when it dried it looked like I had handled the plastic with cement all over my fingers…[banghead]
So Ive spent the last 2hrs sanding it down and rescribing the panel lines. Ive laid down my second coat of chrone which does an excelent job of showing my poor sanding skills. Im hoping that this plus the coat of grey will cover up the scratches… keeping my fingers crossed.
Monrad, your right… sad thing is I’ve already built this plane in the same scale just the airfix kit and that one has them mounted right. Ive already pryed the cannons off and relocated them. Thanks for the heads up. I probably wouldn’t have caught this if you hadn’t said something.
but then thats why Im doing this inprogress thing so I can get help and Ideas [:)]
I could be wrong but I believe the “gatling guns” on the AC-130 are Vulcan cannons such as those used on the F-14, F-15, F-16, etc and they are 20mm not 25mm.
I can see why. If all of the weapons on the AC-130 are brought online at the same time it has a combined firing rate of over 17,000 rounds per minute. [:0]
As the gunner on the chopper in Full Metal Jacket said, “Get some baby!” [(-D]
So did I think. Now I know the Vulcan cannons, I work with F-16s every day, and I can tell you its not a vulcan. This baby have 5 barrels and not 6 like the vulcans. The AC-130 H had the 20mm vulcan, well it had 2. But I asked the crew about this one because I could see that it was different, and they said " its a 25 mm cannon, and it fires 1800 rounds per minute." thats the words from the crew.
Thanks for the information.
That shows you how little I know. [:D]
So the AC-130H is the one I am thinking about then.
What model is the one you posted the pictures of?
Is that the AC-130U?
I love the Spectre by the way. It is very cool. [8D]
Definitely 25 mm, Mike.
I have some spent shell casings from an AC-130U that was flying over Fort Chaffee, just outside of Fort Smith, AR. As you know, my son is a crew chief on an F-16C and when the Spectre landed, the crew was sweeping the casings out the back and asked the guys if they wanted any. He got me some 25s, some 40s with their stripper clip and a 105!! I was in hog heaven. [:D]
