Being a news photographer does have it’s advantages. Recently at the Quonsett, RI Air Show I had the privlidge of going up in the Blue Angels C-130 support craft, “Fat Albert”. Needless to say it was a freaking cool time!! [8-]
Of course, being a part of something so great has prompted me to want to get a kit of the C-130 & build it as “Bert”. Can everyone recommend a good kit that I could have some fun with? I’d like something with good detail, as I’m thinking of doing some interior cargo bay details, which I don’t mind scratching. With my current build schedule, I’ll probably end up starting it in six months, but hey, it never hurts to start thinking about it early! [:D] It’ll give me a chance to start collecting stills from the tape I shot.
In 1/72 or 1/48 scale, you can’t go wrong with the Italeri kit. It has very good cockpit detail and excellent fit. Plus the rear cargo doors are positionable so there is lots of room for you to go nuts detailing.
Just checked them out. The Italeri does look pretty nice. The positionable cargo doors are a big plus! I take it you’ve built the C-130 before?
Thanks for the luck! (I think I’ll need it!) I got some pretty good video while walking around inside 'Bert, so hopefully I’ll be able to do a decent job replicating the interior. Sounds like you’ve been in few 'Hercs yourself, eh?
I would have to agree, either 1/72 or 1/48 scale, Italeri is the one for a Herk.
Saw the old Albert back in '88, was a very nice bird. I’m sure the latest Albert is just as nice…
If you need help, just ask me… I’m a former C-130 mechanic…
There’s an article on stretching a herc in July 2005, and that’s your lot as far as I can see. SAM (a UK mag) did a 1/72nd cross kitting exercise between the Airfix & Italeri (I think) kit to get an accurate version, which was in the last year. I have it somewhere, if you’re desperate. let me know & I’ll crack open the new scanner. [;)]
Actually - I’ve also got a VERY old issue of FSM detailing one of the earlier AC-130 gunship variants… probably not of much use though, as it deals mainly with version specific items.
I have the 1/48 Italeri C-130H (there’s been a few other versions kitted like an AC and a Vietnam era drone carrier). It’s a great kit, like some folks said above, and sturdy too, which is an important point for a model this size [8D]. I was waiting for a solution to stretch my Herc to make a -30 version. Seems I gotta get steppin’ towards the newsstand, huh? Thanks for the heads-up Mikeiw!
Oh, by the way, a plane that can BACK UP a lot faster than I could run is way cool in my book[^][8D].
The 1/72 italeri kit is the only one I know about. I built it and loved it . the detail is pretty good and the fit is also fairly nice. Hoping to build it again.
That concurs with what I’ve heard about it, and having got the AC-130U in my stash in 1/48th, the 1/48th kit should be pretty good. The flightpath PE update will make it even better, and some Paragon resin wheels will just crown the job.
btw - the above updates are also available in 1/72nd for the Italeri kit as far as I’m aware.
Thanks for all the thoughts, hints & pointers everyone! It looks like I’ll be getting the 1/72 Italeri, due to space limitations & a neat wall hanging idea I came up with this morning. I’ll check with my shop to see what they have.
mikeiw, if you have a spare moment, i’d sure love to have a scan of that article! Always good to have all the info you can! princeofstyrene2@charter.net
Filibert Kraxner, heck yea! And when they hit those ABS brakes, you really lurch forward! [:0] [8D]
Can anyone help me out with the URL for Paragon? I’ve Googled them & all I see are people’s pages talking about the Paragon parts they used on their kits.
I’ll bet you ten to one the writer got the ride in the F/A-18. But what I wouldn’t give to be aboard Fat Albert during a RATO takeoff. And speaking of Fat Albert kits, long ago I had the old Airfix 1:72 C-130E that came in Fat Albert markings, which have not changed much, if any, over the past 20-odd years if memory serves. Later, it bore a very striking resemblance to the Italeri C-130E model, even including the engraved tracks and rollers in the cargo bay floor.
I kept the decal sheet from the Airfix kit after using the kit itself for a presentation model of a Herk pilot’s Vietnam mount. In fact, I hung on to the sheet until it finally cracked to the point that it was flaking away, and even a good coating with the Micro-brand stuff that preserves decals did not work. But you might find this kit on eBay.
TOM
Sadly, no, I didn’t. Though that would have been the icing on the day’s cake! The most that the photogs from our station have got to ride in was 'Bert (I was the first! Our head photog was jealous! “20 years & I never got to do that!”) & in some of the stunt bi-planes. You know it’s going to be a fun day when you have to sign a release! [:D]
Actually, the Blues call it a JATO- Jet Assisted Take Off. With 8 solid fuel bottles strapped to the sides, it sure seemed like rockets to me! A 45 degree angle to 1,500 feet in 14 seconds! Two to three G’s & some Zero G… Boo Ya!!
I actually did see a couple of them on eBay, but after realizing that they were 20 years old, I thought I’d ask around here to see what everyone thought was the best kit. I may just end up having some decals custom made.
I have built several of the old Airfix kits, (it WAS about 20 years ago, now that I think about it), and they are pretty good. I have not looked closely at the Italeri kit, but someone told me it is the same kit as the Airfix. I don’t know for sure.
