Happy Thanksgiving everybody! I hope everyone had more than their share of turkey.
I would like to build a 1/48 scale C-130B. Is it possible to convert the Italeri CH-130J to a C-130B?
Ken
A couple things youi will have to take care of are:
The engines were different and the nacelles would have a different length/shape with possibly some different vents or intakes.
The left side had a cargo door just aft of teh crew entrance door which made yoiur window placement different.
There may have been a different fuselage length.
The buldges for the landing gear are different in shape and length and vent/intake placement will change.
The propellers may be different.
No pylon tanks on the “B”.
There may or may not be a slightly different radome.
There may be other thingsI have missed. I’m not an expert on the Herk, my wife was the crewchief. Check around a bit and maybe someone will have a bit more knowledge than I do. I was a cop. I would watch them from time to time and ride in them when I had to.
Thanks ikar01 for the response. Italeri made a 1/48 C-130E/H kit. Would this kit be closer to the C-130B?
It would be a much better start. I think the nacelles actually may be correct for a B, I’ve heard they are short for an E/H. Same props. Same fuselage length, but then so is the J so long as it is not the long -30 type. There was also a C-130-20 that was longer but never fear no one has released a kit of any of those.
Thank you jeaton01. Now I will start the hunt for a Italeri C-130E/H kit. Wish me luck!
Ken
Actually look around for their AC-130A…it is even closer and it does come with the plugs to fill the openings for the weapons. You might have to source four bladed props, but they might also come with the kit as this kit shares many sprues used with the H model.
Thank you very much for that information. I really do appreciate it.
Ken
Another obvious difference between the A and B model Hercs is the round, porthole like windows in the forward fuselage. The A model had 4 while the B and later had only 3. If you do a google search for C-130B, you will find quite an assortment of pictures of the B as well as other models.
Darwin, O.F. [aln]
Hi Darwin,
Thank you for pointing that out! I had not noticed that. I do have a picture of a C-130B that I plan to replicate and you are correct.
Ken
Cool pics. Thank you for shaing. Here is a photo of the aircraft I plan to replicate.
Have you noticed the emblem on the empanage? It looks like a Strike Command emblem. Are you going to e able to find a couple?
Hey Ken, I’ve got a Testors E/H kit (which I believe the Italeri kit is a re-box of) in the stash at home I think I can part with (not sure I need three 48th C-130s in the stash with so little time to build). I’ll hit you up once I’m stateside about 04 DEC.
Yes, I did notice it. If I can’t find one already made in the proper scale I plan on making my own. I have access to a very good color laser printer.
Ken
Man, I wish you had told me sooner. I just purchased one on ebay. I am sure you would have given me a better deal than what I paid for it. I really do appreciate you offering it to me.
Ken
That is the TAC, Tactical Air Command emblem. C-130 units at that time were called TAW or TAS for Tactical Airlift Wing/Squadron.
It is this shield with a lightening bolt running behind it. This emblem was standard on the tail of all TAC birds in NMF prior to painting them in SEA camo.
Darwin, O.F. [aln]
I wasn’t ware of the removal of the bolt. I thought it was a seperate command of its own that had been deactivated sometime in the past. Thanks for the update.
I saw a picture of a F-4 in the old Grey/White markings with the bolt on the tail. It was on the cover of a Air Force booklet at the recruiter’s office.
The TAC shield without the lightening bolt was used on uniform patches, desk ornaments, wall hangings, official documents, etc. For some reason, they added the lightening bolt when they put the shield on the fin of airplanes. Both disappeared along with the other high vis markings when TAC went to the green, green and brown camo for most of their airplanes during Viet Nam.
In 1992, General Tony McPuke, (excuse me, McPeak), was Air Force Chief of Staff and he was instrumental in combining SAC or Strategic Air Command and TAC. Since he was a TAC weenie all of his career, he hated SAC and everything that it stood for. He insisted the new ACC or Air Combat Command use the TAC shield with AIR COMBAT COMMAND on the banner underneath. That is the same time that MAC or Military Airlift Command became AMC or Air Mobility Command.
SAC and the “Bomber Generals” had run the USAF ever since it’s inception in 1947 up through the late 80s. General Curtis LeMay had built SAC into what is was and the rest of USAF pretty much followed suit. This of course didn’t set too well with the TAC weenies and when they finally got one of their own in as Chief of Staff, he changed EVERYTHING from uniforms to names to painting everything on the base a horrible color of brown. He changed ATC or Air Training Command to AETC or Air Education & Training Command, disbanded Air Defense Command and folded it into ACC, retired the SR-71 fleet, transferred SAC tankers to AMC, disbanded ARRS Air Rescue and Recovery Service and attached all the rescue guys to ACC units and a bunch of other changes like that.
Darwin, O.F. [aln]
When I was in the 5th F.I.S. we were under ADTAC. How and when did that happen. It must have been when we were at Kadena.
The USAAF established Air Defense Command in 1946, it was re-designated as Aerospace Defense Command in 1968 and dis-established in 1979. ADC air assets, both active duty and ANG came under control of TAC and became ADTAC or Air Defense, Tactical Air Command.
Darwin, O.F. [aln]