I’m told the Hasegawa F-16C kit may have them. But does anyone have a spare or know of an inexpensive kit that would have this part in 1:48? Tried over ont eh stealth group build and haven’t gotten any replies yet, so figured I’d try here as well.
Can’t seem to turn up any photos online just now either darn it all.
any help or leads for a plastic or resin piece would be most appreciated!
Bri~
How many do you need? I have several floating around in my spare parts collection.
Hey Bri.
If I am not mistaken. The travel pod you are talking about is nothing more than the older (Vietnam era) napalm canister. The Monogram A-37 has them.
uilleann;
Chopperfan is correct that the travel pods where converted Napalm cannisters, if you can find a kit that has Napalm bombs then all you have to do is cut the front halves off and glue them together and scribe the access panel and wella you got youself an offical travel pod,
There are a number of purpose-built personal travel pods, some built for specific types. I have seen one being loaded into the bomb bay of an F-117. It was black, of course, only quite glossy. It was shaped like a short napalm cannister, a cylinder, but on both ends, there was an abrupt angle starting about a fourth of the way from the end and tapering to a blunt, round end. I’ve seen them in what I believe to be the exact shape and size on the inboard pylons of older Phantoms, and painted in gloss ADC gray.
The oddest personal travel container I ever saw was on an FB-111A. One of these magnificent birds flew into Rebel Field in Harlingen, TX, for the annual Confederate Air Force air show. They made a couple of really, and I mean not quite legally REALLY high speed passes, made a beautiful 360 overheard pattern, and the pilot set her down as smooth as a baby’s bottom. After the craft was parked, I started poking around it, which I can’t resist. It was the day before the show opened and there was no one around but ramp rats and museum personnel. So I had the plane all to myself. I stuck my head up into the bomb bay (I guess that’s what it was, since it was, as far as I know, like the Thud, never used for that purpose in the real world). But inside that large opening in front of the main gear was installed a large, square pallet, and on top of that was a white wooden box, about the size of two large suitcases, with red lettering telling what model no. it was and that it was a personal equipment carrier. It was held down, as I recall, by webbing straps and the associated hardware just like cargo on a pallet in the back of a C-130 in miniature. I doubt, however, there was another plane that carried personal belongings around that way.
Oh, and that reminds me: my father’s B-47 wing rotated back and forth every six weeks between our home at Chennault AFB in Lake Charles, LA, and Fairford RAFB in England. The B-47s very often flew with nuclear weapons, this being the hottest part of the cold war and they never knew if they might get diverted mid-flight to a target, so they didn’t go far from base unarmed. But somehow Dad’s and the other crews always found spaces in those cramped aircraft, often in the bomb bays, to bring back beer (which they quickly learned would explode if not carried in pressurized part of the plane), British antiques for my mother, and great English toys and candy for me and my siblings. We loved it when we’d be lined up along the fence with the other families as the wing roared in, one plane after another trailing that huge braking 'chute, wondering what daddy brought us back from Europe this time. Mostly though, they packed those aircraft with what was then “exotic” beers, like Tuborg. But I often wonder how many radioactive toys I played with as a small child.
Tom
PS: I think you can’t go wrong with the late model napalm cannister, though it may be longer than a travel pod, and the pod has that door on the side, so if you’re picky, scribe it in. Look for photos of birds sitting static at air shows, because many of them will be hung with that piece of “external ordnance.”
I found one and a half in my spare parts. Drop me an e mail with your name and address and i’ll have one set of them in the mail before the weekend.
Thanks all - email sent. 
Brian
The part was mailed this morning at the local post office. You should get it early next week. No charge for the part. Just remember other members that may need something you have someday.
uileann: is this the type of baggage pod your looking for?
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=408455&WxsIERv=Tm9ydGhyb3AgQVQtMzggVGFsb24%3D&WdsYXMg=VVNBIC0gQWlyIEZvcmNl&QtODMg=TG9uZG9uIChZWFUgLyBDWVhVKQ%3D%3D&ERDLTkt=Q2FuYWRhIC0gT250YXJpbw%3D%3D&ktODMp=SnVuZSAxOTk3&BP=1&WNEb25u=RGVuIFBhc2NvZQ%3D%3D&xsIERvdWdsY=NjA1NzI%3D&MgTUQtODMgKE=&YXMgTUQtODMgKERD=Nzgz&NEb25uZWxs=MjAwMy0wOC0yNA%3D%3D&ODJ9dvCE=UkE%3D&O89Dcjdg=&static=yes&size=L
I have swords 1/48 T-38 but its bare underneath and I wanted to add a travel pod but didnt know I could simulate it with parts from another kit. Im hoping this is not a T-38 type specific pod.
The photograph shows the standard travel pod used by most aircraft. As was explained above, it is nothing more than un finned BLU/27 nape tank. A door was cut into the sides and hinged to allow the air crew to put their luggage into it. It also carried the aircraft safety equipment when deployed.
Bernie, now of any kits of the top of your head that would have one of these BLU/27 canisters in 1/48? and other than chopping the fins and scribing a panel door would I have to change anything else?
The only ones I know of is the AT-37 by Monogram. I think there was a A-10 kit in 1/48 that also had them. Hasagawa weapons kit # X-48-1, Weapons Kit A also has two of them. All of these are the fined type, the most common used after 1966.
To make a travel pod, just remove the fins, add a tail cone. Cut, file and sand the tail cone to look just like the front end. Scribe in a door on one side and you will have a travel pod.