Killingholme Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 (edited) Hi All, I am going to enter with a US clandestine C-130A. I haven't picked an exact airframe, yet, but I only opened the box today, so I don't think I need to rush! Here's an abridged history taken from the excellent research notes created by the Air America archive at UT Dallas: http://www.utdallas.edu/library/specialcollections/hac/cataam/Leeker/aircraft/c130.pdf In late 1961, E-Flight was established within the 21st Troop Carrier Squadron / 315th Air Division at Naha, Okinawa. Unlike other C-130As of the 315th AD, the four or five E-Flight C-130As were uncamouflaged. They had very small USAF insignia, and had skate-wheel rollers installed on the cargo-compartment floor over which cheap wood pallets could be moved. That made handling easier at locations without forklifts and made it unnecessary to recover the pallets. Initially, 4 five-man Air America-crews (including a navigator) were trained to fly the C-130. From the second half of 1965 to the spring of 1971 Air America used USAF C-130As from Takhli, Thailand to fly large supplies of ammunition into "forbidden territory under cover of darkness". Those flights ended at Long Tieng, Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Sam Thong, Pakse, Savannakhet, or Saravane. In 1965 the Takhli-Long Tieng service (CIA logistic support pipeline) was opened. Since 1967 at least one of the two C-130As at Takhli flew into Laos every day; and since 69, C-130 missions from Udorn to Luang Prabang were added. When, in early 1970, the situation became too dangerous in the Plain of Jars (Laos), Air America made several refugee airlifts. Missions included the evacuation of refugees and the importation of troops along with the backhaul of critical USAID and -713 "Customer material", much of which was of a highly classified nature. In the spring of 1971, that part of the 374th TAW which had used C-130As from Naha, Okinawa, was deactivated, and the responsibility for supply flights to Laos activities shifted to the E-model wing at Ching Chuan Kang Airbase, Taiwan. As ever with these sort of missions, it isn't easy to identify individual aircraft involved, and the aircraft histories are very difficult to explain. But from a modellers' point of view the all-silver (Corroguard?) finish, usually with no markings other than a 3-digit tail code presents an easy win! In fact the challenge will be making it look interesting! The Kit: I will build the Italeri 1/72 C-130 with resin props/tanks from OZMods to backdate to an C-130A. I will drill the extra fuselage window and scribe the front cargo door, but I leave the modifications there. I will also leave the model 'buttoned up'. Anyway- a full afternoon of modeling is ahead, and I'll post some pictures later! Edited September 16, 2015 by Killingholme 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snapper_city Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 Nice. Really looking forward to this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killingholme Posted September 17, 2015 Author Share Posted September 17, 2015 (edited) I haven't started yet- Still researching. Edited September 17, 2015 by Killingholme 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cooper Posted September 24, 2015 Share Posted September 24, 2015 If you need any help with research, let me know, Holme. Albert Grandolini did plenty of research about Civil Transport and Air America and published several articles about them too (none in English, though). If anybody might know certain aircraft, then it's him. Means: can always forward your questions... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killingholme Posted September 25, 2015 Author Share Posted September 25, 2015 Hi Tom, thanks for the kind offer. I've got a couple of things to finish first, but then I'll crack on- I'm sure questions will pop up! Will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snapper_city Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 Anything come of this Will? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killingholme Posted November 3, 2015 Author Share Posted November 3, 2015 (edited) Yes and no. I started scribing the C-130A fuselage, but the Oz mods 'A' conversion was out of stock at my preferred supplier. Will certainly pile in with the build if I can get hold of the bits I need in time. Will Edited November 3, 2015 by Killingholme 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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