Jump to content

Wheel well, cockpit etc. colours for C-130K initial service scheme?


David Womby

Recommended Posts

Can anybody help me out with these detail colour questions, please?   I am building an RAF C-130K in its initial service scheme (Stone/Dark Earth/Black with a white cockpit top).

 

I am looking for colours for: the wheel wells, undercarriage legs and wheel hubs.  Were they all white?  Also, was the cockpit that yeuchy sky/green colour that the cargo area seems to have been and what colour were the cockpit seats? Did the black portion on the leading edge of the prop blades appear front and back or just front?   Were the underwing codes MSG?

 

Thanks

David

Edited by David Womby
Changed from 'delivery' to 'initial service' scheme
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If the RAAF aircraft are any indication, the wheel wells, components and wheels would've been aluminium lacquer. Flight Deck interior was a mix of light tan and the green you mentioned (I have some painting drawings somewhere). Not sure on the props (if they had painted leading edges, they'd have been on both faces) - most C-130s with Hamilton Standard 54H60 props (dash numbers varied between models and operators) had electrically heated leading edge boots at the blade roots which were black, like the blade cuffs and were almost indistinguishable from the cuff itself. The RAF ones may have had an additional de-ice boot along the leading edges - I very much doubt it was paint.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This thread might help a little,

That and looking on the web, seem to support the early aircraft at least with silver U/C and that greenish interior colour (noticeable on open crew door).

Look is like wheels went white later on.

 

I'm trying to link to a Youtube vid and failing, it shows the RAF Hercs being delivered and in the early camo scheme including on the flight deck.

Edit, link at bottom of this page, http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/blog/project-hercules/

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, folks.   I will use silver for U/C and hubs.   Probably silver for wheel wells too for simplicity.   I'm doing a 1/144 C-130 on the ground so there's very, very little of the wheel wells visible.  

Similarly, in this scale, I won't be detailing the cockpit either.  Just  want a bit of colour showing behind the coke bottle glazing!

 

Thanks again.

 

David

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, 71chally said:

Can't help with that detail, but don't forget that they were delivered to the RAF in natural metal finish.

Only a guess here, but would go with a Lockheed standard for the U/C bays and cockpit etc.

 

Yeah, a sight to behold, looked like the were chromed when the went to Marshalls of Cambridge for painting before delivery/service entry.

 

I remember that greeny/blueey colour mixed with red,sandy dust that can't be explained  was used throughout the structure. Wheels are dirty from day one, dirt colour is king ! Starting off as White or light grey probably. I was an Airframe Inspector at Marshalls in Oct 86 on Hercs Ex Operation Bushell or Bushel ( Ethiopian famine relief) repairs from rough landing strips. Replacing all Belly skins and support structure,stiffeners etc. from nosewheel back . Loads of greeny /Blueey mess.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 25/03/2017 at 6:10 PM, David Womby said:

   Were the underwing codes MSG?

 

Not sure anyone has answered this bit.  Airfix Magazine for Nov 1967 has (p.88) thorough details and drawings by MJF Bowyer (text) and AM Alderson, of the paint scheme as applied to the first Hercules to reach the RAF, drawn up with the cooperation of RAF Air Support Command and Marshalls and based on study of XV191 of 36 Sq in August 1967.  (The first RAF aircraft reached Cambridge on 19 Dec 1966 in natural finish but wearing RAF roundels and fin flash.  This aircraft (XV177) flew in camouflage for the first time on the morning of 18 Feb 1967.)  

 

The underwing serials are in characters 36" high, 22.5" wide and 4.5" stroke with 3" spacing and are Light Grey (unfortunately not further specified).  I'd be inclined to go for Light Aircraft Grey as a colour in widespread use at the time.  The underwing roundel (starboard only) is blue/red, 54/27" diameter

 

I'm sure you already know that the Stone is Light Stone, not WW2 Mid Stone.  Note that the pattern is identical on all 4 engine nacelles and also on both droptanks.  Upper surface colours wrap 6" round the leading edges of main- and tailplanes.  The upper/lower demarcation line on fuselage, nacelles and tanks is at the 60 degree tangent.

 

There's loads of other stuff on sizes, colours and proportions of markings which I'm too lazy to type out: drop me a PM if interested further.

 

The info and drawings were repeated in the Feb 1970 issue where it was pointed out that, in one of the first modifications made to the aircraft, a plain hatch had been substituted for the astrodome and also that in the closing weeks of 1969 aircraft acquired white "last 3s" on either side of the nose and above the fin flash.  

 

No info whatsoever given on interior colours or undercarriage and no info on props beyond that they had 6" tips in Golden Yellow (as opposed to the walkway markings (0.75" dots on approx 24" pitch) which were in Canary Yellow).

 

Amazing how much hard fact there is densely crammed into just a couple of pages of these old Airfix Magazines, as opposed to current opinion- and photo-heavy and content-light publications.  And good grief, have I magazines that are 50 years old!!!

 

HTH

Edited by Seahawk
  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

34 minutes ago, Seahawk said:

HTH

I remember that Airfix magazine. I also remember around the same time some conversion to a tank or series of the same tank, could have been a Churchill or Sherman. that went on for months and months. All the different versions, bridge attachments, mine clearing chain thing, I suppose they could have been the D-Day Funnies.

 

You'll know ,You have them !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

27 minutes ago, bzn20 said:

 

I remember that Airfix magazine. I also remember around the same time some conversion to a tank or series of the same tank, could have been a Churchill or Sherman. that went on for months and months. All the different versions, bridge attachments, mine clearing chain thing, I suppose they could have been the D-Day Funnies.

 

You'll know ,You have them !

 

'Twas the Churchill in 1967 and The Carrier Story in 1970, both by Peter Chamberlain and both later issued as books. 

 

Edit; correction - the Churchill book was unrelated and by Bryan Perrett.

Edited by Seahawk
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Seahawk said:

.

.

Amazing how much hard fact there is densely crammed into just a couple of pages of these old Airfix Magazines, as opposed to current opinion- and photo-heavy and content-light publications.  And good grief, have I magazines that are 50 years old!!!

 

HTH

Thanks for that.    You may have 50 year old magazines but so do I.  Worse though, I have a 61 year old memory that forgot I actually had the Feb 1970 Airfix Magazine in the bookcase all along!!!!!

 

David

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just in case it was missed, a scan of that Nov 1967 Airfix magazine article appears early in the thread that I linked to above.

 

Underwing serials were in Light Aircraft Grey, as stipulated in the general painting/finishing AP.

Edited by 71chally
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, David Womby said:

Thanks for that.    You may have 50 year old magazines but so do I.  Worse though, I have a 61 year old memory that forgot I actually had the Feb 1970 Airfix Magazine in the bookcase all along!!!!!

 

David

 

Well at least you didn't buy another. I went and bought a mag I already owned and had forgot all about it !

Edited by bzn20
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, bzn20 said:

 

Well at least you didn't buy another. I went and bought a mag I already owned and had forgot all about it !

 

Been there.  Done that.

 

David

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...