Tiger331

Tony, I feel sure Xtradecal will do a re-print or perhaps even do a new sheet which includes RAF C-130 markings in general including the walkway lines. It would be nice if they could do some of the early C-130s with Unit Crests before the centralized pooling of aircraft at Lyneham became the norm.

I dug out this old photo taken by my late father at RAF Luqa, Malta circa 1976-77. I think it provides some nice inspiration for a diorama since Zvedza have provided us with a very nice basis, with a detailed crew door and main cargo ramp. It also provides some good reference for the aerial arrangements on early RAF C-130s before all of the post-Falklands Conflict modifications came in after 1982 and onwards.

Yep.....great memories.....I'm not sure when Airfix first issued the kit but I can clearly remember receiving one as a gift when I was around 14 years old and living in Cyprus. Soon after, we were pitched right into the centre of the Turkish Invasion of Cyprus in July 1974 and RAF Hercules were a regular sight at Kingsfield Airstrip, transporting stranded British tourists from the Eastern end of the Island to RAF Akrotiri, where they were then flown back to the UK on Britannias, VC-10s, and chartered 707s. Seeing the Fat Alberts flying over our house really spurred me on to complete my model in the Dark Earth/MidStone and Black colour scheme of the time. I loved that kit but the Zvedza is a 'whole new ball game', which of course it should be given its a new generation kit.

A closer, overnight, study of the kit suggests that I missed a couple of things off my original review which don't appear to have been covered elsewhere. The first, and most significant, is that the kit instructions for this first issue call for the modeller to cut substantial lengths off the two upper cargo bay panels (Parts H21 at Stage 10b and H20 at Stage 20) and part of the forward section of the cargo bay overhead equipment rack (Part H19 at Stage 16) which clearly indicates that Zvedza are planning to market the 'stretched' C-130H-30 (C.Mk.3) sometime in the future. This particular variant has seen service with several Air Arms with interesting colour schemes/markings so we should be in for another treat and, of course, it also means that RAF fans should be able to complete a C.Mk.3 without resorting to considerable surgery. The other, more minor, omission concerns the flight deck crew. There are, of course, only three figures included when quite a few air arms operated with four flight deck crew (Pilot/Co-Pilot, Navigator and Flight Engineer) plus 1 or 2 Loadmasters depending on the size/nature of the load. I already plan to make more than one of these so I will rob a figure from one kit and reproduce the Loadie from a standing figure.

I totally agree......Given that Zvedza have really done their homework with the accuracy, production and pricing of their 'baseline' kit, I can see this kit (and its inevitable derivatives) probably being their all-time best seller in time. It has been a real puzzle to me that Revell did not produce a modern tooling of the Hercules, given their previous C-160 Transall, C-54 Skymaster and A400M kits but now that Zvedza have done all of the expensive work with R&D, tooling etc I suspect Revell will look to marketing their own edition of the kit in due course, or maybe they will wait until one of the more esoteric variants is developed (AC-130 or HH-130, for example). Who knows ?....All that is certain is that Zvedza have a real winner on their hands and well deserved

Jonathan, Many thanks for this.........most useful since JASDF colours can be difficult to work out normally......and I am attracted to that colour scheme

Having picked up my first copy last evening I have now finally had a chance to examine the contents.........one word......OUTSTANDING ! This is, by a long shot, the best kit of a C-130 I have seen and we must now all, very reluctantly, accept that our carefully nurtured Airfix, Esci and Italeri kits (along with all of the myriad of improvement/conversion sets) probably need to be consigned to the 'collectors corner'. Zvedza are No.1 in this particular modellers chart for 2020 having released kits of two of my favourite subjects (the other is the Mil Mi-24 Hind). If, in the highly unlikely, event that they were to issue a 1:48 Blackburn Buccaneer, SEPECAT Jaguar or Dassault Mirage F.1C between now and 31 December, they would probably stay No.1 for the next 10 years !!. Anyway, I digress. The medium grey and clear plastic, presented on eight and one runner respectively, is superbly detailed and moulded. The panel lines are very finely rendered so care will need to be taken at the painting stage. As always, construction starts with the cockpit and this part of the kit is extremely well detailed, although rather like the Mil Mi-24 kit, Zvedza have opted for decals to replicate instrument panels, dials, circuit breakers etc. I have little doubt this will look very effective in the smaller scale cockpit where there is not very much in the way of visual access (unlike the Mil Mi-24 Hind, which came in for a bit of criticism for this approach to replicating cockpit instrumentation). I also have little doubt that Quinta will quickly follow with a set of their 3D instrument panel decals too. The bench seat 'rest area' behind the crew stations is very faithfully reproduced and, as has been covered elsewhere, the crew figures are sublime given that they are all different too (and no flying helmets either, which is accurate for most 'trash hauling' operators !). The rest of the interior is also nicely rendered although I have no doubt the superdetailers will be looking for the release of some improvement sets in due course. I have an old Flightpath set somewhere and hope to be able to utilise the photo-etched floor panels to better replicate that on the original RAF version. There is certainly plenty of 'furniture' provided with which to dress up the cargo hold and ramp area although the RAF style latrine is noticeably absent. All in all it looks as if a nice cockpit/cargo area can be built straight from the box. There are several options for the fuselage sponsons to cater for the slight differences between operators. My only concern at this stage with the fuselage are the seperate inserts to cater for differing access door arrangements, although my previous experience with Zvedza kits would suggest they will be OK and need the minimum of cleanup. One of the major weaknesses with other 1:72 scale C-130 kits is that related to keeping the wings on !. Zvedza appear to have addressed this with a fairly robust centre section although I personally will look to introducing some additional plasticard wing spars for additional strength. The engine nacelles are pretty comprehensive pieces in their own right, with no less than 19 parts making up each one. This is one area where you can see a real difference in quality between this kit and the others, although to be fair to the aforementioned manufacturers, their kits are more than 30 years old so I would expect this to be the case. Other nice touches are the different radomes and tail fairings which, once again, demonstrate Zvedza's attention to detail with this kit. The undercarriage, bays, doors and wheels are all nicely moulded - if I have one criticism with this kit it would be with the mainwheels - I personally think the weighted look has been slightly overdone but it is a personal preference. The ramp area is also very nice too, all providing a great deal of interest, especially if you pose the model with the ramp and para-doors open. The refuelling probe for the RAF options also appears to be accurate although I personally think the trunking that goes along the upper fuselage may be a little slim but I cannot be 100% certain. We are obviously going to see other versions kitted by Zvedza since there are some parts included in the kit that are not applicable to the decal/marking options included in the box. The most obvious are the large DAS fairings now seen on the rear fuselage of some US (and other) C-130s although these parts will come in handy for those wanting to model options from aftermaket decal sheets, most notably the recent release from Xtradecal. The kit instructions are well laid out and very clear too. I like the full-colour decal placement instructions too. Another area where Zvedza have excelled themselves with this release is related to the decal sheet. Not only do they provide for five very interesting and attractive options but the decals themselves are a significant improvement on those in previous kits (which were already good). Gone is the rather matt finish, to be replaced by high-gloss 'Cartograf' style decals with strong colours and a very comprehensive set of stencilling. I will obviously make the RAF version first but I am also very tempted by the US ANG option portrayed on the box top and the JASDF option with the so-called 'cloud scheme' too. If you are a fan of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules or military transport aircraft in general or just want to build a big 1:72 scale model then this is the kit for you. I think it is tremendous value for money - granted I have managed to get mine from the LMS for the grand sum of 34 Euros (which probably makes it my 'buy of the year' in terms of cost vs. value) but even at full UK RRP it is well worth the investment. 'Review' sample courtesy of my wallet

Picked my first kit up earlier on this evening from my LMS. I was pleasantly surprised with the price......had estimated it would probably be around 40-42 Euros based on the prices of their other Zvedza kits. Came in at 34 Euro so I am well pleased. I suspect they will get some repeat business from me.

I remember it well.......The upper ramp was good but you did always have to worry about the Loadie remembering you were there . I always found the top of a baggage stack with a 'worm' (service issue sleeping bag) was good too. We were always motivated to build a good stack with some of the softer bags at the top to provide the extra cushioning......only problem then was making sure it wasn't too adjacent to the cabin heating ducts...always easier on the C Mk.3 since the lengthened fuselage made for better heat dissipation anyway. Looking forward to collecting my first Zvedza kit in person from my LMS tomorrow evening on the way home. I think this first one will be the one I did a memorable Exercise 'Red Flag' sortie in back in '85. We had the observation bubble re-fitted and cargo nets rigged over the rear para doors so the loadmaster and supernumary crew could act as additional observers as the 'guys up in the front' did their best to hug the valley floors and hills evading the 'Red Air' F-5s and F-15s. I had done quite a few TAC demos by then but the Red Flag sorties were a whole different ball game.....Great fun !.

Another superb build, Russ............You really do manage to get the best out of that old Matchbox kit. Well Done, Sir !

I don't have a name...sorry. The very nice lady proprietor speaks some English although her mother tongue is Estonian/Russian but she was able to confirm Zvedza will deliver on Wednesday, given our proximity to Russia.

Just took a diversion to my LMS earlier this afternoon and they have confirmed that they will receive their Zvedza C-130 order next Wednesday !....Yee Haa

The excitement is mounting, for sure. I just found the attached of yours truly prepping for another TAC Demo. IIRC this was for the 47 Sqn Families Day one Saturday afternoon in 1984 and given that the crew were from the same Squadron they wanted to put on an even more spectacular show including that infamous 'Khe San' approach sequence. I cannot believe it was over 36 years ago !. Hopefully this will provide some inspiration for those wanting to portray a representative load.

You have really captured the very particular weathering seen on RDAF F-104s (and some of their other types including the Hunter, F-100 and Saab Draken). Thanks too for the explanation of the weathering. I am planning a RDAF two-seat TF-104G Starfighter so this advice and guidance will prove to be extremely useful. Again, a GREAT build and an EVEN better finish ! Well Done, Sir

Excellent build and finishing...Love the RAF F-4M Phantom FGR.2 in the old Grey/Green tactical colour scheme. Well Done, Sir !

Correct

Apologies for getting the CF-188 designation wrong (it should read CF-188 rather than CF-118). As the other correspondent has confirmed (and based on my Service with the CAF) CF-188 is the correct designation.....CF-18 is rarely used within military sources although it is oft quoted 'outside' hence the confusion. My other information came from an official 1 Canadian Air Group/Division website so please take up any other inaccuracies with them. Thanks

The first Hornets arrived in Germany in 1984 with the aim of completing the transition from CF-104 to CF-118 by the end of 1986. The 3 Germany based CF-118 Hornet Squadrons continued to operate throughout the rest of the 1980s and into the early 1990s with at least two of the Squadrons involved in deployments to the Middle East in support of Desert Storm in 1991. The Canadian ceased flying NATO declared operations from Baden-Sollingen from 1 January 1993 and the last 26 aircraft departed for Canada some three weeks later.

The best kit in 1/48 Scale is the Kinetic offering and they do both single and two-seat versions. IIRC the two-seat version includes decals for a CAF option. The 1st Canadian Air Group (1 CAG) was based at CAFB Baden-Sollingen and consisted of the following CF-18 Hornet Squadrons: 409 'Night Hawks' 421 'Red Indians' 439 'Sabre Toothed Tigers' The CAF CF-18 Squadrons did not stay at Baden-Sollingen very long. Having replaced the CF-104s in the mid-late 1980s they were 'victims' of the peace dividend that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union/Warsaw Pact and the so-called Cold War. 409 Sqn redeployed to CFB Bagotville, Quebec, 421 Sqn disbanded at Baden-Sollingen in June 1992 and 439 Sqn also disbanded at Baden-Sollingen but was reformed as a rotary wing unit back in Canada in the mid-1980s. 444 Sqn was never equipped with the CF-18 Hornet HTH P.S. I just checked the Kinetic two-seater boxing and it contains standard Squadron markings for 409, 410 and 425 Sqn jets in CAF Service but these are all for jets operated in the 2015-16 timeframe. As Creepy Pete has said Leading Edge do a very comprehensive sheet for the CF-118 (coincidentally I have just received a copy of this through the post this weekend !) and this provides a large number of options, although most are for single-seat aircraft since it mainly covers operational jets from the Gulf, the Balkans, Libya etc.

Just came across your post when I was seeking an update on progress with the Kinetic Harrier. Must say, I had a laugh when I saw your photo - us Scaly Brats must have all had a particular 'look' in the early to mid 1970s. Around the time you were at Kent School, I was attending King Richards school (another SCEA school) in Dhekelia, Cyprus and sported the same hairstyle and fashion sense. As I say, it must have been the Service kids look. Must look out an old photo so you can see what I mean. I notched up, on average, a school a year during my 13 years in the system - Isle of Wight, Libya (Tobruk then Benghazi), Isle of Wight, Singapore (2 different schools), Isle of Wight, Gibraltar (2 different schools), Cyprus, Singapore, Malta and finally back to the Isle of Wight (boarding school for my last two years). Happy days ! Oh....and I too cannot wait for the new Harrier GR.3....deployed these to Denmark, Norway and Portugal a few times during my early career although I much preferred working with the Jaguar Wing at RAF Coltishall. I hope Kinetic follow up with a decent Jaguar kit some day too.

Tony, Masterful work, as always. I must have a look at the WIP for this one given the many references to anecdotes etc. I must admit that I was never a fan of the 'long wheelbase' since it took longer to load and I certainly preferred the short wheelbase C.Mk.1 for TAC demos. According to my logbook I did at least two trips in '294', both epics to the West Coast of the States and Canada back in the mid-1980s. Personally, I'm looking forward to the forthcoming Zvedza kit, which will most likely hit my LMS before those in the UK (makes a nice change !). That said, and as others have commented, you have done a great job with the old Italeri kit and those challenging resin conversion parts. Well Done, Sir !

Hi there, Cars are not my expertise but I have a Tamiya 1/24 Porsche Boxter that I am going to make for a work colleague. The problem is the two types of rims included in the kit do not look like the ones on his car. I have seen a set of Fujimi aftermarket rims that look very similar but before I go ahead and buy I need to know if they will fit (obviously the axles may need a bit of thinning/fettling) in overall terms ?. Unless anyone can come up with a better idea (alternative parts ?) to replicate the rims shown here ? Thanks for your help

Many apologies for the lack of progress with this project but work and a minor health issue (now thankfully eased) put paid to any progress during the first three weeks of September. Anyway, here are some photos of the latest progress. I have done a basic paint job with the engines since I wanted to experiment with some new paints and washes and there is a small possibility that they can be seen through the lower fuselage vent doors. Do make sure that the air intake tunnels are securely attached to the engines (leaving the glue to set overnight) before attaching them to the lower fuselage. There is no 'bridging' part to hold the rather long structure up in the middle (though I notice Z-M have now included one of these parts in their forthcoming F-4E 'family'). To be fair, Z-M do point this issue out in the instructions and I was perhaps too keen in trying to move on with assembly. A dry fit of my Mark 1 resin exhaust nozzles demonstrates that they should fit with absolutely no problem when the time comes. This photo shows some of the filler applied to the inside surfaces of the forward missile bays (referred to in an earlier post). I have also done some dry fitting with the upper to lower fuselage components. One issue to potentially watch out for is some minor 'snagging' between the leading edge of the flap guide vanes on the Hypersonic fuselage correction parts and the trailing edge of the lower wing section. The vane on the Hypersonic part is approximately 1mm too long and needs to be trimmed back in order for the whole assembly to sit nicely with the Z-M wing parts. I've highlighted the area of concern with the tip of a needle file in the photo above. I have to say, that given the complexity of shapes on this section of the rear fuselage, I think Jefferey at Hypersonic has done a superb job with the fuselage correction set which fits extremely well along the lower section of the Z-M fuselage and aligns perfectly with the trailing edge of the fuselage, adjacent to the exhaust nozzles. More to follow and. hopefully, at an accelerated pace !

I'm using a set of the Aerobonus USN Crew/Ejection Seat combo in my latest Z-M F-4 build and they fit without any problem. I have measured the Aerobonus seat against the Quickboost Mk.7H seats I have for another build and they are almost identical in width/height so they should fit. You may need to trim down the rails that are moulded into the Z-M cockpit floor (that cannot be seen once you install the seats anyway) to give you a bit more clearance but that should be about all.

Interesting first release, which would seem to indicate that Japan, unlike other kit manufacturers, is not their primary market. I would have put money on a JASDF F-4EJ or F-4EJ Kai as the first release given the huge amount of interest in the recent JASDF retirements although I note one of these variants is due to be their second release of the long nose Phantom. There is obviously still a lot of interest in Vietnam-era material since, again, I would have thought they would have opted for the 'late gun', slatted F-4E variant which has far more many worldwide applications. The early model F-4E is really quite limited and squarely aimed primarily at the US Market, I would suggest. Personally, I wait for the aforementioned F-4EJ Kai, F-4G Wild Weasel and the late model F-4E so I can finally reproduce a really nice Hellenic Air Force machine !.