Testors 1/144 C-5A Galaxy

[Teeradej]

Hi, This is my first build posted on this forum. It is the largest model I have ever build and the most expensive ever buying at rather crazy price. The kit arrived without kit box nor instruction sheet. It's ex-Otaki Testors kit which is typical Japanese kit designed from 70's with thick, hard and brittle plastic, minimal parts count and very simplified or none of detail on some parts while general shape and proportions are pretty good with state-of-the-art sharp, not overdone, recessed panel lines. The followings are notes from my build;

Unfortunately my example came with warped fuselage halves and wing halves. Carefully bending with hot water and a force needed to get it all in place.

Scratch building a simple cockpit seats, consoles, floor and sidewall as none of these provided in the kit.

A clear sprue was missing before the kit reached my hand so I made cockpit windows from clear styrene.

Removing kits way too shallow and too simple wheel wells then replaced with proper depth, structure detailed ones from scratch.

Detailing nose landing gear struts with taxi light and steering actuators. Scissor links and simplified jackscrew mechanism added to main gear struts.

All gear doors were too thick so I thinned them down by sanding. Actuating mechanism and landing lights were added. Smaller nose gear doors moulded as part of each fuselage halve so I cut them and put each small door over inner side of each larger nose gear door.

First stage fan blade length of the real TF39 engine is only about halfway of radial distance from spinner cone to intake sidewall while kit engine faces had full length fan blades. I fix these by reducing engine face diameter then encircled by something like inner intake lip and a series of vanes.

Engine fan exhaust was simply moulded solid, needed to be hollowed out. Although core exhaust already had an opening to install exhaust cone, I had to thinned very thick core exhaust lip down.

Mr. Color no. 302 for darker green, 303 for lighter green and 305 for grey, airbrushed by freehand.

Testors decal sheet has markings for two jets. One for early white/grey scheme and another is for Euro 1 scheme which was chosen largely because of childhood memories. Due to their age decal adhesive glue turned into white debris so I had to clean back of each decal film before application.

Walkway strips, no-oversteer lines under nose and warning lines on engine cowlings are from Draw Decals.

Added fuel jettison nozzles at rear end of outermost flap track fairings.

Drilled APU exhaust on both sides of fuselage.

Replaced kit antennae with much thinner ones.

Any comment welcomed.

Edited June 25, 2016 by Teeradej

[Teeradej]

[Rodders154]

Beautiful build super finish congratulations.

Did it come with decals or did you have to make your own.

Rodders

[Foghorn Leghorn]

That is a beaut!

[Mark4700]

Very impressive. First one of these I've seen.

[polo1112]

What an impressive "giant", when you compare it with the "dwarves" figures.

Beautiful finish.

A (big) jewel !

[rholland]

Beautiful model, especially considering the difficulties you had to overcome.

Richard in NZ

[71chally]

Really impressive finish and attention to detail, especially for 144th scale

[Teeradej]

Thanks very much guys!

Beautiful build super finish congratulations.

Did it come with decals or did you have to make your own.

Rodders

Most of markings used are kit decals. Only walkways, steering limit lines and engine warning lines are from Draw Decals.

Edited June 22, 2016 by Teeradej

[batcode]

very nice work looks great...

[Pin]

Big, fat awesomeness

[tonyot]

What a beauty,......great model! I remember seeing these regularly back in the 90`s and they never failed to impress,

Cheers

Tony

[Meatbox8]

That's a super job. The paint finish is excellent and a great idea to include a couple of figures to illustrate the sheer enormity of the thing. I walked through one of these once at Greenham Common Airshow, from nose ramp to tail. Being about 12 at the time it made quite an impression.

[Albeback52]

Now try & get hold of one....................................!!!!!! . About as difficult to find as honest politicians. Got one on my shelf of doom at the moment. A R R Trent engined C-5K. Apart from the engines (salvaged from a wrecked Revell A380) I have made no modifications save the windscreen. Was missing from the kit so I filled the aperture & will use a suitable decal instead.

Allan

ps - I have one of the Otaki originals which I picked up (of all places) at a car boot sale. No, before you ask, it is NOT for sale!!

[Blastvader]

That's beautiful. Where did you get the figures?

[Stephen]

Lovely build. There was one of these stuck at Glasgow Airport a few years back with technical problems and I couldn't help but be amazed at the size of it.

[snapper_city]

Great job. You don't see many of these built.

[HansReggelsen]

Great model of a great plane.

Having the Otaki kit myself I need all the inspiration I can get - and I got it in spades by your build!

Cheers

Hans J

[Widow 65]

The finest example of a C5 Galaxy that i have ever seen!!!

[Jessica]

If ever there's been a kit crying out for a modern replacement, this is it (although you'd never know it from the masterpiece you've produced here).

C'mon Revell, what are you waiting for?

[Bordfunker]

Beautiful paintwork!

You'd never know it was sub-Braile scale.

Karl

[woody37]

Hard to believe the scale, great extra detailing and paint job

[Britman]

Marvellous build, best I get my hangar queen back on the ramp. Thanks for the inspiration.

[eng]

Gorgeous big beauty, what a lovely bit of work. Stunning paint finish.

Eng

[Habu12]

😳😳😳

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