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RAF C-130 Question


bar side

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Question about the 1/48 Hercules kits.  The Italeri early C-130 kit offers RAF decals presumably as a C-130K.  Is it actually a K?  And if it was built as an early 80s RAF version, would there be an option to fit the refueling probe?  Don’t really want to build a stretched J version as I am sure the RAF Hercs didn’t get stretched until a while later

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The refuelling probe was added to the RAF Hercules Fleet during the Falklands campaign in 1982 - check your references though as some aircraft were also fitted with underwing tanks,

 

The RAF's first "stretched" Hercules C Mk.3 aircraft were modified from the original C Mk.1/C-130K variant and entered service from 1979; the "J" model Hercules is the second generation aircraft and was introduced into RAF service in 1999, the RAF operated two versions of this Hercules aircraft: the longer C Mk.4 and the shorter C Mk.5 which are being/have been withdrawn from use.

Edited by Richard E
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I remember them going on @Richard E - the Airfix herc on my bedroom ceiling gained a probe made of spare sprue so it could be refuelled by my Airfix Victor K2 in about 82/83.  The Herc had been built before the Falklands started.  Also remember the stretching programme - Marshalls at Cambridge I think.  Still Hercs (not RAF this time) at Marshalls when I drove past a couple of weeks ago.

 

My preference is for a short body K but post 82 rrefuling probe fit

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5 hours ago, bar side said:

Still Hercs (not RAF this time) at Marshalls when I drove past a couple of weeks ago.

According to Fighter Control there are a number of RAF, Swedish and Austrian Hercules at Cambridge  together with single examples of Bharani, Norwegian and Bangladeshi aircraft. 

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  • 11 months later...

Right another C-130 question.  I have the Italeri 1/48 kit & plan to build it with some internal led lighting. The question is where are the lights in a C-130 cockpit?  And would the man body internal lights be along the roof centre line or along the sides?

 

Not my cockpit - haven’t started it yet- but gives some idea of the internal layout

 

02.jpg

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Flt deck lighting had a couple of roof mounted lights, slightly recessed (can't remember, at least 2 just behind pilot seating, but must have had a couple further back, big flt deck to light up). Majority of lighting is panel lighting and individual floodlights at each crew position (removable, flexible power cord). Down the back, down-lighting came from the central panel suspended from the roof itself, fore and aft of the wing box. Rectangular floor lights ran along either side. There were internal loading lamps in the tail, just forward of the the door closure point.

 

Early kit has 2 seats at Nav position - true of the first aircraft, but not the subsequent versions (some spec ops aside). Single seat there, centrally mounted to the nav's table. Check the engine Nacelle size. Ours all ran Allison T56-15, early kits have shorter nacelles for original engines.

 

It's been a while since I flew them, the memory is somewhat distant....

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Cheers @isaneng that’s handy to know.  I was planning on going all out with external anti collision lights & main wheel lights plus cockpit illumination & main body internal lights.  Looks like a couple of ground lights under the wings too.  That sounds like at least 10 leds.  Plus these will have to be insulated to stop light shining through the main body or out where it shouldn’t.  
Plan is to extend the kit nacelles nearer to the right length than the kit AC-130 short ones.  But hoping to fit motors too.  So don’t really want to splash out another £40+ to get resin ones. Plus building my own flaps & separate & position the horizontal stabilisers and rudder.

Not an easy subject to find good on line photo evidence of, especially inside.  And to find which serial number was in what form and paint scheme on what date.  Thinking wrap around camo, black serial numbers, refuelling probe but short body still.  

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Motorised landing light under each wing. Fixed small taxi light on bracket, forward end of each MLG door (normally with a plexiglass protective shield in front of it). By the mid to late eighties, some aircraft had wrap around cammo, some still had the light grey underneath, solid colours came in mid nineties onwards really. 

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On 12/31/2019 at 11:26 AM, isaneng said:

Motorised landing light under each wing. Fixed small taxi light on bracket, forward end of each MLG door (normally with a plexiglass protective shield in front of it). By the mid to late eighties, some aircraft had wrap around cammo, some still had the light grey underneath, solid colours came in mid nineties onwards really. 

It’s the date & camo on a short body that I need to pin down.  Early 80s some where converted to Falklands tankers.  Some got special ops mods.  My aim is for mid to late 80s.  The kit decals may well be beyond saving but are for xv-200 with white serials and light grey underneath.  Just found this pic of her in 1983 - still not stretched but black serials and wrap around

 

685443.jpg

 

but as the decals are shot I am not tied to her specifically

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