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Work on the Herc


bar side

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I had been looking around for a while for a C-130H kit in 1/48, and before Christmas I finally got a result on eBay.  Going for the H as I wanted to build an RAF grey / green Hercules that I remember from the early 80s.  I had an Airfix Herc hanging from my bedroom ceiling as a kid, which was upgraded with an in- flight refuelling probe after the Falklands, and I wanted to build the big brother with either the grey / green with light grey underside or wrap around camo.

 

So here it is.  It’s going to be big....

 

wUl0F7P.jpg

And with a couple of 1/48 kits for size comparison

 

3ODkCf4.jpg

 

1s4XiYE.jpg
 

Then fellow forumite @Kirk started suggesting ‘improvements’ - I had thought maybe port & starboard lights, anti collision, etc.  Next thing I know I am looking at internal lights, taxi lights, exterior lights, four powered props and a working rear ramp.  All controlled by an external programmable Arduino unit.  Complete with light up & start up engine sequence.  Now that may not all happen - the ramp operation looks a bit flimsy & likely to break - but it is definitely not going to be a standard build.
 

Other build plans include separating the rudder & horizontal rear stabilisers - surprisingly all moulded in place & not separate items.  Also fancy opening the flaps & scratch building the inside.  Budget won’t stretch to resin bits.  Also need to stretch the engines that are too short & modelled on the early AC-130 kit ones. Again nice resin parts available but would cost more than the kit did.  There is enough here to go wrong without buying tons of after market resin.

Anyway some work has started & will keep things updated.

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Yeh, mate; yeh!

Tagging along for the build, may I?

4 minutes ago, bar side said:

Also fancy opening the flaps & scratch building the inside. Budget won’t stretch to resin bits. Also need to stretch the engines that are too short & modelled on the early AC-130 kit ones. Again nice resin parts available but would cost more than the kit did. There is enough here to go wrong without buying tons of after market resin.

Lots of quid to finance the many resin sets needed. It got the most expensive getting those Arma Hobby (now Brengun) resin sets down here, three to four times expensive than over there in Europe, yet, as my build was going to take long, I purchased each set a month (engine nacelles, flaps and wheels).

Then, if this is going to be an H, you'll need to cater for the specific bits on the sides of the fuselage (two air scoops on the starboard side of the fuselage - sponson and cheek). I suggest you try with Italeri's Customer Service. They sent everything to me for 8 quid + spare windshield, access door and ladder since I used the 1/48 AC-130 kit for my conversion.

Following yer build, Side.

Yeh, me is...

Cheers,

 

Unc2

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Got one of these too and have been putting off building it due to issues with Italeri measurements. There is an explanation online about using the wrong plans or something - I don’t recall - but in short the side sponsons are the wrong size. Not easily corrected without resin and the Attak Squadron sets are unavailable though the engine sets have been produced again by Brengun. I gather though they have plans to do the sponsons again sometime. 
 

It’s a classic case of don’t read the reviews and be happy with build OOB !

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8 minutes ago, 71chally said:

Probably due to my lack of skills

:hmmm:That's quite hard to believe, James. :lol:

9 minutes ago, JohnT said:

Got one of these too and have been putting off building it due to issues with Italeri measurements. There is an explanation online about using the wrong plans or something - I don’t recall - but in short the side sponsons are the wrong size. Not easily corrected without resin and the Attak Squadron sets are unavailable though the engine sets have been produced again by Brengun. I gather though they have plans to do the sponsons again sometime.

John!

Debs also mentioned something about the shape of the lower forward fuselage as well, which had to do with a line running parallel to the fuselage from the access door to the sponsons. And something about those large rectangular windows in the cockpit. Oh, and the screws in the Italeri kit are a "naghtmare" too.

Yeh, they are...

Cheers,

 

Unc2 

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1 minute ago, Uncle Uncool said:

:hmmm:That's quite hard to believe, James. :lol:

John!

Debs also mentioned something about the shape of the lower forward fuselage as well, which had to do with a line running parallel to the fuselage from the access door to the sponsons. And something about those large rectangular windows in the cockpit. Oh, and the screws in the Italeri kit are a "naghtmare" too.

Yeh, they are...

Cheers,

 

Unc2 

Yes that’s right. I saw the shape was out but I would live with it. There comes a time when you think there is just so much to do and so few years to live :D  And those immortal words:-

it does look like a Herc

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Cheers Unc good to have you along.  Have been reading up on previous threads & have seen many of the issues raised.  To be the chine (flattened check area?) is present on the kit - I checked & it is there but probably not as prominent as some people would like.  It will do for me though.  Good tip on contacting Italeri - are the sponsons right in the J models then?  Could do with a refuelling probe if they can send out parts.  The kit doesn’t come with one.  I was inspired on the flaps by @tomprobert B-52 scratch build internals.  And the engines - I could still be tempted to resin I must say.

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24 minutes ago, 71chally said:

Wow, you are brave, this is one of the few kits that I've actually given away to someone else.

Probably due to my lack of skills and commitment though!

 

Will follow with intrrest.

Well I have a lack of skill and knowledge so should be interesting.  The secret is I don’t like giving upon kits & wasting money.  I am basically tight!  Happy to put them off but once I get started I like to finish them regardless.  Even dodgy Lindberg kits

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5 minutes ago, JohnT said:

There comes a time when you think there is just so much to do and so few years to live :D

:hmmm:That's quite hard to believe, John. :lol:

3 minutes ago, bar side said:

are the sponsons right in the J models then?  Could do with a refuelling probe if they can send out parts.  The kit doesn’t come with one.  I was inspired on the flaps by @tomprobert B-52 scratch build internals.  And the engines - I could still be tempted to resin I must say.

Starboard sponson's got the scoop intake in the J, and you'd need different engines to go with it too. I've got the address where to fill out your order. It's been a tad difficult to follow the directions first time I ordered, so I may look them up in my inbox and copy them to you here when I'm back home from work, aye?

Flaps are easy to scratch from styrene sheet, but resin engines (and the screws which come with them) are a must, methinks.

Yeh, me does...

Cheers,

 

Unc2

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Guys

 

you might find the explanation on here helpful

 

Link to Attack Squadrons old site

 

http://www.attacksquadron.pl/en/2015/03/16/c-130-hercules-upgrade-sets/

 

The C-130 J sponsons are pretty much readily available and you will find pictures on the net.

 

The earlier E/H sponsons are almost impossible to find now and are different to the J version.

 

 

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10 hours ago, JohnT said:

Guys

 

you might find the explanation on here helpful

 

Link to Attack Squadrons old site

 

http://www.attacksquadron.pl/en/2015/03/16/c-130-hercules-upgrade-sets/

 

The C-130 J sponsons are pretty much readily available and you will find pictures on the net.

 

The earlier E/H sponsons are almost impossible to find now and are different to the J version.

 

 

Cheers John.  I assume the engines are the same across the range of models, as long as they are the 4 blade prop version.  As far as I can see the engines are too short.  Still kind of wondering if I could make something half decent by adding to the back of the kit engine & stretching it.  It wouldn’t look as good as the resin but I guess it is that or £20+ on the replacement set

 

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTS3kw1mjRpwIO_jnL8ztf

 

Not my picture by the way

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Another downside of the aftermarket engines would be the props.  Lovely to have more detail, but I plan to power them so they need to be a bit more hardy.  And the kit ones are, shall we say, robust?

 

bNg6DBy.mp4

 

Yes I do know it’s running backwards....

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1 hour ago, bar side said:

And the kit ones are, shall we say, robust

Yes, the sturdy kit props look good for the job. 

Are the resin cowlings solid blocks? 

That would be a pain to motorise. 

I can see an extension on the kit parts succeeding. 

This whole business of showering a build with loads of expensive bling made by someone else, can get out of hand very quickly. 

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52 minutes ago, rob Lyttle said:

Yes, the sturdy kit props look good for the job. 

Are the resin cowlings solid blocks? 

That would be a pain to motorise. 

I can see an extension on the kit parts succeeding. 

This whole business of showering a build with loads of expensive bling made by someone else, can get out of hand very quickly. 

I think the later resins are hollow from the comments on the attack squadron website, but the kit parts should take plasticard internal structure better, I would have thought.  My next big build will be a vacform, so not scared of some scratch building.

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Downside ya say, Side? :hmmm:Props in the aftermarket set are half the thickness of the kit ones. Grey ones on top are Attack Sqd's. Also, the shape is a lot more defined on the aftermarket set. About stretching the nacelles; check how the upper fronts slope down so abruptly towards the spinner and compare this to the corrected resin bits.

 

spacer.png

 

54 minutes ago, rob Lyttle said:

Are the resin cowlings solid blocks? 

That would be a pain to motorise. 

Nay, "they're" hollowed. Motorising them would be a breeze.

 

spacer.png

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Quote

 

Setting the final answer on the engines outside to one side I had a play with the internals today. Still deciding the best way to attach the prop to the motor, but I drilled a hole in to the back of the gearbox-thing that holds the prop in place & hold the only other internal part, the fan disc thing.  You can tell this is technical, cant you!

Looks something like this in the kit engine shell

 

 Xo3wmPM.jpg

 

And with a hole drilled in to the back of the prop drive shaft & some blutac to stop the motor slipping.  Goes something like this

 

Pc8pEOV.mp4

 

And in place on the wing without any adjustment it would look like this

 

7KoNxWy.jpg
 

So building a plug between the engine back& wing would definitely be a cheap easy fix.  I am more concerned about the motor / prop join coming adrift once it has been glued up, or power falling off the back of the motor.  Had a set of lights buried in an Apache pack up after the body was glued together.  One set works & one doesn’t now.  That had motors in it too.

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1 hour ago, Uncle Uncool said:

what Patreon is all about,

It's a way of paying creators to make fabulous things so you can watch and learn and they don't get a "real" job, leaving all the Arduino-controlled fancy stuff in the shop. When you contribute ££££, they feel guilty about not spending it on resin etc. Good luck.😄

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Talking of Arduino, this is the kit of bits I put together after getting the plastic

 

HBLciNf.jpg

 

The circuit board is an a Arduino Uno clone board.  It holds a programme written on the pc and uploaded to the board via the usb lead.  Then there are the motors for the 4 props.  Then some of the leds to light the inside and outside.  And two stepper motors / linear actuators.

 

OK, so what should it all do.  Turning props is obvious, but powering them via the Arduino board gives the option to programme speed & start up sequence.  Lights for the cockpit & cargo bay.  Then port & starboard wing tip lights.  Then top & bottom anti collision lights that should flash.  And then the main wheel well and underwing taxi lights.  The final bit was to connect the rear ramp via cables to pull closed using the stepper motor.  So far I have managed to make a light flash using the Arduino but haven’t seriously had much practise with it.  And I think the chance of everything working buried inside a built & painted model kit is slim.  So feeling it is most likely the ramp function won’t happen (plus programming up the control for the stepper looks far more complex and port intensive on the Arduino than I thought)

 

So as you see there are a few gizmos planned and consequently I may compromise a little on pure build & detail.  But as someone said, as long as it looks like a Herc...

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9 minutes ago, Murdo said:

Will you be using fibre optic cable for the wingtip lights etc?

Wasn’t going to.  Cheap strings of led lights from Poundland work well.  The light element is flat but encased in a Perspex cylinder.  You can file this down to almost flat & squeeze it in to a wing.  The Herc has plenty of space though.  Managed it with the somewhat smaller Harrier (also 1/48, Airfix kit)

 

ouEcWXH.jpg

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