C130,XV208, One plane, 3 very different stories.

[Head in the clouds.]

As is often the case, I don’t choose the next build, it chooses me. Often while trundling around the internet looking for a particular picture or article I come across a picture/article that sends me off on a tangent to a new destination. Be honest, I think we have all probably done it, and this pulls us in more and more until before you know it many pounds sterling has been spent on resin and other aftermarket goodies. No turning back now then!

As we are in a high inflationary period with the economy so this new project also became inflationary ( at least I am on trend for once), what started out as a one airframe  build quickly became two, but it could have even stretched to a 3 airframe build. Even as I write this, ideas are coming to the surface am I am trying not to bite off more than I can chew.

 

Here in the UK one of our favourite obsessions is the weather and as it turned out we had what was considered to be the most capable platform for researching this very English topic.

 

We are probably all aware of ‘ Snoopy’ that one off C130 W2, XV208, that cannot be confused with any other aircraft flying, past or present.

It started out as a standard C130K C1 and was delivered to 48 Sq at RAF Changi in Singapore, wearing what many of us believe to be the best colours ever worn by a Herc; that lovely Tan/Brown with black undersides. After its time in the Far East hauling for a living it came back to the UK ending up at Marshalls of Cambridge during 1973. I believe it had a damaged main spar hence its arrival at Marshalls for repair, but this was probably the reason why it was decided to convert 208 into the solitary W2 weather research aircraft. Incidentally, the conversion of 208 was to be the first major such undertaking done by Marshalls but certainly not their last.

XV208 was then issued to the MRF (Meteorological Research Flight) based at RAE Farnborough, ultimately replacing all other aircraft at the MRF. By 1981 the Canberra PR Mk3, WE173 was withdrawn on cost grounds and this left the MRF without a high altitude platform for the first time in 39 years. ‘Snoopy’ generally operated at 30000ft or below which was at least 20000ft lower than the Canberra’s operating abilities. XV208 was finally retired in March, 2001, another act of swinging the axe that seemed to be a completely illogical act, thus, MRF had no aircraft on charge for the first time in its history. ‘Snoopy’ was to be no more?

 

 

 

So what of the build.

 

For the base kit I will be using the Italeri offering which on balance is a reasonable kit with little internal detail, raised panel lines and some inaccuracies but the general shape is considered the best of the crop. Like any such subject it is a case of ‘pick your poison’ most kits have pro’s and con’s, so the decision is based on what you are willing to work with. Having no real detail in the cargo bay is actually a bonus for me as I can scratch most of what I need, sounds simple enough, he said, laughing to himself in the mirror….

 

The incorrect alignment of the engines is a well known issue with this kit as is the missing fuselage chine, the first is a simple fix but the chine will need further investigation. I cannot make the fuselage bigger but I may be able to fit something to represent the chine.

I will not just be building XV208, I also want to build a bit of a diorama too so, to this end the ramp will be in lowered position, crew access door open, and the caravan that the scientists use during flights will be scratch built as will some, but not all, of the equipment that went inside ‘Snoopy’.

 

All this will take a formidable list of aftermarket so let’s have a look at what we have to work with.

 

This is the basic kit;

 

Most people will be familiar with this box art and the contents therein so I will not show you the plastic, it can be found elsewhere on this forum/web.

 

One cannot but notice the large barbers pole and other lumps and bumps on Snoopy and this is what makes it so recognizable. Years ago this would all have to be scratch built but those very nice folks at Combat Kits released a superb resin conversion which is worth every penny. This set was built around the above kit hence my choice not to go with the newer Zvezda kit;

 

On the shopping list was some exhaust replacements, the kit items are very basic so I turned to Black Dog to lift this area up a bit. The kit item is just a round plug that fits in rear of the nacelle but the replacement is elliptical and more representative of the real thing.

 

A set of Wolfpack resin engines will help with the engine alignment problem and give a more crisp detail to this old kit.

 

Another basic item on this kit are the wheels, so in my search for replacements I found out there are different types of both wheel hub and tyre logo. I went for the ‘mid type’ wheel from Armoury, if the tyre logo is right or not I am unsure.

 

To move Snoopy on the ground and get them wheels rolling an extended  tow bar was required because the barbers pole made all standard items redundant so AIM Ground Equipment to the rescue here. It is a standard tow bar but I am hoping to extend it.

 

I have got this far without mentioning Eduard but I can hold out no longer, set number 72461, C130H exterior set is the weapon of choice. As with all these sets, I do not yet know how much of it will be used.

 

Another Ed set is 72470, C130H/J Cargo floor. This is a must if I am to display with the ramp open, at first glance it look comprehensive but I am well aware that sometimes the fit is problematical so no doubt I will be opening a can of worms…we will see!

 

The front of the Herc has a lot of glazing and I very rarely buy masks but on this occasion I decided discretion is the better part of valour so purchased a Kits World mask set. This will save much time and perspiration on what is going to be a long and complicated build, a little oasis of calm in an otherwise mad world.

There's that lovely Tan/Brown scheme again....🤔

 

Decals…aah, always a challenge for me but this time the angels were on my right shoulder, if memory serves Combat Decals also produced this decal sheet to complement the resin conversion, although it does limit me to the latter DERA markings.

Would you believe it, top right corner, the PE set from the Combat Kits resin conversion, thought I had lost them...👏

 

Being part of the diorama is the elusive ‘caravan’ that was wheeled into Snoopy through the rear ramp. This is where some of the scientific staff were seated during missions and this will be wholly scratch built, I do not have any dimensions yet for this but I can probably work it out from photographs so it at least looks in scale. When I say caravan don’t think traditional holiday caravan, think more industrial air drier or air con unit on wheels, put it this way, I would not pay to spend a week at Skegness in it.

 

 

 

Now common sense tells me to stop here but I just can’t help myself, We carry on!

 

While Snoopy was no more it was still a low hour airframe when compared to the active fleet so it was not scrapped but spent some time in store at Boscombe Down awaiting its final fate.

In an ironic twist of fate it was given a third stay of execution by becoming the FTB (Flying Testbed) for the Europrop TP400 engine that would go on to become the powerplant of the new, and C130 replacement, A400M/ AtlasC1.

 

Snoopy was not the first choice however for this role. Because Lockheed encountered some problems on its C130J upgrade with regard to aerodynamics and powerplant it was considered prudent to assign an airframe as a FTB, even though Europrop thought this unnecessary Airbus won the day and a FTB programme was initiated. Airbus however wanted a A340 or A300 as FTB, its own A340-300 testbed aircraft was considered best for the role as it could reach the A400M maximum cruise speed which the C130 could not. Interestingly, the TP400 propeller would still have enough ground clearance if fitted to the underwing pylon of the A340. That would have been a sight to behold! One other aircraft was considered – the Ilyushin Il76 but the C130 won the day.

Snoopy, or more specifically, XV208 would live on.

 

Marshalls were given the contract on December 2004 with a target for 1st flight for April 2006. Testing an engine is a complex affair, especially on a FTB that was not designed outright for such an installation and inevitably problems did arise, all of which were overcome. This validated the Airbus decision to have a FTB programme, interestingly though the biggest problem was associated with the digital programming associated with the engine.

The TP400 engine it the most powerful turboprop driving a single propeller in the world, only the Kuznetsov NK-12 driving a contra rotating propeller is more powerful. Whereas the TU95 Bear sounds like a Zepplin, the A400 has a lovely whistle to it and IMHO sounds lovely and is instantly recognisable. Just for the record, the TP400 produces just over 11000 shp, the NK-12 runs in at around 12500 shp.

 

Here it is;

Copyright Marshall Aerospace.

 

So onto the build.

 

Being the same airframe much of the work on the TP400 FTB would be a simple case repetition minor the obvious weather radar pod and barbers pole, almost all external fittings remained in some form or another. As did the colour scheme, only the company logos change. As I have no internal pics of 208 as the FTB there will be no open ramp and little in the way of internal detail which is a shame really as I am using the new Zvezda kit for this build. It has at least attempted the sound proof quilting which the Italeri kit has not.

The starting point is the superb Zvezda kit as mentioned above, it is much newer that any other offering and this shows in the recessed panel lines and general detail throughout, so well done Zvezda. It is not without its issues, I have seen mentioned some panel lines are questionable but these are hopefully not a major issue.

 

A shots of the box contents, being a new kit;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One tree is missing, I will sort it later.

 

While there are no caravans on this build there are some other singular points of interest, in particular the chocks used to keep 208 in place. They look like they are made of steel and are huge, both wheels sit within what seems like a tub made of steel girders and painted yellow, they are used I believe during the ground run phase of testing. Up to this point I have no close up pics of these items, having contacted Marshalls twice now I have received no response. I know they are busy with the exciting work being done at Cranfield but even a negative response is better than none. I live in hope!

 

So what goodies are going to help me this time? The obvious item is the massive TP400 engine and again Black Dog to the rescue with their A72045 TP400 resin engine. This can be displayed with the engine visible which will fit with photos I have.

 

 

Next up is another Black Dog item; A72113 Hydraulics set. This was an impulse buy as I needed the front bay in the sponson but not sure about the bigger one above the sponson, I am still looking for material on this area. If used it will add another level of detail and give the eye more to feast on. More work though….!

 

Metal seems to feature much in my builds of late and this is no exception, this time the wheel bays will get some fettling with the Metallic Details wheel bay set, again I have a pic with the U/C doors  removed so this detail will be able to be seen, rare on a C130.

 

Metallic details also supply an exterior set for the Zvezda kit which will be used where items are appropriate.

 

Again, I have got lazy and gone for more masks, this time from ResKit

 

Decals; This was my biggest concern as they were way out of my comfort zone but again, the modelling gods were having a good day;

 

As it stands I am considering some resin flaps, probably for ‘Snoopy’ and some stressed looking control surfaces from Bring It but not heard any feedback yet regarding Bring It.

 

Now it is at this point that I should walk away and be content with 2 builds in the pipeline but I find myself really being drawn to too doing XV208 in her Far East colours, it is really that appealing.

Do I?

Do I not?

 

It is at this point I would like to thank a few people for their help in these builds.

Firstly, all the staff at FAST whom gave me free run of the archives to browse at my leisure and where nothing was too much trouble, I came away with just what I was looking for.👏

To Timmas of this fine forum for his time and friendship while producing the decals for the TP400 testbed, it would not have happened without his kind help.👏

To Alan Kidson for his timely re-printing of his book ‘No Ordinary Hercules’ which will no doubt help me immensely with this build.👏

And last but not least @amos brierley for kindly donating the Wolfpack resin engine set to power this build forward.👏

As they say, it takes a village to bring up a child.

 

The thread will go quiet for a while ma lord as I gather more evidence regarding a long nose and an engine on steroids, so stay tuned and see you all soon.

Thanks for looking and I hope you find something of interest in coming months, or should that be years.😄🤪

 

 

 

[Old Man]

Damn, Skippy!

 

This is one heckuva project.

 

May the modelling gods smile....

[petetasker]

I'll tag along with this one. I got an email from Alan I think it was Sat afternoon saying the reprints are now available.

[amos brierley]

Hello Head in the clouds.

 

Firstly, I saw you question in the ‘Cold War’ section and think this book is the answer to your question of photos of the hydraulic bay.

 

 

As an aside to your wish to build 208, here’s a photo of her from my own collection.

Some years ago I worked at Marshals Aerospace and just before I left, one of the projects I was doing was tearing down 208 from Snoopy to becoming its new role of an engine test bed. 

 

And something a little more browner than usual, and winning by a nose.

 

 

 

Looking forward to seeing your builds.       😉

 

[Sabrejet]

6 hours ago, Head in the clouds. said:

Next up is another Black Dog item; A72113 Hydraulics set. This was an impulse buy as I needed the front bay in the sponson but not sure about the bigger one above the sponson, I am still looking for material on this area. If used it will add another level of detail and give the eye more to feast on. More work though….!

 

 

That "hydraulics bay' (I don't ever recall it being called as such) looks like pure fiction! As stated elsewhere, the RH bay is largely devoid of anything but screwjacks and landing gear tracks. The LH bay has two fire bottles and only the forward part is anything like cluttered as seen in the Black Dog set. In RAF service the bays are white, but do get very dirty from brake dust and beryllium from the MLG screwjack brake discs. Remember too that when retracted, the MLG shock absorbers occupy part of that space!

 

So apologies for the quality of photos - these are from the early days of digitals but hopefully will help. Though taken during maintenance, no parts are missing in these shots:

 

RH side:

 

 

And the LH side, showing the methyl bromide fire bottles:

 

 

 

And this is a close-up of the MLG right-angle gearbox, driven by a hydraulic motor to the left (fwd) and which drives the front MLG screwjack via vertical shaft and then feeds into the aft MLG gearbox motor via a horizontal shaft:

 

 

[Head in the clouds.]

On 5/29/2023 at 2:21 PM, Old Man said:

May the modelling gods smile...

Thank you @Old Man, I could do with a bit of heavenly guidance..😄

 

On 5/29/2023 at 2:23 PM, petetasker said:

I'll tag along with this one. I got an email from Alan I think it was Sat afternoon saying the reprints are now available.

Nice to have you on board Pete. I received the same email and mine said " on the way July 27th" so I was surprised when it arrived today.

 

On 5/29/2023 at 6:57 PM, amos brierley said:

Firstly, I saw you question in the ‘Cold War’ section and think this book is the answer to your question of photos of the hydraulic bay.

Thanks @amos brierley I will look into it. You worked at Marshalls! Now the gods are with me..😉. It must have been a fascinating place to work especially be an aircraft enthusiast. I was once on a tour around Marshalls about the early/mid nineties I think, thoroughly enjoyed it. Nice photographs, we both agree on on the best Herc scheme then..👍

 

Thanks @Sabrejet those pics show perfectly what I thought was there isn't ..🤪 Now I am posed with the question of how to recycle unwanted resin..🤔. Considering what is there it hardly seems worth the effort to open it up and scratch build it but who knows, I change my mind like the wind changes..😄

[jumbojock]

Ex Herc driver here. My mate flew Snoopy so pulling up a chair. Looking forward to the nose section. I have a very old Airfix 1/72 kit in my stash (brown, tan and black scheme). Maybe...

[Aeronut22]

If you are building Snoopy why are you going to use that etched H/J cargo floor? Snoopy was a K model and the cargo floor was one of the British mods to take the Skydel roller floor so that it had some commonality with the Skydel fitted to the RAF Argosy and VC10.

[Head in the clouds.]

10 hours ago, jumbojock said:

Maybe...

Welcome @jumbojock the voices for a 3rd build are becoming louder.....🤔

 

10 hours ago, Aeronut22 said:

etched H/J cargo floor?

I did have my doubts when it arrived and I looked at it more closely, I spent some time looking for the Flightpath PE set which I believe to be correct but they are very hard to find. Are there any alternatives?

life is a classroom after all so thanks for the confirmation.

 

[Head in the clouds.]

When  last I posted in the Spring I had a question to answer, one that I had set myself and that question was this; do I build 3 C130's? This project initially started with my interest in XV208 while it was working for Marshall Aerospace on TP400 engine trials, then while I was researching it I realised I had the conversion for the W2 weather research version for XV208 and it seemed a natural progression to do both together. BUT; the stone was now rolling down the hill and picking up moss at a rate of knots so I felt, why not tell the whole story of XV208! To do this I would need another kit and to this end there was really only one kit for me; the original Airfix release in the crud and custard scheme.

 

Now I would have 3 very different kits of the C130 covering 50 years of model releases, Airfix (1971), Italeri (1994) and Zvezda (2020) and all to build 3 different iterations of the same aircraft.

 

While in the process of gathering my evidence for the build I noticed there were many individual post covering all 3 makes of kit but none that compared all 3 side by side so a plan was formulated to do just that. By building them side by side I can compare as I proceed and hopefully give a visual indication of the differences between each kit, everything from panel lines to wrongly shaped fuselages. Some of my fellow modellers may well ask; why? Nobody will buy the the old kits anymore now the new kid on the block has arrived. Maybe, but I want to do it out of curiosity and a sense of fun, it will add another dimension to the build and hopefully it will turn out to be a comprehensive build and answer any question left to answer about these kits.

 

I will add a caveat, I have never served full time in HM Services and my knowledge of aircraft is as an enthusiast so I will most certainly appreciate the wisdom and experience of those who have worked, operated or flown C130 Hercules and all being well I will learn much more along the way.

 

All I need now is an early release Airfix kit. I have been looking in all the usual cupboards for 3 months now and while they come up occasionally on evil bay the price often went through my ceiling. I then met a friend I had not seen for 30+ years and he had one he was willing to sell, I thought that was very decent of him and his price was right too. To make things even sweeter it still had the Bloodhound/Land Rover combo within and a set of masks and decals.

Don't you just love that box art.

 

 

Not the most pleasant colour of plastic though!

 

 

There are 3 mini kits in this bag, more of which later.

 

 

And the icing.

 

In my first post it pointed out to me that a couple of my additions were incorrect or just 'pie in the sky'. The first was the BlackDog equipment bay above the MLG, this will now be omitted but the front bay may still be used as it does have some resemblance to the real thing. The other was the PE cargo floor which is for the American aircraft and not the RAF aircraft which have a different system. Luckily, this is for XV208 Snoopy and I have since found photos that show I do not need it so I can move it on at a later date, although, I can still use the PE which improves the ramp area as Snoopy is the only kit that will have the ramp down and any internal work done.

 

I have also ordered some better wheels so now all 3 kits will have this area improved.

 

My plan is now this;

 

Airfix kit; Crud and custurd scheme, basic internal work and hopefully upgrade Mk1 Bloodhound to Mk2.

 

Italeri kit; White and LAG scheme and snoopy conversion, also internal detail work with ramp/doors open and the boffins caravan ready for loading.

 

Zvezda kit; White and LAG scheme with custom decals, Blackdog TP400 engine conversion and scratchbuild the massive yellow chocks used to keep it grounded during ground runs.

 

That should keep me busy for a week or two. I look forward to you joining me if you so wish.

 

Just need to clear the workbench now, for obvious reasons and we can crack on with this little job...🤪

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Gary

[Planebuilder62]

Dear Gary

Looking at this makes me want to dig my Snoopy out of the stash. For the test bed version, where will the propeller come from and can the Black dog hatches be closed up?
Regards Toby

[Pete in Lincs]

9 hours ago, Head in the clouds. said:

Just need to clear the workbench now

Mate, you're going to need the floor in the living room!

Go for it, Gary!

 

BTW, do you need a project manager too?

[Head in the clouds.]

11 hours ago, Planebuilder62 said:

Dear Gary

Looking at this makes me want to dig my Snoopy out of the stash. For the test bed version, where will the propeller come from and can the Black dog hatches be closed up?
Regards Toby

Hello @Planebuilder62. Go for it, we can swap notes and enjoy the ride together. With regard to the propeller, the Revell 1/72 A400 kit comes with 2 sets, feathered and pitched so one of those will do nicely. The hatch on the Blackdog set I am not sure about but it is irrelevant really, I am not using that 'pie in the sky' piece anyway, only the front section with the APC in it will be used.

 

10 hours ago, Pete in Lincs said:

Mate, you're going to need the floor in the living room!

Go for it, Gary!

 

BTW, do you need a project manager too?

 

Cheers Pete, I know that, you know that but my poor darling wife does not so lets not shout too loudly...😆

Project manager; what a cracking idea, however the hours will be long and the work frustrating at times  😉

[Hook]

On 5/29/2023 at 3:21 PM, Old Man said:

May the modelling gods smile....

Usually they laugh themselves silly whenever I start a project!

 

@Head in the clouds. What a project! Consider my chair pulled up, sir.

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[Head in the clouds.]

15 minutes ago, Hook said:

Usually they laugh themselves silly whenever I start a project!

They may yet laugh at me, I do find it unnerving when so many separate details come together this easily so early on.

Glad to have you along with us.

[Head in the clouds.]

Normally when a build it begins it usually starts with building the cockpit, then moving on to any other internals such as nav station, gun posts or turrets etc. With this little outing 3 kits are being built at roughly the same time but the build will go off at tangents due to the unique nature of XV208, so I will be starting with a comparison of what I have to work with and any differences therein.

This is important for me because I will be asking for different things from each kit and trying to get the best from them. The Airfix kit is mainly an external build, Snoopy is heavily external and internal and XV208 FTB (at the moment) is mainly external but heavily modified.

It will also cure my curiosity as to the plus and minus points of each kit, I only started building seriously in 2016 but like all kids of my generation spent many a happy Saturday afternoon with my Airfix bag with header card and that tube of glue. By Sunday afternoon my new shiny Hurricane or Me109 was now grounded due to battle damage. Happy days indeed. So for me, it will be a learning curve building my first 3 C130 Hercules.

 

Let us start with the biggest lump of plastic; the fuselage, probably the biggest talking point of C130 kits. It is also the part of the model that will receive most of my attention so just to clarify, I am not looking for perfection, more for a good representation while altering only that which will give me some return for an appropriate time spent. For example, I hope to have all 3 looking the same with regard to panel lines so consistency is more important than catching every panel. In the same vein the rivet detail around the ramp/tail area is very much a part of the c130 ‘look’, so this is a must.

So with that in mind let us see what my hard earned have got me.

 

A line is drawn top to bottom and the kits laid out with the top right cockpit corner, the two small dots top and bottom show the line drawn on the card. Top is Italeri, then Zvezda and bottom Airfix.

On first impressions the 3 kits are very close in terms of shape and alignment of key features, the most obvious difference being in the size of the crew door. Airfix is the smallest and the Italeri the largest. For such a simple item to measure I am not sure why there is such a massive size difference, what I need to do is find out which is correct.

 

 

The most often talked about point on the Herk is the chine that runs along the whole length of the fuselage but half of it is hidden by the U/C sponsons. This corresponds to the cargo floor line inside and is a way of eeking out a more uniform space.

Of the kits the Airfix and Zvezda kits have this important detail, the Italeri kit does not.

Hairy leg is optional.

 

 

Italeri.

 

Another point of attention is the glazing under the cockpit, I read somewhere that one of the kits was wrong but I cannot remember which so let’s see.

 

                                                                                                                                                        

Italeri                                                                                   Zvezda

                 CopyrightQuentin Bonnet.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Airfix

 

The front end of the Hercules is much more subtle than seems at first glance, it is not a simple round tube. The main glazing runs in then out again in a subtle change of direction as does much of the front end. The glazing under the wiper blades is very much the same, the four vertical panes also have a subtle curve at the top and appear vertical for most of the height.

None of the 3 kits capture this subtle flow of galzing and metal, the Zvezda captures the 4 vertical panes very well but has a strange taper on the panes under the wipers. The Italeri and Airfix both capture the middle panes better but go off piste on the lower panes. To rectify this would be extremely hard and as such I will leave well alone, while you could possibly straighten the lower panes and likewise on the middle panes on the Zvezda kit you then have the transparencies to contend with. I think this could turn out to be a can of worms.

 

As a comparison all the glazing looks good here but not from the frontal aspect, such are the subtleties of the front end of the Hercules;

 

The only difference I can see at the moment is the size of the trailing edge wing fillet, the Airfix is smaller than the other two so a little more research to find which is correct needs to be done, I am putting my money on the Airfix being wrong.

                 

 

 

 

 

Moving on to the internals.

 

 

The internals show the trend of all being very similar, the Zvezda kit winning by a nose but all 3 would benefit with some extra work if desired. Surprisingly, or not, as the case may be they all have a different take on the rear cargo ramp area, the Zvezda being a mix of the other two. At the moment only the Italeri kit (top) is of concern to me.

 

Without going into overdrive with a vernier and rule all 3 kits thus far are very similar and for a kit of 50 years vintage IMHO the Airfix kit holds up very well but is very much of it's time, raised panel lines and sparse interior. Not bad for the toolmakers and draughtsmen of their day, no LIDAR here!

 

So that is the fuselage comparison, there are some differences but nothing insurmountable bar the glazing area and I am not that brave. For me any changes will be to keep them looking alike, they are after all the same plane.

 

If you are reading this well done, just maybe you have not gone to sleep just yet.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

[fatalbert]

Re the chocks,i dont recall a box structure but i was on nights when they did the engine runs do maybe i just never saw it.At the time we did have home made chocks.They where made of steel  L section and tube welded together.Some were painted yellow and some green,They were very old,rusty and rather battered but they worked.They were wide enough to put in front of both  the nose wheels at once,but we used them on the mains also.hope that helps.

Neil

[fatalbert]

And looking at the wing fillets,i would say the L/H one looks more acurate.

[fatalbert]

I just googled snoopy and i see what you mean re the chocks.I never knew they existed 😳one learns something new every day.

[bissyboat]

I always had a love affair with the Herc since I was 13. This project is a massive undertaking and it´s bound to be a long journey filled with excitement and adventure. I will be watching this attentively. ⚓🙌

[amos brierley]

Hello @Head in the clouds.

 

Hope these help.

 

Starting with the RAF Herk at Cosford. Good reference points here.

 

This lets you know where the fillet ends.

 

Ah a very big error on my part, oups, ( now it’s here I’m mot sure this isn’t the leading edge ). 🤔 A quick look at my own sequence of photographs does reveal this IS the L/H leading edge. 

 

And an Italian one from RIAT this year.

Normally my camera doesn’t produce lousy images, but in this case it has. It’s been inserted as a comparison to the above photo, and @fatal bert‘s comment’s appearing to be true. The sit of the Italian aircraft is sitting rear down the rear door down ready for loading, versus a museum piece possibly robbed of usable materials for what was until July was an active fleet.

 

I’ve inserted this photo also for a comparison of t’other side. As for XV208 Snoopy will differ from the photos I’ve posted. 

 

As always I don’t mind giving an apology when needed, the erroneous photo came from scrolling through and copying and pasting. 

😉

 

Edited September 5, 2023 by amos brierley
Various errors, photo, new photos added.

[Head in the clouds.]

6 hours ago, fatalbert said:

Re the chocks,i dont recall a box structure but i was on nights when they did the engine runs do maybe i just never saw it.At the time we did have home made chocks.They where made of steel  L section and tube welded together.Some were painted yellow and some green,They were very old,rusty and rather battered but they worked.They were wide enough to put in front of both  the nose wheels at once,but we used them on the mains also.hope that helps.

Neil

Thanks Neil, I don't have any pics of them but I have a feeling the big 'ski' looking items I am after were maybe overkill, just in case. I know one pilot jokingly said they were as heavy as the aircraft itself!

 

6 hours ago, fatalbert said:

And looking at the wing fillets,i would say the L/H one looks more acurate.

Ditto 👌

 

6 hours ago, fatalbert said:

I just googled snoopy and i see what you mean re the chocks.I never knew they existed 😳one learns something new every day.

They are big boys aren't they? I have tried to make contact with Marshall but I think they think I want all the secrets to the A400, nope, just some info on those oversized chocks would be nice but still nothing. My search continues.

 

2 hours ago, bissyboat said:

I always had a love affair with the Herc since I was 13. This project is a massive undertaking and it´s bound to be a long journey filled with excitement and adventure. I will be watching this attentively. ⚓🙌

Welcome on board, I hope find it interesting and that I do the Herky Bird proud.

 

1 hour ago, amos brierley said:

Hope these help.

Cheers @amos brierley they do. A nice clear pic of the trailing edge fillet and the one showing some rivet detail that I had missed on the sponson, nice. The Italian C130 pic shows the fillet dropping as it moves back, is the camera angle or is that how it actually is?

[fatalbert]

27 minutes ago, Head in the clouds. said:

 

 

Cheers @amos brierley they do. A nice clear pic of the trailing edge fillet and the one showing some rivet detail that I had missed on the sponson, nice. The Italian C130 pic shows the fillet dropping as it moves back, is the camera angle or is that how it actually is?

It does drop,it follows the camber of the wing.

Edited September 4, 2023 by fatalbert

[fatalbert]

What i should say is that the bottom is straight and the top slopes to meet it.That probably makes more sense.

[Head in the clouds.]

1 hour ago, fatalbert said:

That probably makes more sense.

And so it does, thanks.