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B377 super guppy


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Hi all I've just got a super guppy in 1/144 but I have no decals. I have looked everywhere for some aftermarket ones but no joy. So does anybody know of somewhere that sells them. I like the NASA bird but any decals will do

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  • 9 years later...

Rather than starting another thread, I thought I'd post my question here.

 

Does anyone know the model or type of propeller fitted to this Super Guppy? Is this propeller available in 1/144? It appears to be similar to the C-133 propeller or perhaps the C-130A three-blade prop..

 

19781112%20EDW%2021%20B-377-SG%20Suoper%

 

I have the 1/144 kit and its four-blade props but I am considering building N940NS in NASA livery and it features these props. I'd love to try an Aero Spacelines scheme but my painting skills would fall well short of what is required. Thanks.

 

BM. 

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You can try Vintage Flyer Decals.  I have included a link below.  He has the decals in the link AND decals for the NASA version.  Hope this helps.

 

VFD000-230 - Guppy ASI (vintageflyerdecals.com)

 

 

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You have to love a Super Guppy! Surely one of the most incredible aircraft designs there is. I had a walk around the one at Bruntingthorpe, UK a few years ago. You could play football inside her. Sadly, I believe the airframe has now been broken up - perhaps better informed folk than myself could confirm this.

 

Cheers. 

 

Chris. 

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Fascinating aeroplane! I've got the Revell boxing of the kit in the stash and have both Bsmodelle and VF decals to choose from, I'll get round to building it one of these days.

 

If you're building the three-blade version of the Super Guppy, note that the engines are different from the ones in the kit, not just the prop. The one with the three-blade props was the prototype, converted from a YC-97J powered by P&W T-34s. The C-133 used the same engine so it seems reasonable to assume that C-133 props would be suitable - that's just my assumption though. 

 

The "production" Super Guppies were powered by the Allison 501 (AKA T56) but that wasn't the only difference - whilst the fuselage of the prototype was converted from the C-97, the fuselages of the other four were built from scratch and were different. Compare the cross section of this one with the front view @Blue Monday shared - there's a crease around the level of the top of the wing of N940NS that isn't there on the others:

 

LoadingSuperGuppy.jpg

 

So there's quite a lot involved in converting the Otaki/Revell kit to N940NS. I'd love to see it done! There's also the Mini Guppy and Pregnant Guppy, which are the kind of challenging conversions I fantasies about but will probably never get around to.

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On 7/4/2021 at 8:29 AM, Blue Monday said:

I am considering building N940NS in NASA livery and it features these props.

C-130A and C-133A props look like they would work; I first thought the 3-blade props from the Lockheed 1249 turboprop Constellation would work, but they are 'way too broad. I think you could take three prop blades from a 1/144 P-3 and reconfigure the spinners with three mounting holes, but I think four blade props would need some reprofiling to represent the ones used on the Guppy.

Mike. 

 

At first I thought the props on a 1/144 Kawasaki-built JASDF P-2J Neptune would work- although they are three bladed, they are too slender in chord and appear to be longer- sorry! (Besides, that's pretty expensive, robbing two kits just fore their props... although I must admit I have bought kits just for their detail parts.)

 

IIRC, Roden did a 1/144 C-133A, but that would be an expensive set of props- could the forward part of the nacelles also be used for your Super Guppy?

Edited by 72modeler
added text, corrected spelling
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I'm surprised the turboprop Connie props don't look right - would have thought they'd be a good bet and was going to suggest contacting Densil Wade at Welsh Models to see if he has any spares from his YC-121F conversion. C-130A might be worth a try, they might need a bit of reshaping, but at least one of the boxings of the Minicraft 1/144 C-130 (the C-130A/E boxing) includes both 3-bladed and 4-bladed props so you'd still have a useable C-130 kit after it's donated

the 3-bladed props.

 

2 hours ago, 72modeler said:

1/144 Kawaski-built JASDF P-2J Neptune

Is there a 1/144 P-2J kit? Might need one of these!

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19 minutes ago, zebra said:

Is there a 1/144 P-2J kit? Might need one of these!

I seem to recall that Fujimi did one, but not being a 1/144 scale modeler, (The Airfix Boeing 314 Clipper being the ONLY kit I own in the scale.) I might be mistaken- you could do a search. 

Mike

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This thread has led me down quite a rabbit hole and I'm now fantasising (it's almost certainly never going to come to fruition after all) about converting a whole load of Minicraft Stratocruisers into all the different Guppies. But whilst down the rabbit hole I came across this site which looks pretty useful: http://www.allaboutguppys.com

 

As for the P-2J, looks like there was a Fujimi kit, but prepainted and partially preassembled. Not really my idea of modelling!

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