Jump to content

KC-10 Extender


Recommended Posts

Revell did have a 1/44 KC-10 in a couple of different boxings and there is a vac-form 1/72 kit. I can't remember who made it. Don't forget the two 1/200 kits from Hasegawa. One done in the gray over white scheme and the other done in the shamu scheme. HTH Don M.

KC-10instructions.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

I forgot about the 200th scale one. In a way my mind tells me it would like to do one in 144th seeing other big USAF birds can be done in that scale.

How are anigrand kits?

Didn't some one make a conversion to make a DC into a KC?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Given the generally crap quality of the research that Anigrand does, I'd have to see any of their kits before I'd even consider buying one. Their 1/72 C-17 was a total disaster from stem to stern.

The Revell 1/144 kit is fair. The 1/200 Hasegawa kit is by far the most accurate KC-10 there is. I'm not aware of any conversion kit. The KC-10A was essentially just a very late production DC-10-30CF. You could write an entire book on the myriad airframe detail differences that DC-10s went through as Douglas kept trying to tweak the design to achieve the originally targeted range and fuel consumption figures. I don't think they ever really got there.

J

Edited by Jennings
Link to post
Share on other sites

The KC-10 kits issued by Revell USA and Revell of Germany are the same. The Revell USA one comes with the F-15 (the old Crown kit, kinda crappy and actually a prototype Eagle) and the original white with blue scheme. The German one as I recall is the Shamo scheme and it has a Desert Storm era Tornado.

As for turning a DC-10 into a KC-10, it is best to start with the KC-10 kit in 1/144. Reason being is Revell's DC-10 started life as a DC-10 series 10 and when it was modified to make the series 30, they didn't quite go far enough. When the KC-10 came out, it had all the proper -30 features, meaning even airline modelers prefer to acquire KC-10s for DC-10-30 builds. The Airfix DC-10 I hear is a little better for a -30, but it has some problems I recall as well. The vac kit I believe is done by Welsh models and all their stuff is first rate (don't let the vac name fool you as they build up nice with some TLC).

I recently acquired both 1/144 and 1/200 KC-10 kits during a club auction and I gotta say, the Hasegawa kit is a real jewel in 1/200 scale. It has some very nice detail on it from the slime lights and the cargo door to the refuelling boom. The 1/144 kit is good yes, but Hasegawa's kit is better. In my case I plan to eventually build both as there is a former KC-10 pilot I know who might like to be positively be surprised if I present her with a KC-10 model.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Are there reviews of the 1/200th scale?

For my self, I am thinking about building a newer from McGuire, There was one at Quonset this year and was the first one my little one happen to see in person.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Are there reviews of the 1/200th scale?

For my self, I am thinking about building a newer from McGuire, There was one at Quonset this year and was the first one my little one happen to see in person.

Modeling Madness has a review of the Hasegawa kit:

http://modelingmadness.com/scotts/mod/kc10.htm

Hopefully this will help with your decision.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Given the generally crap quality of the research that Anigrand does, I'd have to see any of their kits before I'd even consider buying one. Their 1/72 C-17 was a total disaster from stem to stern.

Jennings, I wish I had known that.... ugh it's bad. The cockpit canopy doesn't even fit right at all. Air bubbles all over the thing, dents all along the fuselage, and panel lines don't even match up. The only good thing that this kit has going for it is the recessed panel lines, but those aren't even accurate. What a waste.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Jennings, I wish I had known that.... ugh it's bad. The cockpit canopy doesn't even fit right at all. Air bubbles all over the thing, dents all along the fuselage, and panel lines don't even match up. The only good thing that this kit has going for it is the recessed panel lines, but those aren't even accurate. What a waste.

I also have the C-17 and will need to do a lot of work to it. The whole nose/cockpit section needs to be built new and the panel lines also need to be made again. But I think the kit will be usefull after all. So I don't have to built the whole big bird scratch. I will buy the C-141 and later the KC-10 too...(no I'm not rich)

Link to post
Share on other sites

I seem to recall, back in to 90s actually, there was a vac form 1/72 DC-10 (Aircraft in Miniature I think) and you could purchase a 1/72 white metal set to convert it to a KC-10. Not sure of it's current availability though.

EDIT:

Here's a link that includes the catalog numbers of the 1/72 vac formed DC-10-30 and the KC-10 conversion to go with it:

http://www.72scale.com/aircraft/Douglas/DC-10.htm

I took a quick trip over to the Aircraft in Minature website who produced the kits under the "Transport Wings" banner and it seems all their retail sales are done through Hannants, so you'll want to contact them about the current availability.

Edited by Kevan Vogler
Link to post
Share on other sites
The cockpit canopy doesn't even fit right at all.

Not to mention the fact that it's got an L1011 windshield and not the sharply pointed "V" windshield of the DC-10 and C-17 (the windshield frame forging has the same part number on the C-17 as it does on the DC-10).

Air bubbles all over the thing, dents all along the fuselage, and panel lines don't even match up. The only good thing that this kit has going for it is the recessed panel lines, but those aren't even accurate. What a waste.

And the sponson on the right side matches the one on the left - which it doesn't on the real airplane. On the C-17 the right sponson is about 6' longer forward, to house the APU. Anigrand (oops!) totally missed that little detail.

J

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 3 months later...
  • 1 month later...

I built the Revell 1/144th KC-10 that came with a Tornado (can't remember if it was an IDS, ECR or GR(X)). I don't plan to built the Tornado that came with it; however I plan to build the DS 'Mig Killer' from DML.

I had to scratch build a few little things to get mine closer to a real KC-10. Like the fin things on the Engine nacelles, weird things on the leading edge of the tail, and antenna, etc....I still think I may have missed an antenna or two, but I don't plan to go back and touch it up.

Other than that I'd say the Revell one was a pretty good kit. But beware of the decals, I had some silvering that I could never get totally rid of.

I don't like 200 scale...even though I built the Hase. one when it first came out and it was better.but wrong scale for me now.

I also built the 1/144th C-141 from Scot Doepker to go along with it in the scale.

- Matt

Pictures037.jpg

Pictures039.jpg

Pictures040.jpg

Pictures042.jpg

Izzy018.jpg

Izzy019.jpg

Izzy020.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...