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With the moderators permission I am rescuing a couple of builds from the shelf of doom to finish together in a small diorama.

First up is a 1/144 Anigrand C-17A that was given to me in a semi built state. I had started to clean it up but got distracted. It was in a gear up config which will suit my purposes for it.

Some seam clean up to be carried out then to reassemble. I have a set of Revell and Xtradecal decals for this (re)build.

C-17A36SQN1_zps8a0bd240.jpg

Second is a Revell A330 conversion into a KC-30. I have done the major cutting and shutting bu stalled when the conversion set I had did not portray the refuelling drogues correctly. The set has recently been reissued with corrected drogues and other update parts such as the tail fin and refuelling boom. The drogue mount pylons aren't quite right still so I will be making new ones.

KC-30A02_zps780a0447.jpg

New (left) and old refuelling parts

KC-30A01_zps869ff302.jpg

Edited by Trojan Thunder
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Brendon,

This C-17 will be a walk in the park compared to the 1/72 kit.

Not sure what you are taking about there, but I have the updated HH conversion now and the boom has a lot more lumps and bumps on the boom. I will have to have a look at my reference pictures.

Edited by Trojan Thunder
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So I decided to start on the C-17 since there is a lot more work to do on it.

I started be refitting the flap track fairing to the wings

C-17A36SQN02_zps5853ab13.jpg

Since the partially assemble modeled needed some clean up it was disassembled and to get it back together in a fairly solid state I drilled out the old locating holes and added new locating pins made from sprue sections

C-17A36SQN04_zps05ae889c.jpg

The fin was refitted (a second time after the butt join had failed)

C-17A36SQN07_zpsc9ae4fe2.jpg

Since the Anigrand kit is an early version of the C-17 no LAIRCM (Large Aircraft Infrared Counter Measures System) fittings were on the kit so I decided to add them since most RAAF aircraft now have them. Base plate added

C-17A36SQN05_zps1db8cbb4.jpg

Finally for this up date I noticed the APU Fairing extension on the starboard sponson looked a little small so I decided to reshape it. Putty was added to start the build up of the area. I also drilled a hole inthe lower fuselage to accept the mounting tube for the stand.

C-17A36SQN06_zps88e2d10d.jpg

Some minor work on the KC-30 has been done with the engines assembled and puttied and a couple of strakes added to the forward fuselage

KC-30A03_zps68448fcd.jpg

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Some minor work on the KC-30 has been done with the engines assembled and puttied and a couple of strakes added to the forward fuselage

KC-30A03_zps68448fcd.jpg

Hi Ray,

those strakes are the guide lights for the receiver A/c for taking fuel from the boom.... that's what I was meaning. as seen in this pic

2uib0xc.jpg

Brendon

Edited by Aussie_superbug
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Thanks Brendon,

I wasn't sure what to call them.

The guide light strips are just lengths of half round card stock. You need to trim to the right length. The the original issued conversion set Ryan included flat strip. I think the rounded stuff looks better.

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i have been progressing with the C-17.

The winglets have been installed and I have finished refitting the flat track fairings on the other wing.

C-17A36SQN11_zps3d6f5017.jpg

Also been progressively filling and sanding the the reshaped landing gear sponsons.

C-17A36SQN10_zps6bc84835.jpg

Finally I have installed the rear fuselage strakes, one of which had to be scratchbuilt as the original was out of shape.

C-17A36SQN09_zps16268a87.jpg

The KC-30 was on hold until I could find some good pictures of the wing mounted drogue pylons.

I finally found some here: LINK Some great detail shots ....

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The engines are now refurbished as well.

I had to remove and refit all the strakes on the cowls as well as replace the rear section of each of the small fairings that were at the rear top of the cowls. They were misformed due to air bubbles.

C-17A36SQN12_zps46385877.jpg

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KC-30 Progress:

Well the drogue pylons weren't as bad a shape as I thought.

I have modified one of them, it still need s some work but I am close to being happy with it.

KC-30A04_zpsce69de39.jpg

Also have the KC-30 engines assembled and now are ready for a primer coat.

KC-30A05_zps15bba46e.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

Been slowly attending to these builds. Sorry for the picture quality, they were taken with my phone

I decided that I would remove the LAIRCM mods from the C-17. A41-210 is the only aircraft in the fleet with out them so I will go with that tail number.

Wings are now installed after a few attempts to get the wings secured to my satisfaction. The wings need to be straightened again with some hot water, they both have slight bows in them.

C-17A36SQN10_zps43fc5a6c.jpg

C-17A36SQN11_zps55e0c60f.jpg

The KC-30 now has the drogue pylons and engines fitted. Time for some priming and seam checking.

]KC-30ARAAF13_zps40a9d26f.jpg

]KC-30ARAAF14_zps7a908047.jpg

Test check of layout

C-17A36SQN09_zps8711a7c2.jpg

Edited by Trojan Thunder
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So I started to look at adding the engines to the C-17 and out of curiosity I compared the nacelle and pylon with a Revell one.

I found that even though the shapes are better than their 1/72 version there is still a way to go for Anigrand to get it right.

Side by side

C-17A36SQN13_zps9c1a164f.jpg

On a Revell wing

C-17A36SQN16_zps7d94536f.jpg

Another view on the wing

C-17A36SQN17_zps68644fa2.jpg

Top view on the wing

C-17A36SQN18_zpsdfcce967.jpg

...and finally on the Anigrand Wing

C-17A36SQN15_zps807fb771.jpg

So basically I am not going to bother trying to correct anything. Form here on in I will just stick it together and get it painted and decalled.

I have a pre-production Hawkeye decal sheet to try out on it.

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Slowly been progressing both builds.

The C-17 now is all in one piece. Though with the butt joins of the engine pylons to the wings I keep knocking engines off and having to reglue them. I might revisit the joins and pin them. See how careful I can be.

C-17A36SQN19_zps7f20f317.jpg

C-17A36SQN20_zps965d4637.jpg

Time for the fiddly stuff adding the antennas. I should also hit with some primer to see how many pin holes I need to fill.

On the KC-30 I have been concentrating on the boom. The HH set is OK in shape but I decided to tidy some parts up. The boom mount and top of boom have a squarish cross section for the kit parts where on the actual aircraft the corners are more rounded, So I hit hem with files to reshape them.

KC-30A09_zpsdf5b529d.jpg

I also drilled out the end of the boom to fit the retractable part of the boom

KC-30A10_zps214c66b8.jpg

I added a couple of ESP blisters that I had omitted previously. As I recall they original ones were full of air bubbles so I left them off. With the new set they were a lot better so I installed them.

KC-30A07_zps6254678d.jpg

Down the front end I added the raised skin panels for the boom receptacle. It was a case of cutting masking tape to shape and and sticking it down. There are 3 layers of tape used.

KC-30A06_zps18732832.jpg

Finally a shot of the KC-30 partly primed

KC-30A08_zps60281cb0.jpg

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Sometimes it seems I am posting to myself... oh well another update Ray

I have started attaching antennas and other bits to the KC-30A

KC-30A11_zps11dddf47.jpg

KC-30A15_zps23f04308.jpg

KC-30A14_zps8a6ac954.jpg

I found the decal sheet for this one and it is quite basic. looks like I have a fair bit of painting to do for the refueling reference lines under the fuselage and wings.

I found some engines form a trashed Revell C-17. Getting a bit annoyed by the engines 'falling' off the wing I decided to start replacing them.

C-17A36SQN21_zps1ddb439b.jpg

C-17A36SQN22_zps26831142.jpg

They look much better I think

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Progressing slowly. Have the majority of the antennas fitted to the KC-30 now.

KC-30ARAAF110_zps79b5e1d5.jpg

This was the last picture I took of it.

The C-17 progresses with the engine transplant complete and I am now tidying up the pylon/wing joins.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

These builds have been stalled for a while, i finally got them into the paint shop

C-17A36SQN26_zps5155aecd.jpg

The base coat revealed some issues I need to attend to once it is dry.

KC-30A20_zps8ced5104.jpg

I did not realise that the Tamiya primer was a very close match to the KC-30 grey, again some issue to attend to before another coat of paint.

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