KC-135/707 windscreen

[Gator52]

Did the KC-135 & 707 (or even 737 for that matter) use the same windscreen design?

I was thinking of using a 707/737 windscreen decal on the Minicraft KC-135, but not sure if those windscreens are interchangeable or not.

Thanks

Jonah

[Trojan Thunder]

Jonah,

Pretty sure they are the same.

[Drifterdon]

Heya Johah, they are exactly the same. You may need to shape the minicraft part a little to get it to fit. They did a better job than the 707 kit but it's still not quite right.

[Jennings]

Yes, they even use the same Boeing part numbers, and were originally built on the same production jigs.

Paul Fisher has a really nice resin nose for the Minicraft KC-135 that corrects the shape nicely...

[Drifterdon]

Jonah,

As Jennings pointed out, Paul Fishers nose is absolutely spot on for shape and accuracy. Here is a pic of my KC-135R that will be a tribute build of Shell 77 that was lost just over 3 years ago over Kyrgyzstan. I've already laid down a coat of paint but you can see how nicely the nose fits and corrects Minicrafts goofy windshield.

If you've already assembled the fuselage and glued the nose wheel well in place it may be too late. If you up to a little saw work, you may still be able to graft the new nose on. They are just $10 each and a real bargain if you ask me.

Here's a link to what we're talking about. Great stuff. http://fishermodels.indiemade.com/product/kc-135-nose-correction-minicraft-1144

Don

Edited May 7, 2016 by Drifterdon

[Jim Barr]

Is there an aftermarket windshield decal that works with the Fisher nose correction?

Thanks

Jim Barr

[Drifterdon]

Any of the Draw decals made for the 737 will work. ATP used to do a generic window sheet that did Douglas, Boeing, and Convair windshields. Theres one now on ebay but it looks like its a very poor copy. Many of the airliner decal producers include accurate windshield decals with their 707 markings.

[Jay Chladek]

Pretty much what Don says. Most any ATP sheet set up for a 727 or 737 will work and there were A LOT of sheets done back in the day with the same window configuration since Boeing used it for a lot of things. Old Minicraft sheets designed for the Airfix kits would probably also work (Airfix tended to be pretty good in their shape research) The only tricky bit when looking for window decals on newer sheets is making sure they have "eyebrow" windows. These four small windows mounted above the main windows are used for visibility on very steep turning approaches over airports (basically a tight spiral from altitude down with the airport in sight). Modern 737s don't mount the windows anymore since radio and navigation aids tend to make that style of approach no longer necessary, so some later decal sheets may have deleted them.

But even then, if you have to trim and shim a little to get windows to fit, it really isn't that tough to do.

[Gator52]

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it.

Jonah