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Revell 1/139th scale E-3 converted to E-8


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So I got this as a bagged kit a few years back. I built this one in the mid-1980s and really liked it. I have a sealed one but ran across this one that was only supposed to be missing the large radar disk and supports. For a $1 I could not go wrong. I thought I could track down the missing parts...well, no joy there. So I thought perhaps make it a JSTAR with the extras that come in the Minicraft series of 707/KC-135/E-3/E-8 family of kits. Long story short I was able to get the lower fuselage pod, antennas and decals from the Minicraft E-8 JSTARS from a fellow here on ARC. So, once I started on it and got the fuselage nose weight added and painted the cockpit black. Then I moved to the wings and after getting them together I went looking to assemble the engines. Come to find out my bagged special was missing those parts as well!   So, I punted and bagged it all up and left it alone.

Our very own Ernie (ModelMax) on ARC occasionally sells parts kits and started stuff. He recently posted the wings and engines from the Minicraft VC-137 kit. TA DA! So I got ahold of him and the parts are now with me and allowed me to start back up on this build. The engine nacelle mounts need to be tweaked to fit the Revell wings but it will all work. So, I puttied up the sink holes in the fuselage and am back on a roll with it. 

 

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The basic structure is together. The wings have tabs that interlock and give the correct angle. So I put them in each side of their respective fuselage halves and before gluing the fuselage I put glue on the tabs. Once this set up then I glued the wing root seams in place. 

After this set up I then glued the fuselage halves together. I did this literally panel by panel along the fuselage as the fuselage had some very mild warpage. This was tedious, to say the least!  :o  I then put a thin layer of filler on the seams. Finally, I glued the radome and the horizontal stabilizer assembly in.

 

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Later,

 

Lee

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Thank you Ernie! Glad that you ran across them...it saved this kit from being parted out!

 

So, here are a few shots with the JSTAR pod and antenna attached. I also modified the engine pylons and glued them into place. I had to trim the middle to back half of each pylon as it is curved to match the wings of the Minicraft kit. The Revell wings are straight and have no curvature. Had I not modified them the engines would have been at an upward angle. This took a bit of test fitting and cutting and doing it a few more times. Overall, I am pleased with how they look. I used glue and Vallejo putty to fill the gaps and will clean them up later this week.

 

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Later,

 

Lee

Edited by Nanook
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Nice progress Lee :popcorn:  Your picture shows how much shorter the Revell E-3 (KC-135 in fact) is than a B707/E3/E8 in the same scale.

 

I am building one in 1/72 with the Flightpath conversion set using the Heller E-3 kit.

 

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Comparing yours and my pictures the lower antenna fairing does not go as far back as the main gear wells on mine.

 

EDIT: Just noticed that your lower fairing is mounted further back from the nose wheel well than mine, though taking that into consideration your kit fuselage is a still a little shorter than a B707 in that scale.

Edited by Trojan Thunder
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Thanks, Ray! Your build is amazing and far more detailed than mine is.

 

For placement, I went off of the Minicraft instruction sheet. That's an error on my part as I should have looked at pics online. I did not account for the scale difference but to be honest it didn't feel like that noticeable between 1/139th and 1/144th. I am just trying to make something out of nothing LOL! 

 

I'm on the fence about adding the (in this scale) tiny antennas on the spine and nose. They would snap off easily and will not have anything to help brace them. If I do it I figure I'll just use sheet styrene or leftover PE.

 

Later,

 

Lee

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No problems Lee, I find some instruction sheets are vague. Even with the detailed instructions I have for my E-8 build, I am still checking pictures to confirm locations of parts.

 

I think the antennas add to the look, I added a bunch to a 1/144 KC-30 I am building and I think the extra effort adds to the look. Your call though! :rolleyes:

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Well I think you have convinced me to add the antennas, sir. So I'll be making them his weekend and attach them when she is ready for paint.

 

I did make an error in judgment by not checking pics to verify placement. But in this scale I'll get by. Certainly not going to pry that big piece off LOL!

 

Later,

 

Lee

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2 hours ago, Wolfgun33 said:

That's great that you were able to get the engines. It really looks nice!

Thanks for the kudos!  It took a bit of tweaking to make them work. It should be fine and it's good enough for me LOL! 

 

It's been a fun build and it's a kit that you don't see built hardly at all. So it stands out a bit that way too.

 

Later,

 

Lee

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  • 1 month later...
7 minutes ago, Ljmorrow92 said:

What's the name of that red filler that you used on top of the fuselage? I see it used all the time but I don't know the name of it. 

It is Milliput.

 

I'm remiss in updating my build. I have everything sanded down and it's ready for paint. Been very busy with home stuff lately and got sidetracked with my 1/72 Revell/Advent PBY-5A Cataline build.

 

Later,

 

Lee

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12 hours ago, Vidar_710 said:

Just a heads up... make sure your engine pylons are perpendicular to the ground, not the wing.  ;-)

 

Tracy

Thank you! That's what I did my best to do. The Minicraft parts have a unique curvature to them that I was fighting.

 

Later,

 

Lee

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  • 4 weeks later...

FYI, you technically can't convert a C-135 to an E-8. The Revell kit is a C-135 not an E-3. They're completely different airframes. E-8s are 707-320 airframes. E-3's aren't even really 707s, they're E-3s. The forward windscreens are bigger than a stock 707. A 707 forward windscreen falls through and E-3 opening. The fuselage is different and the wings are different.

 

If you don't care about that, then by all means keep up the good work.

Edited by SteveV22FE
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On 8/23/2017 at 11:19 PM, SteveV22FE said:

FYI, you technically can't convert a C-135 to an E-8. The Revell kit is a C-135 not an E-3. They're completely different airframes. E-8s are 707-320 airframes. E-3's aren't even really 707s, they're E-3s. The forward windscreens are bigger than a stock 707. A 707 forward windscreen falls through and E-3 opening. The fuselage is different and the wings are different.

 

If you don't care about that, then by all means keep up the good work.

Thanks a bunch for that info...guess that explains why the Minicraft wings were not going to work, eh? :wave: I'm just building this one for me and saving one more kit from the scrap heap. Thank you for the compliment and for the info. 

 

Later,

 

Lee

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Hi Ray! I sure have...added a few of the small antenna and completed the sanding of filler around the engine mounts. They are not totally even to the ground but, again, it's for me and my happiness so I'm okay with that. I'll get a few pics up soon as I am able. My 6-month-old son keeps me busy and work has been tasking the past 4-6 weeks.

 

Later,

 

Lee

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  • 2 weeks later...

Here are some pics, Ray! I knocked off the two antennae I had added so far...ugh! And it appears that one of the engine pylons was short shot. So, at this point, I may just 'paint and punt' so that she is all done.

 

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Note the short-shot outboard pylon:

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Later,

 

Lee

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Thanks for the pictures Lee.

 

You will find that the 'short shot' pylon is by design. The extension of the pylon for the other 3 engines contains an intake for a Turbo Compressor (TC) for cabin aircon and pressurisation and is called a TC Hood. Most civil B707s only ever had 3 TCs fitted. The USAF in its wisdom added a 4th TC hood to the number one engine only to blank them all off later. I had to add a scratch built TC hood to my No 1 engine.

 

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