PreView - Blackbird Models BMA72009 HC-130H resin conversion

[Dutch]

Has anyone seen the actual resin parts for the Blackbird Models BMA72009 HC-130H set?  Is it for the USAF HC-130H version or the USCG version?  Hannants does not show a photo, but has a few in stock. The Blackbird Models website is also blank.  I'd like to order a set, but want to know what i am getting before I commit.  K/r, Dutch

Edited March 17, 2020 by Dutch

[Dutch]

Never mind!  I saw that Hannants had it available, so I ordered one.  You get the Fulton nose/tines and AN/ARD-17 dorsal radome.  Very nicely molded, I must say.  Perfect for a HC-130H/N/P with long nacelle T-56 engines and short wheel sponsons.  Decals are available from Microscale for the grey/yellow birds.  Also suitable for WC-130H (minus tines).  You will have to cut a large rectangular window in the forward fuselage and square the windows in the rear troop doors.  IFR pods will have to be sourced separately.  (Attack Sqn / Brengun?) 

 

[Da SWO]

9 hours ago, Dutch said:

Never mind!  I saw that Hannants had it available, so I ordered one.  You get the Fulton nose/tines and AN/ARD-17 dorsal radome.  Very nicely molded, I must say.  Perfect for a HC-130H/N/P with long nacelle T-56 engines and short wheel sponsons.  Decals are available from Microscale for the grey/yellow birds.  Also suitable for WC-130H (minus tines).  You will have to cut a large rectangular window in the forward fuselage and square the windows in the rear troop doors.  IFR pods will have to be sourced separately.  (Attack Sqn / Brengun?) 

 

WC-130's had the radome removed in the late70's early 80's. 

[gmat]

The HC-130H/P/Ns and WC-130Hs as well had the flare launchers and the rails for the ODS on the rear cargo ramp. 

The flare launchers were tubes embedded in the upper rear so that the flares could be re-loaded in-flight. 

Here is a shot showing the rails.

Grant

[Dutch]

Grant,  Right!  I forgot about the flare rails on the upper cargo door.

& Gmat, Right on the WC-130Hs as well, but there are plenty of late 1960s, early 1970s phtos with the AN/ARD-17 in place, white or black.

  

Edited March 19, 2020 by Dutch

[Da SWO]

Here are some pics of the HC-130 ramp area.

 

 

[Da SWO]

Final shot.

[gmat]

The two rails were for the overhead delivery system, which would lift and launch life raft packages out the rear. The rails were also attached to the ceiling of the cargo bay. The HC-130s also could have two, maybe four Benson tanks in the cargo bay. The HC-130s were to support the Apollo Space missions so needed very long range to reach and loiter over distant points in ocean. I think the Bensen tanks were the same as used on KC-97s. I remember that WC-130Hs had one on the right side of the cargo bay, between the Dropsonde station and the observer's window. WC-130Es didn't have them. The U-1 foils and the P-system were in the way. The P-system compressors were reputed to come from B-24s. The U-1 foils were built by Seeburg and perhaps Wurlitzer of jukebox fame. But I digress. 

 

Grant

Edited March 19, 2020 by gmat

[Dutch]

I like digression on occasion,  such as this one. 😎 😃

Edited March 20, 2020 by Dutch

[Da SWO]

2 hours ago, gmat said:

The two rails were for the overhead delivery system, which would lift and launch life raft packages out the rear. The rails were also attached to the ceiling of the cargo bay. The HC-130s also could have two, maybe four Benson tanks in the cargo bay. The HC-130s were to support the Apollo Space missions so needed very long range to reach and loiter over distant points in ocean. I think the Bensen tanks were the same as used on KC-97s. I remember that WC-130Hs had one on the right side of the cargo bay, between the Dropsonde station and the observer's window. WC-130Es didn't have them. The U-1 foils and the P-system were in the way. The P-system compressors were reputed to come from B-24s. The U-1 foils were built by Seeburg and perhaps Wurlitzer of jukebox fame. But I digress. 

 

Grant

Interesting, do you have any photos of the ODS?  I can't remember seeing those on our birds, but it's been 30 plus years.

[gmat]

Sorry, I don't. I think I got the info by looking at an HC-130H T.O. when looking up the rails on the cargo ramp. Looking at the Koku-Fan FAOW #79 on the C-130, there is a line drawing of the interior that suggests the location of the rail from a side view. The ODS cargo hold rails were long gone from the WC-130Hs when I was at Keesler. 

Sorry, Grant

[Da SWO]

15 hours ago, gmat said:

Sorry, I don't. I think I got the info by looking at an HC-130H T.O. when looking up the rails on the cargo ramp. Looking at the Koku-Fan FAOW #79 on the C-130, there is a line drawing of the interior that suggests the location of the rail from a side view. The ODS cargo hold rails were long gone from the WC-130Hs when I was at Keesler. 

Sorry, Grant

Actually, that's good because I didn't remember seeing them on the planes in 85.

Thought I had missed something huge.

[gmat]

Da SWO, are you going to do a WC-130H? MET specific external differences, albeit quite small would be the drop tube, the black AN/APN-42 altitude radar and PRT-5  infrared sea surface temperature sensor, both behind the nose gear, and the very tiny AN/AMQ-34 dew point hygrometer, on the right side, under and behind the left side of the cockpit. The dewpoint hygrometer came from the USN who used it on the WC-121N. It was placed behind the radome so was less exposed to elements of a storm than on the WC-130s. We had some problems with the sensor that was cured by drying them out under heat in the shop. The total temp probe was standard on C-130s (but we (MET/ARE troops) were responsible for replacing them) and the ARWO also used a pressure altitude display, but we didn't have anything to do with it. 

Grant

[Da SWO]

12 minutes ago, gmat said:

Da SWO, are you going to do a WC-130H? MET specific external differences, albeit quite small would be the drop tube, the black AN/APN-42 altitude radar and PRT-5  infrared sea surface temperature sensor, both behind the nose gear, and the very tiny AN/AMQ-34 dew point hygrometer, on the right side, under and behind the left side of the cockpit. The dewpoint hygrometer came from the USN who used it on the WC-121N. It was placed behind the radome so was less exposed to elements of a storm than on the WC-130s. We had some problems with the sensor that was cured by drying them out under heat in the shop. The total temp probe was standard on C-130s (but we (MET/ARE troops) were responsible for replacing them) and the ARWO also used a pressure altitude display, but we didn't have anything to do with it. 

Grant

Yeah, that's the plan.

I have a few ahwad of it that need to be finished.  But I am planning on doind a couple WC-130's.

[Da SWO]

@Dutch, did you start this one yet?

 

@gmat, I think the Keesler folks (Reserve) replaced the HC-130 ramp with a standard ramp at some point.

 

I'm rolling the dice on my WC build, my final parts are coming in during the next few weeks and I am going to attempt to build a WC-130A.