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WC-130A Rainmaker


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10 hours ago, Trojan Thunder said:

The tank looks great in situ Brett as well as the troop seats.

 

I have a couple of C-130 builds on the go, I may start a thread here shortly.

Thanks, we are trying to figure the dimensions of the DSO table now, comparing photo's to the model floor.  As @Dutch suggested, I am also going to put the fuel lines on. This will be interesting.

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  • 2 weeks later...

My son screwed his 3-d printer up, so I am building the DSO station the old fashioed way; scratch build.  Table is cut and I am building the AMT-1 box. (Instrument box on the table in my photo.

 

AMR-1 Installation

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Fuselage fell off the jig, so I had to re-attach the Benson Tank, and the fuel lines.

 

The AMT 1 dimensions were off somehow, so I have to rebuild it.  I am doing this in reverse, DSO Seat will go in first (painting it this weekend), then the table and finally the AMR-1 box.

 

Kind of frustrated as I thought I'd be putting the fuselage halves together this weekend, not stuck rebuilding the table.

😞

 

Edited by Da SWO
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DSO Chair is in, along with the "mermite" (my term) can that went around the dropsonde tube.  Table is almost finished, I have 4 more cross braces to glue on.   Most of the AMR-1 was primed, I'll finish priming tomorrow.  The paper roll for the AMR-1 is primed, and will get painted white tomorrow.  Final cargo compartment assembles should be in by Friday.

 

I dry fitted the fuselage halves to see if any trimming was needed, trimmed some of the insulation off the front of the wheelwell.

 

This photo is a shot of the interior, I am pleasantly surprised how much detail can be seen.

 

2023-04-05_07-21-28

 

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Today is the anniversary of the first flight of the first production C-130A.

April 7th 1955...and Lockheed is still sending the 130 down the production

line! 53-3129 eventually became an AC-130A gunship and served time in

with the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing with 16th SOS. She currently is on display

at the AF Armament museum at Eglin AFB.

 

Cheers...Ron

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3 hours ago, aircommando130 said:

Today is the anniversary of the first flight of the first production C-130A.

April 7th 1955...and Lockheed is still sending the 130 down the production

line! 53-3129 eventually became an AC-130A gunship and served time in

with the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing with 16th SOS. She currently is on display

at the AF Armament museum at Eglin AFB.

 

Cheers...Ron

I believe the 130 may outlast the B-52, time will tell.

 

The AMR-1 box is coming along nicely, we were able to 3-d print the box, and the rolled paper scroll that made the printout.  Table is drying, and will get painted/installed tomorrow.

 

2023-04-07_08-00-12

 

Busy weekend as we are moving, but I think the fuselage halves will be joined in the next couple of days.

 

 

 

 

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I'm not sure if it is worth your time but I started gathering all of my C-130 print and have a few of C-130D cockpit photos including the angled steps that go into the cockpit. The A model cockpit was more messy compared with the B and later models. I also found a few photos showing how the engines were placed on the wing.

Where the A model radome attached to the fuselage, from the B model on, there is a small patch to smooth the join on the top of the radome.

Scroll down to see an A nose.

http://www.bathead.com/USAFbbo.html 

Because the A, B and 61 year Es had the forward cargo door, you have to add a fourth window, almost half way from the third window and the red prop warning line. It is closer to the third window.

 

Edited by gmat6441
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  • 7 months later...

Slow progress, sanding the fuselage seems took longer than anticipated.  Finally finished those seems, and I glued/puttied  the horizontal stabilizers.  Top seams are sanding down nicely, bottom curved seam is challenging.

 

2023-12-10_02-15-06

 

 

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
Posted (edited)

 

Not a lot done, I put the antennae bases on for the AM antennas, and painted the belly and nose.

 

2023-12-23_08-06-10

 

I also started the external tanks:

 

I found a DB conversion set at a model show (tan tank) but it didn't look right, so I grabbed an OzMods set off of fleabay (gray set).  I started cutting the stubs off and will build tanks/pylons as time permits (January is the one month I have to work).

 

2023-12-31_03-27-08

 

Finally, I started cutting the nacelles so I can replace the E-model nacelles with A-model nacelles.

 

2024-01-01_09-59-01

 

 

 

 

 

Slow progress is better than no progress, but not by much.

Edited by Da SWO
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Finished hacking #1 and #4 nacelles.  The OzMods nacelles are hollow, so I have to see if the kit exhaust turbines can fit inside the exhaust pipe.

 

2024-01-02_08-36-35

 

I also mounted the AM antennae base on the right side (upper part of the photo) and glued the front nose gear door in (with Italeri's "awesome" fit).

 

2024-01-02_07-57-27

 

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The OzMods nacelles are hollow, so I ordered a set of exhausts from Blackdog. I plan on cutting it down to fit the OzMod nacelles.  I am going to the Pima County Air Museum.  They have a couple of A-models on display.  I Want to get a few more photos as reference.

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Build night at a friends house.

 

We used the Doohickus Mk. I to make the RADAR Warning Receivers that go under the front/side windows.

 

2024-01-09_09-14-06

 

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Painted the belly, then applied flat coat. I'll do some more painting when I get back from my business trip (end of the month).

I also need to put the 2nd RWR on. 

Exhaust nacelles were glued on, and I started  putty/sanding.

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  • 2 months later...

Originally posted in another thread

 

The OzMods nacelles exhausts are hollow.

 

2024-03-16_08-22-17

 

I'm going to cut some  Black dog exhausts down to fit and that way I have a rear turbine.

 

2024-03-22_11-19-24

 

Built the first external tank.  There is a bit of a gap between the pylon and top of the tank, so I get to do some more putting and sanding.

 

😞

 

left External tank

 

I didn't cut the one nacelle off cleanly, so I have another gap to fill.

 

Slowly, like a snail,  coming along.

 

Edited by Da SWO
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