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CD72128 - 1/72 USAF C-135 Recon Variants


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8 hours ago, Dutch said:

Rick is correct. You cannot use the D.B. Productions / Flightpath resin TF-33s [intended for the AWACS] on a C-135.  They are incompatible.  Sorry, I should have pointed that out.

 

Bummer. 

So the EC-135 would be the only kit with the TF-33 engines?

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EC, RC, ARIA.  That discussion thread also deals with the various configurations with turbo compressor humps, and which variant had TCs mounted on which engine.  Gets complicated and frustrating.  The EC kit is molded with TC on #2 and 3, but should have one on #1.  Some had all four engines with TCs.  Photos of specific airframes should be sought out.  Surgery can be performed on the AMT kit parts to swap things around, but it gets pretty involved and would be eliminated with some good resin TF-33 aftermarket replacements for the mostly horrible kit parts.  I have the Engine & Things TF-33 and it is just the engine, no nacelle.

 

Rick L.

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Don,

There is an guy in Chile who makes resin TF-33s for the C-135 in the NYYN configuration, all with correct short trailing edge pylons. They look real nice, but are a bit pricey @ $47 a set plus $14 shipping.  He sells them on eBay.  As Rick pointed out, AMT/ERTL released three kits with the TF-33s, but all had the NYYN TC hood configuration.  So you would have to buy any three of those kits and swap engine around to get two with three TCs (KC-135E, EC-135C, RC-135C/U/V) and one with no TCs (i.e. C-135B or WC-135B, or RC-135M/S/W, etc...) Some EC-135s (H/J/P/N) had only two turbo hoods in NYYN configuration.

 

Rick,

AFAIK, there might have been only two KC-135Es with all four TC hoods.  Later, they both reverted to three TC hoods. Or maybe they had three TCs, and reverted to two. I honestly can't remember, but I have it on a spreadsheet at home.   I have dated photos of each, but not with me. (I am in the sandbox right now.)  AFAIK, none of the special variant C-135s had four TCs.  (Of course, you will promptly produce a photo proving me wrong!) The ones that derived from C-135Bs had no TCs (NNNN).  The ones derived from the KC-135B/RC-135C had three TCs in YYNY configuration. The ones converted from C-135As had either two or three TC hoods. All C-135 variants had short trailing edge pylons on all four stations, unlike the 707 derivatives which had long strakes on the trailing edges of pylons #2 & #3.

 

I'm going to bed now.

 

K/r, Dutch

Edited by Dutch
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I should have said all four pylons without TC hood.  My bad.  That is good information, Dutch.  I need to copy that down for further reference.  All of this is for the anal among us who look for variations and can't get around them.  It's just as easy to put the AMT kit parts on and call it good if anyone is so inclined.  Don't mean to say that it has to be done the hard way.  Just don't swap inboard and outboard engines around as the pylon heights are different between the two.

 

tf33profile.webp

 

The inner line is the tracing of the AMT outboard engine sans TC with short pylon.  The outer line is the inboard engine with TC and tall pylon.

 

Now if you are looking for something to do, and are contemplating nose surgery to mix and match (why do I get the feeling I'm the only one who thought of this), then ....

 

diagram.webp

 

You cut the kit parts at the kink in the pylon leading edge and swap front ends around until you get whatever TC/nonTC configuration you want on a particular pylon.  Inboard or outboard.

 

preglue.webp

 

Glue, fill, sand, paint, install, watch someone release 3D printed replacements.

 

Rick L.

Edited by Spruemeister
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Hi, I cooperated with Dutch to update my Gulf war page for the hump-no hump configs, I did that for 1:144 and 1:72 kits. Here is the link - https://dstorm.eu/pages/build_instructions/c-135_e-3_e-8_info_en.html

He also sent me other file with notes which I still need to process, but I hope that site will be useful for your.

Thanks

 

Jakub

 

EDIT: Btw, some TF-33s had thrust reversors and some dont. Is there a clear picture of each ? And, which variant the Ertl EC-135V kit represents ? Finally found my Spectre Resin W cheeks yesterday, yippeee.

Edited by JakubJakepilot
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  • 3 weeks later...

Kursad,

How soon after you release the 1/72 EC/RC-135 sheet do expect to be abe to scale it down to 1/144 scale?  Just curious. I have several EC/RC/WC variants without decals.

K/r, Dutch

Edited by Dutch
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On 10/20/2021 at 12:42 AM, Dutch said:

Rick is correct. You cannot use the D.B. Productions / Flightpath resin TF-33s [intended for the AWACS] on a C-135.  They are incompatible.  Sorry, I should have pointed that out.

 

My engines arrived this week.  I think I may cut them off the pylons and mate them to the kit pylons.  Not 100% accurate, but should be close enough.

Just waiting on the decal sheet.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Yes indeed!  I ordered my sets also. Thank you Kursad, these are long overdue! 

 

At only 250 sets, they are sure to sell out quickly.  Any plans for further KC-135 sheeets?  There is still alot more schemes to do!

 

Kind regards,

Dutch

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I think I have done enough KC-135s for a while - I am still working on the Shamu sheet, but once that one is done I will take a break from new Stratotanker design work and instead focus on scaling these down to 1/144 scale.

 

I need your help in  figuring out what 61-2644 looked like (in terms of antenna and "cheek" config) right before that tragic accident - I noticed that there  are very few photos of Cobra Ball aircraft from that period taken from the port side. I imagine there is a good reason, so I won't ask why - but any help would be  appreciated. 

Edited by KursadA
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Here is a pic of 2664 from the port side.  Really all you can see is the towel rail antenna mounted on the cargo door and the teardrop antenna at the tail.   03.16.1981-the-fate-of-rc-135-cobra-ball

 

Pic found at this link.  https://stationhypo.com/2021/03/16/remembering-the-fate-of-rc-135-cobra-ball-ii/

Here is a pic of the starboard side shortly before her write off at Shemya.

 

image.thumb.png.b8bb784c2be88f8e9c41a8db83c42934.png

 

The above pic is copyrighted from Mr. Charles Hornaday.  Don't recall the website I found it at but looks to be OneSpotter.com from the pic.

Edited by Drifterdon
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4 hours ago, JakubJakepilot said:

I would like to also order it, but I am not sure if it is usable for my Gulf war V/W, any ideas ? So for 1990-91 timeframe ? I know that I would need to supply mission markings/nose art....Thanks !

The markings in the kit provide for Gulf War options.

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47 minutes ago, Drifterdon said:

The markings in the kit provide for Gulf War options.

Thanks. Any idea if the 63-9792 carried the "Ghostrider" nose art, which is in the kit, during Gulf war or when ? As there are some strange mission markings ... I was not able to find even one picture of this plane with this nose art .... Thanks a lot !

 

P.S. I was even in contact with Mr. Robert Hopkins, but he stopped answering me after a few emails ..... but I got great info from him so that counts ....

amtkit.jpg

Edited by JakubJakepilot
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On 11/27/2021 at 9:13 PM, KursadA said:

I think I have done enough KC-135s for a while - I am still working on the Shamu sheet, but once that one is done I will take a break from new Stratotanker design work and instead focus on scaling these down to 1/144 scale.

 

I need your help in  figuring out what 61-2644 looked like (in terms of antenna and "cheek" config) right before that tragic accident - I noticed that there  are very few photos of Cobra Ball aircraft from that period taken from the port side. I imagine there is a good reason, so I won't ask why - but any help would be  appreciated. 

Kursad,

Perfect!  Can't wait for all the 1/144 C-135 releases, but especially this one!  Roden just announced a 1/144 RC-135U for 2022.  Welsh already has released 1/144 RC-135V/W kits and parts and the Weather birds (CD144004) can be made pretty much OOTB (just swap engines around) from Minicraft. 

K/r, Dutch

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2 hours ago, Drifterdon said:

It looks like the mission markings are for 9792.  The Ghostrider nose art is for 4844.  Here is a link to the instructions on Scalemates.   120705-68-instructions.pdf (scalemates.com)

Yes, sorry, I mixed them both together .... so, any idea if 9792 ad 4844 carried those during Gulf ? there is "3000 missions" for 9792, so for Cold War I guess ? I have two pics of Ghostrider plane with this nose art, but without any timeframe ...

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3 minutes ago, JakubJakepilot said:

Yes, sorry, I mixed them both together .... so, any idea if 9792 ad 4844 carried those during Gulf ? there is "3000 missions" for 9792, so for Cold War I guess ? I have two pics of Ghostrider plane with this nose art, but without any timeframe ...

Sorry, no clue if this is correct.   I was taking AMT at their word that the nose art was correct.

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