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Roden 1/144 RC-135V RIVET JOINT Build and Improvement


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20 minutes ago, Dutch said:

Strangley enough, I have a boot!  I've done this before, but to the other foot. Thankfully, the boot is ambidextrous (or is it ambipedistrous?). Pain is way down to just a small, dull ache.  Hand is better too.  I will watch the foot over the next weeks and if it gets worse, I will go see a doctor,.   

Good news Dutch.  Glad you're feeling better.  Since you've done this before do we need to send you a roll of bubble wrap?  🤣

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4 hours ago, Drifterdon said:

Good news Dutch.  Glad you're feeling better.  Since you've done this before do we need to send you a roll of bubble wrap?  🤣

No Brother Don, just send some of that single-malt 20 year old Scottish medicine, preferably in a 750mL bottle. 😎

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4 hours ago, Dutch said:

No Brother Don, just send some of that single-malt 20 year old Scottish medicine, preferably in a 750mL bottle. 😎

I need to ask the doc for another Rx of that special blend.  I'm all out!   :cheers:

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So not meaning to hijack your thread Dutchmaster but I just couldn't get past the pointy too small hog nose of the Roden kit.   I cut off the kit nose and scabbed on one of my resin radomes.   Still in the rough stages but it looks much better than the kit one.

 

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20220704_121830.jpg

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Don, I normally don't look at or comment about other guy's noses, but that looks really good!  As far as I am concerned, post any photos of your progress here also.  I will build mine "as is" as a sort of product review. I want to get most of mine done before I leave next week for a business trip. I hope to have it ready for paint by early August and then ready for decals whenever Kursad releases his set.

Edited by Dutch
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Man, as much as I want this kit, that nose is so wrong.  And the horizontal stabilizer mounting area is a giant plateau.  How did Roden get the C-141B so right and this so wrong?  

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10 minutes ago, AD-4N said:

Man, as much as I want this kit, that nose is so wrong.  And the horizontal stabilizer mounting area is a giant plateau.  How did Roden get the C-141B so right and this so wrong?  

I'm working on the engines right now and they aren't looking too promising either.   May end having to see if I can get the CFM-56's from the Minicraft DC-8 kit to fit or rob a set out of Minicraft's KC-135R.   And those have issues as well.   Overall I'm still satisfied with the kit as it has very accurate EELS antennas as well as the forest of smaller antennas the RC-135's are known for.

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I am surprised that Roden messed up the stab attachment area so badly.  Their 720 kit has it correct.  Personally I would look at getting the 720B kit as it can be found cheaply, and cut the rear fuselage just ahead of the stabs and splice the tail from the 720 on the RC-135.  Then I would use theJT3D's out of the 720 kit also to make an earlier Lisa Ann.   

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Wow, given all these issues, I might just bite the bullet and get the Welsh Models version.  And I really enjoyed my previous Roden kits, OV-1 and C-141B.  The team that designed these molds need to go down to the break room, have a few Cokes and talk about what went wrong.  

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4 minutes ago, AD-4N said:

Wow, given all these issues, I might just bite the bullet and get the Welsh Models version.  And I really enjoyed my previous Roden kits, OV-1 and C-141B.  The team that designed these molds need to go down to the break room, have a few Cokes and talk about what went wrong.  

The Welsh models conversion has it's share of design and fit issues.   I would get the Roden kit over that one and I have 3 of the Welsh conversions.   The Roden is a good basis for building an RC-135 and some of the other variants.   What I'm really happy about are all the provided antennas.   Means I don't have to scratch build them. 

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7 hours ago, aircal62 said:

I am surprised that Roden messed up the stab attachment area so badly.  Their 720 kit has it correct.  Personally I would look at getting the 720B kit as it can be found cheaply, and cut the rear fuselage just ahead of the stabs and splice the tail from the 720 on the RC-135.  Then I would use theJT3D's out of the 720 kit also to make an earlier Lisa Ann.   

If you're going to use the Roden Rivet Joint kit, you'll need to replace the antenna section under the rear fuselage with a generic boomers station (less the flying boom).   Lisa Ann (Rivet Amber) started life as a C-135B and that area was filled with lead ballast to make up for the radar that was placed in the foreward fuselage.

Edited by Drifterdon
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So the stabilizer attachment areas are super simple to clean up.   Like Dutch, I glued a backing piece before I glued the fuselage halves together.   I gave them a suitable amount of time to dry then hit the outside with a file.   In less than 5 minutes I knocked the raised area down then finished up with a sanding stick and it was fixed.   Looks as good as the Minicraft area.   No need to hack the tail end off another kit and graft this the Roden kit.   Just hit it with a file and then finish with a sanding stick.   Easy peasy.   I can post a pic later.

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I am almost up to speed with you Don.  I have not started the engines, but hope to this weekend.  I have to take care of a house issue first, then back to this little beastie. I concur about filing the horiz stab attachment area down to flat. It was pretty easy. I have to rescribe some panel lines still, but overall, not too bad.  More importantly, not too hard!  I will post photos later this weekend.

 

Also, I have been thinking that the way the parts are laid out on the sprues, when Roden does release the KC-135R tanker version, the recon pieces should also be there as well.  Only new fuselage halves should be required.  So you will end up with enough spare parts for other recon variants that have the boomers station.  JT3D/TF33 engines would be a nice plus though.  We will see what Roden releases.  I think if enough sales and positive reviews are garnered, then Roden will do a KC-135R.

Edited by Dutch
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On 7/6/2022 at 1:21 PM, Drifterdon said:

So the stabilizer attachment areas are super simple to clean up.   Like Dutch, I glued a backing piece before I glued the fuselage halves together.   I gave them a suitable amount of time to dry then hit the outside with a file.   In less than 5 minutes I knocked the raised area down then finished up with a sanding stick and it was fixed.   Looks as good as the Minicraft area.   No need to hack the tail end off another kit and graft this the Roden kit.   Just hit it with a file and then finish with a sanding stick.   Easy peasy.   I can post a pic later.

 

Well, that is good news.  I look forward to your pics.  What about the under inflated proboscis?  

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14 minutes ago, AD-4N said:

 

Well, that is good news.  I look forward to your pics.  What about the under inflated proboscis?  

That may need a resin replacement ala Don's build.  I am building my first one "as is", just to "get 'er done."  I think it will be an RAF machine using the S&M decals, but the second will have a few more adjustments (possibly a new nose) and use Kursad's Caracal sheet when released later this year.  

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1 hour ago, AD-4N said:

 

Well, that is good news.  I look forward to your pics.  What about the under inflated proboscis?  

The other option would be to build it up with filler and sand away until it has the proper shape.   I used Jennings Heilig's side view drawings to get the right profile for my resin noses.   His drawings are the most accurate that I've been able to find.   C-135 Variants by Jennings Heilig (Artwork, No Scale) (clubhyper.com)

Edited by Drifterdon
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  • 3 weeks later...

Don, I just got back from the sandbox. I will try to hit it tomorrow and upload more photos.  I have a few days off in about three weeks and plan to get as much done so I can finish it then, except for decals. Still waiting for Kursad to release the 1/144 Recon C-135 sheet. K/r, Dutch 

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Hey hey Dutchmaster.   Any work on your Rivet Joint?   I've made a little progress on mine.   I'm still cleaning up the engines.   They aren't bad just need work. 

I've decided to go a different route with mine.  I'm going to build it as a current Cobra Ball.  Probably as 2662 as seen below.

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I've already replaced the ventral antenna area back where the boomer would reside with a Minicraft boomers section.  I'll try and post some in progress pics later.

 

 

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Wow, Brother Don! 

That is ambitious! But well within the realm of the possible with your casting and modelling skills.  I haven't touched the kit since I let about four weeks ago. I get home and find a lot things that I needed to attend to, so I promise to get back to it later this week and next week.  I do like your idea about Cobra Ball. I do want to finish mine (except for the decals) so that I can get it out in the blogosphere for others to learn from as well.

K/r, Dutch

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Some updated pics on where my Roden RC-135 kit stands.    The bottom with the forest of antennas.  The smaller antennas still need to have the small discs glued on.   The boomers section that Cobra Balls have needs to have the glue dry then I can putty it in. 

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The upper for now.   One thing I discovered is the small Satcom antennas should be staggered and not all lined up down the centerline of the aircraft.   Certainly makes it difficult in cleaning up the top seam.  I may still cut them off and re-glue them staggered.

 

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Here is the horizontal stabilizer attachments cleaned up so they aren't the plateaus that Roden molded them as.

 

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Thanks Ray.  From what I can tell, the current Cobra Balls, Rivet Joints, and Combat Sents all have similar antenna placements.  At least for this latest Baseline.  If your doing an earlier Baseline then you'll need to study photos as they are very different. 

Edited by Drifterdon
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