Jump to content

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


Recommended Posts

So I thought someone asked if the spare tanker windshield from the Roden RC-135 kit would fit the Minicraft KC-135 kit.   I think with some serious carving, sanding and filling, it might be made to fit.   It's larger that the Minicraft windshield.   Attached is a Minicraft nose that I whacked off to replace with the Fisher resin replacement nose.   I placed the Roden windshield over it.   You can see how much larger it is.  

Resized_20220811_191656.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm thinking, "Not gonna happen!"  The Minicraft KC-135 is a little skinny in the fuselage, I'm thinking, besides the weird cockpit shape issue.  The Revell 707/KC-135 kits are in a slightly larger scale (1/139), but comparing them to the Minicraft KC-135 is like comparing oranges to bananas. Don, could you try fitting the Roden windscreen over/onto a Revell 707 nose?  I have several early 707s without the clear part they later included with the circa 1980s KC-135/E-3A kits.  K/r, Dutch 

Link to post
Share on other sites
2 hours ago, Dutch said:

I'm thinking, "Not gonna happen!"  The Minicraft KC-135 is a little skinny in the fuselage, I'm thinking, besides the weird cockpit shape issue.  The Revell 707/KC-135 kits are in a slightly larger scale (1/139), but comparing them to the Minicraft KC-135 is like comparing oranges to bananas. Don, could you try fitting the Roden windscreen over/onto a Revell 707 nose?  I have several early 707s without the clear part they later included with the circa 1980s KC-135/E-3A kits.  K/r, Dutch 

Unfortunately I don't have any Revell 707/KC-135 kits.   I think I gave them all to you.   

Link to post
Share on other sites

So I just discovered something interesting while doing a Googlemaps search to see what the runway at Offutt is looking like.   I meandered over to Lincoln Airport where the 55th is flying the RC's out of and saw that they all now have emergency walkways on the wing roots.   Just like the RAF Airseekers have.  Have no idea how to paint these on since they are an interesting shade of grey.  Looks like even the trainers and the weather birds have them.  Here's a pic of an RAF bird taken during inflight refueling to give you an idea of what they look like.

img_37-1_19.jpg?itok=OFs-Lhx4

 

And here is a pic of a USAF bird where you can see the walkway on the starboard wing root.  They appear to be same shade of grey with the weird yellow arrows and border.

 

002_Cohen_16thAF_RC145_Al_Udeid-900x600.jpg

 

Edited by Drifterdon
Link to post
Share on other sites

Well pin a tail on me and call me a donkey!  🐎 What do you know?  Across the ramp, the Nebraska ANG KC-135Rs have no such markings.  Looks like dark gray with small white arrows, just the opposite of most civil airliners where the walkway is white or very light gray with black arrows.

 

RC-135_Walkway.JPG.5fa5bff7b0bd1710baf3f52ee38c46f2.JPG

55th WG RC-135 with overwing escape walkways.

 

KC-135_no_walkway.JPG.79c91f6f25b9909263dc8863c0412e39.JPG

Nebraska ANG KC-135R without overwing walkways.

Link to post
Share on other sites
17 minutes ago, Dutch said:

Well pin a tail on me and call me a donkey!  🐎 What do you know?  Across the ramp, the Nebraska ANG KC-135Rs have no such markings.  Looks like dark gray with small white arrows, just the opposite of most civil airliners where the walkway is white or very light gray with black arrows.

 

RC-135_Walkway.JPG.5fa5bff7b0bd1710baf3f52ee38c46f2.JPG

55th WG RC-135 with overwing escape walkways.

 

If they are the same as the RAF walkways (and I believe they are), they are almost a gunship grey with some kind of funky yellowish color outline and arrows.  I have an overhead pic somewhere that shows the walkways clearly.   It's of an Airseeker parked on the ramp next to one of the RAF's Sentry's.

Link to post
Share on other sites

The yellow of the crew entry and over wing exit surrounds seems to be darker than the walkways.   It's probably just an illusion of the picture though.   In any event, it's beyond my abilities to replicate.   Would need an industrious illustrator to draw it then a decal maker to print.   I'm neither.  🤷‍♂️ 

Link to post
Share on other sites
7 hours ago, Drifterdon said:

The yellow of the crew entry and over wing exit surrounds seems to be darker than the walkways.   It's probably just an illusion of the picture though.   In any event, it's beyond my abilities to replicate.   Would need an industrious illustrator to draw it then a decal maker to print.   I'm neither.  🤷‍♂️ 

It seems like a fairly new addition, you can get away with leaving them off the jet, I will be 🙂

Link to post
Share on other sites
31 minutes ago, Trojan Thunder said:

It seems like a fairly new addition, you can get away with leaving them off the jet, I will be 🙂

I will as well.  If someone does make a walkway decal, it would be easy enough to put on later.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Moving along on the Roden Rivet Joint kit I have a couple updates on my build.   With your permission Dutch.   I mentioned somewhere else that the engines are problematic.   What I should have said is they need work to look right.   With enough elbow grease they acually look much better than the Minicraft engines. 

This pic shows the intake rings provided in the kit.   The one on the far left is cut straght from the sprue.   The next one shows the sprue cut from inside the ring.   You have to be careful here or you will crack the ring.   The next shows sprue cleaned up and the last one on the far right is the finished ring with the square leading edge rounded like the real engine.

20220815_121823.thumb.jpg.aad734042cc32cc00793353901cd7742.jpg

 

This is the basic engine with main parts glued together.   I tried to clean up the seams as best as I could but it still left a large gap.

0220815_121905.thumb.jpg.cd9b67fce45718c11a163da96f93e4cb.jpg

 

This is one of the engines that is from my Cobra Ball build.  The seam is filled and the intake ring is blended in with engine nacelle.  It still needs to be cleaned up prior to paint but the main contruction is done.

 

20220815_121928.thumb.jpg.b1589dc92fd8dd4c2cdb697f9c848ee0.jpg

This is the Intake ring with fan showing.   Nothing is painted but the shadows make it look dark metallic grey.   

20220815_122046.thumb.jpg.8f630b5d7a720348ab4b05b9e2661500.jpg

Edited by Drifterdon
Link to post
Share on other sites

I also decided I wanted to see if I could fix the undersized hog nose that comes with the kit rather than hack it off and replace with a resin one.    I use gap filling CA as filler of choice as it dries pretty hard and won't shrink or crack when done.   Here are a couple pics that show the updated kit nose.  I'm not concerned with the sanding dust behind the windshield as that will be painted and decaled.

20220815_122058.thumb.jpg.f6bf661c805d467e62fe291b12e5654b.jpg

 

20220815_122103.thumb.jpg.07f71c8f0ad2723f7ed3effb4bf0f5b3.jpg

 

20220815_122114.thumb.jpg.a7de68d15108cc3284963c5c16a50ac3.jpg

 

So as you can see, the kit nose can be built up and saved.

Edited by Drifterdon
Link to post
Share on other sites
7 minutes ago, Stefan buysse said:

Hi,

 

That  looks great, Don.:thumbsup:

I also could not see the images earlier on, now I can.

 

Cheers, Stefan.

Had to delete and reload.  Not sure why it didn't work.   Funny thing is I could always see them on my computer but when I tried my phone, I couldn't see them either.   

Link to post
Share on other sites

Don, You have my absolute permission to carry on the build thread here. I hope to catch up to you soon. Yes, your engine work hits all the same points I was going to make, and you seem to have done them justice! They look really nice!  I have a dowel that I will fit sandpaper over that will fit the inside of the cowling nicely.  Keep calm and carry on! 😉 Dutch

Link to post
Share on other sites
On 8/15/2022 at 7:31 PM, Dutch said:

  I have a dowel that I will fit sandpaper over that will fit the inside of the cowling nicely.  

Dutchmaster.  This is exactly what I used to clean up the inside of the intake rings.    It's a piece of brass tubing with medium and fine grit sandpaper taped to each end.   Works great and makes quick work of cleaning these rather large sprue stubs off.  I use the same deal (only smaller size) to clean up the inside of the Minicraft TF-33 engine intakes.

Don

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...