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

[Plastictiger]

I honestly haven't been out to the flight line in a couple of years. I just know there is a goal towards commonality. Flightdeck crews can fly all three jets because the cockpits are the same. The jets are getting more alike, not less. I would think the safety changes would go fleet wide. Still you are a building a jet at point in time. The jet in the photo probably is a fairly recent arrival from depot. It will takes years for those markings to go fleet wide.

Edited July 18 by Plastictiger

[Drifterdon]

On 8/11/2022 at 7:54 PM, Drifterdon said:

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.  

Update on fitting the Roden 135 windshield to the Minicraft 135 in an effort to fix the badly mishapen windshield that comes with their kit.   When I first held the extra Roden windshield up to the Minicraft kit, it appeared to be way oversized.   I went ahead and started to carve and sand to see if I could force this square peg into the round hole so to speak.   After much work, I was able to make it work.   It is most definitely not a drop fit replacement.   Check out the pics to see what you think.

 

I'll shoot it with some primer to see how it looks all one color but I think it just might work.

Edited August 25 by Drifterdon

[Drifterdon]

One other area of concern I have is the mounting point for the horizontal stabilizers.   Roden provides this tiny cone shape that is supposed to fit into the small hole in the fuselage.   To me this just begs to get knocked off the finished model.   What I did was shave this cone off and drill a hole in the stabs then inserted a short piece of 1/16" Evergreen rod (part #222).   I enlarged the corresponding hole in the fuselage and the stabs now fit great without worrying about knocked them off.    Plus, it gives me something to hold onto while I'm painting them.

 

Edited August 28 by Drifterdon

[Dutch]

On 8/25/2023 at 5:16 PM, Drifterdon said:

One other area of concern I have is the mounting point for the horizontal stabilizers.   Roden provides this tiny cone shape that is supposed to fit into the small hole in the fuselage.   To me this just begs to get knocked off the finished model.   What I did was shave this cone off and drill a hole in the stabs then inserted a short piece of Evergreen rod.   I enlarged the corresponding hole in the fuselage and the stabs now fit great without worrying about knocked them off.    Plus, it gives me something to hold onto while I'm painting them.

 

I was wondering what to do about the stab mounting myself.  Thank you, Brother Don, for showing us the way ahead.  

[Dutch]

On 8/25/2023 at 12:18 PM, Drifterdon said:

Update on fitting the Roden 135 windshield to the Minicraft 135 in an effort to fix the badly mishapen windshield that comes with their kit.   When I first held the extra Roden windshield up to the Minicraft kit, it appeared to be way oversized.   I went ahead and started to carve and sand to see if I could force this square peg into the round hole so to speak.   After much work, I was able to make it work.   It is most definitely not a drop fit replacement.   Check out the pics to see what you think.

 

I'll shoot it with some primer to see how it looks all one color but I think it just might work.

Don,

I was wondering if I could do the same, but thought to trim the back of the Minicraft opening a little to correspond to the size of the Roden windscreen trailing edge.  Then trim the Minicraft forward fuselage to accept the flat bottom of the Roden windscreen as you have done.  How close to the radome did you get (in mm?).  I think I will apply the tape masks to the windscreen as I do this to protect the windows a little. Perhaps a diagram will help.

K/r, Dutch

[Drifterdon]

1 hour ago, Dutch said:

Don,

I was wondering if I could do the same, but thought to trim the back of the Minicraft opening a little to correspond to the size of the Roden windscreen trailing edge.  Then trim the Minicraft forward fuselage to accept the flat bottom of the Roden windscreen as you have done.  How close to the radome did you get (in mm?).  I think I will apply the tape masks to the windscreen as I do this to protect the windows a little. Perhaps a diagram will help.

K/r, Dutch

I'll have to go back and try to see what I did Dutchmaster.   I just took a file and x-acto and started in until it sort of fit.   I used the side window that slides open on the real deal as my point of reference.   I did have to backfill the Roden windshield from the inside down near the radome as all the grinding and sanding wore away the plastic.  Since I'm planning on painting these, I wasn't too worried about messing up the glass panels.   I'm not sure if I'd do this again.  Was a lot of work to get it to fit.   I'm leaning towards casting this one in resin to see how it looks.

Don

[Drifterdon]

On 8/27/2023 at 5:35 PM, Drifterdon said:

I'll have to go back and try to see what I did Dutchmaster.   I just took a file and x-acto and started in until it sort of fit.   I used the side window that slides open on the real deal as my point of reference.   I did have to backfill the Roden windshield from the inside down near the radome as all the grinding and sanding wore away the plastic.  Since I'm planning on painting these, I wasn't too worried about messing up the glass panels.   I'm not sure if I'd do this again.  Was a lot of work to get it to fit.   I'm leaning towards casting this one in resin to see how it looks.

Don

I wish someone would do up windshield decals for the Roden RC/KC-135 kits.   Granted, there is enough relief molding into the kit clear part that you can easily paint and mask off but a decal would be so much quicker and easier.  Call me lazy.

[AD-4N]

16 hours ago, Drifterdon said:

I wish someone would do up windshield decals for the Roden RC/KC-135 kits.   Granted, there is enough relief molding into the kit clear part that you can easily paint and mask off but a decal would be so much quicker and easier.  Call me lazy.

 

Wouldn't this sheet by Caracal work?

 

[Drifterdon]

1 hour ago, AD-4N said:

 

Wouldn't this sheet by Caracal work?

 

I have this sheet as well as the 1/144 C-135 Family General Purpose Markings sheet.  They are designed to fit the Minicraft kit.   I did try one of the windshield decals on the Roden part and found the decal was slightly undersized.    I suppose I could fill in the depression area and use these, but I was hoping that someone would do up something that fit the Roden kit.   I don't know if the Roden windshield is too big or what but it definitely looks 1000% better than the Minicraft windshield.   Here is a pic of the Caracal decal on the Roden windshield.  Sorry for the crummy pic.

 

 

Edited August 30 by Drifterdon

[AD-4N]

On 8/30/2023 at 9:55 AM, Drifterdon said:

I have this sheet as well as the 1/144 C-135 Family General Purpose Markings sheet.  They are designed to fit the Minicraft kit.   I did try one of the windshield decals on the Roden part and found the decal was slightly undersized.    I suppose I could fill in the depression area and use these, but I was hoping that someone would do up something that fit the Roden kit.   I don't know if the Roden windshield is too big or what but it definitely looks 1000% better than the Minicraft windshield.   Here is a pic of the Caracal decal on the Roden windshield.  Sorry for the crummy pic.

 

 

 

Yes, the Minicraft windshield is wrong.  On my C-135A is used windshield decal from Liveries Unlimited, only because I needed the silver around the frames.  I thought it turned out great.  I expect Caracal would be just as good.  

 

 

Edited August 31 by AD-4N

[Drifterdon]

I used the windshield decal from ATP for my Shell 77 build to go with the Fisher replacement nose.   

1/144 Minicraft KC-135R "Shell 77" - The Display Case - ARC Discussion Forums (arcforums.com)

 

Edited August 31 by Drifterdon

[AD-4N]

Great work, Drifterdon.  

[Dutch]

On 8/31/2023 at 5:16 PM, Drifterdon said:

I used the windshield decal from ATP for my Shell 77 build to go with the Fisher replacement nose.   

1/144 Minicraft KC-135R "Shell 77" - The Display Case - ARC Discussion Forums (arcforums.com)

 

I have to agree, another beautiful job, Don. I  also like using the ATP 707 windshield decals, especially on my Revell tankers. 

[Drifterdon]

On 8/31/2023 at 2:15 PM, AD-4N said:

 

Yes, the Minicraft windshield is wrong.  On my C-135A is used windshield decal from Liveries Unlimited, only because I needed the silver around the frames.  I thought it turned out great.  I expect Caracal would be just as good.  

 

 

I've neglected to tell you how nice your KC-135A is.   I admire your build and refer back to it as I build mine.  What color did you use to paint the light colored area on your engines.   It appears white but I'm not sure.

[AD-4N]

19 hours ago, Drifterdon said:

I've neglected to tell you how nice your KC-135A is.   I admire your build and refer back to it as I build mine.  What color did you use to paint the light colored area on your engines.   It appears white but I'm not sure.

 

You are very kind.  I used Testors Aircraft Grey (ADC Grey) FS16473, lightened with a touch of white befitting 1/144 scale.   It's the same gray I used on my Roden C-141B.

 

[Drifterdon]

23 hours ago, AD-4N said:

 

You are very kind.  I used Testors Aircraft Grey (ADC Grey) FS16473, lightened with a touch of white befitting 1/144 scale.   It's the same gray I used on my Roden C-141B.

 

It seems lighter in color that your C-141B.   Which, by the way, is another phenominal build.