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1/72nd scale C-17A Globemaster III


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I started this back in November of 2014, and after 8 months of hard toil, I've got my big C-17 finished.

Boeing C-17A Globemaster III, 99 Squadron, RAF Brize Norton.

18839155738_e203295ccb_c.jpgDSC_0042 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

There are two kits currently available in 1/72nd of the C-17: one being the Anigrand Craftworks resin kit, and the other is the Combat Models vacuform. I really wanted to add a C-17 to my collection, and with the fact that I don't get on with resin all that well I decided the easier option for me would be the Combat kit. I love a modelling challenge and knew what was in store having built a few Combat 'kits' in the past... previous experience didn't prepare me for what lay ahead though - this was a pig!

I also know that the Anigrand kit is poorly shaped, with the wing being too far forward and the nose and cockpit being completely off. I'm not bothered about accuracy all that much, but having seen the Anigrand kit before even I couldn't live with the obvious shape errors. Rumour has it that the Anigrand kit was based on the Combat one, so I knew that the shape errors were likely to be common to both kits, and reshaping vacform parts is a far easier task than sanding chunks of resin. I was proved right, and much work was ahead of me.

The kit's fuselage as it comes:

19030036941_952e3e5328_c.jpgS1030063 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

The plastic is some of the thinnest I've ever come across in a kit, and the whole length of the fuselage had to be strengthened with bulkheads and bracing. The fuselage is together here - you can see the reprofiling of the nose as well as the wing having been moved back by 1":

18839267978_a23a2d62aa_c.jpgS1030301 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

The flightdeck had to be scratch-built, and the glazing was cut to shape from clear acetate and dropped into the apertures I'd cut:

18404273924_7331a3ea58_c.jpgDSC_0031 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

The engines were very basic, and started out like this:

18839247838_544f5d7295_c.jpgS1030007 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

But with a lot of work with filler and much sanding, they came out alright in the end:

18839098950_f5a3752c64_c.jpgDSC_0056 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

All the surface detail that you see had to be added by me - the kit's surface is devoid of all detail and both raised areas and the panel lines had to be added:

18839129778_b37ab7eaef_c.jpgDSC_0120 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

I sourced a set of undercarriage from Anigrand, but all the doors etc. needed to be scratch-built. The undercarriage took a lot of work to get installed - all mounts etc. had to be made from scratch:

18406121053_b9ac90bff5_c.jpgDSC_0109 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

19021312592_3a4b04408f_c.jpgDSC_0143 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

Part II to follow...

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Part II:

Decals were from DrawDecal, and provide a scheme for ZZ177 which wears the distinctive 10th Anniversary of C-17 operations badge on the fin - a splash of colour for an otherwise drab scheme.

Here follows some general shots of the completed model:

18840624899_78776c56b0_c.jpgDSC_0029 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

19029921651_92a82e4be2_c.jpgDSC_0048 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

18840614109_398b63a4db_c.jpgDSC_0059 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

19021285552_3692ecfeb2_c.jpgDSC_0102 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

19029900611_ea67f1bdfe_c.jpgDSC_0103 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

And a couple of 'with something else' shots:

Alongside a 1/72nd Lancaster:

18839085060_9dfc504e00_c.jpgDSC_0100 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

And an earlier generation of Globemaster - modelled by my dad a few years ago:

18404244624_8a35c5457d_c.jpgDSC_0139 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

Although this was a very challenging build, it was a huge amount of fun, too. They say that the name 'Combat Kits' are a description of the building process rather than a brand, and I'd have to agree. I've heard many modellers say that Combat vacs are about as close to being unbuildable as you can get, but I've happily proved they can be built - I just wouldn't recommend one for a vacform virgin!

A full, in-depth WIP can be found here for those interested:

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=280001

As always, feedback both good and bad is gladly received :)/>

Tom

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With only two kits of the C-17 in this scale on the market, I thought those of you that might be considering buying either the Anigrand kit or the Combat vacform might be interested to see the differences with an example of each finished model from both manufacturers.

My dad built the Anigrand kit many years ago soon after it was first released, and although I've heavily modified the Combat kit, in my humble opinion I think it's the better looking of the two.

Nose sections - here you see the modified Combat nose on the left, and the Anigrand kit on the right. I'm not a stickler for accuracy, but even I find the shape of the Anigrand nose hard to stomach!

18406132273_af3f2ebdfe_c.jpgDSC_0080 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

Tails - the Combat kit's tail is shaped significantly better than the Anigrand one when it comes to comparing them to some plans I have - notice how the rear of the upper fin is much deeper on the Anigrand tail. Also, the Anigrand tail is over half an inch taller:

18406128113_23ec932747_c.jpgDSC_0088 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

Wing position - both the Combat kit and the early Anigrand releases had the wing positioned too far forward - 6 scale feet in fact! On the left is the modified Combat kit with the wing box moved to its correct position; compare this to the Anigrand kit on the right. Also, notice how the Combat kit's fuselage has a far more 'chunky' look to it which is more in keeping with the real aircraft, compared to Anigrand's 'skinny' rear section, made to look worse by the wing being too far forward:

19000581616_1b769869f1_c.jpgDSC_0087 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

Some interesting areas to ponder if you want to add a 1/72nd scale C-17 to your collection... :)/>

Tom

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Tom,

I've followed your build from day one to crossing the finish line. And as I've said numerous times, your skills were certainly were more then up to the challenge to create this masterpiece. It's truly an exceptional build.

Joel

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Very rarely do I feel compelled to comment on anything I see on the internet anymore. I first saw the build thread and to be honest I thought it won't ever be finished, it's just too hard of a kit to build. Seeing the progress at a very startling rate had me eating my hat. You've literally turned a turd into a gold masterpiece. A beautiful model built by an extremely talented builder.

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