ESCI/AMT/Ertl C-130 - How accurate it is?

It IS the Italeri kit, isn't it?

Term> Hello everybody!

I'm not sure. If this is so, then it's OK... I know then what to buy.

"frank" je napisal v sporocilo news: snipped-for-privacy@k70g2000cwa.googlegroups.com ...

This kit is not the same molds as the Italeri kit. I have read that the cockpit windscreen is not as accurate as the Italeri rendition. Somewhere, Hyperscale I think, I have seen an extensive essay on the different Hercules engine nacelles. I wish I had saved it when I saw it.

Bill Shuey

Here is a great site to check out. Also, below are some errata on 1/72 C-130 kits.

The old Airfix is actually not TOO bad, but fit and powerplants are off. The AMT/ERTL kits, well, I don't know what they were thinking. It came out after Airfix and Italeri but has some serious problems. They tried to make improvements but screwed things up. The engines are grossly inaccurate, esp. where they meet the wings. The entire windshield/cockpit roof area is one big clear piece. Great, except that the outlines of the glass panels are incorrect and are curved to meet the nose contour. The real glass panels are flat. It does have fairly nice recessed panel lines, however, the real C-130 has most of its panel joints sealed so raised panel lines may be okay. If this were a Spitfire or Bf 109 modelers would be lighting torches and collecting pitchforks.

The Italeri kit has no BIG problems. The engines could be better and in fact a British company (D.B. Conversions) made resin replacements. These are now offered by Flightpath

One problem is that the A model's nacelle was shorter forward of the firewall (or wing leading edge) but longer behind, extending onto the flaps. All other T-56 - powered Herks had a nacelle that was longer than the A's forward of the firewall but shorter aft of the firewall. All Italeri?s Herks have the correct aft nacelle on the lower wing surface, but never lengthened the forward part of the nacelle on the post-A kits. So, Italeri?s E, F, and H have incorrect nacelles. Not sure about the old Airfix kit's nacelles. The AMT/ERTL's nacelles are just plain grotesque, but I'm not sure about the length.

I'm not sure if Italeri ever issued a current H model. The version available now is an early H/K with the original landing gear fairings. In about 1972 H models picked up new air conditioning packs requiring larger inlets on the front of both gear fairings. You can get these fairings from Meteor/Cutting Edge at

just search for "C-130" they have lots of extras. Flightpath and Eduard make extensive photo-etch sheets for this kit as well.

So my suggestion is get the Italeri (or Testors issue) kit. If you feel the need, scribe some panel lines. The resin powerplants are a nice addition.

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Jennings

One major (to me anyway) thing all kits have missed...

Wed Nov 26 15:27:33 2003

66.37.68.167

The C-130's fuselage cross section is not round. Where the cabin floor intersects the fuselage sides, there is a very noticeable sharp "chine". Not one single kit has ever caught this. It's very obvious in photos with full sun, since it creates a sharp shadow where the edge of it is.

Still, Italeri's kit is by far the best one. It does suffer from having started life as an AC-130A however, since all versions (as far as I know) have the short engine nacelles of the A model. Flightpath sells the old DB Resins nacelles, which are quite nice and quite accurate though. With those, the Italeri kit is very nice.

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Kevin J Kerle

C-130 Kit Inaccuracies

Thu Nov 27 03:31:04 2003

144.132.35.24

One C-130 kit did have the correct fuselage cross section as you describe. It is/was, depending on whether you have the kit or not, the original Airfix kit of many years ago. Not the recent release which is the Italeri kit reboxed.

All kits are incorrect in that the fuselage back to behind the paratroop doors is actually the same section as in front of the mainplane, not the squared off section as in all kits.

All kits have tapered engine nacelles in plan view. The nacelles are 38 inches wide from the wing forward to the panel line about 22 inches behind the spinner, and fairs into the spinner diameter.

There are a number of other problems with all kits, such as the radome, mainwheel fairings, and rear fuselage.

Curt

Link didn't make it the first time...

Bummer. I think I'll just pray that the upcoming Academy 1/144 scale Herks are accurate. I still prefer 1/72 but I don't have anywhere to put a big multi-engine aircraft even if I actually built one...

i'm dying to build my 1/48th b29, ju52, sm79, etc but i can't even find space for a walrus. being a packrat has a downside in a small place.

Yep, a 1/72nd Hercules is a big model. I can't figure out where the

1/48th guys put theirs. I missed hearing about those Academy kits. Are they supposed to be late-model C-130s?

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

i don't remember seeing anything 1/48 on your shelves and you certainly didn't send anything that scale.

Chris Banyai-Riepl posted this to my Small Scale Models Yahoo! group a few days ago:

"I just got back from the Chicago hobby show and got a chance to inspect the new Minicraft C-130 kit quite closely. The second day they had test shots of the final sprues, and I can honestly say that this is going to be one outstanding model kit. You get early 3-bladed props as well as the usual four-bladed ones, there is a separate Roman nose, there will be two gunship variants (Vietnam era and modern), two types of beaver tails, two styles of wing tanks, a basic cabin interior (stick some of those 1/144 armor kits in there to fill that space), the usual Minicraft one-piece canopy that includes a good chunk of the fuselage, and even landing lights for the gear doors. For those familiar with the recent Minicraft DC-8, the C-130 kit has the same kind of wing attachment: a large plug that slides into a matching recess on the fuselage. This is incredibly sturdy and with care, will result in a seamless fit. Tailplanes are equally sturdy, and it looks like a lot of thought has gone into making this kit fit together well.

First release will be the Vietnam-era gunship, followed by the Coast Guard version. Not sure which one will follow that, but we will probably see four releases before the end of 2007. The AC-130 should be hitting the streets within weeks. Be ready to drool."

Any extra parts can be used in my ancient Revell to improve it.

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

Sadly the Revell kit is 1/140, so the parts would be out of scale : (

Still, it's a good chance they'll be workable. And I don't know why I had Academy on the brain - it's *Minicraft* that's releasing the new 1/144 scale C-130 kits.

That's a shame. Were it Academy there was a chance they'd be affordable. Minicraft stuff is now running in the gold-plated leagues.

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

You noticed that too, huh? If it weren't for Hobby Lobby's sales I wouldn't own many Minicraft kits...