Minicraft 1:144 Lockheed HC-130J Hercules USCG Elizabeth City NC

1
August 16, 2020
Okay, USCG HC-130J is now at the same point of construction as the Dyess C-130H; basically step one complete. Will determine proper nose weight before adding cargo floor and bulkhead and button everything up.
2
August 24, 2020
C-130H Dyess and HC-130J USCG fuselage sides puttied and waiting for first sanding. When complete, i will rescribe any lost panel lines.
3
August 24, 2020
AE2100 power eggs glued up. I will putty seams and sand before attaching to the wing. The Bra.Z resin T56-15 engines are for the C-130H build.
4
August 24, 2020
AE2100 engines glued to the wings. Perfect fit! Well, maybe not perfect, but very, very good fit. I will glue in the doors before painting. From header photo, the lower engines are in natural metal color. I am missing the exhaust pipes, so will substitute Plast-L-Strut hollow rod cut at an angle after everything is painted and decalled.
5
August 25, 2020
Nose weights added and secured, cargo floor and bulkhead glued into left half before gluing fuselage together. In retrospect, I should have glued them to the right half which has ribs for alignment. Still have a narrow gap on the lower fuselage seam, so I am superglueing it now. Will clean it up before adding clear windscreen. Next decision: to mask or use windshield decals?
6
August 28, 2020
Both fuselages glued together, HC-130J on bottom. In the end I decided that I will use the black cockpit window decal as the clear windscreen is slightly wider that the fuselage on both kits, requiring some heavy duty sanding to get it to fair in, thus losing the lower window panel lines.
7
August 29, 2020
Outer wing tank mounting holes plugged with .010 or .020 plastic rod (I forget which) and secured with liquid cement.
8
August 29, 2020
A drop of red or green paint added to the small hole in each wingtip nav lights.
9
August 29, 2020
Lower engine exhaust flaps glued in. I placed them at a fairly flat angle because the Herk will be displayed in the static position with power off and Dowty props feathered, hence no need for open flaps. Outer wing tanks mounting holes have been plugged with plastic rod and sanded smooth.
10
August 29, 2020
And wings are on! Next step: add stabs and rear cargo ramps. Then, off to the spray booth.
11
August 30, 2020
Horizontal stabilizers on and upper and lower ramps glued in place. Notice gap around lower ramp edges. In future Herk builds, I will add plastic ribs along the inside edge of rear ramp fuselage sides to reinforce the seams.
12
September 12, 2020
HC-130J is in the spray both! Gloss White rattle can spray.
13
September 13, 2020
After looking over my spare decals, I happened upon a partial sheet of Microscale 72-109 USCG aircraft. It appears that I will be able to use some of the smaller numerals to create the proper 20-- for the HC-130J. The station name "Elizabeth City" still appears too large, but may have to do in a pinch.
14
September 21, 2020
15
September 20, 2020
There, all fixed. I will touch up the white paint.
16
September 20, 2020
The cockpit sits short of the forward radome and too proud over the port fuselage side.
17
September 20, 2020
Even after filing down the port canopy side to the point of losing the lower foot window detail, I will need to sand more of the cockpit area to conform to the fuselage contour. Once complete, I will take the opportunity to add the horseshoe shaped fairings and small IR ball turret under the nose that I salvaged from my TomyTec UP-3C JMSDF build.

Kommentarer

4 16 August 2020, 19:43

Nathan Dempsey
I'm taking a seat for this one too.

16 August 2020, 20:28

Dutch
Grab a seat Nathan! Glad to have you onboard!

16 August 2020, 21:22

Nathan Dempsey
Looking nice Dutch.

24 August 2020, 23:15

Dutch
Getting there slow and steady.

25 August 2020, 00:52

Donald Dickson II
Totally watching this. 🙂

29 August 2020, 15:28

Dutch
Don. Welcome to the show.

29 August 2020, 19:43

Dutch
Anyone know if the black aerial on the leading edge of the tail is offered as a decal in 1:144 scale? I know that it is in 1:72. If it is not, I will have to mask and paint it after applying and sealing the red tail decals. I guess I can paint the nose radome, engine exhaust and ventral Minotaur radome as well.

30 August 2020, 01:47

Ray Seppala
On larger kits is it, and that 'aerial' is a big de-icing boot 🙂 You could make you own if you have some clear decal film and some black paint?

30 August 2020, 03:11

Lochsa River
Nice kit that can be made into an eyecatcher...enjoy.

bobsmodelcollection...minicraft%20c130.htm

30 August 2020, 04:20

Chris Parsons
Lots of hard (and good) work going in here.... should be done about the same time the brand new Zvezda Herc. Rolls out?

30 August 2020, 04:31

Greg Baker
Wait a minute... twice the fun!

30 August 2020, 05:21

Lochsa River
I did paint that leading edge on the tail.

What are you doing with the cockpit? The windows on this kit are challenge. Masks for the kit arrived after weeks and the kit was already done with hand painted windows. I didn't even try to put in a cockpit.

Pay some attention to the wheels. Dry fit them for sure and get all the detailing done before hand. Not much will show.

30 August 2020, 06:17

Dutch
Thanks for the comments and for tuning in. As no cockpit exists and I had to file one side of the clear piece that is too wide for the fuselage, losing any detail there, i decided to use a cockpit windscreen decal provided in the kit. Nice model Bob! I missed your build when I did my initial kit review research. I read two different reviews over a year ago, then promptly forgot everything and plunged right in! My motto is: "Often wrong, but seldom in doubt!"

30 August 2020, 13:06

Ray Seppala
...and don't forget nose weight if it is going on its wheels!

30 August 2020, 21:20

Dutch
Ray, no worries! I placed an 1/2 oz fishing weight cut into smaller pieces into each nose. I used rubber cement, but they have rattled loose since with my handling of the airframe while adding more and more parts.

30 August 2020, 21:28

Dutch
Okay, now that the C-130H is done, I will focus my energies on this kit. I need to source some numerals and "Elizabeth City" station name for the nose. Very tiny lettering.

9 September 2020, 15:31

Nathan Dempsey
Does that kit come with the 6-blade props?

9 September 2020, 15:48

Dutch
Nate, No, the HC-130H boxing comes with T56 engines and 4-blade props. I am swapping AE2100 engines and 6-blade Dowty props from the C-130J-30 kit (#14700) which will get the T56 engines & 4-blade props for a L-100-30. Maybe, I should get that one on the bench now. Hmm, Saturn, Ethiopian, or KLu C-130H-30? What do you all think?

9 September 2020, 16:08

Nathan Dempsey
My vote is for the Ethiopian.

9 September 2020, 19:12

Dutch
Then Ethiopian Cargo it shall be!

13 September 2020, 01:06

Greg Baker
With all that propeller swapping, I don't suppose you have a spare 4-bladed set? I've got the three-blades props in the AC-130 kit... but I was planning on a 4-blade build.

Regardless, this is like a C-130 workshop... I'm learning a lot. 🙂

14 September 2020, 06:09

Dutch
Greg, Sorry but no. I actually bought a couple of the Minicraft bagged kits that come with both engine (T-56 & AE2100) and three prop (3, 4, & 6 baldes) options so that I would have enough to go around for my four L-100-30 builds. I even scored a Aeroclub HS 4 balde prop set (which I am using on this build). Thanks for staying tuned! One of these days, I will build a cockpit so I can leave the windows clear.

14 September 2020, 12:20

Greg Baker
Yeah, I figured. I think I asked you once before, but sometimes plans change.😉

I can't wait to see it built with a cockpit. I'm planning to build mine with the cargo doors open, so I'd love a "how to" guide for the interior.

14 September 2020, 13:14

Dutch
I would like to build one with the cargo door open as well. Perhaps the Saturn one. Maybe even make up a 463L pallet with RR RB.211 engine covered in a tarp.

14 September 2020, 13:29

Dutch
I think I found a 1/144 C-130 cockpit that is also white metal and may suffice for the nose weight. Check out Airfield Accessories #144-29 for the Revell C-130 kit. It may require a little modification for the Minicraft C-130. These are marketed by Matador Models in the UK. matadormodels.co.uk/..lists%20cockpits.htm

20 September 2020, 22:53

Album info

Build mostly OOTB, adding long wheel sponsons, AE2100 engines and 6 blade props from C-130J-30 kit and modifying kit decals to correct serial.

Lockheed HC-130J Hercules: USCG Elizabeth City NC

17 bilder

1:144

Påbegynt

1:72 US Coast Guard USCG (Microscale 72-109)

1:72 U.S. Coast Guard Choppers pt 2 (Model Alliance MA-72186)

Sikorsky MH-60J Jayhawk

US Coast Guard (1915-now)
CGAS Elizabeth City 6009
September 2008 - North Carolina
White, Orange

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