Minicraft 1:144 Lockheed L-100-30 Hercules: Ethiopian Cargo ET-AJK

1
September 10, 2020
The Minicraft C-130J-30 kit [#14700] includes a cut out of the starboard forward sponson for the oval air scoop seen on late model H and J Herks with the long wheel sponsons. As this is to be an early L-100-30 with short wheel sponsons, I do not require part #71, the oval air scoop.
2
September 10, 2020
As you can see from the parts diagram for kit #14700, the oval air scoop is molded with the long wheel sponsons attached to the AE2100 engine sprue.
3
September 11, 2020
Here is the starboard side short wheel sponson that I cut out from the USCG HC-130H kit [#14524] to insert the long wheel sponson. I will trim out the forward tip to fit the gap. Lesson #1: Never throw anything out, at least anything resembling a plastic part! You never know when it will come in handy.
4
September 10, 2020
Pretty close! I can file and sand the rest.
5
September 10, 2020
I added a little gap filling super glue to the bottom to help fair in the sponson tip.
6
September 10, 2020
Oh! I almost forgot to mention. Kit #14700 includes the starboard side heat exchanger [part #94] on the stretched fuselage sprue. The shape sits a little too proud and at an odd angle for my liking, but I will file it down a little once the glue has dried.
7
September 10, 2020
Starboard side wheel sponson tip and heat exchanger filed to shape.
8
September 11, 2020
Here, I reamed out the u/c mounting holes with the tip of a #11 x-acto blade.
9
September 11, 2020
Wheel wells glued into fuselage sides and cargo floor with forward bulkhead glued. Remind me to add the nose weight. There, I just put it in the model box.
10
September 11, 2020
Wings glued up. I will check for warpage and make corrections tomorrow. I will also fill the wing tank mounting holes.
11
September 11, 2020
Bra.Z Allison 501D-22A [long nacelle] engines and Aeroclub Hamilton-Standard 4-blade props.
12
September 12, 2020
Cargo floor and bulkhead in. Forward wheel bay and cockpit floor in place. A 1/2 oz fishing weight cut up and added to nose and between bulkhead and forward wheel bay. All held in place with a large foam peanut.
13
September 12, 2020
And fuselage is glued up
14
September 12, 2020
Wing tank holes plugged with .020 plastic rod.
15
September 12, 2020
Allison 501D-22A engines trimmed from their mounting block...
16
September 12, 2020
...and now glued to the wings. One engine has a slight hump on its upper edge. I will see about filing it down to meet the wing mount profile.
17
September 13, 2020
Well, after looking closely at each engine, I decided that they all could use a little putty. I also added plastic strips to the inside edge of the upper rear ramp to help hold it in place.
18
September 16, 2020
When I glued up the wings, a small but noticeable gap resulted on the underside of the starboard wingtip (on the right). It is noticeable on the top wing in photos #10 & #14. I cut a piece of .010 plastic rod and using liquid cement, I glued it in the gap. When dry, I merely sanded it flush.
19
September 19, 2020
While I was making final checks before painting, I noticed that the No. 4 engine had a damaged oil cooler inlet scoop. What to do? Once again, I took a piece of scrap plastic from the starboard wheel sponson off the HC-130H kit, placed it in a hand vice and started going to it laterally with a round rasp/file. The piece had a curve molded to it, I just want to thin the plastic to scale thickness.
20
September 19, 2020
There, all super glued in place. Once dry in about ten minutes, I will sand down the sides as close to the original profile as I can without losing any detail.
21
September 20, 2020
And the bottom view. I made sure to get the super glue under the white shim to ensure complete adhesion.
22
September 20, 2020
Filed down & ...
23
September 20, 2020
... with it's mate for comparison. I can live with that!
24
September 20, 2020
Exhaust areas painted black. I will mask before the gloss gray coat, then masking center wing panels, followed by the chrome silver. Paint sequence is determined by the chrome silver not being able to take a mask; hence black first, then grey, then silver.

Kommentarer

4 10 September 2020, 21:04

Nathan Dempsey
Taking a seat on this build too.

10 September 2020, 21:54

Donald Dickson II
Another one eh?

10 September 2020, 22:16

Dutch
Why not?

10 September 2020, 22:50

Ray Seppala
Another day, another Herc 🙂

11 September 2020, 04:26

Dutch
Yes Ray, I think I finally caught the fever! Only, it's a small fever.

11 September 2020, 21:11

playtime 222
New Years Day fever?

12 September 2020, 20:23

Dutch
No, sorry. 1/144 scale Herk fever. Ray likes to build 1/72 scale Herks. It's a rainy Saturday, so I am taking some time to make a little progress.

12 September 2020, 20:38

Ray Seppala
Coming along nicely Dutch

12 September 2020, 23:59

playtime 222
A lot of work. What inspired you to pick this livery?

13 September 2020, 20:53

Dutch
Back in the mid-1980s I built a Boeing 720B in Ethiopian Airlines markings using the ATP Airlinrrs America decals. Look through my completed album. I just like the markings.

14 September 2020, 00:24

Greg Baker
Ok... settling in for the show.

14 September 2020, 06:21

Dutch
I have a little more puttying and sanding to do on some of the shapes & seams, but I am strategizing for the paint phase. The C-130H was a monchrome scheme, so I waited until 95% assembled before painting. This one requires lt grey, white and silver. I think I will paint the wings and horizontal stabs separate from the fuselage. So my order of work will be: 1. Paint everything lt grey; let dry. 2. Mask lower fuselage and paint upper fuselage white; let dry; remove mask. 3. Paint forward radome and sponson tips black; let dry & mask. 4. Mask walkways on wings and stabs and paint silver; set aside to dry. 5. Mask upper fuselage (white) and bottom of fuselage (lt grey); paint silver; let dry; remove masks. 6. Hand paint wheels & props; let dry. 7. Final assembly. 8. Decals.

15 September 2020, 12:15

Project info

Lockheed L-100-30 Hercules Ethiopian Cargo ET-AJK

24 bilder

1:144

Påbegynt

1:144 Lockheed Hercules C-130 Allison T-56 Engines (Bra.Z Models BZ4052)

Lockheed L-100-30 Hercules

Ethiopian Airlines (1945-now)
ET-AJK

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