Page 28 - Model Airplane International - Issue 175 (February 2020)

KIT BUILD

is operated by 70 countries around the world moulded, although the engraved panel lines
? - not only is the 50 year anniversary bad are rather heavy for the scale, particularly
enough, the C-130 actually irst entered on the wings. Inevitably, when a number of
service with the USAF 63 years ago in 1956..... variants are catered for there are some minor
Demonstrating how valuable this aircraft has discrepancies in detailing, and some of the
become, over 2500 have been built in all sorts included detail and engraving needs to be
of variants, and have served in too many roles modiied. There's no attempt at a cockpit,
to list. Hercules would have been proud. despite the reasonable clarity of the glazing,
The RAF has operated a limited range of and barely any detail in the load space. If the
C-130 variants, primarily in the transport role, stretched -J-30 (RAF C.4) is to be built then
Box art for Minicraft’s C-130J-30...
although a small number of more specialist the stand-alone “super Hercules” kit (#14700)
types have seen short-term use. The most will be required, unless some adventurous
recent version in use is the modernised cutting and shutting is to be attempted.
C-130J (known as the C.5 in RAF service) Because of my confusion over the decals,
which has an improved avionics it allowing I ended up building two models in parallel - a
two-crew operations, a glass light deck and C.5 in the 50-year celebratory markings,
signiicantly, new engines derived from the (ZH883) virtually straight from the bagged
Rolls-Royce AE 2100 D3 driving Dowty R391 kit, and a C.4 with the long fuselage as
composite six-bladed scimitar propellers which a Special Forces airframe (ZH879 of 47
give extended range, increased payload and Squadron) in minimal markings, with the
...And the simplified, bagged version also used for this
feature. better short-ield capability. In order to satisfy add-on in-light refuelling probe often seen,
certain operational requirements, the RAF also and the rear fuselage blisters for the AN/
requested a stretched version (the C.4) based AAQ-24(V) Nemesis Directed Infra-red
on the C-130J-30 which is popular with Special Countermeasures (DIRCM) anti-IR missile
Forces due to is additional carrying capacity. system. Both airframes are in the overall BS
241 Dark Green colour with the darker green
In Miniature protective membrane on the underside and
Having seen ZH883 at such close quarters on sections of the front and rear fuselage.
I was impatient for the arrival of the planned According to the photographs I could ind, the
decal sheet from Caracal (CD144018) which Dark Green appears to have faded signiicantly
included three of the 50-year celebratory and patchily in service and most airframes
marking schemes. Knowing that I had a have different patterns of green over wing and
Minicraft C-130J in my stash, as soon as the fuselage walkways and control surfaces.
decals arrived I was all set up, except that
foolishly, I'd not connected that the Caracal Construction
decals are intended for the (short fuselage) This is a relatively straightforward kit to
C.5 and my kit was the stretched Dash 30 build, with only around 60 grey or white
(RAF C.4) (kit 14700) Fortunately, this dawning plastic and 3 clear parts each. Other than the
occurred just before Scale Model World 2019 aforementioned comment on the panel lines,
where I was fortunate enough to get hold of the parts are cleanly moulded and there are
a couple of the bagged Minicraft re-issues no signiicant alignment or it issues, provided
(#14524B) courtesy of Mel at S&M models. care is taken in gluing.
These packages are particularly useful in Given its coniguration, it's no surprise that
having both early and -J engines, three, four the build has strong similarities to a modern
and six-bladed propellers and both very early airliner kit; there's a simple one-piece nose
“Roman” and radar noses, thus allowing any wheel bay which doubles as a cockpit loor and
options from -A, through E/F, -K and -J to be a rudimentary load compartment loor which
built, given appropriate decals. ironically has some nice engraved detail which
The C-130J-30 kit includes decals for two USAF will be completely invisible even if the open
airframes. In The Box tail door option is chosen. With a couple of
The generic Minicraft kits are reasonably well bulkheads and the loor in place the fuselage

Minicraft’s unboxed kit includes options for three, four and six-bladed airframes, and either radar or early “roman” noses, but no decals.

28 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2020