1/48 AC-130U Spooky II - She Lives! (Just about)

[Ben Montgomery]

Ok, heres some more progress I swore I would not do till I got home. But I got bored and did it anyway! Attached the port wing, with all assorted wiring being threaded through to the undercarriage bays. Happily it all still works, so I'm pretty impressed with that!

What a mess!









and all sanded, filled and resanded:





Ben

[Ben Montgomery]

Got my Archer Transfer decals in the post from USA today. They are resin rivets stuck on a sheet of decal film. So all you do is just cut a strip of rivets off and stick them onto the kit. Simples! Can't wait to try it out, but I have decided I need to get the other wing on and finished first!

[redfoxy]

Looking great Ben, excellent detailing, did you see the picture of the gun C130 Crewchief posted over on the ARC Kiwi Spooky build ?,thats some piece of kit.
Regards Paul.

[Ben Montgomery]

I did indeed Paul! Unfortunately that's the 105 out of the AC-130H, so not too much use on this build.

I've been cracking on tonight in the absence of anything else to do, and have resanded the other wing, and finished the extension on an engine. Just got to extend the other engine, install the flaps and then fit the wing!

[viper3111]

Got my Archer Transfer decals in the post from USA today. They are resin rivets stuck on a sheet of decal film. So all you do is just cut a strip of rivets off and stick them onto the kit. Simples! Can't wait to try it out, but I have decided I need to get the other wing on and finished first!

These sound interesting Ben, Ive never seen or heard of them before. Ive seen the rivet makers, but these sound intriguing I must look into them.

[Ben Montgomery]

Yeah I was shown them by one on the guys over on Aircraft Resource Center. They really are fantastic, very neat and high quality. About £10 including shipping for a A6 sheet crammed full of them, and they turned up in less than a week!

http://www.archertransfers.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Under the "Dry Transfers" section.

[Ben Montgomery]

Full power!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xR4YgOUuDao" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ben

[harv_warfield]

That is a hell of a nice model,

[Mike]

That's a really quiet Herc Ben,I can even hear the clock ticking !
It's looking great

[Ben Montgomery]

OK, got a question for the modelling guys on here - If I have covered a clear plastic piece in future, can I mask it with Tamiya tape, or will the tape react with the future?

[viper3111]

Ben, I think it should be ok as long as the klear is totaly dry and rock hard. Ive not heard of Tamiya tape 'reacting' with it. Ive masked my F-4 canopy with Tamiya tape after I gave them a coat of klear and it is fine.

[Ben Montgomery]

Bit of a predicament guys, and wondering if some of you could help. It'a about the correct paints for my AC-130. I have found an Xtracolor acrylic for Gunship Grey, FS36118, for the top, but am rather stuck for the bottom colour. One of the guys on ARC who works at Hurlburt field says that AFSOC specifies the bottom colour as FS36293. To me, that colour looks far too dark though. I have found what I think is a good match with FS 36492, which looks pretty similar (to me) and is made as a Humbrol Acrylic No. 196. Does anyone know if this is in fact a suitable colour, or if there is a better one? Thanks in advance!

Ben

[HighlandSniper]

Sorry Ben, but I can't help.

My son has just finished putting Klear onto his AC-130A and has put the first few decals on. I'll take pix once he's finished. Photos don't give a realistic idea of just how big the 1:48 C-130 kits are, even handling it for painting is quite a chore.

[viper3111]

Ben, I think that FS36492 would be a bit harsh, I think that FS36373 would be better, with a light wash of some discription if it needs darkening.

I found this if it is any use, if you click on the FS No it shows you the colours

http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/colorchart ... rts_us.htm

[Ben Montgomery]

This is with FS36373 on the bottom:




And with FS36492:




I reckon the '492 one is more like it Shaun? - The '373 seems darker!

[Ben Montgomery]

Actually , looking at them properly, your reccommendation does seem pretty good.

[viper3111]

Its just the nose that is the strange one, which colour are you doing that. It seems to be a bit 'blueish' to me. Its almost ADC grey with a deeper blue tinge to it.

[Ben Montgomery]

Which corresponds to Humbrol 127, US Ghost Grey, according to that Paint4Models site you posted Shaun (which is AWESOME, thanks!). Right, off to order paint!

[Ben Montgomery]

Yeah I have no idea of the nose colour - I think it is some kind of primer, because there is a C-5B "Spirit of the Blue Hen", with the same colour on her nose. No one seems to know what it is though!

[Ben Montgomery]

have a look at this for a better idea of colour:

Image Copyright Linos Borges, found at Airliners.net. Nothing to do with myself.