1/48 C130 built for a buddy-- a loooong time ago

[demonhunterfan]

Used to work with a great guy named Gary. Gary was in the Air Force back in the Vietnam era. He asked to be sent there, but the closest he got was Hawaii. He was in charge of maintenence on a C-130. He used to tell us some incredible stories of his screwing up.....like the night they all fell asleep while fuelling one up-- he said the one wing tip was almost touching the tarmac when they woke up and aviation fuel was all over the place-- could've blown up the whole base! Gary lost a stripe over that incident! Anyhow, at the time we were working together, we had a great LHS and I was up there one time and saw a couple of these big kits, this one and the SPECTRE gunship. I told Gary about 'em and asked if'n he wanted to go halfers on one of 'em and I'd build it up for him. He agreed, with no idea where he was gonna put it in his apartment when I got done with it. Like any other model, it sat for a few years untouched, then we were on strike in 1994 for 3 months, and........ I got 'er done. I was a wannabe neo nazi at the time and building up a fine collection of WWII Luftwaffe planes, but took time away from them to finish this for Gary. Huge model when done, and lots of detail inside. Don't remember who made it, but do remember it going together without too much difficulty. No idea whatever became of it. When I delivered it to Gary, it just about filled up his little living room These pictures are the old fashioned type what I scanned and adjusted somewhat, so the quality aint up to snuffs.



Pretty sure that's a 48" diameter tabletop it's sitting on

Yep, there's the old me, in my Tiger Tank T shirt-- good old wannabe neo nazi Johnny at the bench

With that big rear door open, lots of opportunities for super detailing the interior


underbellies of the beasts


Don't mess with this fool! ;D ;D ;D Thanks be to God I aint that fool no mo'!!!

Later and God bless

[Fletch]

Pretty cool John, there were a lot of things that happened during that era in the Air Force that a lot of us could have gotten court marshaled for. I can tell you lots of stories like the one Gary told you. All of then true and all involving stupid kids that should never have been put in those situations in the first place.

Nice build on the C-130, every now and then I wonder through the aircraft section of the LHS just to see what's new. Then hit myself in the head and ask Where would you put them? I use to have close to 70 hanging from the ceiling in my apartment when I was stationed in Spokane. It was all pretty cool until the night the 1/32 scale B-52 fell, of course it was hung directly over the bed. The wife wasn't to pleased, and that was pretty much the end of hanging aircraft from the ceiling.

[demonhunterfan]

Hey Bri, thanks, and welcome aboard. My buddy who I built this for told me about some of the JATO training they used to do, and the touchdowns to slide stuff out the back, then take right back off again. I get the impression that had the airframe been any less, they wouldn't have been able to do all those things. I imagine any 130s still flying are routinely inspected, repaired and/or updated-- but if simply maintained, then yes!, what a venerable workhorse indeed!

Always amazed me that we always think that something has 'outlived' it's usefullness-- no matter the product-- and we feel we have to spend huge amounts of time, energy, and money trying to 'improve' it. I guess that could be part of 'the American way' trying to make one thing do all things (or one person do all things), when a lot of times we would be much better off keeping that one 'thing' or person for the one task they were designed for, and that they do so well. I think planes like the 130 and the A-10 will be around for a looonng time-- hard to improve on perfection.

Later and God bless

[george53]

John, that's the Testors/Italieri kit nu# 586 I have it too, but your right,it's so big it's STILL IN THE BOX!!!! One of these days I'll build it,caz if you've ever seen one of these things doin a fireing pylon turn at nite, you'll NEVER forget it! Especially if it was called in as fire support for YOU!!!!