Italeri 1/48 AC-130

[Jim R]

Hi Dave
Don't think I've seen a plastic kit that big before. Certainly need that tape and clamps. Glad the fit is fine. Any thoughts on displaying the beast?

Overall it looks like a Hercules to me and that's good enough.

I'll bet it will look great when complete
Jim

 

[rtfoe]

Hi Dave, got the J version in the stash and haven't see it since putting it away in 2006. I hate the whirly six blade propellers that come with it and am thinking of asking Italeri for the four blade props and nacelles of the earlier H versions. Nice to know Italeri service is good. You're gonna ask why I got that in the first place, well I got it free, part of cash prize winnings.

It is big and fat. Always wanted to do a stretched version. Will watch your build closely.

Cheers,
Richard

 

[Gern]

Easier than I thought.

Here's the layout of the guns



Italeri would have you install all the guns before the main deck is even fitted into the fuselage. A clumsy oaf like me would have no trouble breaking off the barrels long before the build is complete so:

Before



After



I cut off the barrels and drilled a small hole in the end and another in the breech. A small piece of wire to strengthen the join and a dab of CA will enable me to fix the barrels at the very end of the build.

Now if I can just avoid stabbing myself with the wires again .....

Italeri have supplied some rather vague pieces to represent the interior. I'm going to have a go at something better, but don't expect accurate features. All I have to go on are the pictures that Paul kindly posted. Eyes down, look in .....

 

[minitnkr]

Excellent solution. Guns look well detailed. Shame they didn't detail the supporting equipment. PaulE

 

[minitnkr]

Some inside shots. Bottom drawing shows additional details like crew stations, ammo routing/bunkers & countermeasure stowage.
Sim gunner stations.

Sim looking through to lowered rear door, not your version, or very helpful.

Gunner stations within insulated crew compartment.

Twin 40mm just outside crew compartment

Looks closer to your version, just replace rear big gatlings w/40mms

All pics are for discussion only. PaulE

 

[Jakko]

Plenty of pictures to be found on Google by searching for AC-130 gunship interior and going to the image results.

 

[Gern]

You're right Jakko thanks. I've found loads of images - and almost every one shows a different layout. I guess with something this big, they're always trying out new equipment and layouts. I think the only two things they have in common are lots and lots of dials, instruments and switches and enough cable to supply all the cable needs of a small town!

I've had a rummage through my spares box and found lots of bits that could be userful. I've had a very pleasant day today putting stuff together to detail out the interior. What I've got doesn't match any of the images I've seen, but it sure does make it look busy in there! I have an old biscuit tin full of assorted wires so I'll be adding plenty once I've got the basic shapes sorted. Pictures hopefully tomorrow.

Warning! Those who like their kits to be as accurate as possible should stop watching this thread now. I'd hate to upset you with my work of fiction spoiling the looks of a perfectly good aeroplane!

 

[Deleted member 7181]

My brother used to spend a lot of time in the back of a Hercules (not the gunship!) and he reckoned they were always changing them around, so whatever you do was probably accurate at one point in time lol.

 

[Gern]

Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

Got the basics done and fitted them into the fuselage to make sure everything fit OK. No problems with the fit, but after all that, what can you see? Naff all, that's what you can see!

What's the absolute minimum I need for a small light set up inside? Please bear in mind I know b****r all about electrics, but I was thinking of two tiny bulbs front and rear and hiding a tiny battery and switch in the flare box that fits on the rear ramp. The inside dimensions of the box are 15mm wide, 26mm long and 19mm deep. If I can get a switch and battery in there, I can make a simple mock up of a canvas cover over the box to hide them. There's no issue with the wiring as the real thing has got wires and cables everywhere so they don't need to be hidden.

This is what I've got so far:

 

[Jakko]

You're right Jakko thanks. I've found loads of images - and almost every one shows a different layout. I guess with something this big, they're always trying out new equipment and layouts.

It probably also doesn’t help us modellers that there ar a good number of variants and most of those seem to have subvariants again, so you’re going to have to put in a lot of effort sorting them out if your intention is to build a specific one. Or you can just make something that gives the right appearance.

after all that, what can you see? Naff all, that's what you can see!

I see a Humvee bumper

What's the absolute minimum I need for a small light set up inside?

A battery, an LED, and probably a resistor to make sure the LED doesn’t burn through prematurely. You may also want to add in a switch so you can turn the whole thing on and off. If you want, I can supply more of the theory needed to work out what you need in terms of resistors etc.

I was thinking of two tiny bulbs front and rear and hiding a tiny battery and switch in the flare box that fits on the rear ramp. The inside dimensions of the box are 15mm wide, 26mm long and 19mm deep. If I can get a switch and battery in there

A small watch battery will fit fine in there¹ with room to spare for a small switch, I would think.

I wouldn’t go for normal, old-fashioned light bulbs, though. LEDs need far less power, making them last much longer on a small battery, they don’t get as hot (this could be important in a plastic model) and pretty much will never burn through.

¹ Bonus tip: Numerical designations of these batteries tell you their size. The first pair of digits is the diameter in millimetres, the second pair is the thickness in tenths of a millimetre. For example, the very common 2032 battery is 20 mm in diameter and 3.2 mm thick, a 1620 is 16 mm across and 2.0 mm thick, and so on. You won’t even need to find one and measure it to work out if it will fit in a given space on a model.

 

[Jack L]

What's the absolute minimum I need for a small light set up inside? Please bear in mind I know b****r all about electrics, but I was thinking of two tiny bulbs front and rear and hiding a tiny battery and switch in the flare box that fits on the rear ramp. The inside dimensions of the box are 15mm wide, 26mm long and 19mm deep. If I can get a switch and battery in there, I can make a simple mock up of a canvas cover over the box to hide them. There's no issue with the wiring as the real thing has got wires and cables everywhere so they don't need to be hidden.

I have used these in the past...really simple and easy, and fit into a very small area

Miniature 3V LED Lighting

Buy tiny, 3V LED lights for your miniature projects. Battery operated LEDs are perfect for lighting dollhouse miniature scenes and small projects. Download a free LED lighting tutorial.

true2scale.com

 

[papa 695]

Very nice work so far Dave.

 

[Gern]

Thanks Ian.

Jakko & Jack: Thanks for the info guys. I've ordered a small 3V lighting set which has 4 lights and a coin type battery holder & switch. Am I right thinking that I can wrap an LED in foil if I want to hide the light from it? Will I also need to provide some sort of shielding to prevent the light shining through the kit plastic?

I'm off to see if the carpet monster will return the end of the Vulcan barrel that I dropped .....

 

[Deleted member 7181]

I doubt you'll have trouble with the light shining through the black plastic of the kit, but a coat or two of black on the inside would guarantee it.

If it's a 3V kit then it's very likely the LED's are wired in parallel, in which case you just don't connect the ones you don't need, but you probably won't know that for certain until you have the kit and check the wiring diagram.

 

[Jakko]

Am I right thinking that I can wrap an LED in foil if I want to hide the light from it? Will I also need to provide some sort of shielding to prevent the light shining through the kit plastic?

If you mean aluminium foil, I’d say that should work — just take care it doesn’t touch both legs of the LED, else you’ll short-circuit it. You could also build a plastic card box around the LED, or take a bit of plastic tube that will fit around it and cut it away on the sides you want the light to come out.

 

[Gern]

Little bit more progress on this. You'll have to forgive the quality of the pictures. This is the first time I've used the camera I got from Ken and I've got much to learn.



I've added some wires to the back of the IP as you can just about see behind it through the windows. Seat belts are just 1mm Jammy Dog tape. I haven't gone OTT with them as they're only just visible even with the lights so I'm calling the cockpit done.




The interior is totally fictional but I felt it better than leaving it completely empty. I think I'll need to add some more colours though - especially on the seats.

You can't see any of this except vague outlines when it's buttoned up in the fuselage, but the little lighting kit I ordered has arrived. I've tested it and I reckon it's just what I need. There are 4 small (1.5mm) LED lights so I can put one in the cockpit, two in the middle and one at the rear. There's a row of what look like lights moulded on the main deck roof parts. There are more than four but the aircraft only has four switched on for routine servicing during standby (Hey Ron - I learned this from you!).

I was going to try and hide the coin battery holder in the flare box on the rear ramp but it won't fit. I'll make a little box to fit on the roof just above the ramp. The battery holder will just slide into it so I'll be able to replace the battery if needed. The extra wires won't need to be hidden as the real aircraft has wires everywhere, and I can disguise the switch as some sort of control box - or summat.

Jakko. Thanks for the tip about using foil near any bare wires. I've got some black electrician's tape which I think will be all I need to secure the wires in place and provide enough shielding for the light as well.

 

[Gern]

Nearly forgot.

I don't know whether this should be here or in the 'other interests' section.

Is the 'washed out' and bright appearance of the pictures due to the white balance on the camera? The box I used as a background is a light grey colour and it seems like the camera has interpreted this as white and has changed it - which has effected the other colours.

 

[Mickc1440]

Some great work Dave, I'd pull up a chair but with the size of that thing I doubt there's room

 

[Jakko]

Jakko. Thanks for the tip about using foil near any bare wires. I've got some black electrician's tape which I think will be all I need to secure the wires in place and provide enough shielding for the light as well.

That should work, sure. Though electrical tape does’t necessarily stick very well, so you may want to just superglue it to the LED bulb to make sure it won’t come off

 

[scottie3158]

Gern,
Cracking work fictional or not it looks great and will add a lot of interest.