A 'Virtually' Whiffed Herk

[McColm]

I'm sure I've seen a Herk on YouTube fitted with RATO/JATO packs in an attempt to build a V/STOL version. This ended in failure as one of the forward packs misfired causing a fire in the cockpit and the fuel tanks to exploded.
Just a thought.

[PR19_Kit]

You sure this is a hobby & not an obsession, Kit?

I thought hobbies were meant to be enjoyable..... That doesn't look enjoyable!

You could well be right, only the thought that this model will commemorate Dave on his widow's sideboard  keeps me going. A labour of love it definitely ISN'T!

As for VSTOL Herks, I think that's exactly the one that Batman10 is building and is pictured in the 'normal' C-130 thread.

[PR19_Kit]

I've taped the Herk up as a full assembly today as we're off to see the guy who's done the case for it and he needs to know if it's going to fit of course!

The wings and tailplanes are fully glued together now, and sanded smooth too. The engines will need some PSR as there's quite a ridge between the nacelles and the wing fairing, but nothing too serious. The port tail section is now glued in place, but the port centre section and nose await me finishing  the cockpit and cargo floor before I can glue them in place. THEN I have to start on the mammoth PSR session to fair in the plugs! 

I've fitted the upper cargo door in its retracted position and the lower door now has it's etched overlay in place, but I'm darned if I'm going to put the roller conveyor things on as well, life's too short!

[McColm]

Wow!!
If my planned Nimrod wing amphibious C-130K (old Airfix kit with Blood Hound missile and LandRover) turns out that good before painting, I'll be really chuffed to bits.

[chrisonord]

JUst been reading through this Kit, very interesting and ambitious build you have here. COOL 
Chris

[PR19_Kit]

This has been rather a frustrating week as there's so much work to be done on the Herk before I can glue the fuselage bits together before I can get started on recovering the shambles that the Flightpath plugs have left me. I've got all the PSR work on the wings/engines and tailplanes done and they're ready for primer now. The cockpit interior is finally sorted, but I have NO idea why anyone sells the super-detail etches for this as almost NONE of it is visible through the narrow slot of windscreen! I've left most of the set I bought off the model, but I did apply the rear ramp etched parts, and they look pretty good. The cargo floor extension is sorted but needs some paint and the interior is now all painted, at least in one colour anyway.

Oh yes, I modfied the nose gear attachment points so I can install the leg AFTER I've put the fuselage together. It's just stupid to try and build the rest of the model with the gear leg sticking out, it's BOUND to snap off at some stage!

As it needs NOT to be a tail sitter I've added some serious nose weight by using my fave lead shot/resin mix to either 'cheek' of the cockpit interior and I'll also add some more in the radome once the cockpit is in place. All the umpteen windows are now in place too, and by this evening we should at LAST be ready to button up the fuselage, or at least some of it.

[McColm]

I've often aired my opinion about cockpit detailing you can't see, especially on the Airfix Nimrod. I'm glad someone agrees with me. 

[NARSES2]

I've often aired my opinion about cockpit detailing you can't see, especially on the Airfix Nimrod. I'm glad someone agrees with me. 

After just watching all the etch disapear in my recent Dauntless build I agree with you as well. The seatbelts are cracking and you can see them but the rest of the set, well at least I know it looked good before it went in the fuselage and the canopy went on 

[PR19_Kit]

I suppose Eduard and their ilk are making a good living out of making and selling this stuff. While kit reviewers in magazines will INSIST on adding every possible add-on to their review kits I just wish they'd tell you which bits are visible and which aren't! The days of the transparent fuselage half are over by now and never lasted long anyway.

The Eduard cockpit interior for the Herk includes a box shaped panel that's TOTALLY enclosd by the plastic floor and walls. Why did they bother? So they could increase the price I bet.

To add a bit of 'realism' to the whole display I just got  a couple of other bits and pieces to place around the Herk, oddly enough both Flightpath products, but these are really good. One is their RAF Diorama set, with tow bars, fire extinguishers, parts crates, wheel chocks and 'Remove Before Flight' flags and the other is the Houchin starter wagon. Ok, so the Houchin is only used on Typhoons and Tornadoes but only you and I know that, right?

The models are great, but the price I paid direct from the manufacturer, INCLUDING the postage, was less than Big H's price without the postage!

I didn't know Lowestoft was in a different country, hmmmmm.....

[PR19_Kit]

The cockpit interior is installed and the extra nose weight in the radome has been poured and glued. Then I spent almost ALL day trying to get the blasted floor to fit! 

To say it was a pain would be a monumental understatement but it is finally in place and the rear end just needs a bit of trimming, but I think it's OK to add the port fuselage side in the morning now. You can't see them in the piccie but there's 3-4 packing pieces to space the floor clear of the fuselage bottom, each one needed to be a DIFFERENT thickness of course. 

The two Flightpath accessory sets are shown below in the 'progress shot.

[PR19_Kit]

AT LAST I've got the fuselage fully assembled! 

I have to say that even the Italeri bits don't actually fit very well and will need a bit of fettling, but hat all pails into insignificance beside the amount tof work that awaits me to fair the Flightpath resin bits into the Italeri styrene bits! I must have used half a bottle of gap filling superglue bonding the disparate parts together, but it's as strong as an ox now, and weighs about the same with all the nose weight I stuffed into it!

The forward three cargo hold windows are filled in as the Albion Herks don't have them installed, just in case you wondered.

And now starts the monumental PSR work........... 

[Gondor]

Looking good so far Kit. More power to your elbow, or rotary sander 

Gondor

[PR19_Kit]

Looking good so far Kit. More power to your elbow, or rotary sander  

I'm starting to think in those terms too Alastair.  

I've been trying to fit the windscreen for the last 45 mins, every time I get it in position the darn thing slides down INSIDE the cockpit! It then takes 10 mins of fiddling about to get it back out again before the next attempt. So far I've tried it four times, but I'm going to take a rest before the next one, or I may sling the thing out the window!

[Gondor]

I've been trying to fit the windscreen for the last 45 mins, every time I get it in position the darn thing slides down INSIDE the cockpit! It then takes 10 mins of fiddling about to get it back out again before the next attempt. So far I've tried it four times, but I'm going to take a rest before the next one, or I may sling the thing out the window!

How about creating a loop of tape on the outside of the glazing roughly in the shape of the Greek letter Omega where the flat bottom parts are the parts of the tape on the glazing with the upper loop the hand hold. You could fix pieces of tape vertically across the outside of the glazing as well so that when you have manoeuvred the part into position you can smooth down the overlapping parts of the tamp to hold the position.

Sounds more complex than it is to do..... I will see if I can fudge up a picture to show what I am thinking of.

Gondor

[TallEng]

How about a blob of blu-tack on the end of a Cocktail Stick?

Regatta
Keith(on Holiday in Cornwall)