Heller (AMT) KC-135A

Now that the An is ready (less the aerial) and the JH-7 is nearing decalling, I started Heller's KC-135A, which I will build with its own decals for this machine (61-0300). If anyone manages to find another photo if this aircraft in this livery I will greatly appreciate it:


First problem: the engine intakes are not round, but include the space behind the lower auxiliary intakes. So plastic card, milliput and filler once more!





And then the cockpit and interior. Nothing will be seen once it is closed up, just the two front seats may be visible throgh the windscreen, but it's there.

Hey Gordon, very productive lately

Quite a different aircraft, what scale is it?

Tancred, for me it's always 1/72nd! It's the only requirement, apart for having flown at least once.

Gordon in my opinion the one you choose to built is in grey scheme, and not silver ...

look the difference in the phoos...

Metal.....


and the grey...

But this is the caption found on Aerofax ....

Center: March AFB was home to the 15th AF
Commander, and KC-135A 61-0300 was
assigned for his use. It retained full tanker
capabilities. In late 1976, it wore a Bicentennial
color scheme of natural metal with red, white,
and blue bands on the top of the vertical stabilizer,
the wingtips, and the ruddevators.
Douglas E Siowiak via Brian C 'Buck' Rogers...

Marco, i think that the one in the first photo, unlike the one you found, is in bare metal. You can even see the different shades of the various parts of the fuselage.

bcauchi wrote:Marco, i think that the one in the first photo, unlike the one you found, is in bare metal. You can even see the different shades of the various parts of the fuselage.

Brian that's what we are trying to find out .........

Gordon and this is the fate of 61-0300....

Boeing Model No.... 717-148
Clno...18207
Roll-out... 12 Apr 1962
First flight... 8 May 1962
Delivered... 5 Jun 1962
USAF flyaway... 8 Jun 1962
Re-engined.... 16 Apr 1990
Attrited... not yet....
Subsequent Designations..KC-135R.....

Marco, I have read that caption in the Aerofax book, and I definately think it's not grey. My doubts are if it is natural metal OR silver paint. It does have various shades as Brian pointed out, but it seems more as a painted colour than natural metal. Heller suggest to use Humbrol 56 Aluminium, and I think it's not far off from the photo, which I think has a yellowish tint. Here it is how I edited it to get more neutral colors:



And here are the grey undercarriage bays Marco, even on a KC-135R:



By the way, Heller says on the instructions that it was painted like that in the late 60's not 1976.

Yes From the conclusion of the photos at that time... it's painted and looks like aluminium paint ..watch the photos.......

This is a nice shot...

That's how I'll finish it, Aluminium colour and not natural metal. It also seems that the upper wing surfaces were all in aluminium as well, just as Heller is saying on the instructions (No grey panels). I reinforced the wings with stirps of wood and superglue as these are known to droop with age, and assembled the fuselage halves, but still need to cement some places. Progress till today:

It is huge...but will look lovely in those colours and insignia...

First problem. AMT's representation of the rear fuselage reinforcements is highly exaggerated. I have included 2 crops of pictures I took at some airshow here, and they are barely visible in some angles. I am considering sanding them off completely and representing them with paint through masking, just to get a slightly marked line.

Yes Gordon I agree...you can make a nice effect with thin masking...

Assembled the wings and it wasn't easy! Getting the angle right, and the undercarriage aligned was as everyone else who built it found out. The main undercarriage is supposed to be fixed to the lower wing from the inside after the wings have been assembled but I am sure that they WILL break out sooner or later if they are just glued to the bottom half. I glued them before and added plastic sheet to hold them in between the wings strongly. Both upper wing joints require a lot of shimming and filler, which is still hardening right now.

Very nice work, i love it.

I started adding strips from the thinnest evergreen sheet available to remake the reinforcement strips. They are still too thick but at least they are whole lines and not disjointed at the top. I will try to sand them down lightly when they are all in place. I used a piece of sealer tube to achieve a straight line, especially for the first one. I used Mr. CementS as glue.

And how they were prior to sanding them off:

Nice work Gordon .....

Nice work!

Prosit
In nannu