Italeri 1/48 C-130H Hercules

salbando,

I just saw "Mail Call" Monday night, with EVERY MARINE's favorite actor hosting it - R. Lee Ermey, and lo & behold, he did a piece on USAF PJs. Is that what you do? They called themselves "ParaRescue Jumpers", which is part of the Combat Rescue field. I was very impressed with what they do. The training is supposedly TWO YEARS long!!! That's almost as long as Marine Boot Camp................. 8-)) It's a job I wouldn't want to have.

Thanks for the pictures. And there's no hurry at all on them. It's gonna be awhile before I get started on it. Let me know what I can do for you in return.

As far as Caterpillar plants, there's one in Lafayette, Indiana, which is about an hour's drive from where I live in Indianapolis. Straight up I-65 towards Chicago. Give your uncle my e-mail address if you want. It would interesting to hear from him.

Be careful over there, salbando. You definitely have all of my respect for what you're doing. I spent 6 months over there back in '91, when 41 was running things (and, in my opinion, he was doing it right!!). I don't know if you Air Force guys have a saying, but, from this Marine, "SEMPER FI!!"

Gary,
Yep. As a matter of fact Discovery did a special on PJ's and we were one of the units that they portrayed. The thing that keeps folks in this career field isn't the money or the hooya stuff (allthough we've got some nice gear to prosecute our missions), but it's the mission itself. I consider myself VERY lucky to be doing this job. It's rare when you can look in the mirror every night and answer the question "did I make a difference today?" I don't want anyone to get me wrong here. It takes everyone doing there job to complete the mission. I'm only saying that in my experience, those in my proffession consider it more a calling than a job. Sounds corney, but it's true...no BS..at least for me. Pay and promorions are better elsewhere, but that's not why I'm here. Matter of fact we just pulled a local fire dept fire chief out of a lake recently. He was landing on a lake (on skis) and the aircraft broke through the ice. He was lucky and didn't go down with the aircraft. Hypothermia and a ride on a Pavehawk to the local hospital. Makes no difference whether it's peacetime or combat, SAR is SAR; just a different set of rules.
School is long. Starts off with Indoctrination (70-80% failure rate), then down to Kirtland for schoolhouse. You get farmed out to Army SF diver's course (used to also go to NSW divers course at Coronado), Basic jump school, freefall school, paramedic school with practical (farm you out to a local ER somewhere to deal with GSW's, etc..). You finally finish up back at Kirtland putting it all togther learning tactics, weapons, aircraft quals (H-60, MC-130, MH-53). If everything times out you can get done in two years, but it usually takes longer taking into account injuries and what not. Training continues at the unit with water work, helo casting, RAMZ (chute ops with a Zodiak), high angle rescue, etc...
Our saying is my signature. The long version is "These things we do, that others may live". But it's usually shortened to "That others may Live". Pretty much sums it up.
Take care,

OOH RAH, SALBANDO!!! That's pretty much how everything was described on the Discovery program. My hat's off to you. That's one hell of a job that you have. As I said before: I wouldn't want to have your job. BUT, I'm glad that you're out there.

Didja ever git to jump outuva a Herky-Bird, by chance???

The HC-130 (MC-130 as well) is our primary jump platform although we also do elevators from our HH-60's. Ramp and door exits, statics and freefalls (round chutes and squares), equipment and hollywoods. You name it...practice makes perfect. Almost got a jump in Somalia when we arranged for one of the canadian herks out of Nairobi to stop at Mog, and shuttle us to a surveyed DZ (we surveyed it) near Belet Uen. Being US DOD the last thing we had to do was get clearance from...of all people...the US Agricultural Department. They put the kings-X on the whole deal since we would either half to leave our chutes in Somalia, or have their personnel check them for pets (local bugs, parasites, whatever). Really pissed our Chief off and we never got the jump.
Anyway, that's a long winded answer to Yes...I have.
BTW, I'll have a few down days this week and I'll take some digital photos of the engines for ya. I'll take some other shots as well.
I've got two Italari C-130H models that I'm going to turn into one each HC-130N and HC-130P. I've got the aftermarket conversion drogue tanks and roman nose/cook tracker radar radome from flightpath and falcon. I've even got the resin "long" engines to go for complete accuracy, as the H model herk had the slightly longer engine nacelles. I'm gonna go whole hog and the recent posts concerning interior lighting have really got me interested. Sounds like a great way for me to show off the scratch built benson internal tank, litters, gear storage racks, bunks, observer stations, and plotting table. I might even do a diorama of one inflight refueling an HH-60. Of course I'll probably be retired before I get finished (heh, heh, I've got 13 years in right now).

I used to work on them and now I am lucky enought to fly them. It is much heavier to fly than I ever thought.
For the Vietnam era, the USAF did not fly the "H" model. It did not come out till 1974. The "Super E" models were 1973s.
I build a kit a few months back that said H-model on it, but had E-model air conditioner scoops.
I want to build another one and mod it to the MC-130H. Has anyone done this?
I am working on a C-47 right now (in my little spare time) Now that the holidays are over I am limited on the time I can spend on it. It is an AIRFIX DC-3 but I want to make it the C-47 or possibly even the AC-47 (if I can find the mod)
If anyone has any 130 type stuff to ask (unclass of course) I will try to help out. I cannot say how quick I can reply, but I try to check here once a week.
Also for pics and what not you can check out
www.spectrumwd.com click on C-130 headquarters then images.
You can search by type C-130 also.

hey y'all,
Just reading through the post, sounds good. I was stationed at Davis-Monthan AFB from 97-2000, It would have been good to take pictures of the aircraft in the boneyard, but I didn't. I did however manage to get an alright photo of a b-2 bomber bombbay. hehe. I don't know where it is (of course) at the moment. Spirit of Arizona at the inaugriation(or something like that). I have a couple of photos of the cockpit of a u-2 also, through the plexiglass. If anybody out there is gov't and wanting these pics because they may be classified or something like that I DESTROYED THEM!

Anyway, if I would have known what a gold mine I was sitting on I would have gotten all kinds of photos of the AMARC birds. I have been on plenty of them, including the AC130A on observation row. It was awesome. Anyway, I have an AC 130 and when I get My own house it will be built. Good luck with yours.

Jeff

salbando,

Hey, guy. How's it going? Sorry I haven't replied to this thread in so long. I had almost completely forgot about it. Didja ever get those pictures of the engines? If not, no biggie. I, myself, got a Sony 5 megapixel camera for Christmas, but I haven't been able to get any AIRCRAFT pictures with it. Darn. I'll be glad when warm weather comes back to Indy so we can have some airshows to go to!!


willuride,

I know what you mean. I was able to sit (not FLY, just SIT....DANG it!) in Harrier cockpits quite a bit while I was in the Corps, plus OA-4M's, back when my squadron still had them. If I'd a known then what I know now.............. Oh well. Not much I can do about it now. Let us know how your AC-130 comes out.

Gary,
With the deployment and me working night alerts, I haven't been able to get them but guess what...I'm heading over to the phase docks tommorrow and I WILL get you pics. They'll be 1 megapixel so make the room.

I got this kit several years ago. This thread made me finally open the box. I thought I had the Blue Angels Fat Albert version, but I don't. I want to do the Marine refueler version that I worked on. Any one suggest where I can get plans or dimensions for the hose pods? I know years ago, someone made resin parts in 1/72. Looking through the box, it looks like the limit arms for the aerial delivery position of the ramp are missing. Last thing. I have thought of doing a gear up, and want to set the a/c on jacks. I would like to get plans or dimensions of the tripod nose and wing jacks. Any help would be great.

salbando,

No hurry on the pictures. Plus, I have DSL, so make them as big as you want!! I really appreciate you doing this. Let me know if there's anything I can do for you. Thanks!!!

Gary,
I just sent you a BIG e-mail with lots of pics I took today at the hangar. Let me know if you got it since I've been having problems with my e-mail lately. Also let me know if this is what you needed.

it's cold up here right now!


Getting ready for a drop.


somewhere over Af??????????

salbando,

Just get 'em tonight (23 Jan 2004). Thanks a bunch!! Great photos. How come there are no skis on those Herk's in the above pictures? 8-)) Talk atcha later!!

I could be wrong, but I think all the "ski birds" are in the NY ANG for suport of the polar research in the ant-arctic.

AKlabunde is right, with the exception of the Navy support C-130's for antarctica. Our herks really don't need them up here. But in the past, my unit's sister squadron actually flew C-130 ski birds in Alaska, and prior to that they flew C-123J's on skis.

AKlabunde, so I take it you're up here in Alaska as well???

Salbando,

No I am not up in the frozen north, I am in Delaware. But looking out my window I might have a hard time telling the difference right now.

Anyone working on the C-130H model remember they came in several variations. The C-130H, H2, H2.5 and H3. And the H3 have an all (or almost all) glass cockpit similar to the J's. Depending on their age some of the H2s came with differing features.