1/72 C-130 Hercules. The Definitive 1/72 Scale Model Census.

The Airfix kit, despite its age, has alot going for it. It has the best constant cross section on its fuselage, including the ridge at floor level. The empenage has the gentle taper of the real thing in plan view as it progresses towards the tailplane. Overall the Airfix fuselage is more accurate than the Italeri one, except for the cockpit roof. There are some areas where the tooling has disadvantages: the main wing fillet is not defined enough, nor is the seam where the sponsons join the fuselage underside. This tooling was originally offered as a C-130E, but was retooled to an AC-130 some years later by permanently altering the fuselage sponsons. Consequently, recent releases of the the C-130E/H type under the Airfix brand have been done so using the Italeri tooling.

The Italeri kit has better defined wing fillets, underside sponson seams, and front fuselage immediately above the cockpit, but the constant cross section fuselage behind is completely incorrect and lacks the ridge at floor level. The empenage tapers too severely in plan view as it meets the tailplane. The biggest problem of

the Italeri tooling is the engine nacelles. They are the shorter versions associated with the Allison T-56-A-9 or -11 turboprop engines as used on the C-130A. C-130E/H aircraft carry the T-56-A-7 and -15 engine respectively, which requires a longer nacelle, so if you plan to model these variants you will need to obtain the nacelles offered by Flight Path or Ron's Resin.

All other parts of the kit appear to be of better accuracy than the Airfix/MPC kit, but this remains to be confirmed. The wing tanks may be of different sizes. The two kits appear to be similar in dimensions making cross-kitting relatively easy.

For the most accurate model, we recommend using the Airfix main fuselage, substituting a portion of the front for the section immediately behind the wing trailing edge. Blend this into the rear empenage as per the real thing. Use the Italeri wing roots and nose section with considerable modification. Build up ridge on rear empenage.

Kits
AC-130H	Airfix 10001
AC-130U	Airfix 09004, Italeri 866
C-130E	Airfix 09001, MPC 1-4502
C-130H	Italeri 015, Airfix 09003, Heller 0385 , Testors 665, 0015
C-130J	Italeri 061, Testors 06670, 667, 9178
DC-130	Italeri 148, Testors 630

Conversion Parts
AC-130A	Airmodel AM-059
AC-130H	Airmodel AM-059
C-130A	Airmodel AM-058, Oz Mods 7201
C Mk 3P fuselage extension plugs	Flightpath
C-130-30 fuselage extension plugs	Flightpath
C-130E-1 Fulton nose	Flightpath, DB Productions 2019
C-130H	Ron's Resins 72013
C-130H	Ron's Resins 72015
C-130H sponson APU intake	Ron's Resins 1372
C-130H/J sponson APU intake & Satnav dome	Ron's Resins 1572
C-130J	Ron's Resins 72015
C-130K Mk 2	Airmodel AM-058
DC-130A	Airmodel AM-057, AM-063
DC-130E	Airmodel AM-057
HC-130F	Falcon C005
HC-130H	Airmodel AM-059, Flightpath
HC-130N	Airmodel AM-059
HC-130P	Airmodel 059, Flightpath
JC-130A	Airmodel AM-059
KC-130 AAR pods	Flightpath, DB Productions 2020
KC-130F	Airmodel AM-059
L-100-20	Airmodel AM-058
L-100-30	Airmodel AM-058
LC-130F	Flightpath
LC-103R skis	Airmodel AM-059, Cutting Edge CEC72003
MC-130E Combat Talon I	Flightpath , DB Productions 2018
MC-130H Combat Talon II	Flightpath, DB Productions 2036
MC-130P	Airmodel AM-059
WC-130H	Airmodel AM-059
YC-130A	Airmodel AM-058

Cast Detail Parts
Allison T-56 engine	Engines & Things 72001
Allison T-56-A-15 engine nacelles	Flightpath 72107, Ron's Resins 6172
C Mk1/3 refuelling probe	Airwaves 72019
Propellers	Aeroclub P067
Wheels w/- flattened bottoms	Paragon Designs 72066

Etched Detail Parts
C-130 interior	Eduard 72243
C-130 exterior	Eduard 72246
C-130 interior & exterior	Flightpath 72101

Paint Masks
C-130	E-Z Masks 89
C-130H	Eduard XS215
C-130J	Eduard XS215
Canopy & wheel hubs	Black Magic CEBM72086


Decals
C-130	walkways	Vince Maddux VM 72-1

Australia
C-130A	A97-212 36 Sqn	Aussie A72022
C-130E	A97-159 37 Sqn 50th Anniv	Airfix 09003, Aussie A72022
C-130E	A97-177 37 Sqn	Aussie A72022
C-130E	A97-205 36 Sqn	Superscale 72508
C-130H	36 Sqn: A97-008, A97-010	Aussie A72023
C-130H	A97-009 36 Sqn trial 'Tea Green' scheme	Hawkeye AAF-46
C-130H	A97-010 36 Sqn low visibility SIOP scheme	Hawkeye AAF-117
C-130J-30	A97-468 37 Sqn low viz grey scheme	Hawkeye AAF-20

Belgium
National Insignia		Daco 7201
C-130H	20 Sqn: all serials & stencilling for SEA scheme	Daco 7226
C-130H	20 Sqn: all serials & stencilling for grey scheme	Daco 7227
C-130H	revised, all serials w/- international stencilling	Daco 7249

Brazil
C-130H	1/1 GT, 1/6 GAv, VIP schemes	FCM 72005
C-130H	1/1GT, SEA camo scheme	FCM 72012

Canada
CC-130	10315 early-era high visibility scheme	Superscale 72509
CC-130	130325 early-era high visibility scheme	Flight Colours 72D01
CC-130H	130330 3-tone low visibility scheme mid-era	Flight Colours 72A10
CC-130H	130331 3-tone low visibility scheme mid-era	Italeri 015
CC-130H	130334, 130335 3-tone low visibility late-era Fed ID scheme	Flight Colours 72A12

France
C-130H	61-PA 5114	Italeri 015

Israel
C-130	Squadron Insignia	Isradecal IAF-6
C-130	4X-FBA/B/T/Q Entebbe raiders, 'Best Team', etc	Skys Decals 72011
C-130	4X-FBB	Superscale 72509

Italy
C-130	national insignia	Tauro 72538
C-130	serials, 46° Aerobrigata	Tauro 72543
C-130	Sqn insignia, 46° Aerobrigata	Tauro 72548
C-130H	MM61990 46-04 46° Stormo	Italeri 015
C-130H	MM6991 46-04 46° Stormo	Italeri 140

Netherlands
C-130H-30	334 Sqn: C-273 or C-275 low visibility scheme	Dutch 72025
C-130H	334 Sqn '55 Jaar'	Dutch 72046

New Zealand
C-130E	NZ7001 40 Sqn Whenuapai full visibility scheme	Airfix 09003, Superscale 72508
C-130H	40 Sqn Whenuapai low visibility scheme: NZ7001, NZ7005	Flying Kiwis KC7206

Sweden
Tp 84	841 F7 Wing Satenäs 1st C-130 in Europe	Airfix 09003
Tp 84	848	Italeri 140
Tp 84	no details available	Flying Colors Aerodecals SR7206

Turkey
C-130	Turkish Stars demo team support a/c	Kedi 72007

UK
C1	XV179	Italeri 140
C1	XV300 Lynham all grey scheme	Airfix 09003
C1	XV215 'The Fat Slags' Operation Granby	Italeri 015
C1	wing walkways & national insignia	Xtradecal X03072
C1	XV292 25th Anniv C-130 service	Xtradecal X02872
C1	XV306 'Snoopy the Baron' Op Granby	Xtradecal X02472
C1P	XV179	Xtradecal X01272
C3P	XV190 'Betty Boob' Operation Granby	Almark S10

USA
NASA
NC-130B	N707NA	DRAW 72-C130-1

USAF
AC-130	54-1628 AFRES	Superscale 72195
AC-130A	64-1623 16 SOS Ubon	Superscale 72475
C-130	96580 MAC	Italeri 140
C-130	Thunderbirds, 36 TAS MAC, 56-0491, 305 ARRS, 920 WGR Weather	Superscale 72194
C-130H	12958 MAC	Italeri 015
C-130H	Battle Grey scheme: 50035 908 AW Maxwell, 42061 817 AW Dyess	Vince Maddux VM72-005
C-130J	175 Wing 135 AG Maryland ANG Battle Grey scheme: 17354, 81355	Vince Maddux VM72-007
LC-130F/H/R	all serials VX-5/VXE-5 109 AW New York ANG Antarctic scheme	Max 7211

US Coast Guard
HC-130	no details available	Hawkeye CGDS-07, Heller 0385, Superscale 72109

US Marines
C-130	790 VR-24, 1 VXE-6, 795 VMGR-252	Superscale 72195
KC-130F	9806 Blue Angels	Italeri 140
KC-130F	Blue Angels	Superscale 72772
KC-130T	low vis grey scheme: VMGR-352, VMGR-452	Vince Maddux VM72-006

72nd scale detail entry
	Lockheed C-130 Hercules 'Herc' 'Herky Bird' 'Fat Albert' & derivatives.
menu aircraft airlifters tankers manufacturers Lockheed links


Kit Review
The Airfix kit, despite its age, has alot going for it. It has the best constant cross section on its fuselage, including the ridge at floor level. The empenage has the gentle taper of the real thing in plan view as it progresses towards the tailplane. Overall the Airfix fuselage is more accurate than the Italeri one, except for the cockpit roof. There are some areas where the tooling has disadvantages: the main wing fillet is not defined enough, nor is the seam where the sponsons join the fuselage underside. This tooling was originally offered as a C-130E, but was retooled to an AC-130 some years later by permanently altering the fuselage sponsons. Consequently, recent releases of the the C-130E/H type under the Airfix brand have been done so using the Italeri tooling. The Italeri kit has better defined wing fillets, underside sponson seams, and front fuselage immediately above the cockpit, but the constant cross section fuselage behind is completely incorrect and lacks the ridge at floor level. The empenage tapers too severely in plan view as it meets the tailplane. The biggest problem of		the Italeri tooling is the engine nacelles. They are the shorter versions associated with the Allison T-56-A-9 or -11 turboprop engines as used on the C-130A. C-130E/H aircraft carry the T-56-A-7 and -15 engine respectively, which requires a longer nacelle, so if you plan to model these variants you will need to obtain the nacelles offered by Flight Path or Ron's Resin. All other parts of the kit appear to be of better accuracy than the Airfix/MPC kit, but this remains to be confirmed. The wing tanks may be of different sizes. The two kits appear to be similar in dimensions making cross-kitting relatively easy. For the most accurate model, we recommend using the Airfix main fuselage, substituting a portion of the front for the section immediately behind the wing trailing edge. Blend this into the rear empenage as per the real thing. Use the Italeri wing roots and nose section with considerable modification. Build up ridge on rear empenage.

Kit Modifications Schematic