Warbird Information Exchange

Presenting...This is a AMT/Ertl 1/72 KC-135A Stratotanker. I started this one in March (actually I glued a few pieces together a couple years back, hehe). This is a "second chance" build of one I did years ago, that fell into disrepair.

Now to the kit...This probably has the most putty in it of any kit I've ever built (except for the last KC-135 which actually had Bondo in it..yes that Bondo ).
This bird was WaRpEd every which way except straight. Assembly went well except for the warping, filling, and sanding. Attaching the fuselage halves was a real chore.

Paint went well, and the decals are OK. Considering how much this one fought me I am happy with how it turned out...Now on to the pictures! (Note I see their was a nice smudge on the camera lense, didnt see it till I uploaded the pics, sorry.)

Comments are encougared, hehe.

















In the last pic I included an F-8 Crusader I built many years ago. (painted by brush, thats how long ago, hehe) I figured it would add a bit to show the size of the -135.

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Very nice painting on that bird!

-Len
www.p51mustangmodels.com

with the price of av gas today you could fill that kc with about 10 bucks worth!! better call the pentagon & relieve us over burdened taxpayers in aerial refueling!! ..... nice work too!!

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

Nice job on a tough build ... Have a few that I have started and need to be in the mood to work the problems it has.

Only comment I have is they tip of the tail should have the other style antenna with the refuling area light on the rear ...

http://www.marchfield.org/kc135tail.jpg

RJ

Good job on a not very commonly modeled subject!

Either that or keep the tail as is and go with an early SAC bare-metal with Day-Glo orange bands scheme! Nice work either way!

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I never said the jokes were Good, they're just Free! You gets whatchyas pays for!

Thanks again for looking everyone. This flying gas station is now hanging from my ceiling "refueling" by AMT/Ertl 1/72 B-52.

f4phan, good eye with the tail probe. I never noticed! The kit is straight out of the box anyway, so thats the way I built it.

Don Martin, I wouldve loved to do the SAC bare metal, but their is way to much putty in there! I actually chose to do the grey scheme early on, just a personal choice, but I agree the natural metal finish looks nice too.

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You did a fine job just as it is! As I always say about my own models, if they look good 5 feet, they are perfect!
Don

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I never said the jokes were Good, they're just Free! You gets whatchyas pays for!

Looks good Dan!
And here I thought you only do WWII stuff!

George

Thanks George.

I do prefer birds with propellers on the front, just think of this one as having many tiny propellers all lined up with each other...

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Nice work! Always been fond of the 135...

Have you seen this 1/48 KC-135 kit a friend recently acquired?



Ever a sucker for a challenge he currently has a 1/48 vacform B-47 underway, and would be please to acquire a B-52. Oh, and he has a C-124 as well... I'd never get started on that lot, let alone finish...

I love big models! I have heard of the Vac. B-52, and 47. I didnt know a 135 was out.

I've built a 1/72 B-52, 1/48 B-29 and have a 1/72 B-36 and a 1/48 C-130 in my stash...

I prefer to stick to injection kits, Vac is a real art form that I dont think I would have the patience for I'd love to see any pictures of the 1/48 Birds your friend has built. That Shackelton looks nice.

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I think the 135 is quite an old kit - he got it from a US seller on ebay. He's also got a resin C-123, but it's a very poor casting - he suspects it was made using a vacform kit as a mould!

I'll get some links off him later, he posts on the ARC site. He's a whiz at churning them out!

He's showing me the vacform ropes with a 1/48 Aeroclub Gipsy Moth - not as hard as I'd feared, but even so! I have few other vacforms in the stash, but the biggest is an Anson XIX. I prefer injection as well (the B-29 is also in the stash!), also have a few resin kits.

Cheers,

Treadders

What companies sell the large scale vacuform kits of the B-47, B-52, & 135?

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A-7D, the Short Little Ugly "Flyer" and A-10A Warthog, weren't called an ATTACK plane for nothing. Remember for a little relief on the ground, call your local Air Force to "Go Ugly Early"!

great job seeing it through.
And an under-appreciated bird for sure.