Subject: Re: NC/AC 123K
From: "Submissions for ARC" <[email-masked]>
To: "Jan Mulder" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:55:31 -0800

Hi,
I just wanted to let you know your article went on ARC today.  Thanks again for sending it in.

Steve Bamford
Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com

Live like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you've never been hurt.
Work like you don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Jan Mulder 
  To: [email-masked] 
  Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2008 5:26 AM
  Subject: NC/AC 123K

  Gallery Template #01

  NC/AC123K "The Creep" 

  Jan Mulder
  --------------------

        Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 01.jpg here  

  How to make a correct Nam-era NC/AC 123K.

  The kit: Mach 2  C 123, costs appr. ? 45,- ( in NL)

  The Mach kit is the only kit available to build a NC/AC 123K.

  Unfortunately it is not worth the amount of money as

  it lacks lot of details, bad fitting and the construction sheet is very very poor.

  But ok, I sincere wanted to build this impressive 'Creep' and this kit

  provides the NC/AC nose cone and chin sensor.

  Building.

  Starting with the cockpit you have to be sure it will fit in the fuselage halves, so

  prefitting here is essential.

  The windshield/cockpit housing is of thick 'glass', I sanded it and polished it 

  with car cleaner and wax thoroughly to make it thinner but it remains a bad transparently.

  Make 12 square holes for the cluster bombs in the bottom.

  The body halves don't fit at all. I made reinforcements with plasticard inside

  the halves to force a better fit. And needed half a tube of Tamiya putty to

  make it optical smooth. 

  After the two body halves are together you have to position the windshield/cockpit housing.

  You will discover that the windshield touches the dashboard, so start sanding

  until there is enough space for a free fit. I drilled the two side windows out

  of the windshield/cockpit housing as seen on pictures when the plane is static.

  Prefit and sanding the cockpit housing until the attachment with the body and nose is smooth.

  Now you can glue it to the body and using putty for a smooth attachement to the body

  The landing gear is another problem.

  As the AC 123 has a deep sit, be sure to lower it's position. Appr. 7 mm between body and ground level. Don't use the pre fits of the kit, make your own fitting for the main and nose landing gear. I reinforced the attachments of the landing gears as you can't see them anyway.

  Also made my own main landing gear doors of plastic card as the originals look like armor plates.

  The hydraulic struts I made of stretched spreu.

  There is no info about the antenna wire, (for a correct positioning see my photo's)

  Painting

  As recourse I had the Sq/Si book C 123 in action, a helpful medium but tough I missed essential info and the site of ARC with the walk around pics of the C 123. 

  Only exact painting of the fuselage is unknown, couldn't find any pics so I speculated it with a grey sceme.

  For the color scheme I used Humbroll colors:

  Matt Medium Green 117 FS34102

  Matt Tan 119 FS30219

  Matt Grey 144 FS35164

  Matt Black 33 FS37038

  After I finished the airbrushing I spayed two layers of 'Pledge coating for wooden floors'

  aka in the US as "Future".

  After two days drying I washed the a/c with black and dark brown heavily diluted enamel paint.

  After drying I airbrushed the a/c with transparent matt.

   I weathered with black, brown, grey and white pastel.

  I repeated the sessions above for some areas several times to achieve the correct result.

  Aircraft in SEA were suffering from the temperature(40C)and humidity(80%) !

  So even after short duty the planes looked weathered; dark colors became lighter. (see my photo's) especial the horizontal and engine area parts.

  Decals

  The decal sheet is poor but acceptable, you only can't use the roundels: far to large. Check your spare box for smaller ones from a F-5 or F-104. ( remark: Seen pictures of these a/c without star roundels so it is not a must)

  Resume

  This kit is defenitely not for starters. You will need modelling experience and patience to make

  this kit in a realistic NC/AC 123K.It needs a lot of prefitting, sanding and putty.

  Due to the complex camouflage scheme you have to have the skill to achieve this

  special 'creepy' scheme. I did it free hand and it costs a lot of concentrating and corrections ofcourse.

  After all I was satisfied with my creation as it is such a beautiful impressive aircraft.

   

  Photos and text © by "your name goes here"

  Photos and text © by "your name goes here"