LIMITED EDITION
The Directord Cut
A detailed DIE-CAST model for the adult collector
One of the first seven AC-130A aircraft deployed to Vietnam was AF Serial No. 53-3129, named First Lady in November 1970. In addition to being the first AC-130, this aircraft was a conversion of the first production C-130. On 25 March 1971, it took an anti-aircraft artillery hit in the nose over the Ho Chi Minh trail in Laos. The 37 mm shell destroyed everything below the crew deck. In 1975, after the conclusion of US involvement in the Vietnam war, it was transferred to the Air Force Reserve, where it served with the 711th Special Operations Squadron of the 919th Special Operations Wing. In 1980 the aircraft was upgraded from the original three-bladed propellers to the quieter four-bladed propellers and was eventually retired in late 1995. The retirement also marked an end to the Air Force Reserve Command flying the AC-130A. The aircraft now sits on display in the final Air Force Reserve Command configuration with grey paint, black markings and four-bladed Hamilton Sunstrand 54H60-91 props at the Air Force Armament Museum at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida USA.
Designed to function as a troop, medical evacuation and cargo transport aircraft, the C-130 Hercules was first flown on August 23rd, 1954. Built by Lockheed and capable of over 40,000 lbs of payload, this four-engine turboprop aircraft is quite possibly the most versatile tactical transport in existence. Its modern roles include airlift and airdrop, electronic surveillance, search and rescue, space-capsule recovery, helicopter refueling and aerial attack. Capable of takeoffs and landings from unprepared runways, the C-130 has even landed and taken off from a carrier deck without benefit of arresting gear or catapults.
Corgi's 1:144 scale C-130 is constructed almost entirely of diecast metal with only the smallest amount of plastic used. The model's wide fuselage and carefully rendered nose section is solid, and pad-printed windows and doors provide a seamless touch that does not interrupt the lines of the aircraft. The solid metal wing features external fuel tanks and thinly stamped metal propellers. This series includes many versions, from gunship to search and rescue, scientific research support and aerial refueling to maritime patrol. The series includes almost all variants, from the early three-bladed propeller "A" to the current "J" variant with upgraded engines and six-bladed propellers.
Eén uitvoering mogelijk;
- USAF - AC-130 "First Lady".
