Caracal Models 1/72 USAF C-130 Hercules Decal First Look
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | June 2021 | Manufacturer | Caracal Models |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | USAF C-130 Hercules | Scale | 1/72 |
| Set Number | 72117 | Pros | Seven colorful subjects |
| Cons | See text | Skill Level | Novice |
| MSRP (USD) | $15.99 |
First Look
Here is the latest from Caracal, this set is just in time for the Zvezda kit and will work with the Italeri kit as well with the appropriate mods/updates. This set provides markings for 14 distinctive C-130B/C-130E (and derivative) subjects.
The aircraft presented in this set include:
- C-130E, 62-1838, 1501 ATW/MATS, 1964
- C-130E, 63-7834, 438 MAW/MAC, 1965
- C-130E, 63-7841, 314 TAW/MAC, 1978
- C-130E, 70-1270, 317 TAW/MAC, 1979
- WC-130E, 64-0553, 53 WRS, 1978
- C-130E, 64-18240, 435 TAW/MAC, 1982, desert camo
- HC-130N, 59-5827, 67 ARRS/MAC, 1979
- JC-130B, 58-0750, 6594 Test Group, Corona satellite catcher
- C-130E, 70-1275, 317 TAW/TAC, 1974
- C-130E, 63-7861, 316 TAW/TAC, 1973
- C-130E, 64-0539, 23 Wing/ACC, 1994
- LC-130D, 57-0493, NY ANG, 1979
- C-130E, 64-18240, 435 TAW/MAC, 1991 (ODS), 'Payback Time'
- C-130E, 63-7776, 314 TAW/MAC, 1991 (ODS), 'Arkansas Dreaming'
This set provides a nice cross-section of schemes worn by the C-130 between the early 1960s into the early 1990s including the overall light gray, light gray with fluorescent red, southeast Asia, desert, Europe One, and AMC gray. The desert scheme caught my eye as this is a distinctive camouflage from the days of the Iranian hostage crisis and while I don't have photos of 8240, I do have the same scheme on 7681 during one of its visits to Tempelhof airbase. We referred to the desert scheme as the 'Ayotollah'.
For more information about this set and the other releases from Caracal Models, visit their website at http://caracalmodels.com.
My sincere thanks to Caracal Models for this review sample!