Attack Squadron 1/48 C-130J Sponsons First Look

By Michael Benolkin

First Look

Attack Squadron from Poland produces some impressive resin kits, details, and conversions. Last year I found their engine nacelle set for the Italeri 1/48 C-130J which we examined and not surprisingly, the casting and details were impressive. More recently, I found the engine nacelle set for the Italeri 1/48 C-130H which provided an excellent correction for the short-nacelled kit engines. One other problem with the kit is with the wheel well sponson which was designed for the C-130A-E using the GTC power unit. The C-130H and J have an auxiliary power unit (APU) it place of the GTC and the portside sponson is noticably different in detail. Of course, so is the starboard side...

Here is set 48039 which provides replacement forward sponson parts for the C-130J kit but these well also be useful for the later C-130H models as well. The set is cast in gray resin and proved as two parts to replace the port and starboard side sponsons. The portside sponson is a separate part in the kit and the resin part will be a drop-in replacement. The kit's starboard sponson is molded as part of the fuselage half and has the NACA-type intake used up through the early C-130H models. The later H-models (check your references) moved the intake up to the front of the sponson and has a downward facing exhaust duct.

This set will correct the sponsons in the Italeri 1/48 C-130J kit as well as correct the APU fit of the Italeri/Testors C-130H and provide the updated starboard side sponson for the later-block C-130H models as well.

It is finally nice to have some of the essential details corrected on these kits, now if only we could have a set of lumps and bumps for the defensive systems.

This set is available from HobbyZone USA (look here).