SketchUp 3D Model - C-130 with ducted fans - Why Not?

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Another one of those things that I thought was a great idea.  Ducted fans replacing the propellers on the C-130.  The 3D model was created with a 3D modeling program called SketchUp. 

Oblique view:   


Plan view:   


Click on images or this link to view additional images of this subject in my FaceBook album SketchUp - Aircraft. 

[Brian da Basher]

Nice one, Mr Fontaine! As you may know, my office is out near the airport where there's some C-130s based. Now I'll have some added entertainment when they take off & land as I imagine them with big horkin' ducted fans!

Well done!

Brian da Basher

[GTX_Admin]

Me likey :yarr:

[Jeffry Fontaine]

If I could find a quartet of fanjet shrouds/cowling in the right size...  This is certainly one project I would like to see done in plastic.

[GTX_Admin]

If I could find a quartet of fanjet shrouds/cowling in the right size...  This is certainly one project I would like to see done in plastic.

What about using something like S-3 or A-10 engines and scale-o-raming?

Regards,

Greg

[Tophe]

Great idea, thanks, yes wonderful! :slow:

[Jeffry Fontaine]

If I could find a quartet of fanjet shrouds/cowling in the right size...  This is certainly one project I would like to see done in plastic.

What about using something like S-3 or A-10 engines and scale-o-raming?

Regards,

Greg

That would be nice if the items were large enough.  For smaller scales the possibility of kit bashing to create something in 72nd or 144th scale is certainly possible.  Anything larger such as 48th scale is going to be a challenge.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Some additional screen shots of the Ducted Fan Hercules:

[Brian da Basher]

The more I look at your designs for this Mr Fontaine, the more I think those Dreamliner engines would work for 1/144 scale.

Now finding a reasonably priced C-130 and two more Dreamliner engines would be the real challenge.

Brian da Basher

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Would be nice to find extra parts without the requirement of purchasing the complete kit. 

[GTX_Admin]

I wonder if with engines that big you could get by with just two of them?

[Jeffry Fontaine]

I wonder if with engines that big you could get by with just two of them?

The engines would remain the same, the only difference is that instead of a standard propeller you have a ducted fan with multiple blades.  When I added the fan units to the model I mated them to the existing engine nacelles at the point where the propeller was mounted.  Now adding more powerful engines such as what you find on the A-400M might make it possible to reduce the number of units from four to two and that would certainly be positive. 

An interesting concept for a twin engine Hercules powered by two of the A-400M with those huge propellers would be a real neat model.  Maybe that will be possible when Revell releases the A-400M kit :^)

[Tophe]

Funny: it is like the very old Hercules family is born again!

[taiidantomcat]

I really like the new views 

[GTX_Admin]

An interesting concept for a twin engine Hercules powered by two of the A-400M with those huge propellers would be a real neat model.  Maybe that will be possible when Revell releases the A-400M kit :^)

I have thought the exact same thing - I guess great minds think alike...or fools never differ...

A quick check of the power offerings of the engines:

C-130H:
4 x Allison T56-A-15 turboprops, 4,300 bhp (3,210 kW) each = total of 6240 kW per wing;

C-130J
4× Rolls-Royce AE 2100D3 turboprops, 4,637 shp (3,458 kW) each = 6916 kW per wing;

Speculative C-130TP400 twin:
2 x EuroProp International TP400-D6 turboprop, 8,250 kW (11,000 hp) each = 8250 kW per wing!

[Bladerunner]

Hi,

This is such a cool idea! It will most certainly keep the runway clean with all that thrust.
This might sound silly, but go to a toy store, as they sometimes have oddly sized and shaped toy planes with acceptable detail. You might just find one with a huge set of engines?

Cheers
John

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Hi,

This is such a cool idea! It will most certainly keep the runway clean with all that thrust.
This might sound silly, but go to a toy store, as they sometimes have oddly sized and shaped toy planes with acceptable detail. You might just find one with a huge set of engines?

Glad you like.  The whole idea behind doing these things as 3D models before cutting up kits is to save on cost and to share the concept with others.  While SketchUp is not the easiest program to learn there are some contributors on the 3D Warehouse that make me look like a rank amateur when you see their work.  My own contributions to SketchUp can be viewed at this link to My Models.  As I stated in the original post, all of the work seen in this topic was created by combining 3D models from other contributors which makes it much easier than having to create a model from a blank page. 

[Empty Handed]

I think the significant increase in wetted area would make cruising speed a tad on the slow side but it would take off from a dime! Your visualisations are just excellent!

[elmayerle]

What's interesting is that Lockheed showed a vstol C-130 concept at the 1972 Turin Airshow with four Pegasus engines; not quite ducted fans, but...

[Jeffry Fontaine]

What's interesting is that Lockheed showed a vstol C-130 concept at the 1972 Turin Airshow with four Pegasus engines; not quite ducted fans, but...

I think the significant increase in wetted area would make cruising speed a tad on the slow side but it would take off from a dime! Your visualisations are just excellent!

At the insistence of Brian Perri I am going to explore the Ducted Fan option in 1/144th scale using the engines from a Boeing 787 Dreamliner and a 1/144th scale C-130.  Finding suitable fan jet engines in larger scale is a bit of a challenge so in this case, smaller is better.  The Dreamliner engines appear to be large enough in diameter to provide the ducted fan portion in a size that I find desirable.  I will take the fan portion and affix to the existing turbine engine nacelles already molded to the wings.  This should keep the thrust line in the same general area as the propellers and provide an interesting diversion from the normal Hercules.  Some might say that it would be better to use the entire fan jet unit but that would require some major surgery on the kit and I wish to keep this as simple as possible. 

I did pretty much the same thing with the 3D model that was captured in the screen shots.  I used the forward portion of the fan jet and mated it to the existing engines, replacing the propeller and spinner with the entire forward section of the fan jet unit. 

[elmayerle]

Sounds like a convergence between advanced turboprop engines (like on the A400M or AN-70) and P&W's geared fan technology.

[Tophe]

If our dear engineer Elmayerle says so, this is very serious yes, congratulations!

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Fixed link for images and html.