Let's see em! Please use a third party image hoster such as photobucket.com or postimage.org and copy the link to the screenshot here between image tags.
Actually it is the USAF model in his images wearing his Turkish textures. The give away is the white dome shaped GPS antenna on the top of the fuselage of the KC-135R.
There are also 4 small, white round antennas on the bottom of the fuselage on the USAF models. Those are also GPS related. Those have been removed as well for the Turkish models.
Only a modeler who has spent more than 2 years developing the C-135 series would possibly even notice this!
Now if we ask Mark really, really nicely, he might do the Singapore textures for us as well which would complete the KC-135R's that are currently in service.
The current Block 40 standard (the one with all the white antennas) would work for the Turkish -135s as would a model of the older Block 30 aircraft (does not have the white antennas). There is a picture on Airliners.net of one that has been upgraded, not sure about the rest or the Singapore jets.
So simplistically, the ones with the aerials are block 40 and the ones without are block 30. All the current USAF are block 40, The Turkish ones are mainly block 30. Presumably older USAF ones were block 30 as well.
Is all this correct?
Steve _______________________________________________________ Quid Si Coelum Ruat _______________________________________________________
Yes that is correct. To my knowledge the entire USAF fleet is now up to the block 40 standard which is what we modeled for the US versions.
In related news they're already testing the block 45 upgrade on a couple based at McConnell. Improved glass cockpits coming to the fleet!
Look at the lumps on the new Speckled Trout to see what they're thinking for future block upgrades. That aircraft is sporting LAIRCM upgrades as well as a new dome antenna on the top and a sensor on the front under the nose which might be some sort of EVS system for low vis landings.
MIKE JG wrote:Yes that is correct. To my knowledge the entire USAF fleet is now up to the block 40 standard which is what we modeled for the US versions.
In related news they're already testing the block 45 upgrade on a couple based at McConnell. Improved glass cockpits coming to the fleet!
Look at the lumps on the new Speckled Trout to see what they're thinking for future block upgrades. That aircraft is sporting LAIRCM upgrades as well as a new dome antenna on the top and a sensor on the front under the nose which might be some sort of EVS system for low vis landings.
You are correct. When I first started working at KSKF there were a whole bunch of KC-135R going through the Block 40 productions line. Now, there are only a couple of KC-135s down on the Boeing ramp and they are there for other reasons
Scott "Jetmax" Jones
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OK that is good to know. I am wondering the best way to organize my collection, as I combine folders of the same type. I guess I will use the names KC-135R Block30 and KC-135R Block 40 so that if retro packages are done then I can get the correct model.
Steve _______________________________________________________ Quid Si Coelum Ruat _______________________________________________________
Speaking of a retro KC-135R/T, not sure how many would notice, but the antenna that pokes out from near the left overwing hatch would need to be removed to represent the pre-Block 30 aircraft.