Beechcraft UC/TC-12B Huron by A&A Models
1/72 scale
Kit No. 7240
Retail: $40.00
Decals: Two versions by Decograph – U.S. Marines, and U.S. Navy
Comments: Engraved panel lines, highly detailed cockpit, full cabin interior, paint masks and PE details
History
The Beechcraft C-12 Huron is the military designation for a series of twin-engine turboprop aircraft based on the Beechcraft Super King Air and Beechcraft 1900. It is part of the company’s King Air family of mid-sized turboprop powered civil aircraft. C-12 variants have been used by the United States Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps. The King Air was introduced by Beechcraft in 1964 with the slightly redesigned Model 200 Super King Air going on sale in 1974. The King Air is one of the most successful aircraft in its class and has remained in production continuously since its introduction in 1964.
The first C-12s entered service with the U.S. Army in 1974 as general purpose cargo and personnel transports. The Navy and Marines placed orders in 1979. Since then many versions of the C-12 have been produced for various duties, including embassy support, medical evacuation, as well as passenger and light cargo transport. Some aircraft are modified with surveillance systems for various missions, including the Beechcraft RC-12 Guardrail, a specially equipped variant used for airborne signals intelligence collection. Other variants have military intelligence and eletronic warfare applications.
The TC-12B Huron, a twin-engine, pressurized version of the Beechcraft Super King Air 200, was used primarily for training pilots to fly multi-engine aircraft. Twenty-five served in the US Navy with Training Squadron 35 (VT-35), the US Navy’s only TC-12B Huron squadron based at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, home of the Training Air Wing 4 (TAW-4). The US Navy retired these aircraft on May 16, 2017 and replaced them with the T-44 Pegasus for multi-engine training.
The Kit
A & A’s Beechcraft TC-12 comes in a top-opening box and is injection molded in grey plastic. The kit is presented on eight sprues and consists of 203 parts, including 27 clear parts for the windscreen, navigation lights and various cabin windows. The airframe bears engraved panel lines that are well-defined but a bit heavy, and somewhat rough in places, but this can be cured with light sanding. The parts are otherwise crisply molded with minimal flash.
The cockpit is nicely detailed with the pilot and co-pilot’s seats each consisting of five parts, plus two more for the photo etched seat straps. There is a main instrument panel (with a decal provided for instrumentation), a central console between the seats, individually mounted rudder pedals as well as dual bomber-style control wheels. There is no raised sidewall relief, but the cockpit floor by side and rear bulkhead featuring engraved detail.
The kit provides two three-bladed propellers with separately mounted spinners. The engine nacelle assemblies appear to be straightforward, consisting of five parts each, with separate parts for dual engine exhausts and an intake lip below each airscrew. Parts are also provided for an internal cabin with bench seating. The landing gear are fairly well detailed with separately mounted PE details and clear plastic landing lights.
The windscreen is a clear plastic part that also forms the cockpit roof, so putty and a measure of seam hiding skills will be required. Small bits are provided in the form of PE windshield wipers, blade antennae, wing tip parts and PE details for the wings. An interesting feature is the option to depict the rather large main cabin door open or closed. While there is a paint guide provided for the cockpit, none is provided for the cabin just aft of it, but since the cockpit is to be painted Light Grey, one can assume this applies to the cabin as well. The paint guide calls out Mr. Color and AK Interactive paint numbers only.
Markings
The decals are high quality markings by Decograph, printed in the Ukraine. They feature realistic color and are fully in register. Markings are provided for two versions. The first is a U.S. Navy TC-12B of VT-35 “Stingrays” circa 2008. It is painted in a scheme of white with orange flashes on the nose, wings and tail section. The second if for a UC-12B of the U.S. Marine Corps, circa 1984, and is painted in a scheme of overall white with thin orange and gold stripes running the length of the fuselage sides. Externally these aircraft look identical but for their paint schemes.
Conclusion
With a bit of work this kit should built into a smart example of this Navy/Marine transport aircraft. Careful masking will be required to duplicate the orange-and-white paint scheme shown on the box art, since no decals are provided for the extensive orange flashes of the U.S. Navy version. Highly recommended.
References
- https://www.navy.mil
- https://pimaair.org
- wikipedia.org
