My (interpretation of a) Uh-1C Huey *Updated 6/29/08*

Nice job, Altered_Sight!

     "Dawn the shades and turn the blades"

     Take care,

     Frank

Melgyver wrote:

Good job on your "interpretation" of a UH-1C!  You put a lot of effort into it.  The only thing really obvious to Huey "fanatics" is the lack of the main control tubes from the scissors up to the mixing levers of the stab bar.  MRC forgot to put that in the instructions and are parts 44 if I remember right.  A lot of people have made that little error so don't sweat it.  It don't mean nothin!  Thanks for sharing and taking your "lumps"!

Thanks for the criticism, I'll remember that the for the next go around with the Academy kit.  I appreciate the compliment. ^_^ 

scorpr2 wrote:

I think she looks really good!!!  What kit is that?  Looks to me like you've been modeling for a while.  Great job!

Thanks for the compliment.  The kit is Academy's 1/35 Uh-1C Huey Hog Head. 

Considering your statement at the beginning that you weren't trying for realism but your interpretation, I'd say you did a great job and it actually looks more realistic that a lot of Huey models I have seen!  Great stuff. Thanks for posting.

    Ray
 

Finally finished!  This is the first kit I used dot filters and I'm very happy with the results.  They're my new favorite bit of weathering.  The kit is not perfect, far from it, but I'm still happy overall.

I didn't get as far as I would have liked this weekend due to a few set backs.  Stupidly, I did not test fit the transmission after I detailed it and, come to find out, it interfered with the engine bay joining the back of the cabin.  So I had to chop off all the detail on that one side; luckily since the transmission rests agains the back of the cabin there was no touch-up required.  What was required though was painting the rear of the cabin zinc chromate yellow.  I just completely overlooked this detail.  Also overlooked was the fact that the interior of the fuselage halves needed to be painted and weathered.

After it was all said and done I got the engine bay completed to the point of final weathering as is the cabin.

You know, I hadn't thought about it, but now that you mention it, that might not be a bad idea.

Cosmic J wrote:

If you like sci-fi and helicopters (like I do) there's this: http://www.hlj.com/product/KBYKP-46 I just got one myself, and it's the next thing I'm breaking open.

Very, very cool.  I preordered one, though I haven't had a chance to tear into it yet.  (In fact it nearly arrived destroyed; moral of the story, don't do SAL shipping.  It's not worth the risk.)  Just from looking it over and judging from the pics on HLJ's website the kit looks like it is superbly detailed and well constructed.  I look forward to hearing about your experience with it.  A WIP maybe... ^_^ 

If you like sci-fi and helicopters (like I do) there's this:

http://www.hlj.com/product/KBYKP-46

I just got one myself, and it's the next thing I'm breaking open.

Cosmic J wrote:

Very cool. If this is your first posting here, I look forward to many more! I didn't know about the rust either (I'm a sci-fi guy too) and I was all stoked about it. Innacurate or not, it sure looks good. Engine looks good too. What paints did you use to paint it?

Thanks.  I'm used to doing what I think "looks good" since realism and accuracy aren't something that you find in large supplies within the Sci-fi genre, it's more creative tweaking, so to speak.

I used Alclad steel over a gloss black base coat and then Alclad jet exhaust was used to do a little shading and simulate the burnt material build up on the exhaust port.  The details where painted with Tamiya Copper (acrylic), Testor Flat Red (enamel), and a custom mixed "scale" black (really dark gray), which was also enamel.  Every thing was given a coat of Future's to protect the acrylic and, after the initial weathering, it will get a coat of dulcote.

Very cool. If this is your first posting here, I look forward to many more!

I didn't know about the rust either (I'm a sci-fi guy too) and I was all stoked about it. Innacurate or not, it sure looks good.

Engine looks good too. What paints did you use to paint it?

I like what you have done with the engine.  There are so many little tubes and wires running around a turbine engine that you could go blind trying to get it "right".  You have added enough to suggest what is there and keep the engine from looking like a toy.  I look foreward to seeing more progress.

Thanks for taking the time to comment on my work. 

Check on the rust, I should have done at least enough research to ascertain the materials of which components are made.  It's a lesson for next build.  I appreciate the tips on cockpit materials and color.  I'll most likely paint the boots and tubular handles, but I'm not sure if the armor plates can be repositioned without causing much trouble.

Thanks again!

It is coming along well.  It doesn't look sci-fi at all.  Your coloring in a few areas my be a little off, but it still looks like a Huey.  There is no hard and fast rules for Hueys, just about anything was seen. 

The only tip I will give is to go really easy on the rust.  Helicopters are 95% aluminum and don't really rust.  When paint is rubbed through or chipped away, you only get shiny, bare aluminum. 

The engine and tranny look good, hoses and linkages add to it, most people don't know exactly how they look anyways.  The yellow (green) zinc-chromate is more accurate than interior green as well.   

If you want to dress up the cockpit some more, the boots at the bottom of the cyclic and collective controls (where they meet the floor) were rubber dust boots.  They were usually either flat black or a darker shade of grey.  Also, the tubular handles on the collectives (left sides of the seats) were either black rubber or natural cork.  The details would add more color and life to the cockpit. 

Lastly, I know you don't want to hear about accuracy, but it is an easy fix and will get in the way if you plan on putting the pilots in.  The armor plates for the pilots' seats are installed too low.  They should attach to the upper back shield all the way in line with the tops of the shield.  They protect the upper torso of the pilots.  Where they are now will not allow the pilots to reach the collective sticks to the left of the seats.

Good job so far.