Aces of Spades - 1/35 Academy UH-1C [Build Thread]

I just thought I would post a picture of a little "1 to 1" replica nose and side panel art of the 174th AHC since I've done the "Ace of Spades". 

Ah those parts, yes I see what you mean now, they were moulded onto the mast on the 1/48 ESCI UH-1D.  Guess I'll be needing some tweezers.  I wish there was some way to make poly cement set quicker, like a version of a CA accelerator.

I certainly wouldn't miss those parts off though, the rotor assembly just wouldn't look right, especially as I know they should be there having assembled a UH-1D.

Thanks for the pic Gino, I'm not that photo shop savy!  You can see the counter weigths for the droop stops hanging down and the assy around the mast pretty good in that photo too.  Also the extra spacer and higher boot on top of the mixing levers that covers the extra splined area and well as the rear link.

This should explain it better.

a push pull tube is a tube with a clevis on one end,  and a threaded rod end on the other.  it connects a  component  like the tail rotor input quill to the original or intermittent input under pressure.  it allows feedback to the person inputting the command.(pilot/stick actuator)

The push pull tubes will look like plastic tooth pics and may be part number 44.  It's funny they are shown in the box art and not in the instructions.  I've seen many kits made without them.  Having worked and flown as Crew Chief on Hueys for 10 years I know them inside and out.  However as a modeler I always research my subjects as much as possilbe to catch such mistakes by the manufacturer of the model kit.  Just my "thing" I guess!  I had started on the Charlie and found the crew compartment bulk head needed some sanding on one side for a good fit and you will find you need to shim the door posts behind the pilots seats so the inside roof doesn't hang down.

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Thanks Mel, if I knew what the push pull tubes were I would.  Lol.  I'll check the sprues when I assemble the rotors, they'll be one of the last sections I build.

Anyhoo I had a further go at getting the fuselage halves fixed up so they hold together this morning, I would have done some more, i.e. some of the interior also, but light is fading here in my part of the UK due to some rather ominous looking clouds overhead, and it's only just gone 13:00!

Pics -

Forgot to take a pic of the other side where I've put the engine cover door on, nice idea to have it open but I've chosen to have it shut and glued it in place.  I thought about fixing it on using magnets so that I could have it open or closed, but I think it'd be too difficult to fit the magnets in place, if they'd even fit when the interior/engine is in place.

Did a dry fit with the interior roof/floor/back wall and it will fit without causing more of a gap, unlike the ESCI UH-1D interior, but I'll have to remove the magnets that hold the front of the roof in place and I'll have to use the interior roof piece (the ceiling I suppose you'd call it) instead of the plasticard strip I put in to get some sort of level roof.   The roof on the left half of the fuselage does seem quite warped in my version of this kit, without the 2 magnets in place to hold it the left side is slightly raised up at the front and the intake doesn't meet the same part on the other half of the fuselage, the two halves of the roof only seem to meet properly in the centre!

Not happy with the stabs, they were a tight fit and don't seem to have gone on level.

I wasn't too happy with the tail fin assembly either, it doesn't seem to quite fit properly (I taped it up to dry fit it as one piece and there was still the slight ridge on one side where it joins with the tail boom).  Not sure about sanding that down though, I'll lose detail if I do.  I will also hopefully be able to close the gap at the back of the tail fin by adding a 2mmx1mm magnet towards the back end of the tail fin. 

Yes there's a gap down the middle of the fuselage, but I have an idea I think I might try - build up some Mr Surfacer on the edge of 1 of the fuselage halves, then sand it down on the outside where necessary so the gap is lessened, I haven't painted the fuselage halves yet so I won't be ruining the paint work.  Don't know if Mr Surfacer will adhere to just one edge though.  Have to see how that goes...

The currency you see in the pics is just 6 British pennies to weigh the model down on it's skids, otherwise it tips up, I'll have to glue them to the underside of the interior floor when I've got it built.

Overall though this is going quite well so far, despite the poor fit around the roof and the intake area and the stabs going on a bit skewed.

No Sweat!  Do install the main push pull tubes provided but not mentioned in the instructions.  Have fun!

Thanks Mel.  Useful info but I shall probably build the rotor mast assembly as it it, my scratch building skills are limited to blobs of green stuff and strips of plasticard, especially when it comes to working with such thin parts.

The instructions fail to tell you to use the two main push pull tubes that connect the scissors assy above the rotating ring to the mixing levers inside the stabalizer bar assy.  Also the cups on the blade grips are reversed so you need to cut them off and reposition them facing up then scratch build a main pitch change link from the cup to the inside of the mixing levers.  I attempted to post a couple pictures but haven't used photobucket since the upgrade and don't know if they will show up.  Looks like it worked!   You can click on the picture and look through my pic's of a UH-1M, same as the C except a -13 engine.  Notice the difference in the swashplate ears from the B/D and the C where the main servo tubes attach on the forward side.  The aft attachment is a drive link type instead of the push pull tube.  Also the drive link attachment to the rotating ring is different.  All of this is due to the increase in torque placed on the rotor system from added horsepower and weight increase of the C/M.  Also missing on the mast below the rotor head is the blade drop stop levers assy.  This kept the main blade from dipping too low on start up and shut downs.  All small stuff but not historically correct for the C/M!   Best of luck with your build.  When I retire next year I will put a model where my words are now!  You can also check out www.174ahc.org for great pic's of the Sharks, Dolphins and Witch Doctors.

No, no big secret, I just don't want to say exactly what it is until I know for sure it works, and no it's not lights or motor/gearbox just to spin the rotors, something similar though.

I got it, you are adding a motor and gearbox to spin the rotors, internal lights, etc., no big secret.  I still think they would look better properly sealed up, just my opinion.

sorry double post

You'll see in a few months the main reason why I'm building my kits so the fuselage halves come apart.  Besides the main reason one other reason is storage, I can put them in a box easier if they come apart.

Lets just say that I'm doing something rather unorthodox so that my models aren't just items that sit on a shelf or hang from the ceiling but I'm hesitant to be specific just in case it doesn't work.

I do agree though HeavyArty, they do leave a seam which compared to the way everyone else builds models and the real thing is rather unfortunate, but it's a trade off (and I've never been much good at removing seams even when I've joined bits together).

Basically I'm putting some parts inside the models that I need to be able to remove as I'll only have one set of them because that's all I can afford for the moment, the sum total of the parts is in the region of £120/$184ish, and also I need to be able to remove the parts for maintenance if/when necessary.

Having said that I'm actually toying with the idea of sealing up the Esci UH-1D I did, as the gap is too large, and just using it as a static model.  I would then redo the decals on the nose of course.  I should have checked the fit with the interior inside (because I'm sure it's that which causes the seam gap to be bigger than it should) before I painted the model, then I could have done something about it.

I have a Bell 47 USCG (nearly completed although I've lost the enthusiasm for building it, hence the reason I've not posted any progress pics - it took "5 minutes" to build so there really wasn't any point in detailing my progress), this 1/35 UH-1C and the HH-3E, that I can put the parts into so sealing up the UH-1D and using it as a more traditional static model won't be any loss.

I still don't get the point of having them come apart with the magnets.  The lines they leave are disruptive and leave unrealistic joints and seams.  I would just build multiple versions if you want different types or weapons or whatever you are trying to achieve with them.

Some plasticard, 4 magnets, and copious amounts of Tamiya tape later - I used some on a 2nd dry fit as well as what you can see in the pic below...

Here you can see the strip of plasitcard I attached to the right side half of the fuselage to hold the roof up on the left side of the fuselage, because it's misaligned, had to double up the 10though plasticard though, didn't realise how flimsy it is.  You can also see the 2 magnets and green stuff to hold them in place that I've put at the front of the roof also -

Magnets in the nose -

Need to put more magnets in, along the main body in a couple of places, along the tail boom also, but hopefully when it's done the fuselage halves will hold together without a significant gap, unlike the 1/48 UH-1D I did...

Have to let the green stuff around the 4 magnets I've put in so far set now though so that's me done on this bird for the day, just hope when I come to pull the fuselage halves apart the green stuff doesn't do what it usually does and just come off the plastic, I might try very carefully splitting the magnets down the middle with my knife and make sure I go through the green stuff also.

Just hope the magnets I've put in (and the ones I'll be putting in) aren't in the way of the interior parts...

I really like the look of this kit though, far far far better than the 1/48 Revell Huey Hog kit.