SEARCH FINESCALE.COM

Enter keywords or a search phrase below:

AH-64 WIP

2318 views
8 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    September 2017
  • From: San Antonio, TX
AH-64 WIP
Posted by SkyCopJC on Saturday, September 16, 2017 6:18 PM

First "real" build after playing around a bit to get some fundamentals down.  Story behind the build:  My first deployment was to Balad AB, Iraq in 2004 where I guarded the AH-64D squadron among many duties.  The ramp was always pitch black at night which is when they mostly flew.  The pilots had a heck of a time playing with us.  They'd take off, hover a few feet in front of our vehicle and then flip on the lights and track us with the cannon while we panicked...all for for giggles. Incredible how quiet they are, scared the hell out of us every time!

Anyways, starting off with the cockpit.  This one is an Aires AM kit that'll make its way into a Revell 1:48 AH-64 kit.  No idea if it'll fit smooth or not, but some dry fitting indicates not. But then again, nothing else in this kit seems to fit either so I'll be exercising some putty/sanding skills.  A bit of artistic licensing taken but for the most part I feel pretty good about it considering this is my first leap into resin/PE.  More to come in this build as time allows. Comments and constructive critiques along the way always welcomed!

 

 

 

 

-Jay

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Saturday, September 16, 2017 7:15 PM

No, the photos do not show on your post... 

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

  • Member since
    September 2017
  • From: San Antonio, TX
Posted by SkyCopJC on Saturday, September 16, 2017 7:29 PM

Problem solved.  Learning has occurred.

-Jay

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Posted by Bish on Sunday, September 17, 2017 4:33 AM

Nice start.

Its common with resin cockpits to have to do some thinning of the kit.

I am a Norfolk man and i glory in being so

 

On the bench: Airfix 1/72nd Harrier GR.3/Fujimi 1/72nd Ju 87D-3

  • Member since
    September 2017
  • From: San Antonio, TX
Posted by SkyCopJC on Sunday, September 17, 2017 11:07 AM

Took a little surgery but managed to get the rotors in and cockpit muscled in.  All in all not too painful, but a real test of patience.  It'll take on plenty of putty and sanding to fill the seams and gaps once everything sets.  

 [/]

 Now to work on the engines.  Fit was absolutely, well, bad.  A bunch of putty, lots of sanding, some flat black to critique, more putty and more sanding.  

 

-Jay

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: hamburg michigan
Posted by fermis on Sunday, September 17, 2017 1:06 PM

Pit looks quite nice!

 

Helpful tip (maybe?!!)...

Having the rotors installed, this early in the game, makes for much more trouble than it's worth as you proceed. I know, most if not all instructions have you install them early bcause of the tab or whatever piece, needs to be there to keep the rotors from coming out. Personally, I eiter cut the tab off the shaft, or just leave off the piece that gets glued to the bottom of the shaft. Having the rotors loose/removable makes for a far easier time, down the road.Toast

  • Member since
    September 2017
  • From: San Antonio, TX
Posted by SkyCopJC on Sunday, September 17, 2017 1:20 PM

fermis

Pit looks quite nice!

 

Helpful tip (maybe?!!)...

Having the rotors installed, this early in the game, makes for much more trouble than it's worth as you proceed. I know, most if not all instructions have you install them early bcause of the tab or whatever piece, needs to be there to keep the rotors from coming out. Personally, I eiter cut the tab off the shaft, or just leave off the piece that gets glued to the bottom of the shaft. Having the rotors loose/removable makes for a far easier time, down the road.Toast

 

Thanks for the tip, that's actually very helpful.  I was dreading moving forward with the rotors in the way but didn't see many options to do it otherwise at the time.  Might steal a page from your book and get them removed.  Luckily they fit pretty shotty too so the shaft/tab are barely together underneath so I should be able to pop them apart without much trouble.

-Jay

  • Member since
    June 2017
  • From: Winter Park, FL
Posted by fotofrank on Sunday, September 17, 2017 2:48 PM

Skycop, I have the same Apache kit in my stash so I'm going to school on your build. I'll be using the kit supplied cockpit rather than using a resin cockpit though. The removable rotor idea makes sense so I'll keep that in mind when I begin my Apache.

BTW: I went through the Green Monster the first week of January 1967. 3708 BMTS.

OK. In the stash: Way too much to build in one lifetime...

  • Member since
    September 2017
  • From: San Antonio, TX
Posted by SkyCopJC on Sunday, September 17, 2017 4:05 PM

fotofrank

Skycop, I have the same Apache kit in my stash so I'm going to school on your build. I'll be using the kit supplied cockpit rather than using a resin cockpit though. The removable rotor idea makes sense so I'll keep that in mind when I begin my Apache.

BTW: I went through the Green Monster the first week of January 1967. 3708 BMTS.

 

fotofrank,

The kit cockpit has plenty of detail to work with and I didn't notice any ejector pin marks in the way at all so you should be good to go where that's concerned.  I have been fighting flash and fit problems every step of the way this far, but everything I've read says that's par for this kit.  I'll be sure to include any other hard lessons learned as I go for you. 

I went through in Aug 2003, pretty sure the only thing to change is the uniforms they handed out.  Now I'm stationed at Lackland again and get to see the new rainbows now and then. Funny how they currently think this is the hardest it'll ever be.  Boy what they don't know!

-Jay

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

SEARCH FORUMS
FREE NEWSLETTER
By signing up you may also receive reader surveys and occasional special offers. We do not sell, rent or trade our email lists. View our Privacy Policy.