Esci/Italeri 1/48 OH-58A Kiowa, x 2 - COMPLETED

Nice O!  I've been looking for a 1/48 Kiowa for a couple years.  You can't find them and IF you do they are super expensive.  

Howdy O!

I'll be watching this one, too! Reminds me I wanted to do a Vietnam-era OH-58 in 1:72. I have to check out your OH-6, you don't have a separate build thread on that, don't you?

Good luck with your build and have a nice day

Paweł

Hey John, yeah, these kits have been in my pile for a good amount of time. I want to say...close to 20 years? I don't see them much anymore. All the more reason to get these out of the stash, built up and on the shelf.

Pawel, I don't have a dedicated thread for my OH-6s, but you can see them in the Git-R-Done GB (link). My builds start on page 2. I'm hoping to have some photos of my WIF Loach to post in the next couple of days.

Thanks for looking, gang. Stay tuned!

-O

OK rotorheads, I was able to get a good bit of progress made since my inital post. I play hockey on Sunday nights, and since game time wasn't until 11:30 p.m. (don't ask), I had plenty of time before puck drop to spend at my bench.

I started with, like most kits, the cockpit/crew compartment. At first look, it seemed that the only missing parts were a pair of rudder pedals, but after a closer look, I noticed that one of the cockpits was missing the instrument panel and shroud.

After digging around in my spares box, I was able to find a gunner's panel from an AH-1. It's not exactly the same thing, but I figured it was better than nothing.

So, I glued it on.

The fit wasn't perfect, but I could work with it.

After some rough shaping, I filled in the voids with some filler. I was confident some sanding would blend things in. While dealing with the panel, I noticed that one of the rudder troughs (?) was snapped off.

A small strip of styrene would fix that right up. Oh, and after the filler dried, I sanded things to shape.

I also found a set of rudder pedals in my spares box and slapped those on.

Again, not perfect, but under some paint and in a closed up fuselage, I surmised it'd be hard to notice. And know what? I was right. Here's how things looked before final assembly and flat coat.

You'll notice the seat backs aren't painted (or matched), but it didn't matter because they'd be covered by a bulkhead.

And this is what the completed crew compartments look like, along with the simple engine painted, installed and washed.

Before the fuselage halves can be closed up, I need to install the windows...all 12 of them. (Ugh!) Hopefully they fit well. Wish me luck!

-O

Hey gang, I'm back with some progress. I go back to work tomorrow, so I don't know when my next update will be. I have to admit that it's been nice having some time off and spending it at my bench. Anyway, let me share the latest...

So, I finished up the crew compartments, but before I could install them and close up the fuselages, I'd have to deal with the windows. But, before I could deal with the windows, I had to tend to a couple of things. One minor and one major.

First, I installed some vanes that appear infront of each intake. Here's what they look like on the real thing (credit Weichao Chen):

The ones included in the kit were too short. They didn't span the gap. So, I had to fabricate a few from styrene strip. I didn't have the appropriate width, so I had to cut some. They're not perfect, but under some paint they'll look fine. (I hope.) 

(Sorry for the blurry photo.)

Next, I had to deal with some damage to one of the fuselage halves. The gray fuselage half has some significant breakage.

I used some reinforcing strips made out of strip styrene glued on with liquid glue, backed everything up with some CA, then set that aside to dry.

While all that set up, I turned my attention to the other broken parts; the OD airframe's boom. As it turns out, while I was inspecting the busted stabilizers and formulating a plan, the tail snapped off.

I figured the easiest (and strongest) fix would be to use some wire posts to reinstall everything. I drilled some holes into the boom and the broken parts at the appropriate places, then I installed some thin wire.

While doing that, I had a happy accident. I mistakenly drilled through the fin while making one of the mounting holes. As it turned out, it corresponded with one of four bolt heads that were on the other side of the fin. What I'll do is leave the hole as is, then install the fin and trim the wire super close so that it looks like one of the molded bolt heads. I'm betting under paint and weathering it won't even be noticeable.

That's where I'll have to stop for now. Hopefully, when I get back to my bench, the fuselage will be repaired and solid. If that's the case, I'll focus on the windows next so that I can close up the fuselage. Thanks for popping in and following along!

(Hmm...maybe while the fuselage sets, I'll work on that other Loach...)

-O

Howdy O!

I see you put somereal work into those babies!

I think I have a trick for you that could help you make your windows look good, I learned this one while working on my ZiL (the Ukrainian truck). When you install a window, you often get an unsightly white line at the edge of that window. To prevent that, take a black marker and with it paint the edge of that window, clear part black. It will look better installed then. If the windows have a good fit you can wick some future (or equivalent) in the seam to fix it in place. If the fit is not so good white glue is a good thing to use. You can also use CA, but then you have to dip the whole clear part in future and let it dry before installing it - future prevents foggingin that case.

Hope it helps and excuse me if you already knew it - good luck with your builds and have a nice day

Paweł

Hey Pawel, yeah, that's a trick I already have in my bag. I'm planning on using this same trick on one of the airframes, but not the other. I've used it with good results on my other builds. Thanks for the tip and your comments. I appreciate the feedback!

-O

HOLY COW! 

I can't believe it's been a month since I last posted. Well, actually, I can believe it. Last time I sat down to make some progess, I started to install the windscreen and chin windows. UGH! Fit was so bad that I stepped away but didn't want to go back!

Finally, I decided that I needed to pay some attention to these little kits. For as simple as they are, their fit is terrible! Especially the transparencies. See for yourself...

I had to use styrene shims, putty, and CA glue.

Right now they look...terrible!

I hope I'm going to be able to smooth things out and polish them to some degree of transparency.

Anyway, that's where I'm at now. I'll post more when there's more to share.

Cheers!

-O

Looks good O. You're pulling off this tandem build quite nicely!

I can't believe that I'm going a month and a half between posts for these two little Kiowas. Actually, given the problems I've had with these two, I can see why I haven't had much motivation to sit down to these two. Anyway, I've been able to make, what I think, is significant progress on this project.

Since the last time I posted, I was able to get the seams closed up and cleaned. I got the tail boom that had the busted stabilizers sorted. Also, I got the transparencies installed...as best I could. (The transparancies are the kits' biggest deficiencies.) Things were masked and some primer was sprayed to see how things are lookin'.

I figured out what markings these little suckers will be wearing. Next will be primary painting. I'm hoping the hard part is over, so I'm expecting more updates and sooner.

Stay tuned! (But don't hold  your breath.)

-O

OK gang, I have a little progress to share. I was able to get one of the Kiowas painted and glossed. I'm not super happy with the green. I think it's too dark. Even for a brand new Kiowa. I think I'm going to go back and lighten things a bit. Anyway, before I do, here's where I stand...

Stay tuned for more!

-OO

Hello O!

I like your build a lot! Like I wrote before - I hope to build OH-58 looking that good, but in 1:72. Good luck with your babies and have a nice day

Paweł

Hey Pawel, thanks for the compliment. I couldn't imagine building these in 1/72. They're small in 1/48! Obviously, by the looks of your Cobra, your 1/72 Kiowa would be a beauty!

Anyway, I was able to make some progress on my pair. I was able to get the main color sprayed on my second airframe. I've decided to go with the Arctic scheme, and I got the white laid down.

Next, things will get masked off and the red will be sprayed. 

While the white was drying, I got the decals applied and sealed on my OD bird. I had one minor issue with the decals. Once they were on, they were on. You might notice the serials and service markings are a little...skewed. No amount of water or decal solution would get these things to slide. I didn't want to risk tearing them, so I got them as close as I could. 

I'm going to let the white dry and the clear coat harden. These two are getting closer to the finish line...

In the meantime, I'm going to work on my Hueys.

Stay tuned!

OK Kiowa fans, I have a little progress to share. I was able to get the decals onto the OD airframe, some flat coat sprayed, and the masks removed.

I'm not totally satisfied with how the upper windows and windscreen turned out, but given the nightmare that was their fit, I'm just going to be OK with it. Despite the interior being polished and "Futured," I still got some fogging on the windscreen, even though I didn't use CA. 

The upper windows didn't fit well at all, so I had to cheat and mask them smaller than their actual size in an effort to hide their joints. After I had painted them Tamiya transparent green, they sat for several days before masking. Still, the tape left an imprinted texture on the paint. Again, I'm just going to be OK with it. 

Those issues aside, I'm happy with the look of the OD subject.

I was also able to get some paint sprayed on the Arctic airframe and some subassemblies attached. The boom, the vert stabilzer and the horizontal stabilzers were attached to the cabin assembly. I also got the airframe up on its skids.

Some touch-ups, gloss, and decals are next.

Stay tuned!

-O

Man oh man O'dog those look fantastic.  The Kiowa is such a great looking airframe.  Coming along beautifuly.

Thanks John! I appreciate the compliment. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel with these two. I just hope it's not a train...

The airframes are mostly completed. I've turned my attention to the fiddly bits so that I can move the Kiowas from the bench to the shelf. So, I set out by starting with some repairs. 

First, the rotor masts. They each had a broken control rod.

I made the repair using some fine wire.

While I had my microbits and fine wire out, I also fixed one of the tail rotors.

After some careful drilling and under some paint, it's hard to tell it was ever broken.

I also whipped up some replacement pitots. I made three. Two for the Kiowas and one for a Huey. The Huey boxings are -H models with the pitots on the roofs, but one of them will be a -D with the pitot on the nose. They haven't been trimmed or painted yet...so use your imagination.

OK, so I think my next post will be the completed models. 

Stay tuned!

-O

THEY'RE DONE!

These little "gems" were a challenge, but I got them finished. They were not easy builds, but I think they're solid 3-footers. They'll look fine...on the top shelf...at a distance...behind some other builds...

Anyway, here ya go!

These two are now on the shelf, and it's time to move onto my Hueys and another pair. Comments, questions and criticisms are welcome. Thanks for lookin'!

-O

They both turned out great O.  Really like the arctic? Scheme   I'm still hunting for one of these.  Well done. 

They came out looking great.  I know how hard the arctic bird was.  I did a WSMR Huey a few years ago and it was a b!tch in 1/35.  I don't want to attempt it in 1/72.

Really nice "O," for the problems created by these poor kits, you followed through with craftsmanship for two quality builds. Thanks for the detailed post and photos.

Patrick

Great looking pair of Kiowas Omar!!! 

One School bird and one tactical, both looking very sharp. Well done O.

O, I think you're selling yourself short, those might be four footers or maybe even five footers!

Nah, forget my bad jokes, I think they are lookin' great! Like I wrote before - I'd like to build OH-58s looking this good, but I'll have to tackle that in 1:72...

So now I'll watch you build those Hueys, bet they are going to turn out very nice, too! Thanks for sharing and have a nice day!

Paweł

Hey gang,

Thanks for the kind words. I'm really glad you like the Kiowas. The transparencies aside, they were decent kits. I think I might hunt down a OH-58D Warrior in 1/48 to pose along with my 1/35 Kiowa Warrior and beside these two -A models.

HeavyArty

...I did a WSMR Huey a few years ago...