I have alot of scratchbuilding ahead of me (Academy CH-53E) FINISHED!

I used some .015 Solder from Radio Shack that you were kind enough to suggest at the beginning of this thread.  Thanks JH Primm

Semper Fi,

Chris

ridleusmc wrote:

Progress has been slow, but I did get a little done.  They're rough representations of pitch locks (to lock the blades at a particular angle for blade fold), and their hydraulic lines.  Semper Fi, Chris

Chris;

Looks like you have a good start on it! What did you use for the Hydraulic lines?

Jonathan Primm

Progress has been slow, but I did get a little done.  They're rough representations of pitch locks (to lock the blades at a particular angle for blade fold), and their hydraulic lines. 

Semper Fi,

Chris

The work you guys put on your projects are really outstanding!  Really inspires all of us to do better.  Please keep us posted on your progress Chris and take a lot of pictures.  We're all interested in how you 'll do it and how it turns out for future projects.

Thanks Andy,

I need those words of encouragement.  The GF left me enough time to get a start on the sleave and spindle hydraulic lines.  I started with the blade lock hydraulic lines.  These lines drive hydraulic lock pins that lock the main rotor blades in the spread position.  These pins retract to allow the main rotor blades to fold.  Here's a pic, I'm just getting started.

SF

Chris

Good luck with that, Chris. I know you'll do the kit proud. Keep us updated.

SF,
Andy

I guess I'll have to go to radio shack to get the solder.  This rotor head is going to be the death of me, but I just can't let the detail slide.  Thanks for the input about the solder, guitar strings (I can hit up my roommate for those) and thread. 

Semper Fi,

Chris

If you can find some .010 and .020 copper shear wire, that might do the trick. Safety wire/Lock wire is probably too stiff to work with. Also you might want to find some small guage solder. That stuff is very maleable and does a pretty respectable jobe in replicating rigid hydraulic lines.For the electrical harnesses (depending on how small a diameter they are) you could use some fine guitar strings (I don't know a thing about guitars but I know some sizes of string make excellent oxygen hoses in 1/48th), short of that, All I can think of is using small guage wire with some thread wrapped tightly around it to replicate the look of an electrical harness.

HTH

I knew there was a good reason I picked 6112 as an MOS!

Jonathan Primm