1/72 Fast Roping Diorama Done 9 May 2010

Haven't been here much myself, but I do come back over here to seen THIS ONE in particular. Nice to see the update and NICE JOB!!!!

I'm still amazed at the 1/72 figs .... Awesome work!

Really nice weathering on that helo- looks great- as do the figures, I'm right there with you in the modeling withdrawal category.

Okay, so after the forums switched over, I didn't visit here much, and started posting more at armorama.  However, since I'm at school, and I go through modeling withdrawals here, I ended up on fine scale tonight., so why not post my progress.. The helicopter is about 98% done.  There still a few things that I have to paint still...

I'm redoing two of the figures, the two on the ground that are behind the finished guy.  Here's their current state:

Then I finished up building on the helicopter:

And then painted it:

Then decaled and finished it up:

Then added all of the little things:

Then put everything together for a couple shots showing total progress (the tires are just space fillers):

Take care,

Austin

...you're going to need glasses after this project .... HAHA!!!!

KUDOS Austin!!! This is the coolest #$%* I've seen in a LOOOOOOOOONG time! Well done.

Well, here's my update after 4 days at home...Just progress on the blackhawk.

I still need to clean up some painting on the tail rotor, other than that, it's good to go...

I tried to filter fade, but idk how it turned out.  I'll be doing more mixing and spraying I think, especially with certain areas on the tail boom and such.  I'll have to do a bunch of testing on scrap plastic first though...

The main rotor needs the yellow stripes (although I'm gonna make it more of an olive color) and then I need to spray the other parts of it steel and pick out a few other details...

It almost looks complete...lol If only the building was easier...

Take care,

Austin

Oh and another project....

Amazing Austin!
It looks like you're getting there.

Last update until 2010!

I'm guessing it'll be 7 days work to finish up the exterior of the MH-60K before I am ready for paint.  I'm aiming to have this ready to paint by the next update (semester break) and painted over a spring/midsemester break next year.  Then I'll finish up the building over the summer and voila, I'll be done (finally!)!  I've been using PE from three eduard sets, the MH-47E exterior, the SH-60B, and the UH-60A (really old brass looking stuff)

I started two more figures just with the base coat of green grey and flesh tones, and will be doing more individually later.

The building is on a temporary hold as I acquire and test acrylic paste for stucco instead of Mr. Surfacer.

Without further ado, let the pictures come (again, they aren't the best in terms of quality, but I tried...)

Take care,

Austin

Thanks!  Happy Thanksgiving to you too (and everyone else)!  I have some more giving to do too, giving of pictures that is!  I did a semi "photoshoot" of this dio...  How do you guys take pictures of your 1/35th dioramas!?  I feel like this is too big for any of my lights or backdrops that I usually use for 1/72 models...

I threw on a windshield from the earlier MH-60K that I was planning on using.  Anyways, I got it all glued up today (the top pieces are still loose...)

Then the last of the figures that I need to finish for the diorama...

School's going well (same with ROTC)!  I got my lowest grade on a test in statics which was an 88%, so I'm pretty excited about that, plus Russian's going a lot better than I was thinking it would.

Bonus:  here's that figure from above along with another one that I did the next day, and then I started this third guy.  Not sure when/how I'll be using them...

Take care,

Austin

Looking great, nice update, your 1/72 figure sckills are insane.

Hope you're enjoying your Thanksgiving everyone

Hows college going btw?

Here's an update on two figures...

The first figure's small start...






The second figure is the middle figure:

And then the overview of how this diorama looks now (a hasty picture when I got home, sorry bout the background/lack of backdrop):

Take care,

Austin

Haha you wish

But yeah.  I'm pretty excited about going home to work on this so I decided to start sculpting a new figure today.  I'm a bit rusty, and macro doesn't seem to like me too much, so it looks kind of crappy, but oh well, such is the college life, gotta get by with what I have...

Then it turned into this:

Not sure if I'll put him in the diorama or not, but either way, its getting me back in the groove.  I'll finish him up when I go home in case I want to put him in the back of the helo or not...

Take care,

Austin

This is the penny he's using...

Maybe the boxes are specific to the MH-60K for some reason.  I have never seen them in standard UH-60Ls, MH-60Ls, HH/MH-60Gs, or any other H-60 version.  A standard MH set-up looks like below with a couple panels for the FEs to control flare and chaffe along with IC and radio controls.

Thanks guys!

Camo, I used Vallejo acrylics.  I wrote down the colors at home, but I think that they are green-grey, stone-grey, and deck tan.

Arty, I'm basing that off of what is found in the Cobra Company 1/48th MH-60K detail set. I posed the question earlier and someone said that they were still in there, located behind the pilot seats, however there really isn't any accessible photo evidence past a picture that "looks like it could possibly be the box"...

The boxes are in the top left. (taken from the cobra company website)

Take care,

Austin

Pretty much the only thing I got done over fall break was backing up my laptop, and ordering a new one, which got delayed, so I bought a monitor and now i finally have time to update when I said I would when I was home a month ago...

All I did was glue in the IP, and start painting another figure.  The interior is almost complete, and I will be closing up the fuselages halves hopefully over Thanksgiving...

Take care,

Austin

Actually, per the US Army, when a photo is taken of a helo/ prop plane in flight, the blades/ rotors should be blurred to show that the A/C is in flight .... and not just falling from the sky.

Now, w/ the idea of modeling .... as the topic has been bounced around quite a bit .... it all up to personal opinion/ preference. Me personally, I've added the blurred disc like you suggested to a UAV I recently did and it looks fine. However, it does look a little funny since the A/C just sits there. I am more of the frame of mind, as it was brought to my attention soon after joining the forum, that a model is simply a 3D photograph ... a 3D still image if you will. So having blurred props/ rotors looks more at home than say an actual motorized, spinning prop.

Just my 2 cents.

bondoman wrote:

That sounds unusual, so it'll be challenging and rewarding. What are your thoughts about the big rotor? I was thinking motorized, but it'll wobble around too much on top of the ropes. Hold on guys!

Somehow I can't imagine how actually swirling rotors would match with an otherwise static scene. Somebody posted a picture of an actual operation, where the individual rotorblades of the chopper were visible. Photographically correct, consistent with everything else being static, but...

What about using a clear'ish circular disc to emulate the visual impression of the swirling rotors?

I understand there are practical limitations because of weight, balance and what not, but how would such an idea work out from a mere 'artistic' point of view? What is common in helicopter dioramas?

DoC

Wade ... the other idea I had for this type of "fast rope" idea, was to have the Troopers already on the deck pulling security. Then having the helo suspended by one rope and the other has already been released and is dropping to the deck in mid-air.

Just a thought, as this would allow you use figures straight from the box and you would have to scratch build hardly anything.

Im just not really a dedicated model builder. Just have an interest in helicopters (black hawks in particular). Maybe 1:35 might be a bit easier to make figures but 1:72 is just too small ! I take my hat off to those tiny little figures that were made for this project.

 Still trying to think of what I can use for a fast roing position rather than making my own. 

Wade - I'm planning/ thinking about this same thing but in 1/35. Austin and I started talking about this build I think almost a year ago! .... Wow, has it been that long!?!

Anyway, across all my researching, I haven't found any figures that are actually molded into the "fast rope" position. The best thing to do it to craft something out of putty, like Austin said, and then cast spares of it as you need it.

While I'm thinking about this one for a future build, I know that I will not be starting it anytime soon .... maybe in 2011 if I'm lucky ....

Lastly, don't be too quick to say that you can't do something. The only thing that you can't do is the one thing that you never try. Give it a shot ... you can only succeed .... or learn trying.

I am actually suspending it by the fast ropes themselves.  It's a bit tricky to figure out at first, but then it works pretty well.  For the figures, I sculpted most of them using a two part epoxy putty, and the fast roper was no exception.  I only added the gloves because hands in 1/72 aren't my specialty...lol

The gloves are from Fujimi's Navy Flight Crew Set.  But I'd look around for the hasegawa ground crews and stuff, you can probably find something suitable.

HTH,

Austin

Glad to hear !

Was hoping I could get your advice. Have been looking for some 1:72 or 1:48 scale troops in fast rope positions but cant find any. I know u guys re-model other figures but does anyone sell them in fast roping positions already ? Theres no way I could make those tiny figures like you did to such great scale.

 any advice ??

Im not looking to build a super scale realistic one like yours, just want a good idea to suspend my blackhawk with something other than a clear plastic stand.

Thanks, Wade

arkhunter2002 wrote:

OOoooo .... that's a good one! Me likely!!!

Klaus,

I thought I replied, but I guess I didn't.  I use Vallejo paints, as they are amazing, but I can't remember if I used green grey or grey green for the basecoat.  I have it written down at home, but I don't have it at school with me.  I use the smallest brush that I have (not sure of what kind it is, as I don't have it infront of me) to do the Stone Grey and then the Deck Tan.  I will do a dots/blots however you want to call it...

MC,

I guess the base I was thinking of a little stained wooden base that doesn't extend past the building, just so all of the arches don't snap off...

Here's a couple pics before I moved back into Dayton:

Take care,

Austin