Helicopter Group Build 2009

lewbud wrote:

Aaron, Model Master has it in their line of enamels Russian Interior Blue Green.

Exactly what I used except my bottle just says "Interior Blue/Green". No mention of it being Russian but I believe the MM paint racks have the colors seperated by country with a small section for Russian colors... should be there.

finally got some time to get some modelling done...the what if tiger stripe camo is done on the huey, I dont really know how I feel about it...

decals are also on, and after the setting solution has a chance to dry, I wil clear coat the decals, and then begin the weathering...

and the two test pilots...

Justin

Mmmm... I'm gonna chew on your test pilots a little bit!

I like the stripes. Kind of hard to get a feel for them with the helicopter so shiny but they look pretty cool to me.

Paul, you must have a stady hand to cut those maks with such precision.

Justin, your tiger-stripe Huey looks good so far and the test pilots look "good" too!

Avus wrote:

Paul, you must have a stady hand to cut those maks with such precision.

its fairly steady but theres alot of "big" detail on this kit,so it was a case of following the mould lines.

paul

Just a quick update on my Canopy adventure:

Steps 1 and 2 are after and sanding with coarse paper; I had to reduce the plastic width.
Step 3 is after sanding with various types of fine sanding paper (and when I started praying).
Step 4 is after polishing and a hand of Future.

Klaus - What grits of sandpaper did you use to accomplish this?

I have to sand a nasty seam out of a Spitfire canopy and your results look great... I would like to try your method.

Thanks!

Hi

I know there is not much time left but I am soon starting my first helicopter AH-1W Cobra by Academy 1:35 + some Eduard parts and would be grateful if I could join you guys.

Thanx

I have to check the grids at home, Jeremy, but in your case I'd use a blade's edge and a fine file. Then polish with a paste like Tamiya's compound and eventually give it a coat of Future.

I'm not the organizer, but for me it's ok if you join in, Polak.

Nice job on that canopy, Klaus!

Hopefully, sometime today, I'll be posting much needed update on my MH-6 .... I don't think that I've put up anything since like page 2 or 3!!!

... I know ... I'm a slacker.

... hehe ...

Polak - Hi! I don't see any problems with you joining in. And as long as you're not a slacker, like some of us , you should have plenty of time.

Klaus - Thanks for the tip... I never thought of taking down that ridge with an x-acto.

Modelchasm - We need pictures! I'm dying for an update. Also, the slacker I was talking about with Polak was me... yeah... that's it!   

As for the Hind...

I had a minor "procedure" done in the name of birth control which left me pretty well laid up this week. I never got a chance to pick up another kit and rob the canopy and I'm too impatient to wait for a replacement so I figured... "what the heck". I decided to use the original that had "crazed" as it only shows in one window pane. I've got some filler on the canopy seam as the fit wasn't very good. Did some sanding and it's starting to take shape. I will get some progress pics up this weekend. Until then, I will be slacking off... errr... recovering. 

Hey, polak, I think there is still plenty of time, go for it.  I'll add you to the list tomorrow.

That canopy work looks right smart, I'd want a spare in hand before I set my clumsy hands to that task.

Alright .... since Jeremy pointed out that I'm a HUGE slacker and made me feel bad for now posting anything since somewhere around page 2 or 3 .... here's a good 'ol update for you whirly bird guys .... (since I'm also covering this one in the dio forum, I can't remember where I left off w/ this one ... so I'll start w/ the completed cockpit and go from there. Also in the spirit of the Helo GB, I'll be leaving out the base, building and the rest of the dio stuff for the GB.)

The completed cockpit w/ pilot and co-pilot ...

.... and here's a little more background ....

I hadn't done an A/C in quite some time, and in the beginning my gitty-ness got to me and I sealed up the helo before really thinking. I ended up literally breaking/ prying/ and praying the halves apart in order to get things right. After fixing things, I was really to seal it back up ... again. However, the 1/2's didn't fit quite right the 2nd time so a little putty, sanding, and repainting was in order. I used some Archer Transfers raised rivet decals to help replace some rivets that were removed w/ sanding. I also started to add decals from Cobra Company. However, once I got the CC decals on, I thought that they were much lighter in color than I wanted. SO ... I only applied the A/C's numbers on the fuse, but I went back over them w/ a mist of the main black color to "dirty" them up and tone them down. I think they turned out well. (I might go back and add the US Army on the tail boom since the numbers turned out like they did ....).

... and fast forward to now ...

The four Delta operators are primed (although as of this post, the uniforms are almost done ...). Priming REALLY helped show the flaws that needed to be fixed ... 

... and the nearly completed helo. I'd say its about 95% complete. I still need to go over some details like the formation lights, painting the straps on the benches, painting the front nav/ search light, and some touch-ups .... and maybe the "US Army" decals on the boom ...

That's pretty much it for now ... and as always ... all C&C welcome.

... oh hey, Jeremy ... I hope your .... Rrrrr .... tool-kit is feeling better ... HAHAHAHA!!!!!

Great work Scott!

The helo is great, but the fiures are somewhat white!

Thanks Klaus! Glad you like the bird ...

The figures are coming along ... I guess I just REALLY liked them in their "winter" camo! HAHA!!

Scott,

That is amazing... you haven't been slacking at all!

Truly stunning!

And the "tool kit" is slowly getting better.

HAHAHA!!! That's "good" to know Jeremy ...

Thanks again guys for the comments. I'm pretty please thus far ... but I've still got A LOT of work to do before Saturday ....

Hi

So I have just started my Cobra, there is a lot of work in detailing cockpit, specially those little Ed's parts, so from this:

you get this:

and two more pictures, the gunner seat with attached seatbelts and fabric on it as taking off the old, plastic seatbelts damaged the seat structure

and some wiring, which took me a lot of time, as this is the first time for me to detailing a model in this way, hopefully the final result will be worth it

Thanx for watching.

Hey John, ... mark me as a "GO at this station" ... this buid is complete! (Thank God!)

Took this one to a show this past weekend and won bronze medal. Not bad! Hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did. Thanks again Klaus!!!!

Sooo .... does this mean I can keep the GB badge!?! HAHAHA!!!!

Here are some progress photos on the CH-37.  I made custom decals to mark this one as 0-50643, which was one of the aircraft in my unit.  I was going to do 40999 but I goofed and used too light a shade of OD, ANA 613, which fortunately is just right for how the helicopters were painted in 1970 or so.  When I put some Future on, which usually darkens OD a lot, I realised I should have used Tamiya OD, like I did on my 1/72 CH-34, or I guess I did, it came out well as a dark gloss OD used earlier on the CH-37.  What a memory.  All's well that ends well, I guess.  So now I have a spare set of decals for 40999 which I only have pictures of in the early scheme.  Whatever, as they say.

I think I found a reasonable way to get some depth on the various screens on the bird, especially the big engine pod screens.  I washed them with a very thin wash of Floquil old silver which was I guess a little risky since it is enamel on enamel, but it worked fine and settled in deeper than an acrylic wash would.  I did about five passes, wiping the excess off with a Q-tip each time, and then went over it with a dark brown/black combination, again enamel and very thin.  After that I repainted all the framing on the screens.   On the real thing you can see right through the screens, at some angles right on through to daylight, as well as many colors on the engine accessories and the exhaust manifolds which wind through like spaghetti on their way to the exhaust plenum chambers above the oil coolers on the nacelle bottoms.

The cockpit is too wide at the seat backs once all the PE is put in, next time I'll try to fit the seats in more toward the middle, which will take some trimming.  You can see where the seat frames push against the cockpit glass if you are rude enough to look that close.

It's starting to smell like hydraulic fluid.

Scott - That is a truely impressive dio! Congrats on the bronze... I think it's worth the gold all day long!    I love the way it looks like it's coming in for a landing and the way the rotor blades are bent up like they're pulling the weight of the helicopter. Nice!

John - She's starting to look pretty good... well... as good as a CH-37 can look I guess.

Polak - That sure is alot of work for a seatbelt. I sure don't want to try that. 

Not a whole lot to show you and definitely nothing impressive like has been seen so far here, but some work on the Hind. I know she looks the same as before but I got the canopy faired into the rest of the fuselage and she's completely covered in primer.

My reason for the blue primer (MM Russian underside blue) is that I want to get the worn out look of the paint on this helicopter... notice the blue primer showing through.

Now, I'm not building this helicopter or doing this paint scheme but I like the way it looked. Even though the pictures show a static display helicopter, I think it will make for an interesting look for a well used and abused operational Hind.

Polak, I can hear you on the seat belts. I had to make them for two birds!
Your Cobra looks good so far.

As I said "Over There" in the Dio- section: Scott, you're the man! Congratulations on your bronze (should have been gold to me) and I'm glad that I could help you out.

John your're 37 is coming along splendidly. The work behind the meshes was worth the while: they look great.

Very smart, Jeremy. Looking forward to see the effect on your wornd and torn helo.

Really love the little bird dio - congrats on the bronze!!

The -37 is begining to look like an army helo, only seen one at the museum at Rucker.

Good trick on the colored primer, might have to file that one away for when I get to my 1/35th hind.

 As for me, I have been busy sprucing up the engine and transmission bays of my UH-1C as per some ref photos and a few other inspiring builds.  I have not taken any pics yet, but will do so before I begin to paint it. 

To take a break from all that sanding, I started painting the seats and IP. Both are not complete yet.

blkhwkmatt wrote:

I have not taken any pics yet, but will do so before I begin to paint it.

Me needum pictures...  

Klaus - That's some mighty fine work there!

Klaus ... those seats are SICK!!!!! Looking forward to seeing more ....

blkhwk .... thanks for the compliments. I appreciate it. Hopefully, I'll be able to make some of those touch-ups I wanted to do soon. Post more pics if I can ...

Thanks Jeremy and Scott!

I made some (little) progress painting yesterday, not worth showing though.