Helicopter Group Build 2009

Hi

modelchasm - nice little bird, I think that AH-6 will my next build

Klaus - I hope that my Cobra is going to be just a little good looking as yours.

My cockpit is nearly ready for painting, after taking the pictures I spotted two things that I have to fix  (marked red circles).

Thanx for watching.

Nice work, polak and Avus.  I'm afraid my CH-37 just doesn't have the interior detail you guys are doing so well.  But then my eyes couldn't see it in 1/72 scale and if it were in 1/35 I'd have to build a new room to display it.

I'm calling this one done, and it does evoke what a CH-37 looks like.  Menacing to those who worked on and flew it, if not to the enemy, though they did do time in Viet Nam until the Skycrane and Chinooks were available for heavy lift.  I think Special Hobby did a fine job of capturing the shapes and the fit was pretty good.  The cockpit assembly was too wide for the fuselage, especially at the seat tops.  As usual I did not use all of the PE parts, to fiddly and unlikely to be seen if they are on, like all the climbing handles.  I know they are there on the real thing but I can't see them in most photos.  Assembly was made more difficult by weak instructions as to placement and no definite fits on complex assemblies where errors can become additive.  And then I lost two of the augmentor tubes and had to make a two part mold and cast replacements in order to bring things to a timely close. 

I've been kinda shy about piping in lately as I am WAY behind with my Huey build, but I had to pipe in a say what a wonderful job you guys are doing.  I really like the CH-37.  How can a helicopter be so dang ugly and yet so appealing at the same time!

      Ray

Thanks polak and John!

Your interior is just as good, if not even better, than mine polak. Great work!

John, your CH-37 looks wonderful!
I still would like to see one in at least 1/48. Immagine a small dio with a Willys loading or unloading from the ramp ...

I am almostthere with the 'hog...working on these thingsduring the week is pretty much impossible, and after the trick or treating is done tomorrow, the wife will be going to a party, which leaves me with my little guy, who in turn, goesto bed at8:30, so tomorrow evening...here I come!

Justin

jeaton01 wrote:

Menacing to those who worked on and flew it, if not to the enemy

That's great!

Good lookin' build, John!   Planning on another?

That CH-37 is something to look at! Like a girl I went to high school with... not really pretty but not really ugly and you couldn't take your eyes off of her because you knew you were going to look at her just right and she would be perfect... and she never was so you kept on looking... torture!

jmabx wrote:

jeaton01 wrote: Menacing to those who worked on and flew it, if not to the enemy That's great! That CH-37 is something to look at! Like a girl I went to high school with...

Hi

Here's update from me guys. I am quite happy with the result except color of the seats, it just seems to be to bright, it does not looks that bright for real but on photos looks like candy well thats's something I will have to correct.

and the test fit:)

hope you guys liked it.

Nice work Polak.

To tone down the bright green try a wash with dark green or even black and a dry brush with the base color. Once done give it a coat of matt varnish as john suggests.

Here's a tiny update: finished the seats ... well, almost. Looking at the pictures I realized I have to touch up the "ears" with a little black.

Another update. I've decided to make a conversion on one of the helos and build the infamous "turned exhausts". Guess what kind of books I've been reading recently?



This is a sketch of what I should get in the end:

And this is what I'm talking about:

 Hi jeaton01

I didn't realize that there was a "Helicopter Group Build" going on and if it's not too late , I respectfully ask permission to join in with everyone else .

It certainly would be an honour and quite a 'feather in my cap' to earn a group build badge .

If it's okay to join up at this late stage , I'm keen for a bit of a challenge , so I thought I would give the 1/72 Mach 2 SA-321 Super Frelon , helicopter kit a go .

With Mach 2's vague single instuction sheet , it will sure make things interesting trying to identify which parts go where ???

I would like to build her straight out of the box , with the exception of cutting open the side cabin door and adding a boarding ladder .

The paint finish would be overall brown for the Israeli IDF .

So I kindly ask if I can join in and I'm more than happy to post progress pic's of my build

                       Kind regards John .

John, you are more than welcome to join in with the Super Frelon.  Did Mach 2 do a better job than usual on the clear parts?  They are rough in all the Mach 2 kits I have.

I'll add you to the first page list, welcome aboard.

jeaton01 wrote:

John, you are more than welcome to join in with the Super Frelon.  Did Mach 2 do a better job than usual on the clear parts?  They are rough in all the Mach 2 kits I have. I'll add you to the first page list, welcome aboard.

 Thank's John ;

I have been reading through the 19 pages of this helicopter group build and the models and workmanship going on is amazing .

John , your CH-37 Mojave looks awesome .

I waited untill I got the call-up before I started anything , so here is my first couple of pic's of the Mach 2 Super Frelon canopy .

 I've only just started to remove some of the larger pieces from the "chunky sprue" , you really need side cutters as a hobby knife just wont do .

Anyway I found a pic on the web from an Israeli Museum site of the Super Frelon , hopfully mine will look something like this one .

Thank's again for letting me join in , I'll start searching around the sprue pieces for all the cockpit parts and post another pic tomorrow .

                                                           John .

John,

  Sorry, I thought you knew the GB was going on. Guys you better watch out, John can build em almost as fast as I can get parts cut from the tree!  Seriously though, good to have you on board, John.

    Ray

John(Helo53): That's going to be a nice model and here's another suggestion for a color scheme:

6 Day War in the blue and brown over light gray.

 Hi Ray and Bondoman ;

This is my first group build and I'm very gratefull for the invitation .

I hope your builds are coming along nicely .

I didn't have any plastic polish to improve the canopy , so I just used some toothpaste and kitchen paper towel . After 5 minutes of rubbing , I then dipped the canopy into some Pledge-one-go [Future] ; It did come out a little better , so I'll leave it at that .

Next I cut open the side cabin door and then added strip plastic around the door opening edges . The kit only comes with cyclic control levers , so I had some spare collective pitch levers from a Revell Huey kit to use . The direction control pedals are rather ordinary looking , so I would like replace them with something better . I was wondering if anyone had any cockpit pic's of the Super Frelon to help me out .

Thank's for posting the IDF Super Frelon pic Bondoman , from what I can tell the boarding ladder looks very similar to what you see on the Mil Mi-8/17 Hip's ; I was thinking of borrowing one from one of Mi-8 kits .

The color scheme is interesting , the few pic's I have seen of the Super Frelon that have the same engine exhaust outlets like my kit , are either like the pic you posted [Blue and Brown over Grey] or the Sand , Tan , Light Green over pale Blue/Grey . Maybe I may need to consider one of these two paint finish options .

I was also thinking of adding some rear cabin seating but I only have some seats from an old Revell Seaking Helicopter kit and I havn't as yet come across any interior pic's , searching around google .

Anyway later this evening I'll airbrush the two fuselage halves , floor and roof pieces along with the cockpit seats , control levers and consol and once the paint is dry I'll add the cabin windows .

                                        Kind regards John .

I am getting closer to finishing mine...last night I got al the glass installed, the pilots finished, the roof panel installed, and the rotors installed...pics to come soon...

Justin

Welcome Helo 53!      I can't wait to see the progress on your Super Frelon.

Everyone is making good progress... nice to see.

The only thing I have to show is a color change. I lightened up some sand color with white and sprayed it on. When she's nice and dry, I'll try to rub down some of the sand until I get that nice blue primer to show through. Then onto the green and so forth and so on. It doesn't look it, but I still have alot of work to do on this old gal.

John, Nice work on the CH-37.

Jeremy, the Hind is coming along nicely.

Klaus and Polak, 

I've added some pics to my Whiskey folder, including pics of the new exhaust.  Can be found at http://public.fotki.com/lewbud/helicopters/ah-1w-1/ah-1w/   Hope ya'll can use 'em.

Here's the scene of the crime:

Here's my very significant transfer of Shekels for a Cobra Co. set of goodies:

Rotors:

I'm in, and want to do this right.

It's all for a Marine I knew. I am interested in any photo -46 resources.

Bill

Welcome aboard Helo53!

Looking forward to see your washed away paint Jeremy.

Thanks for the pictures lewbud.

It was about time you got started Bill!

Mr. Bondo - I was starting to think you forgot about us but judging by the "crime scene", you're tearin' into things real nice like!   That Cobra Co. resin is some real nice stuff. I have the interior, exterior, and weapons set for the Hind and it's beautiful.

So here I am... a full day's work and only half of one side masked. I'm sure I went about this all wrong but my tiny brain couldn't figure it any other way.

I blew up the camo diagram from the Linden Hill decal booklet and printed it out then cut it out and taped it on. Easier then trying to mask those circular patterns I guess.

That looks good J. I do a version of your technique, I have a 2" wide roll of 3m blue tape and put down two strips side by side slightly overlapping, on my cutting matte. I make two copies of the cammie at the right scale, like you did. I keep one for later reference and tape the other one down over the blue tape. Then cut out the shapes.

It I were to do that scheme, and you can do this still, I would paint on the flower shaped pattern color first and then make flower shaped masks, put them on and paint the sandy color second.

Also, any time you need to mask off a whole section, like that weapons pylon, you can just wrap it in tinfoil and tape down the edge where it meets the other color/ fuselage.

That is an awesome beast BTW.

Bondo - I originally tried the blue tape idea but it kept curling up on itself and my clumsy fingers kept ripping it trying to seperate it. Scratch that idea for me... put the brain to work!

The reason I painted it the way I did was that pictures of the real helicopter show the tan paint faded to the blue primer and the green paint faded to the tan... I think. So it is layered blue, tan then green. So it is written, so it is done.

Pain in the rear but hopefully it will look good when done.

Here is where I stand with the UH-1C gunship that I am building.  So far I have added the bracing in the chin bubbles for the 40mm grenade launcher mount and some of the visible wireing in there as well.  I have also began scratching in some of the details left out of the transmission and engine areas.  In doing this I have also realized that I might want to open more of the cowlings than Academy has opened which is going to add even more stuff to do.  At any rate here is th current state of the build.  Anything that is white or copper or metal color is the stuff that I have added in so far,  as always comments questions and critiques are always welcome.

Thanks for looking,

Matt

Your technique looks intersting and should fo the trick, Jeremy.

Simply awesome detail on that engine, Matt. Looking forward to see the rest.

This WE I felt more like working on the scoop and the TSU:

Another little surgery (more like a slaughter) and a dry fit.

While the scoop is done the TSU needs a little more TLC.

As for the turned exhaust let's just say there's a synergy ...

I am gonna call my build done!...I took aclose look at the side guns and the ammo belts, and, to avoid getting pissed off,I am stopping! Maybe one day I will decide to fix the ammo belts, but until then...

Pics coming soon!

Justin 

Matt, I like the detail you are putting on the Huey.  I don't know if I'll ever be able to build one to the level you guys are, what with the so many models and I'm an old (you choose)thing.  But I suppose I'll try some time.  Same to you, Klaus.

Soon as you get some pictures up I'll update the first page, Justin.  Thanks for playing.

Matt - that engine looks great... nice work.

Klaus - I love watching someone else slaughter their kit!! Have at it!

Don't tease us Justin... we wanna see some pictures!

I'm not an old like you John and I wish I could build like these talented fellas!

Here's the fresh camo on the Hind. I really love the patterns on this scheme.

In all my haste, I completely forgot to paint the elevators(?) and gear doors. Oh well!