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1:72 Italeri H-21 Flying Banana


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A few interior shots and a whole load of others

http://whotalking.com/flickr/Piasecki

cabin

http://www.pictaero.com/en/pictures/picture,189340

Nice video tour, including cockpit - same page has link to external tour

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4InrBzUNVec

walkround

http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/AWA1/001-100/walk097_H-21/walk097.htm

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Those beautiful pictures of 756 in 2012 were quite obviously taken while it was on display in a museum, and the large vent holes (IIRC they're to keep the buildup of toxic fumes in the engine compartment to a minimum) were covered over to keep the birds out. Look carefully at the side view; you can see the circular shape where the hole used to be.

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I forgot to mention that the Archer resin decal fell off. Good though they are, they seem to have all the adhesive power of a Post It note, I had similar problems with the louvre ones that I used. I just stuck it back on with some diluted Gator glue. This was on bare plastic (that I had roughened slightly), they would probably work better on a primed surface.

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I did not imagine it, from Wikipeadia so it must be true:

"XH-21D Shawnee (Model 71) - Two H-21C's re-engineered with two General Electric turboshaft engines in place of the Wright R-1802. Not placed in production."

Those beautiful pictures of 756 in 2012 were quite obviously taken while it was on display in a museum

Yes, the Hammamatsu (or Hamamatsu) Air Museum, Japan.

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I have just realised that I will be getting PE mesh for the air intakes with the Eduard Exterior set. Let's see what they look like. I am not that hopeful.

Edited by Nigel Heath
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Banana Build - Day 3*

Still frustrated by the non-arrival of the PE, I was itching to find things I could stick together. I thought the auxilliary fuel tanks might be good candidates and cleaned them up accordingly:

P1030022_zps41f49fc5.jpg

The guidance on the Eduard instructions seems to imply that I should source the tank parts from other kits. It is not the Nigey way to not use perfectly good kit parts and buy other kits just for a few parts like this. I think to use the kit parts the strapping needs to be removed but I would rather wait until the PE arrives to confirm this so I am stymied from further progressing these parts.

This is the kit representation of the radial engine:

P1030035_zps32c69099.jpg

Again it can't be progressed further until the PE arrives.

It does not compare very favouably with the real thing and looks largely to be a work of fiction. These are the best pictures I can find of it:

h-21_08.jpg

h-21_10.jpg

I have no idea what this quite prominent black thing is, possibly some sort of header tank?

H-21_09_looking_forward.jpg

Anyway there is no provision for it in the kit so something will have to be scratch built.

Bye for now,

Nigel

* Please do not be alarmed, I do not intend to post here every day as I did on my Dalek build. That was enough of a strain on me never mind what it must have been like for those brave souls who had to read it.

Edited by Mike
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Hi Nigel .....this thread is so inspiring I have obtained said Italeri kit of the H21 from a dealer on Ebay - very reasonably priced I thought £15 inc p&p. Arrived this today - ordered on Sunday. So good service imo. Oh and the Eduard p/e from Big H (but that hasn't arrived yet) :D

Billy D

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Nigel,

That Header tank.

Judging from the pipework it's oil or fuel. probably engine oil,

Radials tend to get through a fair amount of the stuff.

(So do early jet engines come to that).

At least this box is fairly warm most of the year. (Home for Christmas though! Brrrr)

I have it on good authority that Gene Kelly later auditioned for Voyage to the bottom of the sea

As he had grown Gills while singing in the rain.

George,

Cricket compared to baseball.

A lot less, Money, People playing, Running, Organ music, Chewing Gum, Popcorn & Peanuts.

The score is a bit easier to follow, (But the rules aren't) it is played in more than 2 countries, Beer (Real beer) is allowed (To spectators)

There is a tea break, Possibly more rain (No Rainchecks though) No mascots or cheerleaders (yet) (Or is that American Football?)

All the best

Pete

BTW, Thank You America for Nylons!

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I suppose the rectangles at the top of the fuselage could be filler hatches (I now know these to be access ports to allow lubrication of the rear drive shaft bearings):

P1030050_zpsba7db2bc.jpg

Why it needs two pairs I am not sure.

Edited by Nigel Heath
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Nigel,

That Header tank.

Judging from the pipework it's oil or fuel. probably engine oil,

Radials tend to get through a fair amount of the stuff.

(So do early jet engines come to that).

Pete, my original thoughts were along the lines of engine oil tank or hydraulic oil tank. However, I don't see any sight level on it anywhere.

My guess is that it's filled from directly above... given that there is a gaping big hole just below it, I don't see any need to cut an access hatch for it in the fuselage when you can just climb up directly beside it.

It's a pity the photo wasn't of a higher resolution, then we could have zoomed in to see what the text on the side of the tank was. All I can make out is "weight empty" and "torquing limits" (I think)

.. and I thought blue fittings were reserved for oxygen systems?

It wouldn't be some sort of coolant tank would it? (says he, having no idea how these engines were cooled)

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As for your mystery tank, my knowledge of these machines is very limited as I only rode in one maybe twice. I would think, though, the tank would be part of the very complex transmission system in these birds. I don't believe it is an oil tank. I felt much safer in the Hueys than the Banana. Could be because the Bananas I rode in were older than I was. It was also much harder to exit.(single file, in an orderly fashion, do not be disturbed by those funny men in black pajamas shooting at you. It is just a native custom showing their happiness and a form of greeting.)

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Nigel, if I end up buying the Special Hobby 1/48 kit of this type, it will be all your fault! I was quite H-21'd out after my Fonderie build but now I am starting to waver and even worse, wonder where the copies from the servicing manual I have might be.

Martin

p2_zpsd771ca33.jpg

p1_zps46fa754b.jpg

p3_zpsb4ca249f.jpg

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The Eduard instructions inform that the bars on the engine air intakes need to be removed. I had already decided this was necessary, they are far too thick:

P1030066_zps458af99c.jpg

With hindsight these would have been better left on until the last moment as it would probably have stopped the top cross bar braking (see later).

After a little prelimenary clean up they looked like this:

P1030068_zps60bb02ee.jpg

Here is what the mesh should look like from above:

H21%20rear%20upper%20cooling%20inlet.jpg

To me it looks like the div bars sit under the mesh.

Investigating the panel lines further, if I move it on this side it will hit the window, on the other side the window will no longer be centralised between the lines:

P1030067_zpse8b2e095.jpg

Maybe the windows are slightly out of kilter? Well I'm certainly not going to be attempting to move them, something else will have to be thought out.

One thing I can do is to replace these plastic handles with brass rod:

P1030069_zpscae2bda2.jpg

The little piece taped to the card will be used for one (yes I do save such things). It is 0.5mm rod BTW.

Here it is installed:

P1030070_zpsd90619d2.jpg

I will get on with the other one now.

Here they are both installed:

P1030071_zpsedb8cf88.jpg

I really should go and watch some telly. After the Dalek build my hard drive has taken a hammering and is almost full.

Bye for now,

Nigel

Edited by Nigel Heath
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Banana Build - Day 6

I decided to tackle the rest of the redundant parts on the sprues:

P1030074_zpsbd8c6521.jpg

These can now all go in the spares box:

P1030075_zpsba57a37e.jpg

I think I going to have to get a bigger box.

I then had another one of those highly dangerous Nigey brainwaves. I had to grind off the surplus brass rod inside the fuselage and decided it would be a good idea to use some Dymo tape as protection in case the motor tool slipped:

P1030083_zps4490d6c3.jpg

By now it was Nigey bath and dinner time so I stopped there for now.

For my dinner I made shoestring potatoes and tartar sauce to go with some battered fish:

P1030081_zps954042fd.jpg

More to follow later.

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I then filled the recesses created:

P1030085_zpsa4f975b0.jpg

When sanded they looked like this:

P1030086_zps15439326.jpg

Quite a good result I thought, the Dymo tape may of not have been necessary but I bet if I had not used it there would have been some sort of grinder related disaster.

Edited by Nigel Heath
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Just to give you some inspiration :winkgrin: :

317-557x417.jpg

Same guy also built this one, but in 1/48:

241-557x417.jpg

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The tank...

Being that it is powered by a Wright R-1820, 9 cylinder radial engine, that is a dry-sump, that makes the tank an oil tank. Fairly simple. They would climb up the hole (probably called a hell-hole) with a 10 gallon pail of oil, and fill it from the top.

Cheers

H. (Helicopter Pilot, but not H-21...!)

PS: there is a flying H-21/H44 in California!

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