Seasprite -2F to -2G Conversion: more "white stuff"

[DMC]

When I start perusing the contents of the stash shelf while working on a kit I know I am either getting bored or burnt out with it and should set it aside for a bit and perhaps start on yet another one.  I have several on the go now and am okay with that as I have come to realize over the past couple of years that it is almost de rigueur to have more than one kit a building at any one time.  So, on the shelf I espy an Airfix SH-2F (one of two) that I bought last year after Rodders started his WIP of the kit but was unable to proceed because of some problem which I can't remember now.

 

I selected one of the kits at random and when I opened it I discovered, to my surprise, that it had been vandalized. The complete interior was missing, including the crew.  Aliens perhaps?  The Kit was an eBay purchase and although I would normally check an eBay kit out very thoroughly, I must have just put this one aside without doing so.

 

So, put it aside and start the other one which I know to be complete or, using the parts as patterns, have a go at replacing the missing interior with scratch built parts.  I chose the latter option and so far the office furniture looks okay, more or less, so I am proceeding with the duff kit and will attempt to convert it to a -2G.  Not that much to do, just plunge mould a new transmission hump and the turbine pods and add a few exterior bits (they had quite a lot of these depending, it seems, on which country flew them).  First photo shows an equipment rack, sonobuoy cabinet and the senso's seat. Not sure about the sonobuoy cabinet as I have yet to find an interior shot of a -2G with one.  Or, for that matter, a -2F.

 

 

 

Not much can be seen in back after closing it up.

 

 

I've cut off the -2F turbines and plunged the hump which is moved forward a little.  Okay fit after lots of dry fitting and trimming.  A couple of Kittyhawk -2G builds helped me with sorting out the hump and turbine location.  Must have looked at a couple of hundred -2G photos also.

 

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

 

(Sorry, Photobucket can be really irritating at times.)

 

 

[Rodders154]

2 hours ago, DMC said:

(one of two) that I bought last year after Rodders started his WIP of the kit but was unable to proceed because of some problem which I can't remember now.

I will bring it down from the shelf of doom now that I have the NZ decals  Your is 100% better than mine and I didnt try to do the conversion

 

Rodders

[DMC]

 

16 hours ago, Rodders154 said:

I will bring it down from the shelf of doom now that I have the NZ decals  Your is 100% better than mine and I didnt try to do the conversion

 

Rodders

 

Hi Rodders,

Yes, please bring it down.  I'm sure I'm not the only one that would like to see it finished.  Not sure if mine is that much better, just a little different, perhaps. Such a great little kit, doesn't really need much extra.  A choice of better decals would be nice, however.

Cheers,

 

Dennis

 

[woody37]

A great lesson in the use of plasticard

[DMC]

5 hours ago, woody37 said:

A great lesson in the use of plasticard

 

Thanks, Woody, much appreciated.

 

Cheers,

 

Dennis

[DMC]

This photo of a -2F being refuelled on a Kidd (pretty sure)  class destroyer seemed a good idea for a diorama using the -2F I hope to start after I finish this -2G conversion.  Doubt I'll go as far as a refuelling scene but perhaps something with a few crew members would do.

The flight deck measurements were taken from this diagram:

I had saved some packing from a couple of pieces of furniture we had bought from Oak FurnitureLand (they of the perpetual sale), and am using that as a base for the flight deck.

The stuff is about an inch thick with a honeycomb interior.  Very light and just the thing for diorama bases.  I've already got etched deck tie-downs.

We'll see how it goes.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Martian]

On ‎11‎/‎06‎/‎2017 at 17:04, DMC said:

 The complete interior was missing, including the crew.  Aliens perhaps? 

Definitely not guilty M'Lud!

 

Great work on those missing parts and a super idea for displaying the finished model. The actual conversion work seems to be coming along very nicely as well.

 

Martian

[DMC]

50 minutes ago, Martian Hale said:

Definitely not guilty M'Lud!

 

Great work on those missing parts and a super idea for displaying the finished model. The actual conversion work seems to be coming along very nicely as well.

 

Martian

 

Ha, your tentacle prints are all over it!

 

Thanks, Martian.

 

Dennis

[Martian]

14 minutes ago, DMC said:

 

Ha, your tentacle prints are all over it!

 

Thanks, Martian.

 

Dennis

Bugger!

 

Martian

[DMC]

I felt the flight deck looked a little sparse on its own so I fooled around with the cardboard and added my interpretation of the hanger doors.  Close-up photos of the doors are a little hard to come by so guess work is the order of the day.  To get the corrugated effect I wet one side of the cardboard and peeled the paper off.  This took several tries until I got the results I wanted. I think this little dio will look okay with a few spotlights, a bit of railing here and there and especially the safety netting around the deck. 

 

Cheers,

 

Dennis

 

[DMC]

Okay, this should have been in with the flight deck image but couldn't get it in there.  To get the sound proofing effect on the Seasprite's interior I ran some thick foil, craft mesh and a piece of balsa through a pasta machine.  It came out okay but I think the pattern would be better suited to 1:48 rather than 1:72.  A smaller mesh, perhaps a strainer, would work better on 1:72.  Also, I should have used paper for a pattern and then transferred it to the foil to eliminate over handling.  Never the less, I'm going to use it as not much will be seen when everything is all buttoned up.

 

Dennis

 

( I used Village.Photos to get these photos on here and it's easy enough using Bullbasket's primer but couldn't get anything below the photos.  Working on it, however.)

 

[DMC]

Besides moving the transmission hump forward the most noticeable changes from -2F to -2G are the turbine pods.  Making them using the plunge method was pretty easy but getting the shape right required two or three tries before I felt okay with the results. 

 

The cowling front took a few tries also.  First a rough shape in clay, baked and then carved and sanded.  After plunging I turned the rig over (quickly) and used the blunt end of a drill bit to form the  indentation. After trimming I backed it with .030 styrene.

 

 The bullet shaped spinner tips (?) were plunge moulded and spacer discs cemented in between to get the correct (estimated) length.  These "spinners" have a (driveshaft?) cover connected to the transmission hump.  At least that is what it appears to be.  Perhaps an auxiliary drive of some sort.  Not sure, someone will know.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DMC]

Okay, interior painted up and I think it looks okay, not perfect but okay for a salvage job. Not much will show anyway after it's buttoned up.  I do think the seats are a little better than the kit seats. The belts are foil and the hardware just dots of silver paint.  My oversize quilted soundproofing can barely be seen so I'm not going to bother replacing it with something more suitable.  The equipment rack and sonar buoy console might as well not be there as they can hardly be seen either.

 

More or less ready now to cement the fuselage together and start on the hump and turbine pods.  Not going to use this one on the flight deck, for that I'll use an OOB kit -2F as I'm pretty sure it will be more appropriate for the USS Kidd.

 

Cheers,

 

Dennis

 

(Getting the hang now of village.photos. Pretty simple, really, after you post a few.)

 

[Martian]

The interior looks just fine, in fact I am very impressed at the very high standard of workmanship going on throughout the whole project.

 

Martian

[DMC]

19 minutes ago, Martian Hale said:

The interior looks just fine, in fact I am very impressed at the very high standard of workmanship going on throughout the whole project.

 

Martian

Too kind, Martian, too kind. 

 

Incidentally, following your Roc build but the smaller photos strain my tired old eyes.  Have you changed cameras or is it my laptop?

 

Cheers,

 

Dennis

[corsaircorp]

On ‎08‎/‎07‎/‎2017 at 13:18, DMC said:

Okay, this should have been in with the flight deck image but couldn't get it in there.  To get the sound proofing effect on the Seasprite's interior I ran some thick foil, craft mesh and a piece of balsa through a pasta machine.  It came out okay but I think the pattern would be better suited to 1:48 rather than 1:72.  A smaller mesh, perhaps a strainer, would work better on 1:72.  Also, I should have used paper for a pattern and then transferred it to the foil to eliminate over handling.  Never the less, I'm going to use it as not much will be seen when everything is all buttoned up.

 

Dennis

 

( I used Village.Photos to get these photos on here and it's easy enough using Bullbasket's primer but couldn't get anything below the photos.  Working on it, however.)

 

Hello Dmc,

That's a very good idea, thank to you and "Bonne Maman" will shamelessly use it too.

I had the idea to turn the 0/48 Airfix SH-2F into this one.

Trying to depict a Viet Nam era USN rescue Helo.

I so MUST change completely the turbine pack.

Thank for showing your conversion, My 2 Kamans (A Matchbox and a KH) came back from the attic a couple of time since I considered starting it.

You give me a kick to get them on the desk again.

Very nice job on the interior, congratulations

Don't be worry, I also have some kits on their way... Seem to be normal to me !

Thank again.

Sincerely.

Corsaircorp

[DMC]

Thanks, guys, for the barrage of "likes".

 

Hello CC,

 

18 minutes ago, corsaircorp said:

Hello Dmc,

That's a very good idea, thank to you and "Bonne Maman" will shamelessly use it too.

I had the idea to turn the 0/48 Airfix SH-2F into this one.

 

Trying to depict a Viet Nam era USN rescue Helo.

I so MUST change completely the turbine pack.

Thank for showing your conversion, My 2 Kamans (A Matchbox and a KH) came back from the attic a couple of time since I considered starting it.

You give me a kick to get them on the desk again.

Very nice job on the interior, congratulations

Don't be worry, I also have some kits on their way... Seem to be normal to me !

Thank again.

Sincerely.

Corsaircorp

 

Please, use it without shame.  Better suited (that size) for 1/48.  I found a strainer better suited to 1/72 in a Pound shop but the queue was too long so will have to go back for it.

I follow your builds, all of your builds, but don't know how you can fit anymore on your bench.  Big bench?

Helicopters are pretty scarce birds on BM, be nice to see a few more.

No worries.

 

Cheers,

 

Dennis

 

[corsaircorp]

Hello dennis,

Not a bench but kitchen table

I have a cabinet in wich I have all my started kits, so following the mood of the day, I choose wich one is going to be "operated"

The Seasprites will be a big surgery job. But I also have a Fonderie Sikorski H-5 for my Korean serie

I must confess that however I have a lot of WiP on BM, all the started projects are'nt published here.

The inconvenience is sometimes, there is no RFI for month... I know, I'm serial starter

Great job on your Seasprite, I really enjoy !

Have a very nice modelling day.

Sincerely.

Corsaircorp

[DMC]

Okay, looking at the last photo I posted, you'll see where the previous owner of the kit had a little trouble with the glazing adjacent to the starboard pedal.  Indeed, the framework and part of the IP cowling were broken off.  A bit of styrene for the cowling and framework and good enough for a salvage job. For the domed glazing I cut a piece from one of  the bumpy bits on the bottom of a plastic bottle and trimmed it to size.  Kristal Klear fixed everything in place and with another application of the stuff and some careful paintwork I think it'll look okay.

 

Cementing the fuselage halves together is next and then finishing off the hump and remaining turbine pod.   Not much to do after that and I actually might get around to completing one

 

Cheers,

 

Dennis

 

 

[DMC]

Well, finally back at the bench after a "procedure" at Nottingham City Hospital.  These things really take the starch out of you.  Just laid around in bed for a few days staring at the ceiling, not caring if I ever got back to modelling, or anything else.

 

Much better now and able to get some time in on the Seasprite conversion.  There is/was a conversion available for the Fujimi Seasprite but I'm not sure if it's available anymore.  Could probably be adapted to the Airfix kit but looks a bit soft to me.  Still, save a lot of work.  (Just noticed the date.  Apparently a recent issue.)

 

 http://www.72news.eu/2017/07/top-gun-kaman-seasprite-sh-2g.html

 

Still quite a bit to do but that's mostly just putting the rest of the kit together.

 

Dennis

 

[DMC]

Back again:

 

Had a good look at the nose cap and decided I'd probably lose most of the detail in cleaning it up so it seemed the best thing to do would be to plunge mould a replacement and start from scratch

 

So off comes the nose: copy the cap in clay;  mould a few copies for practice; check for fit.  Not sure just what that turret like affair is on the chin but I'm sure I'll find out before this is all over.  These Kiwi G(1)s had/have all manner of bits and bumps on them. 

 

I'm enjoying this conversion and can see myself doing another someday so remade the moulds for the turbine pods.  Instead of making them one at a time, I made them two together as it was easier to match them up.  Also, the exhaust 'cone effect' wasn't pronounced enough on the first attempt so I used a smaller punch for the second.  Not sure what these box-like things are either but I keep reading and researching and no doubt all will be revealed to me sooner or later.

 

Browsing my old slide collection I found these three that a guy gave me over 30 years ago.  If I remember correctly, he took them when he was involved with Operation Deep Freeze some years before.  Can't remember if he was a pilot or crew or what.  I've looked at quite a few pictures online but didn't come up with anything remotely close so perhaps these are the real deal.  They do have a snapshot look about them I think.  Anyway, thought one or both would make a nice subject to model.  Ice for a base, perhaps.

 

Edited August 24, 2017 by DMC
Total cockup

[DMC]

Okay, apologies with this one.  Photos all screwed up, no title change, etc. I'll post the Operation Deep Freeze photos later. 

Village photos okay but really need to keep up with it.

 

Dennis

[DMC]

Okay, I'll try again with the Deep Freeze photos.  Worn out now, need a drink of some sort  Cheers, Dennis

[phat trev]

Love the build and the detail you have managed to cram in to the interior.  I have a 1/72 Matchbox Lynx to re-purpose as a 1970's 'Whif' the US Navy purchased the heli' so your methods are inspiring!

[DMC]

5 hours ago, phat trev said:

Love the build and the detail you have managed to cram in to the interior.  I have a 1/72 Matchbox Lynx to re-purpose as a 1970's 'Whif' the US Navy purchased the heli' so your methods are inspiring!

 

Thanks for that, Trev, and good luck with the Lynx.

 

Dennis