bar side Posted June 29, 2017 Share Posted June 29, 2017 (edited) So far I have played about with cardboard buildings, dioramas, lighting up models and scratch building, so what to have a go at next? Now down the road from me is Wattisham so I see Apaches flying over most days. Do like them, and did fancy making one. Then one day I was in the model shop and they had these for £9 - not the version I really wanted, but couldn't really say no..... The decals look to be, er, 'challenging', but worth a go. But what else could it have? What about turning rotors? I had an old toy twin rotor flying 'spaceman' helicopter (one of those radio controlled toys with twin rotors) that never flew very well, but it had two motors in it and gears & drive shafts. So, opened the kit & tried to figure out if things will fit / work. Something like this for the main rotor And a motor right through the tail Still don't know if it will all work, but if it totally fails I will just leave it not working. Checked out where the GPU socket is and will route wires out through there. Now this clip is noisy & may well not work (photobucket seems somewhat conflicted about whether it works or not!) http://vid172.photobucket.com/albums/w16/BarSidePhotos/WP_20170629_15_34_37_Pro_zpse9jgkqap.mp4 Well trying a different photo host now photobucket is blocking everything unless you pay! Edited June 30, 2017 by bar side 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted June 30, 2017 Author Share Posted June 30, 2017 OK looks like the pics now work! Still don't think the video will though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted July 1, 2017 Author Share Posted July 1, 2017 Try this for the video - playing with the new image hosting site I found they can make animated gifs http://i.imgur.com/K6XD5Ty.gifv 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted July 15, 2017 Author Share Posted July 15, 2017 Well the main rotor goes around and now the tail rotor does likewise. So I need to get on with the cockpit so that I can solder up the wires & close up the body halves. Bit of progress with the OOB cockpit. Some paint & washes over. Always quite liked the raised dials etc. Only problem is they are all wrong for the display decals. Think I like the raised detail more than the decals. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James B Posted July 17, 2017 Share Posted July 17, 2017 This is oooking great and I love the addition of the motor. Will you add working lights too? the gif you posted seems to show the main rotor turning clockwise, I believe (although am no expert) that it needs to go in the opposite direction. Most US helicopter rotors rotate counter-clockwise when looking from above. I never really know which is right, but the tapered edge of a blade is always the trailing edge, just like an aeroplane wing. Hopefully that's of some help and you can just reverse the polarity. Keep up up the great work, I'll be following this one closely. As you say, those decals look like they'll be a great challenge, but what a beauty you'll get in the end. James 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted July 18, 2017 Author Share Posted July 18, 2017 Cheers @James B - direction of rotation can be fixed as the power will be external so all I need to do is reverse the battery pack. But I don't know which was the right direction before so thanks! Just need to make sure the main and tail rotors are both going the right way when I solder the wires up. Lights? You know I was asking myself the same question yesterday. I guess it is strobing anti collision lights on either side. Any others on when found running? An Apache went over head the other day with a light under the nose. Not sure if that is usual Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James B Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 I wasn't sure if the gif just made it look like it was going the wrong way, and am really glad I could be of some help. Really great news that it's an easy fix too. I think the lights will depend whether it is being depicted in a combat environment or peace time. Landing too may make a difference. I don't know too much on the subject but I believe they have the standard red light on the tail, red on the port side and green on starboard and will have a landing light under the nose. The coloured lights may or may not be flashing beacons, I'm not sure. I can't wait to see this progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted July 20, 2017 Author Share Posted July 20, 2017 There is a nice Dutch Apache start up on youtube. Definitely counter clockwise on the main rotor, probably on the tail too. The beacons are clear on the sides, not sure if that small red light in front of the beacon is a port side light or not. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon382 Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 Great video but the Apache looks a little folorn without anything hanging from the wings imho. Not sure I've ever seen one without anything on the wings 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted August 19, 2017 Author Share Posted August 19, 2017 Well after a nice break for summer hols I am back to working on the Apache. The tail and main rotor motors are wired up and working - just need to check the direction of rotation are both correct. I can't get on with closing up the fuselage as I want to put in working strobe lights on the sides & I haven't got any bulbs at the moment. I started putting together the engine casings and the lower 'panniers'. Probably should have waited but I wanted to get on with something. The engine casing has a nasty joint down the side that is going to need some filler to get rid of. This is how they look: And this is how they should look: Make sense to push an led light through the side to make the strobe. And the exhaust shape now looks wrong on the kit too. I know the UK version (as pic above) uses different engines, so need to check the dutch version now 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James B Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 Glad to see progress is still continuing. Can't wait to see how you get on with the strobe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted August 22, 2017 Author Share Posted August 22, 2017 Beginning to think I will have to wait for Halloween to get some cheap led light strings. Normally loads Poundland & QD but nothing doing at the moment. I used some on my Harrier that would be ideal, so will hang on until I find them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted August 22, 2017 Author Share Posted August 22, 2017 Beginning to think I will have to wait for Halloween to get some cheap led light strings. Normally loads Poundland & QD but nothing doing at the moment. I used some on my Harrier that would be ideal, so will hang on until I find them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted August 30, 2017 Author Share Posted August 30, 2017 Got some lights at last. They are the round led bulbs with a heavy clear plastic casing on them. I took the dremel to then end & cut it to a slot shape & then cut an opening in the side of the engine casing Bit of filler to try & smooth out the side of the engine casing Both done: I drilled a hole in to the fuselage to take the back of the bulb & tried a test fit on to the side of the fuselage Lots to do to smooth things out, paint & decal before fitting it to the fuselage. Need to wire it up using the power in & a separate power out so I can interrupt it and make it flash while the motor runs and turns the rotors. There is also a clear lense that will go over the outside of the light 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted August 30, 2017 Author Share Posted August 30, 2017 I now have the dilemma of how far to take it. There is a nose underside light that should be on (not a strobe) - I have seen enough fly over me with them on to know. (pic from the web) I also guess there should be some light I could let bleed into the cockpit. There are also marker lights ahead of the strobes on the engine cases. Does that about cover it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted September 1, 2017 Author Share Posted September 1, 2017 Trying to work out the lights for the apache & it seems that the U.K. version has anti collision lights on the end of the wing stubs, but the Dutch display version has smoke or flare dispensers there http://apachehelicopter.tpub.com/TM-1-1520-238-T-6/css/TM-1-1520-238-T-6_037.htm however they all seem to have a light ahead of the right main wheel. I don't think I can do justice to the very small light on the tail though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted September 1, 2017 Share Posted September 1, 2017 (edited) For the little light on the Tail try using a Model railroad grain lightbulb. They're what the manufacturers use for n scale and HO scale. They should be available in any railroad shop. They're about the size of a grain of rice or wheat. Edited September 1, 2017 by Corsairfoxfouruncle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted September 2, 2017 Author Share Posted September 2, 2017 That probably would work @Corsairfoxfouruncle or maybe some fibre optics pushed up to the tail, but it doesn't seem that the light is that noticeable in the vids I have watched. I am currently looking to see how I will fit two motors, two lights on and two lights strobing, all wired together & fixed in a sealed fuselage. I have tracked down the location of the light below the nose - pretty obvious really. The left hand of the two holes in the underside here The problem with putting a light behind this is that the wheel wells (well the recesses above the wheels) has no surround so the light would shine out all over the place. So now I have put in card inserts to keep the light where it should be So this is the 'panniers' test fitted up to the underside, along with the engine casings. Again, light escape is a problem - here through the engine exhausts. So I blanked them of & lined with silver foil to stop light bleed. Also have no in place the holes for the port & starboard non-strobing lights. So dry fit of panniers, engine casings and canopy - got to sort the electrics & get this sealed up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted September 3, 2017 Author Share Posted September 3, 2017 Rigged it all up today to test fixed (non strobing) lights and motor. All coming together nicely Needs lots of silver foil light shielding to stop the body lighting up. Was all going well with lights on & rotor turning, then I increased the voltage and the lights went out. Suspect I blew the leds. Oh well, better now than once the fuselage is sealed up. Video of the rotors running to follow when Vimeo finishes processing it 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted September 4, 2017 Author Share Posted September 4, 2017 Video finally up and running 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted September 4, 2017 Share Posted September 4, 2017 Hmmm tried the Imgur link near the top of the page. It worked but it locked my iphone up. I had to reboot the phone ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted September 4, 2017 Author Share Posted September 4, 2017 That's strange @Corsairfoxfouruncle Not had too many problems with imgur since the photo bucket problems, but can be difficult to know when it's your account. Let me know if it is still causing problems 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted September 10, 2017 Author Share Posted September 10, 2017 Progress is slow - so slow that I dug another kit out of the stash with a view to starting it rather than doing more on the Apache. But I ended up getting the soldering iron out & got the lights working again. My wiring is at best Heath Robinson, but two motors turn and four bulbs are working The tube is to carry the light out to the engine casings for the port / starboard lights. The strobe lights have their own bulbs. So will it all go inside? Test fit looks like this So it may be time to seal up the body. Trying to get my head around the sequence for progress as the serious number of decals mean that details con't go on the outside until the decals go on. Think I will start clear coating the engines & decal them as a trial run. Seal up the body & coat in grey & go for the decals. Not putting any timescale on it though! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James B Posted September 11, 2017 Share Posted September 11, 2017 Really enjoying watching this come together. Keep up the great work, it's looking great and the attention detail and hard work is showing already. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted September 11, 2017 Author Share Posted September 11, 2017 Cheers @James B not sure about great work, but it needs pushing on. Anyway, took the plunge and sealed up the body tonight. The lower 'panniers' will go on once this is dry. A quick test did show the motors & lights all still working, which is nice. the engine have also had a paint touch up and a coat of klear so ready to try decals on later this week. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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